DJs: how much to mixers differ in use/how to avoid confusion

Littlefoot · Post by **Littlefoot** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:02 pm

hello

well we discussed in another thread, that when learning to DJ with vinyl it's gonna be direct drive you'll use in a club so it's worth getting used to the feel of it.

but here is something else which puzzles me, I see from club to club, DJs using different mixers.

I mean I am a techy person, Im not afraid of knobs and faders, quite the opposite.

But if I buy a DJ package I dont wanna get to the point im ready to play out, and then go into a club and it be totally different.

I am looking at getting a DJstore.co.uk package at the moment, I am a starter and therefore just wanna get something cheap but cheerful.

how would something like this differ to what I would find in most clubs?

setspeed · Post by **setspeed** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:14 pm

in terms of functionality, not that much. it's got EQs, faders and a crossfader, and that's all you really need to get going with. usually in a club you'll find Pioneers (with shitloads of effects) or Allen & Heath (which tend to just have an extra resonant filter knob) but the basics are the same. the only issue with cheap mixers can be sound quality, which doesn't make all that much odds in yer bedroom, or build quality.

i'd go for something like that tbh. if you can afford it you might be as well to get a 2nd hand DJM600 off ebay, as they're probably the most common in clubs and you can practise with the effects (which have all been overused now anyway heheh!) but if you can't stretch to that i wouldn't stress about it....

__________ · Post by **__________** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:21 pm

its the people in front of you that spin you out more than the equipment

all mixers should have the same knobs on them: eq, cue, faders, gain, mic, auxiliary, fx if you're lucky.
if you've got your head round mixing on a 2-channel 3-band eq mixer, using any mixer in a club shouldn't spin you out too much...they work in the same way. once you've located all the knobs its easy

djshiva · Post by **djshiva** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:30 pm

one thing also that i think has been lost is a measure of dj etiquette.

all djs should at least do a perfunctory ask to the dj following them if they know the mixer. if not they should point out where the cues are at the very least.

if someone asks you this before you play and you already know, don't be insulted, be thankful. it's a courtesy thing that seems to have been lost in the glut of djs in the last decade, and one that needs to be revived.

oh and please ask the dj before you if you don't know where the cues or something are. i would rather ask then sit and try and figure it out live, yanno?

__________ · Post by **__________** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:36 pm

very true that ^^

am i the only one that has done some impressively bad mixing after the previous dj failed to mention that the crossfader doesn't work and the upfaders are dodgy? twas only at a house party, but still...if the mixer is fucked its best to let people know before they make a fool of themselves

Littlefoot · Post by **Littlefoot** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:49 pm

yeah its generally the Cues I am scared off

I currently work in digital, using Traktor and the Behringer bcd3000 control surface for it

so some of my workings are completely different to vinyl but im already pretty ninja at EQ (im a mixing engineer at heart anyway) and crossfading, hoping pitch correcting comes naturally though, as on Traktor you nudge forward, not backwards to avoid beats not matching

lonecurrent · Post by **lonecurrent** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:52 pm

your real concern here shouldn't be variances between mixers but variances between your decks and the ones at the club.
mixers are all the same shit, but if you're used to decks with a certain feel, you may be thrown off when you use techs.
there may be an adjustment period every time you step in to the club.

torque in particular - you'll program yourself to push the table this much, or brush the platter that much. when you touch the techs it's not the same. the pitch faders also feel different on every table. techs are quite unique to the other brands in both physical shape, throw, and in the models prior to mkIIIs, the click at 0. after a few years it's all the same shit, but if you decide to play out, learning on techs is one less thing you need to be worried about.

concept_ · Post by **concept_** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:50 pm

i posted a response bout this in your other thread but when i was talking bout 50 quid mixer that breaks, unfortunately that's the one in the pic

.
Depending on how serious you want to take DJing, investing in a pioneer (or equivalent) is definately worth it- you will never need to buy another and after 2nd hand, they retain their value pretty well.

Littlefoot · Post by **Littlefoot** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:37 pm

concept_ wrote:i posted a response bout this in your other thread but when i was talking bout 50 quid mixer that breaks, unfortunately that's the one in the pic .
Depending on how serious you want to take DJing, investing in a pioneer (or equivalent) is definately worth it- you will never need to buy another and after 2nd hand, they retain their value pretty well.

im more at the point that I could be unbelievably shit and probably wouldnt care

plus im a producer, so i want some money for synths and outboard!

get_low · Post by **get_low** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:49 pm

Just always asks whoevers on before ya, and just watch out for the 3channel plus mixers,because the crossfader can sometimes be set funny.

concept_ · Post by **concept_** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:35 pm

Joe C wrote:
concept_ wrote:i posted a response bout this in your other thread but when i was talking bout 50 quid mixer that breaks, unfortunately that's the one in the pic .
Depending on how serious you want to take DJing, investing in a pioneer (or equivalent) is definately worth it- you will never need to buy another and after 2nd hand, they retain their value pretty well.
im more at the point that I could be unbelievably shit and probably wouldnt care

plus im a producer, so i want some money for synths and outboard!

thats totally fair.
still a word of advice i really wouldn't get a cheapcheap numark mixer. Get something cheap that won't break on you after a week trust me

.

FSTZ · Post by **FSTZ** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:44 pm

I have been djing for a pretty long time

I have had technics the whole time, but I only recently bought a proper mixer.

in fact I was using the mixer pictured above for a couple of years.

it's not that big of a transition (performance wise) to go from a numark, to an allen & heath, or a rane. the noticeable difference is in the sound quality.

spencertron · Post by **spencertron** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:03 pm

Joe C wrote:

how would something like this differ to what I would find in most clubs?

I have this mixer, twas my first...it came with my technics,...it's not at all good (quality wise compared to say a vestax). For starting out though it's fine...you will want a better one if you have a tasty pair of technics either side. For basic functionality...it does the job that you want, without the bells and whistles.

i've noticed a few problems with it, chan 2 leaks into chan 1 very slightly when the cross fade is only on chan 1 (i noticed this only when nothing is playing on chan 1...so not a big deal but still not what you want to hear)...also compared to my friends mixer; the faders are no way near as smooth...but like i say it does what you would expect...and is fine for learning on.

there will be no nasty surprises when you turn upto a club and you find that there's a different brand of mixer to this one.

serox · Post by **serox** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:10 pm

You will not find a better mixer than the Urei 1601 for £200. Forget the A&H, Pioneer and Vestax. Urei, Rane and Ecler is where you will find the buld and sound quality you are after.

http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR150597

jade_monkey · Post by **jade_monkey** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:13 pm

Serox wrote:You will not find a better mixer than the Urei 1601 for £200. Forget the A&H, Pioneer and Vestax. Urei, Rane and Ecler is where you will find the buld and sound quality you are after.

http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR150597

Yeah, Urei is lovely.

badger · Post by **badger** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:41 pm

almost got that urei myself but wanted 3 channels so went for an ecler nuo3 instead. can't fault the urei though, it's a really nice mixer for the money and you wouldn't need to upgrade unless you were after more channels. seems a bit like false economy if you buy a cheap mixer and then end up upgrading anyway and wasting the money you had to spend on the first one

concept_ · Post by **concept_** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:51 pm

badger wrote:seems a bit like false economy if you buy a cheap mixer and then end up upgrading anyway and wasting the money you had to spend on the first one

this is true but its always nice to have a spare.
I'm about to move into "bigboy" mixing business and upgrade DJM600 to DJM800 or A+H xone 92. Also kind of tempted by Korg Zero 4 due to live production capabilities (that thing is off the hook), but still contemplating which one to go for? Have had experience with the first 2 and am used to pioneer build quality and effects etc. but A+H is probabaly best 4 channel analogue (pioneer is Digital) about plus tis cheaper with an excellent filter. Any advice anyone who uses any of these ?

FSTZ · Post by **FSTZ** » Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:39 pm

Serox wrote:You will not find a better mixer than the Urei 1601 for £200. Forget the A&H, Pioneer and Vestax. Urei, Rane and Ecler is where you will find the buld and sound quality you are after.

http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR150597

false

the circuitry inside an A&H is far superior to Urei & Rane

plus, all Allen & Heath mixers have modular channel design

sure Rane and Ecler also have P&G faders (which Urei do not)

but it's the features (filters, LFO's), the eq and the circuitry that put Allen & Heath far above the competition.

Vice T · Post by **Vice T** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:33 am

I have the Numark DM 1002mkII at home. It's worked well for what I need it for but, I'm looking to upgrade very soon. The cross fader has a bit of noise when I do flash mixing. But it does the job as long as I don't abuse it. For starters I think it's good.

aidon · Post by **aidon** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:26 am

Id say that if youre being torn between investing in a Pioneer or an Alien and simply getting cheap stuff that you know youll be replacing (Numarks and Behringers) then id say just go for a SUPREME build mixer with good sound quality, and by this i mean Vestax PCV 275. Its a little over 300 euro, and compared to numarks its a GOD.

I have it and im not planning to give it away for a looong time. (Dont like the slidey knobs on the pioneer

)

Vestax for life!

DJs: how much to mixers differ in use/how to avoid confusion

DJs: how much to mixers differ in use/how to avoid confusion

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