Assignment #4

Assignment 4: DJ Environment and Medley

Due February 17, 2010

General description:
In this assignment you will set up a DJing environment and use it to create a medley. You need to provide between two to four songs of your choice. These could be from a single or different composers. You will also create a backing beat track to help unify the songs.

Setting the environment:
Load each song on a separate track. Show the crossfade section by clicking the button with a cross on the right edge of the Live window. Assign each of the tracks to A or B crossfader. Rehearse switching between songs by triggering simultaneously clips of A and B tracks and crossfading on the master track.

Jump between different locations in the song by opening the clip view and placing the cursor at the playback part of the clip waveform (the part that shows the mouse cursor as a speaker icon).  Experiment with setting a loop brace and shifting it in time by pressing the keyboard up and down keys.

After you determined the sections for mixing, make several copies of each song on following clip slots and select these sections in separate clips. It helps to identify them by names, such as verse, a brief chorus or some other music section of interest.

Beat Track:
Create an additional beat track either by using midi or using a recorded drum loop.
Copy it several times and create variations by using the methods shown in class, such as track automation of track activator (on and off), changing track volume, using transposition, beat repeat effect and clip follow functions in the launch section. The backing beat should be kept basic to help mixing and not compete with the music.

DJing:
Improvise with the set and practice transitions between the songs. 
Record one such DJing session into arrangement view.

Optional: To add naturalness to the song consider altering the tempo in the arrangement view after you've done the recording. This is done by creating an automation on the master track tempo.

Final submission:
Export the final medley as audio and post it on soundcloud or send in the recording.
Provide a short document that describes:
1. The songs you used
2. The sections you selected
3. Describe the transitions / arrangement
4. Document the beat track, automation and effects you used to create beat variations. You may provide a separate recording of the beat track.