first of all, excuse any n00bness in this message. I'm not a dj, just wanting to become one.

I'm willing to buy a dj equipment (2 turntables, 2 cdj's, mixer) piece by piece, within some time. I'm just wondering one thing about the mixer. There seem to be around a lot of 3-channel mixers which are way cheaper than the 4-channel ones. Now, is buying a 4-channel mixer really necessary? Worth the price? Isn't it very simple just to be switching the cable of the 3rd channel between a turntable and a cdj whenever necessary in the middle of a liveset? I'd never be using more than 2 channels at once.

also, the mixers around have a lot of functions that seem un-necessary. I'd think the indispensable would be 3 eq's, volume and gain for each channel, plus crossfader, master volume and that thing to choose which channel is playing on the headphones. what's all that other stuff used for? :\

thanx for any replies

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sempre contra a corrente do jogo

Technically, all you need is a 2 channel mixer to have 2 phono inputs (2 turntables) and 2 line inputs (2 cd players). The mixer will have a switch on each channel you can flip back and forth between the two inputs. The greater number of channels allows you to have more channels playing at once (i.e. 3 turntable mixing or 2 turntable + effects machine).

thanx a lot. i feel dumb now :\

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sempre contra a corrente do jogo

quote:

Originally posted by paranoik0 thanx a lot. i feel dumb now :\

dont feel dumb, it was a good question. personally i would rather have a 4 channel mixer just so that i wouldnt have to worry about switching anything around in the middle of a set. i have enuff to worry about picking songs to play and beat matching / mixing them. two and three channel mixers are a bit cheaper than four channels for the most part but you can find some good deals on four channel models (i.e. djx 700)... as for the features..... all you really need is some eqs and gains, split cue is nice (from what i hear). stuff like effects and samplers etc. arent absolutely essential but once you get good at mixing they are nice to have. the mixer i have been useing for about two years (numark dm-1285) has no eqs or gains or split, and i have managed to learn how to mix. i am ready to give it away once i replace it but its served me well
oh yeah, a four channel mixer can handle set ups like three turntables two or three cd decks and an effects unit,

paranoik0 -

I just bought a Behringer djx700 for $200 USD, because I agree with dartman in that it's nicer to be able to flip a switch at the front of the mixer that let's you decide which channels are controlled by the crossfader instead of having to flip a channel at the back. You might accidentally select the wrong input (like, turntable instead of cd player) or something.

Basically, having a 4 channe mixer is a bit more convenient =)

I recommend this mixer as a low budget, entry level mixer to anyone.

quote:

Originally posted by dartman dont feel dumb, it was a good question. personally i would rather have a 4 channel mixer just so that i wouldnt have to worry about switching anything around in the middle of a set. i have enuff to worry about picking songs to play and beat matching / mixing them. two and three channel mixers are a bit cheaper than four channels for the most part but you can find some good deals on four channel models (i.e. djx 700)... as for the features..... all you really need is some eqs and gains, split cue is nice (from what i hear). stuff like effects and samplers etc. arent absolutely essential but once you get good at mixing they are nice to have. the mixer i have been useing for about two years (numark dm-1285) has no eqs or gains or split, and i have managed to learn how to mix. i am ready to give it away once i replace it but its served me well oh yeah, a four channel mixer can handle set ups like three turntables two or three cd decks and an effects unit,

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Myon & Shane 54, A&B, Armin, Thomas Datt, My Vinyl collection ^___^V

with 4 inputs, 4 channels is so much easier. one thing I hate is going through all the switches trying to figure why one channel doesn't sound right. what's the x-fader addigned to, is the line/phono switch right, is the deck plugged in etc. The most recent one drove me nuts till we figured someone had knocked the talk-over switch on the microphone, which has never been used, so I didn't think to look for it. one channel per input is just one less thing to worry about