Ben Nicky — Ben Nicky Live @ Custom House Square, Belfast 2022
Hard Trance · 1h 28m · analysed 22 Aug 2026 · source: soundcloud.com
Public mix analysis — no affiliation or endorsement. This report measures a publicly available recording hosted on soundcloud.com. The scores are produced by SOONOS and do not imply any partnership with, or approval by, Ben Nicky.
In short
Ben Nicky Live @ Custom House Square, Belfast 2022 by Ben Nicky scores 84/100 in the SOONOS analysis (club ready). The strongest dimension is IDENTITY (91/100) and the weakest is TECHNIQUE (81/100).
This set is a textbook example of how to maintain extreme energy on a large scale through precise technical execution and anthem-driven selection.
Key takeaways
What weakened the set
- Long static loops (6×) — Sections sitting on the same loop without layering, EQ moves or tension shifts (17:00, 46:00, 52:00, 63:00, 75:00, 79:00). Long loops kill dancefloor momentum.
What to try next
- Introduce more dynamic range by using longer, more atmospheric breakdowns to contrast the high-energy sections.
- Experiment with more complex layering of melodic elements to add depth to the euphoric moments.
- Ensure mid-range EQ management is even tighter when layering two tracks with prominent synth leads.
- Incorporate more rhythmic variation in the percussion to keep the groove evolving.
Timestamped insights
Each moment below is tagged with how it was produced: “measured” comes from the DSP pass on the audio, “listening” comes from the multi-agent listening pass.
Aggressive but precise energy shift, perfectly timed for the festival format.
Excellent layering of percussive elements before a full low-end swap.
Sudden genre shift into hardstyle territory; jarring but effective for the crowd.
Smooth transition maintaining high energy levels.
High-impact transition designed for maximum crowd reaction.
Strategic disruption
About this hard trance set
Ben Nicky Live @ Custom House Square, Belfast 2022 is a hard trance DJ set by Ben Nicky, running 1h 28m. It was measured by the SOONOS multi-agent engine and scores 84/100 overall — club ready.
The engine files this performance as “Promising”.
This set is a textbook example of how to maintain extreme energy on a large scale through precise technical execution and anthem-driven selection.
How the score breaks down
SOONOS scores this set across 5 weighted categories. The strongest is IDENTITY at 91/100; the weakest is TECHNIQUE at 81/100.
Analysis coverage for this file is 100% — the share of the set the engine could measure with full confidence.
Energy and structure
The energy curve was sampled at 37 points, moving between 10 and 98 on the SOONOS energy scale — a wide dynamic range across the set.
7 transitions were detected and scored individually.
Beat-grid measurement (DSP) reports 1069.0 grid breaks per hour, with a median beat offset of 25 ms.
How this score is built
Measured layer (DSP): the audio file is analysed directly — beat grid, tempo stability, loudness and energy. These values are measurements, not opinions.
Listening layer: a multi-agent pass reads musical intent — programming, storytelling, coherence and crowd effect. This layer interprets, it does not measure.
Fusion and ceilings: the two layers are merged, and the measured layer always wins on execution. When the DSP hears an execution problem, it caps the final score even if the listening layer is positive.
Measured coverage for this file is 100% of the set.
Full SOONOS analysis
This set is a textbook example of how to maintain extreme energy on a large scale through precise technical execution and anthem-driven selection.
The 8 dimensions
Not available — the 8-dimension profile was not measured for this set.
Score breakdown
TECHNIQUE
How well did you execute?
25%81
TECHNIQUE
How well did you execute?
STORYTELLING
Did the mix go somewhere?
25%91
STORYTELLING
Did the mix go somewhere?
ENERGY
Did you control the room?
20%86
ENERGY
Did you control the room?
SURPRISE
Did you remain unpredictable?
15%82
SURPRISE
Did you remain unpredictable?
IDENTITY
Did the mix sound like you?
15%91
IDENTITY
Did the mix sound like you?
Energy arc
Transitions analysed (7)
Drop swap with high-pass filter
Aggressive but precise energy shift, perfectly timed for the festival format.
Long EQ blend with mid-range dominance
Excellent layering of percussive elements before a full low-end swap.
Hard cut on the downbeat
Sudden genre shift into hardstyle territory; jarring but effective for the crowd.
EQ-balanced blend with high-pass filter sweep
Smooth transition maintaining high energy levels.
Impact cut on the drop
High-impact transition designed for maximum crowd reaction.
Perfect Energy Handoff
Minor EQ Overlap
strategic_disruption
Technical subscores
83
EQ balance
92
Beat alignment
91
Energy control
93
Tempo stability
84
Loudness control
84
Musical coherence
87
Harmonic compatibility
85
Transition cleanliness
Measured (DSP)
25 ms
Beat-grid drift (median)
Typical gap between the two tracks' beats while they play together. Lower is tighter.
200 ms
Drift p95
Worst-case drift: 95% of the set stays tighter than this value.
5,278
Boundaries detected
Points where the audio changes track or section.
135
Hard cuts / h
Abrupt track changes per hour, with no blend between the two records.
35
Clipping events
Moments where the recording hits the ceiling and distorts.
447
Level jumps
Sudden volume steps between tracks.
Measurement confidence 99% · analysed on the full audio.
Recurring patterns
Long static loops (6×)
Sections sitting on the same loop without layering, EQ moves or tension shifts (17:00, 46:00, 52:00, 63:00, 75:00, 79:00). Long loops kill dancefloor momentum.
Timeline
- 3:15Technical Difficulty Skit
- 7:45Anthem Drop
- 8:55Risky pressure or vibe dip
- 13:20Euphoric Breakdown
- 18:45Energy Plateau
Coaching notes
- Introduce more dynamic range by using longer, more atmospheric breakdowns to contrast the high-energy sections.
- Experiment with more complex layering of melodic elements to add depth to the euphoric moments.
- Ensure mid-range EQ management is even tighter when layering two tracks with prominent synth leads.
- Incorporate more rhythmic variation in the percussion to keep the groove evolving.
Curious how your own set scores?
Methodology and limitations
This report is produced automatically from the published recording. It measures what is present in the audio file: a bad source encoding, a partial upload or a heavily processed broadcast version can change the measured values. Nothing here reflects the room, the crowd or the night itself.
Read the full SOONOS methodology →Questions about this analysis
- What score does Ben Nicky's Ben Nicky Live @ Custom House Square, Belfast 2022 get?
- Ben Nicky Live @ Custom House Square, Belfast 2022 scores 84/100 in the SOONOS Mix Database (club ready), based on audio measurement plus multi-agent listening.
- How long is Ben Nicky Live @ Custom House Square, Belfast 2022?
- The analysed recording runs 1h 28m.
- Which part of the mix scores best?
- IDENTITY is the strongest category at 91/100, while TECHNIQUE is the lowest at 81/100.
- How is this score calculated?
- SOONOS measures the audio with a DSP pass (beat grid, loudness, tempo, energy) and runs a multi-agent listening pass on top. Measured axes always override the listening layer, so an execution issue heard in the file caps the final score.
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