The Complete Guide to Remixing: Produce Professional Dance-Floor Hits on Your Home Computer [Paperback]

Erik Hawkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

Learn cutting-edge remixing techniques and tips on producing hit dance music with today's hottest software, including Pro Tools, Live, Logic Audio and Reason. This comprehensive handbook of the history, technology, craft and art of remixing covers: software and hardware you need to set up the ultimate new music production studio * tips on how to use many of the standard software programs to create professional remix effects * tools and production techniques used in today's top dance remixes * how to locate and legally remix tracks from major and independent label recording artists * tips from the industry's best remix artists and DJs. The CD features over 50 tracks of remixing examples, including arrangements in progress and completed productions. Hear for yourself the amazing production techniques described in the book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Berklee Press (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876390440
• ISBN-13: 978-0876390443
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Appropriately Titled., September 19, 2005

By 

Brian Shaw "soundguy2" (Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete Guide to Remixing: Produce Professional Dance-Floor Hits on Your Home Computer (Paperback)

This book truly covers every aspect of remixing, from finding songs to remix, to getting a bar code for your CD, and author Erik Hawkins does an admirable job of touching on every relevant topic in between.

As can be expected the sections of the book that refer to specific computer hardware and software are already not completely current but thankfully the real treasure in this book is found in the sections dealing with production, and this will certainly be valid for many years to come. There's excellent advice given about targeting a style and setting up your sequencer to begin remixing including essential facts about time-stretching and time-correcting remix elements. The chapter on working with lead vocals and micro-editing is particularly eye-opening and useful far beyond the context of remixing.

Perhaps the coolest thing about this guide is the included CD which allows you to hear the production techniques being described. For example, no matter how well a "stutter edit" is described in words, nothing compares to actually hearing it for yourself, and this is as simple as cueing up the CD to the track boldly listed at the beginning of the corresponding section. A number of advanced production devices are presented this way along with a step by step description of how the effect was achieved, these alone are worth the price of the book. Additional production tips are contributed by remixing heavyweights BT, Dave Audé, Thunderpuss, and Deepsky.

The references to chords and chord progressions are overly simplified and contain at least one glaring error but this isn't really the focus of the book and this information can easily be found in other resources. As a guide to remixing and electronic music production in general, this book is a solid hit.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must have..., December 26, 2005

By 

Nikki Heyward (W. Palm Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete Guide to Remixing: Produce Professional Dance-Floor Hits on Your Home Computer (Paperback)

With all books from Berklee Press the beginner and the advanced alike will learn something new. And this book is no exception. Remixing is very hot these days and everyone wants a piece of the pie. But there are only a select few who can pull off remixes that move people. With this book an aspiring DJ can get a few steps closer. Not olny does it start with the basics such as what gear you will need, it walks you through the different aspects of remixing. For the beginner, knowing what makes the genres of dance music different helps you to focus on the type of remix you want for a song. For the seasoned Remix artist it will give you the basis to expand your horizons into different types of dance music. The CD that comes with it is a great tool to actually hear the technique the author explains in step by step instructions.

Remixing is an art, but you gotta start somewhere.While there is no subtitution for actual practice, you can't go wrong with this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent, July 24, 2005

By 

G. Rennert (northern california) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Complete Guide to Remixing: Produce Professional Dance-Floor Hits on Your Home Computer (Paperback)

some good tips for remixers. i wasn't impressed at first, but by the time i was half way through i had picked up enough tips to last me a year.