THEORY: If you increase the speed of a song
by about 6%, you also shift the song's key up to the next higher key on
the chromatic scale (technically a "half-step" or "semi-tone" shift). Your
keycode shifts up by seven numbers. If you shift it up only 3%, you are
half way to the next key (a "hemi-tone" shift). A song in A-Flat Minor (keycode
1A) shifts to A Minor (keycode 8A) with a 6% increase in speed. A song in
E-Flat Minor (keycode 2A) becomes an E Minor (keycode 9A) song with a 6%
increase. The tempo of a song is irrelevant when applying this rule, because
the audio frequency of any tone is unaffected by how often it is played.
ADVANCED TECHNIQUE #1: REGION SHIFTING
Using the preceding theory, you can make radical shifts from one area
of the Easymix Circle to another while still mixing harmonically. This will
require a net speed change of 6%. You will increase keycodes by seven numbers.
EXAMPLE #1: You are ending a hip-hop set with Foxy Brown's "Big Bad Mamma"
at 107 BPM keycode 1A (A-Flat Minor). It is based on Carl Carlton's "She's
A Bad Mama Jama" at about 114 BPM keycode 8A (A-Minor). Pitch up Foxy Brown's
version to Carl Carlton's speed (do NOT use Pioneer's "Master Tempo" or
Denon's "Key Adjust" circuits to keep Foxy's key at 1A, because we WANT
it to increase 6% to Carl Carlton's key). They will then both be in the
same key. You could instead bring Carl Carlton down 3% and Foxy up 3% because
the net change is still 6%. You have now moved harmonically from the keycode
1A region to the keycode 8A region.
EXAMPLE #2: You want to move up from "She's A Bad Mama Jama" (114/8A) to
a club music set. A 6% increase from 114/8A will take you to 121 BPM (actually
120.84 BPM) keycode 3A (B-Flat Minor). You know from experience that the
average speed of club music has crept higher over the past ten years, and
that there really are not many current choices in the 121 BPM region.
• Choice A: You want a keycode 3A song, so you decide to stay semi-retro
and choose either C&C Music Factory's "Sweat" remix at 122/3A, or else
Marky Mark's "Good Vibrations" at 121.5/3A.
• Choice B: You broaden your choices into other perfect harmony keys.
To stay retro, you might choose Rick James' "Standing At The Top" (122/2A)
or Apollonia 6's "Sex Shooter" (123/4A).
ADVANCED TECHNIQUE #2: MODULATION MIXES
A modulation mix provides exciting results by jumping a half
step or whole step on the chromatic scale without significant changes in
speed. For example, a half step jump (seven keycodes) may be from E-Flat
Minor (keycode 2A) to E-Minor (keycode 9A). A whole step jump (two keycodes)
may be from E-Flat Minor to F-Minor. This type of mix can give quite a tangible
lift to the energy on your floor. CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to overlay bass
lines/melody in modulation mixes, only percussion segments of one source.
Make sure the mix is complete when the new bassline/melody starts. Following
the same procedures you can also modulate from a minor to a major key, or
vice versa.
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