How to make a great set (progressive house)

The thing is you have to find your own style.
For example I mix a lot of times intros and outros of songs, which is totally different say for Armin van Buuren who like to mix in transitions of trance. The next thing is how to use effects etc.

If you are already proficient at mixing songs together then you could look into Mixing in Key and try to have an energy flow throughout your mix. Try to tell a story with songs.

Terry has a good point. You need to find your own style and way of mixing. There is not really a right or wrong way to do it.
I think start with with mixing the intros and the outros of 2 songs. Progressive tracks seem to have a similar pattern.

http://www.beatport.com/track/animals-original-mix/4459187

If you look at the waveform of animals ( I think you know that one 😀 ) It starts with a snare then the kick comes in till the first breakdown.
What I usually do. Is mix in this intro. till it hits the first breakdown. And there I cut away the outgoing track.
This is a basic but effective way of mixing in my opinion. When you want to experiment with mixing in key you could also mix melodies.
Just mix alot. And try out different things. This is the best way of learning.
Don`t worry about it to much. try to have. No have fun, and happy mixing

Yes that does make sense.
But I really think you should pick your own tunes. Listen to alot of music. If I would suggest tunes to you then its not really your set.
This is also part of creating your own style.

Here are my tips:

1. [b]Have a diverse selection of music in the sound/vibe you wish to play.[/b] That means you might pick up tunes that Nervo and Hardwell play, but you also are seeking out stuff that fits in, but they don’t play. That’s part of how you build your own sound.

2. [b]Plan out a mix you’re going to record.[/b] I’ve never been a fan of planning out mixes you play in clubs/events, but I am when it’s for a recording. You explore your music more, and try to find tunes that meld nicely together.

3. [b]Try to take listeners on a journey.[/b] I usually like to explode out with something in the beginning, then continue the intensity in the second tune. By the third or fourth tune I’m bringing it down a bit, then back up later. You don’t want too much energy/explosive in a mix because people will turn it off…but you don’t want it to get boring.

4. [b]Try to minimize “dead spots”.[/b] Seen some guys who blend in off the end (nothing wrong with that), but they will do things on the tail end, and then while you just heard 1-2 minutes of outro, you now are then hearing 1-2 more minutes of intro. So that’s 3-4 minutes of “dead time” as you wait for things to pick up. I usually try to place things so when one tune lets off, the next one kicks in.

5. [b]Use tunes with vocals to break up the monotony of instrumentals.[/b] I see way too many DJs play 60-80 minutes of instrumentals, and then wonder why folks were bored. Vocal tunes add a human element to your music, so they can break things up and hand people a “lifeline” to Earth…before you take them into more instrumentals.

6. [b]Don’t be afraid to dig in the crates.[/b] Too many DJs will stick to only playing “new”, but the best DJs in history (even progressive house ones) will play all over. It’ll be 40 minutes into a 60-minute set and suddenly that DJ drops [i]GIv Me Luv[/i] by Alcatraz, or [i]Altered States[/i] by Ron Trent, or some old tune from Underwold or Infusion…and people go nuts in a live setting. Do the same in your recorded mixes so you show diversity and a sense of history.

It makes you stand apart. I’ve always heard the saying [i]”Anyone can come play 25 new promos they just acquired, but a talented DJ will rock a crowd with 20-30 years of great music.”[/i]

Point 4 by D-Jam is really important and interesting.   When I first  used to DJ on 1210s the outro and into were where I learned to beat mix…they give an opportunity to bring sounds in smoothly.

But, if you are making a mix recording and rely on them it means you will have some songs in there just WAY too long.  This is far more obvious when you listen back IMHO as (for me anyway) listening back afterwards gives a different perspective than when you are playing.

Great tips. One thing I am starting to do is mixing mid song. Introducing elements of the following tune even while the one playing is “rocking”. Maybe a vocal, a particular drum or noise (minimal here :P) so that when those last 2 or 1 min begin I can start doing the mix and the crowd won´t notice something new coming as they´ve heard it already.

D-Jam has posted some really great points! I am planning out a 30 minute mix that will have a bunch of songs, from different genres and time periods (prog house/tech house/alternative/trance/breaks/top 40) just to spice things up. Back in the day (2001), I played straight up mixes, and timed them as best as I could to make sure there wasn’t much dead time. Now, with the advantage of digital, I can make cue points at any part of the song, and pretty much start it off right there, or 4 bars head. BPMs are made to match (no sync button) and everything should be spot on. “Should be” is the key phrase in that last sentence. I’m almost done with the 30 minute mix, there are a few files I need to prep, and practice performing the mix.

I like having 3 songs in the mix at once. Sometimes I’ll do 4 tracks, but they will mostly be loops, all tracks are in the same key, and occur for a short amount of time. It gets daunting to try and figure out which of the 4 tracks are off by just a hair. Anyway, I just recorded an hour long DJ broadcast where I use tracks from as many places as possible. Tried to layer them and kinda winged it. I did play a few combinations from my upcoming 30 minute mix, just longer versions. I definitely have a style of my own, and I don’t want to pigeon hole myself into one genre or category of music. Here’s a link, listen and let me know what you think! The track list is time-stamped.