Def Classic Mix

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A style of House Music remix, usually applied to a pop recording post-production. The style was invented by famed remixer Frankie Knuckles and further developed by his business partner and fellow famous DJ David Morales. The term is in fact a trademark, but the style itself would be much-copied - almost to the point of being a subgenre itself. The style is noteworthy for honoring the intended arrangement of a recording, but carefully adding and substituting electronic elements, in particular deep bass, crisp and minimal use of the snare drum, synthesized strings, and rich piano parts which were alternately whimsical and profound (usually within the same mix) but always lyrical.

On many of the best examples of these mixes, Knuckles was working with engineer John Poppo, and his engineering alone provided a uniquely solid bass and tight, compressed high-end percussion (see gated snare) that many afficianados can immediately identify. Others to engineer for Morales and Knuckles would include David Sussman and Mr. Morales himself.

The name was arrived at because Mr. Knuckles felt he was providing the definitive mix for the dancefloor and one that would outlast fads in dance music culture. Knuckles would go on to name his company Def Mix Productions, thus trademarking his invention. A decade before Knuckles, Tom Moulton would apply the same philosophy using organic (or classical) instrumentation to invent the dance remix as we know it. Similar to Knuckles, Moulton invented a trademark for himself ("a Tom Moulton Mix"). It may surprise many to learn that both men ultimately took out more than they put in to the finished mix.