How Pro DJ’s Mix House & Tech – How it’s done

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Mix house and tech tracks like a Pro with this easy transition!

In this guide, we’re going to break down an easy trick that will help DJ’s mixes sound clean and professional when mixing house and tech. This trick works especially well with house and tech music, being used by professionals to create bigger and better drops.

Step One – Sourcing the right tracks

For the trick to work efficiently, we need to mix two tracks with strong bass line melodies. As the tracks are layered, try to avoid music that has vocals as these will clash.

In our video guide, we selected Vibration – Don’t Blink and Moving Blind – Dom Dolla & Sonny Fodera. It’s essential to ensure the two tracks used are harmonically compatible.

This is known as mixing in key and is necessary for this trick to sound good. Learn more about mixing in key in our dedicated guide found here.

Step Two – Music Preparation

House music and tech usually feature long intros, with a minute or more passing before a breakdown. To speed the mixing process up, we can set hot cues at crucial places within the tracks.

To place hot cues in the correct position, we can look for apparent breakdowns. Alternatively, we can use the beat jump feature to jump 32 beats backwards from the tracks drop.

Step Three – Optional FX

Once you’re comfortable with performing the trick, try adding effects to the mix for a more dramatic effect. In the video guide, Jamie applies a reverb to the outgoing track.

Step Four – Mixing Technique

Professional DJ’s can create impactful drops when performing by using a unique mixing technique. Even the most subtle tracks can create impressive drops by filtering the low frequencies during the mix. By removing the low frequencies, the DJ can make a big impact when the bass line returns.

Filltering out the bass line of the outgoing track and then returning the new bass line from the new track, the DJ creates an additional layer of energy to their set. They are creating a much bigger impact than just conventionally mixing the two tracks.

Step Five – Walkthrough

Now the basics of this mixing technique have been broken down, let’s go through the example shown step by step.

Play TRACK ONE, on the final drop press the HOT CUE on TRACK TWO to start the track,
Wait a phrase, then press HOT CUE on TRACK TWO again to correct the phrasing,
Introduce TRACK TWO with the low EQ turned down, start applying a high pass filter to TRACK ONE to remove the low frequencies,
Apply reverb to TRACK ONE (Optional)
As TRACK TWO drops, return the low EQ to normal.On TRACK ONE turn off the REVERB, HIGH PASS FILTER and turn the low EQ down.
Mix out TRACK ONE