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While technological advances
may have detracted from musical integrity in the post-disco era, it undoubtedly
helped the evolution of mixing. Most dance music used electronic drums,
which locked in a consistent tempo indefinitely. Quartz lock and variable
pitch turntables (and ultimately CD players) now allowed DJ's to overlay
long segments of different records, as long as they could be synchronized.
Once his beat mixing technique was developed, the DJ could overlay complete
phrases (8+ counts) and even verses (32 counts). He soon found, however,
that synchronization was not enough. If the desired segments of both songs
contained melodies, the result was usually unpleasant because of clashing
keys. The determined DJ solved this dilemma by trial and error: He tried
different combinations until he found compatible songs. He did not know
that only 25 percent of all songs are harmonically compatible.
He soon learned the value of neutral "free beat" segments where only percussion
played. Free beats could be mixed over melodies without clashing. The absence
of these segments made songs more difficult to mix. Remix services, such
as Hot Tracks and Ultimix, appeared to solve the problem. Each remixed song
would usually have a key-neutral intro, break(s), and outro, which now allowed
eight bars (32 counts) of beat mixing without clashing.
The primary limitation of basic beat-mixing is dependence on free-beat segments.
It's sort of like traveling around the United States - but only by railroad.
Free-beat segments are like railroad tracks: You can go any place you want
as long as it is serviced by tracks. Harmonic mixing is like traveling by
helicopter: You can go any place you want, period.
Basic beat mixing created the third dimension of mixing, rhythm, because
full synchronization permitted complete overlays - as long as melodies did
not clash.
HOME THEATER ANALOGY: Stereo TV brought the third dimension, width, to home
theater, when it created a horizontal stage along which sound could be pinpointed.
