Mix up, Mash up

Week 8 of Technology in Music Education we experimented with mashing up popular songs. We initially used Soundtrap to assess the effectiveness of using this DAW to for the project. I am very familiar with Soundtrap however, this task highlighted some shortcomings. To mix two different pieces of music you have to adjust the speed and Soundtap didn't easily allow for identifying and manipulating the tempo if each track. Much of the adjustments relied on guesswork. We then transitioned to attempting the same tack on Ableton. This DAW is much more complex and my first impression was apprehensive as it seemed fairly complex to use. The class was shown the first steps; enter the files, compare and adjust tempo, cut and adjust the entry. Later we looked at adding EQ and automation. I found it difficult to adjust the track entry and negotiate all the options for editing each track, I think with more time and practice using Ableton I will feel more comfortable using it. Our class also had the opportunity to play with MIDI Grid Sequencers. James demonstrated on the Ableton Push controller specifically designed for use with Ableton. I enjoyed comparing each sequencer and learning about the advantages and disadvantages for each. I would love to look into using sequences further as well as using samples to create a mash up. This would make a very engaging lesson plan for a stage 6 group and engage students in making music in a way that may be more relevant to them.