Stem Mixing

It’s been tried before a few years ago by Native Instruments Tractor alongside Beatport selling stems launched with some huge fanfare, then eventually slowly disappeared. It seems Stems are back, this time Rane and Serato giving it a shot, but I honestly don’t see the outcome being any different, even with fancy software that creates stems from the original track. The results will always be the same, some DJ messing around trying to mash together what were perfectly good tracks into something that simply doesn’t sound good and trashes the original. The best ‘mash ups’ are always the ones made by professional producers in their studios with additional production and importantly mastering so that it sound good in a club. That was always the downfall of stems, separate parts not being mastered so the end result always sounded terrible when played alongside well produced/mastered tracks, the manufactures answers to that was have mastering software on the master channel, we all know if you have no idea about mastering, leave it to the professionals not software.

Importantly whilst DJ’s are furiously messing around in the DJ booth creating these stem tricks that they think people are going to be amazing by, most the dance floor haven’t got a clue whats going on, they just want to hear good music with tracks placed at the right time in the right moment, it detracts DJ’s from the most important tool they have, reading the dance floor. Stems, great for home mixing and messing around, not so great for actual playing out?