Mixer Strut
Jonny_Paycheck
17,825 Posts
I need a new mixer - nothing fancy, as I am not a particularly advanced DJ. I play a couple of private parties here and there and weddings and stuff and I mainly just play songs and blend. What is important to me is sound quality, durability, and a powerful EQ. Can anyone give me the science? Thanks
Comments
on the other hand, in the sub-$200 market, vestax has a decent mixer that also features full-kill EQ's, the 002xl. it also has XLR outputs i think which would help sound quality across a balanced line.
there's a shit ton of mixer choices out there, but it depends if you want to spend more than $500. i'd say there's very little difference in mixers inthe 002xl line, but once you cross the $500 barrier, things get more professional, and reliable.
good luck
Peace
Zeb
Unlike anything built by Numark, which will start crapping out within 6 months of opening the box.
we can move this question into the "SOLVED" column.
I'm still rocking the TTM-52. It's been great. Hopefully I'll be getting the 56 this month
Either that or just get one of those female/female phone cable adapters, and whenever you have to bring your mixer out of the house, stick the adapter on the end of your power cable. Voila! Instant protection.
But, if you don't need the touch screen and all the lovely effects than the Rane joints are by far the best quality and
i've had the ttm56 since it came out, and have NO complaints.
J-Peezy,
I was a little hesitant to step to the Rane since I had been pretty happy with my Vestax 05 for yeeeeaaars but since making the investment, I have absolutely no regrets about buying the Rane. It's not cheap but in this case, you're really getting what you paid for. Solid, workhorse mixer with smart features that will lend itself to flexibility for the future.
One last question, what are people's thoughts on the Urei 2-ch mixer?
In this case all your other gear will be important as well - I've got a 05 and recently upgraded my speakers to B&W 602's and also got a Perraux power / pre amp combo, 100w per channel. Had a problem with the pre amp so that was in the shop for like two months during which time I ran the 05 direct into the power amp. Worked fine but the improvement in sound once I got the Perraux pre amp back in the loop was facemelting. Confirmed my suspicions that the sound quality (signal) of the 05 pro is nothing special.
id avoid the urei as they are being discontinued. as well, the fader caps are much smaller then on nearly every mixer out there. it would take some getting used and you may never find yourself agreeing with them. if you ever used the old numark 1100x they are the same size.
If you are interested in the urei because of the name I would think twice. harmann kardon produces these mixers and ever since HK were bought out some 15 years ago all they have produced is crap. even the newer version of the urei rotary mixer cuts corners. example: instead of being a class A signalpath throughout (like on the old urei) you only have class A components on the outputs. the rest is kinda mediocre (compared to the high standard of an OG urei or a bozak)
I bought a ttm 54 and it lasted me 8 years. I only replaced the crossfader once (I skratch a lot) and would still be using it if I didnt pick up a rane Empath on ebay for 600.
I think the only other option you have aside from a rane is the allen and heath xone:02. it falls short on the eq end, but only because it doesnt do a full kill. the sound is quite nice though. I think of the Aand H sound is a little more "opened up" then the rane, whereas ranes tend to sound punchier to me. both have excellent sound quality and will last a long time. I believe the xone has xlr outs where the 56 does not. overall the 56 would be my recommendation.
It seems like the Rane is the move. I found one for about $600 before shipping. Good deal, right? I'll roll with it.
Hugh - what's up man? Yeah most of my other components are straight. My a/d is motu 828, my monitors are event 20/20, my needles are cool, but my cables probably suck... anyway I am not going mega-audiophile I just don't want CRAP... I ripped uber-rare records on a crap mixer and then sold them, now I am stuck with those rips... anyways, thanks everyone for the input it seems like there is really only one option.
aka not much, but anyways if you've got the skinny generic RCA cables you might want to mack it up to some ~$20-30 ones, especially for the key 'links' i.e. mixer to amp - I dunno about you but I find myself in audio shops all the time, just check what they've got and go for something that suits / looks allright. No need to go super duper styles. The bottom end of your reggae records will get bit more of a warm swagger if you know what I mean, and once you've got em that'll be it!
This is my story pretty much exactly, except for the part where I buy a used 02 for $160, but still, I'm at least the 2nd owner if not third or forth, shit is a tank. Noticeable jump in sound quality compared to the Vestax too...
Johnny, sounds like youve settled on Rane, and I think thats the move. I had a lot of issues over the years with the 05. I wouldn't necessarily write off Harman (AKG, dbx, Lexicon), but i guess if they're discontinuing the UREI, its prob best to go with the tried and true peoples champion...
whatup lucero! Im trying to string together enough gigs to get a lil australian tour together. enough to pay for the flight im hoping.
paycheck -
how do you feel about your converters? and what kind of cart are you using? Im looking into upgrading both. im looking at the apogee minime (a/d with a usb connection) and some form of a moving coil cart. dynovector or benz perhaps.
Dopeness - if theres anything I can help you with at this end, info wise esp, let me know!