Harmonic Mixing (DJ)

danryanfl · Post by **danryanfl** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:46 pm

I recently found out about this wicked piece of software called "Rapid Evolution" that is open source freeware, you can get it at www.mixshare.com.

It can automatically scan all your audio files and detect the key and stores them in a really cool database format. It supposedly has the best key detection out of any software out there.

I had been using ToNarT, but that was a major pain compared to this...

If you try it, tell me what you think.

Peace,

Dan

Patch · Post by **Patch** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:58 pm

Are you sure Rapid Evolution scans your audio and detects the key? I thought you had to tell it what key each tune is in...

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:10 pm

http://www.mixedinkey.com/

Scans an entire folder/drive and saves the keys in a database. Works great. I've done 1000+ warped tracks with it.

I include the key (in Camelot notation, along with the tempo) in the track filename. Makes it easy to use Live's browser to search for compatible chromatically beatmatched tracks.

danryanfl · Post by **danryanfl** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:20 am

Rapid Evolution does everything that MixedInKey does, but it is free and supposedly has better key detection...

I just scanned my whole folder of files (mp3 format) and it works great. It uses Camelot or regular notation and lets you sort/search by a whole load of different parameters in your song database.

Its sweet.

COSM · Post by **COSM** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:43 am

Could you use this to say... scan a directory of wav drum samples and get the same results? like toms/hihats for example...

stale bread · Post by **stale bread** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:48 am

great question Cosm

and i'd also like to know what it does after scanning, it creates a databse of just the titles of the audio it scanned or you can actualy organize your audio with it?

forge · Post by **forge** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:57 am

cool thanks for that

we were actually going to but mixed in key when we had the spare cash

bet the mixed in key guys are spewing

the file isnt a .jar java file though like the faq says - it's a zip file

downloaded the launcer though and seems to work

MrYellow · Post by **MrYellow** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:14 am

I don't really believe these programs.

Sure they might work on techno where the root note is playing for basically
the whole track..... However a lot of music plays off intervals of a key, and
the introduction of accidentals actually modulates the key.

Ok so it's designed for techno....... so yeah.....

-Ben

forge · Post by **forge** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:39 am

MrYellow wrote:I don't really believe these programs.

Sure they might work on techno where the root note is playing for basically
the whole track..... However a lot of music plays off intervals of a key, and
the introduction of accidentals actually modulates the key.

Ok so it's designed for techno....... so yeah.....

-Ben

not neccessarily - how easy would it be to recognise the key of a I,IV,V or I,relative minor,IV,V progression?

it could certainly work out the relationships between different tones and the averages

MrYellow · Post by **MrYellow** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:18 am

Yeah..... I can see that.....

What about V IV+ IV VI?

There are heaps ways of looking at that tho...
Maybe it'd pick one that worked....
Tho maybe not what the composer intended.

-Ben

forge · Post by **forge** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:24 am

I guess maybe part of the coding would be to come up with as many possibilities as you can think of then program it to work out what is going on

in reality the vast majority probably arent going to be too complicated

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:47 am

I made a big mix set, it was fun. I bought Mixed In Key about 6 months ago. Ever since my mixes sound MUCH better. I can find songs that really go together (Psycho Killer - Talking Heads and Kung Fu (pitched up 1 step into Am) - Curtis Mayfield). I can also avoid off-mixes, or when to use drums in between differenet keys, or mix modally. It was the next level.

To implement, my guess:
Measure frequencies around each note with audio filters. I imagine you could alias down higher octaves to make fewer frequencies to measure to cover all the octaves up to 22kHz. Assign those to variables as counters to count the notes, whatever 8 notes are dominant make the major scale for the key. They do detect major vs. minor. So it seems they also take modal theory into account, which 8 notes, they find where the tonal center of the key is. Then filter out 'odd' sections like bridges with key changes.

Mixed In Key doesn't do key changes within a song, but you can scan the directory of a self contained set. So save the song off in pieces.

I haven't thrown anything odd at it, but Allen Ginsburg reciting his poem 'America' is in Gbm. BTW the update was free.

friend_kami · Post by **friend_kami** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:07 pm

how good would this baby work on say... idm and breakcore then?

danryanfl · Post by **danryanfl** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:09 pm

COSM wrote:Could you use this to say... scan a directory of wav drum samples and get the same results? like toms/hihats for example...

You could, but I'm not sure how well it will work on the drum samples, it is worth a try.

As to the other question about updating files, or just creating a database, I'm not really sure. I enjoy the database (which is basically the program's main screen) because it is easy to sort by Camelot key code and see what tracks I might want to use next; but, it might be able to modify ID3 tags or filenames, I'm not really sure.

I know a lot of people on the website are CDJs so they just go through and label all their cd's (or vinyl) after finding the key on their tracks, but personally, having Rapid Evolution running in the background while DJing with Live seems a world of improvement to me.

MrSleep · Post by **MrSleep** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:22 pm

im realy dumb with key changes (in compositions) maybe this program can help in some way... mmm..