How to Remix Using Mixcraft
Mixcraft is a digital audio workstation that lets you record, edit, mix and remix your music using a PC. Remixing is the process of modifying and adjusting the various audio components within a song to create a new sonic aesthetic. While any adjustment to the fidelity and balance of audio constitutes a remix, the term is regularly used to describe a specific type of mix, where the result is a dance-oriented version of the original. Depending on the specific application, remixing can fix balance problems, brighten up a dull mix or make your music more upbeat and danceable.
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Instructions
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Fidelity Remix
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1
Double-click on the Mixcraft desktop icon.
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2
Click "Open Recent" and select the song to be remixed.
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3
Press "Play" so you can hear your mix adjustments in real time. Listen for any audio that is dominating the mix. For example, the snare drum might be too loud.
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4
Adjust the channel gain for any audio track that is too loud. In Mixcraft, each sound is recorded to an audio channel. The gain dial governs the volume of that track in the mix.
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5
Tweak each channel gain to balance the volume of the individual instrument and vocal sounds in the mix. Each channel has a volume unit, or "VU" meter. Reduce the gain if this goes red.
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6
Adjust the equalization settings for each channel. There are three dials per channel, marked "Lo," "Mid" and "Hi." These govern the three fundamental frequency ranges. Turn the dial right to increase that range and turn it left to reduce it. For example, if the bass drum sounds a little "thin" or lacks punch, turn up the "Lo" dial to boost the bottom frequencies.
Dance Remix
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7
Open Mixcraft and click "File," "Open Recent." Open the project you want to remix.
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8
Mute all irrelevant audio. Only selected parts of the original make it into a remix. Typically, acoustic drums are replaced with electronic drums. Click the "M" icon next to each audio channel you want to omit from the dance remix.
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9
Click "New" and select "MIDI Channel." Double-click the blank channel to open the "Piano Roll" editor (see References 3). This is a MIDI sequencing interface that lets you create music by plotting notes on a grid. The vertical axis represents instruments and the horizontal axis represents time --- in beats and bars.
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10
Click "Instrument" and select an electronic drum kit. Program a dance beat in the piano roll editor. For an authentic dance beat, program a kick drum for the first beat of every measure. This is called "four to the floor" and creates a driving, pulsing beat.
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Balance the audio. Once the dance beat is finished, adjust the respective gain dial for each channel to tweak the individual track volumes. A dance remix typically features a prominent drum track, prominent bass and vocals. Much of the remaining music is mixed quite low.
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Tips & Warnings
Listen to the audio at various volumes. Different frequencies are more prominent at low volumes.
While mixing is a matter of personal preference, it's typically preferable for the vocal to be the most dominant feature in a recording.
References
Resources
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