How do you record your sets? Do you have any method, or do you catch it "Live"? Wht's your opinion? Which Format do you use?

"When I set out to 'do' a mix, I definitely approach it differently than most of you lot seem to. I still try to program it in my head before I start and approach it like an old-fashioned unmixed compilation tape in that sense, but I also want to pick records that will mix well together. Once I do the mix the first time, I usually find about a half-dozen things I'd like to change, but I'm also more comfortable with where most of the tracks need to be mixed.

I look at it this way: If I'm setting out to make a mix, I want it to be something I can listen to for a long time after (like an old compilation tape), and I think my chances of achieving that are better if it's planned out. To this end, about half the time I get tired of trying to perfect *that* mix after 2-4 tries, and get to work on something else, but sometimes the added effort really pays off. I find mistakes in my own mixes really unlistenable, so I try to eliminate any major blunders before I call it 'done'. But there's other options too, like just keeping the recording of the part you like, etc. I've always stopped short of editing (with all but one exception) because I like a mix to be a representation of what I can actually do, and usually if there's only one big error I'll be happy with that - sort of a badge of authenticity.

All that said, I record myself almost every time I mix (and listen repeatedly to the result, even if it's grim), so sometimes I get a good spontaneous mix, but if I only did that I'd very rarely come up with something I'm happy with.

Basically you gotta go with what suits ya though...

I tend to do mixes to MD quite rarely - I think sometimes knowing that it's being recorded puts me under a little bit of pressure. When I do record something I like to pull out maybe a couple of tracks to get me started that I know compliment each other, and once I get going I tend to start thinking "ah, this one here will drop in nicely" and play it like that - if there's a trainwreck then there's a trainwreck. Tough. It adds a human element to proceedings.

What I have found though is some of my favourite mixes have been ones where I didn't even know I was being recorded."