Mixed In Key has announced Mixed In Key 11 Pro, a version of its key detection software that moves way past the original remit and adds a new DJ mode, offering features designed to help DJs discover new mashups and transitions for their sets.
Purchasers of Mixed In Key 11 Pro will find a new Pro tab at the top of their software. This opens a window that looks very much like a simple DJ software platform, but is actually designed to quickly let you audition two tracks together to decide whether they’d be good to play after each other in a DJ set, or to use for making a mashup – think Export mode in Rekordbox, or offline mode in Serato.
Watch the video
Want to see this in action? The folks at Mixed In Key made a quick tutorial demonstrating the new features inside 11 Pro.
The new features leverage Mixed In Key’s knowledge about the keys of your tracks (naturally), but also what it knows about the perceived energy level of tracks and where the song phrases are. It matches up obvious verses, choruses, drops, and so on to theoretically make it easier for you to spot sections of songs that might work well together. It doesn’t actually make transitions or mashups – you do that outside of the app.
Get the skills: Laidback Luke’s Bootlegs, Mashups & Re-edits Course
Mixed In Key 11 Pro costs $99 / €99 / £85 against the $58 / €58 / £49 price of the non-pro version – head here to find out more.
Our Thoughts
If you’re serious about harmonic mixing, Mixed In Key remains the gold standard key detection program, albeit far from essential now that key detection is built into all DJ software. But should you believe the guns-for-hire (not us) who tell you that you “need” this?
Ultimately, the truth is that Mixed In Key has had to innovate over the years because, since the day that key detection was first built into major DJ platforms, its primary reason for existence has been challenged.
So while things like automatic detection of perceived energy level and automatic cue points (features that were added to previous versions) and now these new “pro” extras are all interesting additions to the original program, none of them are in truth “game changers” – think of them more as “deal-sweeteners” if you’re on the fence about this app.
Also, it’s worth reiterating that these new features don’t actually let you make mashups or build DJ mixes, because the final point you reach within Mixed In Key 11 Pro is just spotting and exporting what you’re interested in working with so you can do so a different platform anyway.
Read this next: 7 Apps For Making Quick Re-Edits, Mashups & Bootlegs
The fact that Mixed In Key themselves offer the choice between the original and the Pro versions suggests that even they see these new additions as optional extras. Whether they’re worth the £36 over the £49 asking price for Mixed In Key 11, well, I’d recommend watching the company’s online tutorial video above to decide if you think it might be for you.
I had a quick look, and as someone who likes to shift song keys around when planning mashups or transitions (and who doesn’t want software telling me where to put cue points), I don’t think I’d personally find it useful. Your mileage may vary, though, so do tell us your thoughts in the comments!
Phil Morse
