Beatmixing with mixSense
What is beatmixing?
Basically, beatmixing is the synchronisation of two different beats from audio tracks. It is a method used by DJ's to seamlessly perform a transition from one song to the next. In order to beatmix with mixSense, a BPM (Beats Per Minute) value must be calculated for each track. This is so the program can match the BPM's of two tracks for a beatmix. A cue point must also be determined. This is the starting point of the track. Typically, the cue point would be the first occurrence of a Kick Drum or Snare of a song.
How to calculate the BPM in mixSense...
In mixSense the BPM can be determined using two different methods. Automatically or manually.
Automatic BPM Counting...
The automatic beat detection engine analyses a
playing song and attempts to count the number of beats per minute for that song.
The estimated BPM is displayed on each player. Dance, house or techno tracks can
often be precisely counted due to their typically consistent beat pattern. Hip
Hop, RnB and others styles, can also be accurately detected, however, some
tracks may have alternating or inconsistent beat patterns which may cause
inaccuracies in the estimated BPM.
Manual BPM Counting...
Manual BPM counting is often the most accurate
way of calculating the BPM of a given track (this applies to all DJ software).
Tapping is used to calculate the beat. To enable the BPM tapping screen, click
the BPM label in the player (shown below):
When the tapping screen appears, click the 'Tap' button to the beat of the playing track. Once the value of the BPM appears to be stable, click OK and the BPM will be applied to the track and locked by the mixer. Once locked, this value will be remembered the next time the song is played.
Matching Beats...
To match beats, load mixSense with two tracks, both with their individual BPM's determined. Click one of the 'Sync' buttons on the mixer to automatically adjust the pitch for its corresponding player, to match the beat of the track in the other player. If the beats are unmatchable, the info bar at the bottom of mixSense's file list will indicate how much to increase the pitch range in order to match the beats.
How to set the Cue Point...
Setting the cue point of the song lets mixSense know where to actually start playing the track. The cue point should be a part of the song where the beat begins, or where the song itself actually begins. To set the cue point load a track into a player, then play it. When the track has reached its ideal cue point, press the 'Cue In' button. To move the play cursor to back to the set cue point, press the 'Cue' button.
The next time the track is loaded, the play cursor will default to this position. Multiple cue points can be set by adjusting the 'Cue In Index' but the cue point at index 1 will be used as the default cue point. All track cue points will be saved for each track.
The Cue Out Trigger...
The the cue out trigger determines the point of the song at which the mix will occur to the next track. This should always on a beat, so both beats are in sync when the mix takes place.
To set the cue out trigger, move the play cursor to the appropriate mix point and hit the 'Cue Out' button. In order for the cue out trigger to work, the checkbox labelled 'Enable Cue Out Trigger' must be checked in the players options.
In automix mode, the cue out trigger will be enabled by default if a cue out trigger has been preset for the song.