Just from looking at their website (I have never used one)...

Channel one definitely cannot be routed to the crossfader. Check out this pic (http://www.ureidj.com/img/products/1603t.jpg), you can see the other three channels have a little switch to specify A/B side of the cross fader, or to the master.

I have not read the manual to confirm this, but I think there is an FX send/return on every channel, see the knob between the high and the volume. I am pretty sure that is the volume control for the FX loop.

I think the Ecler Nuo4 should fit the bill for you too. However if you aren't going to be using the MIDI features of it you can save some money by getting the Urei instead. You can get a new 1603 for $600 (USD) and I haven't been able to find a Nuo4 for that price.

EDIT: I did some quick reading of the manual and the way I read it what I described above is correct. In the manual the FX loop is the "aux bus", since it does not have to be effects, you can plug anything into the aux inputs at the top of the mix.

Another mixer you might want to look at is the new Mackie d.4 Pro. I don't know if it meets all your needs but I think it does. It is a bit more expensive than the 1603 but has integrated firewire cards which is interesting.

___________________
"You can only drink 30 or 40 glasses of beer a day, no matter how rich you are." - Colonel Adolphus Busch

Major Johnson - February Progressive Mix

Download Other Mixes

Last edited by auujay on Jun-15-2007 at 23:02

you can use the fx loop on all the channel for sure. channel one though is really just a mic channel, you can't assign it to the crossfader, it doesn't share the same eq as the rest if you look closely, i just use it for my pc.

its a solid mixer, i love mine. having had mine it's managed to convince a few people to buy one. for the price, which is £300 here theres not that much thats comes close to it. the 1605 is only £100 more, nearly bought that instead. but i don't need all those channels and didn't have the room for it.

just curious, are soundcraft one of few companies that are making great, solid equipment at rock bottom prices? in comparison to similar equipment on the market that costs pretty much twice the amount in cases of A&H and Pioneer's gear - i'm interested!

wot are the fx like? quality good? am a little put off by the headfone bit but would probly leave an adapter in there myself

___________________
THE HOME OF DJ SPOONZ

quote:

Originally posted by Spoonz wot are the fx like? quality good? am a little put off by the headfone bit but would probly leave an adapter in there myself

The only Urei mixer with built-in effects is the two channel 1601E. I have never used it but I hear it is pretty good (I hear the sampler version, the 1601S has a very poorly implemented sampler section). The 1601 series mixers can be had for real cheap, I think they got a reputation for not having a very good crossfader so the scratch DJs avoided them. I know there are directions on their website for how to install a different crossfader to try and fix the problem.

___________________
"You can only drink 30 or 40 glasses of beer a day, no matter how rich you are." - Colonel Adolphus Busch

Major Johnson - February Progressive Mix

Download Other Mixes

yeah the headphone thing is a bit annoying, at first i just left a spare adapter in there, but now i just use the mini jack plug on top so i can see the cool blue led inside the headphone jack. this obviously would't be a problem if you used headphones with a screw jac adapter.

I got my 1603 yesterday. I had such a luck: i was browsing one of my favourite electronic music forum, and the the "buy/sell" section contained and ad about Urei 1603 for sale.

I bought it right away - and the price was 300e. I got the mixer in a original package with all the cables and manuals also, so the whole thing is basically new.

My experiences with mixers has been very limited in the point of quality. My first mixer was Omnitronic PM-524 and the second was Numark DM2050. They both served me good despite the low quality, but now was the time to move along and buy the better one. I have had gigs in Dortmund and the Urei has been the mixer also there, so i knew what kind of equipment is it.

The knobs feels good. I always liked the thicker knobs, coz the feeling is more sturdy and the level controlling is smoother. Faders feels also sturdy. EQ's are damn good and this time i can actually filter the selected sound areas away - this also provides good paths to make the mixes even more interesting.

Im pleased. The second choice would have been Pioneer, but the ad i saw demanted me to get this mixer now.

___________________
mattiollikainen.blogspot.com

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN bit of a bump but..... I'm annoyed at my Vestax pcv 275 not having 4 channels and no crossfader curve control. The 1603 apparently sounds really good but in reading the reviews online, someone was saying that ch1 does not go to the fader (like ch. 3 on my PCV 275). Is that true? Also I've heard that there is not a send / return on every channel, only ch1. Can anyone confirm. Basically I'm looking for a 4 channel mixer, with curve control x fader, full kill (eq or switches), send/return on each channel, with no built in FX and sound quality is my primary concern (so no pioneer suggestions please ). Any ideas?

Vestax PMC 46mk2.... like mine
You know it makes sense....

Or just buy a pmc 500... or one of the old beasts..

too lazy to talk about the 1603 in detail, but in two words - great sound & build mixer. best for the money for sure. better than DJM600

also, this is true:

quote:

Originally posted by auujay - 1/4" headphone input "eats" adaptors, sometime can be very difficult to get it out. - Super bright LEDs, basically too bright. - Slightly flimsy faders and stiff (I am used to stiff faders and I trust they will last a while since this is made by Soundcraft, so this issue does not concern me too much).

but these disadvantages are really insignificant ones. if you get one, you won't be disappointed

Last edited by boris_the_bear on Mar-22-2009 at 08:48