Scratch Mixer-Strut

DjWillderness

How important are different contours on your mixer to scratching?

I've had this numark mixer for almost a decade

Its cool, but I'm wondering if I could get even better at scratching if I had a mixer with a crossfader with a contour optimized for scratching. True? What contour do you think is best for scratching? Would you recommend a mixer for scratching?

djwaxon

if you're doing things like fast transforms/flares/chirps then a mixer with a sharper cut in will help your faster scratches to be cleaner. the optimum i guess is virtually on/off. loads of mixers go this sharp, so it depends on your budget really, and whether you want to use fX and whether you want curve control on your line faders.
Top end:
Rode Scratchbox - sharp cut in, line fader control, individual fx sends (i think)
Vestax PMC 08 - sharp cut in, line fader control, individual fx sends (i think)
rane TTM 56 - - sharp cut in, line fader control, individual fx sends - NOTE: the fader isn't quite as sharp as others mentioned, but it feels really nice
Pioneer DJM909 - - sharp cut in, line fader control, individual fx sends, onboard FX - fader is sharp but it's an aquired taste
Ecler hak 380 - sharp cut in, line fader control, only master fx send - my mixer, really nice, very sharp fader, no good if you're using FX though.
also Ecler HAK 360 and Vestax PMC 07 could be worth looking at second hand

mid end - Vestax PMC 05 Pro/Pro 2/Pro 3/Pro SL/PMC06
Rane TTM 54i (would be second hand)
Pioneer DJM 707 think these are discontinued

They're a few off the top of my head. Stanton do some decent ones i think, but some of them have quiet gains, like the SK6F for example, which can be a bit problematic if you play much old single record album vinyl.

Also a cheaper option to consider might be seeing if you can fit an innofader or a Pro X Fader in your current mixer...

street_muzik

I'm still rockin my mixtick from the nineties.

DustedDon

DjWillderness said:

How important are different contours on your mixer to scratching?

I've had this numark mixer for almost a decade

Its cool, but I'm wondering if I could get even better at scratching if I had a mixer with a crossfader with a contour optimized for scratching. True? What contour do you think is best for scratching? Would you recommend a mixer for scratching?

that mixer is awful. you must not scratch very much cuz those faders burn with-in months. get a vestax, pioneer or rane if you want to cut better...

doisn

that??s my schitt right here:



simple, but i can recommend this one to the fullest!

keithvanhorn

that mixer is awful.

Grandfather

seriously, isn't that like a fancy blue dog mixer?
wtf...

dj_cityboy

i have an 08pro and i love it, the cut control is cool cause it gives you the ability to adjust the cut off and the nice thing is that its a complete cutoff not a curve, aux sends/returns for both channels, hamster switches on all faders...might be a bit tough to track one down, but worth it if you can

and although i havent had a Rane mixer i would recommend both brands, i used a Rane mixer years ago at a party and was really impressed..

YNOT

Get a Rane 56 and don't ever look back. If you can't afford get a Vestax 05 pro and start saving for a Rane 56. The Rane 56 faders are perfect and seem to last for ever. I've had mine under daily "i wanna be qbert" use and the thing is a tank. Also seems to sound warmer then Vestax imo. Regardless having fader contour will help with doing more advanced cuts.

serch4beatz

also you can mod the rane x-fader to get a sharper cut in point (very easy to do)

the_dL

i would recommend either a rane ttm-56 or 57 and if you want to spend a little less a stanton SA-8 (only use the SA series in the stanton, they have all P&G faders, and also come with a replacement Focus Fader, the SA series also had much improved outs and components). Vestax used to sound very muddy, not sure if they have improved thier sound over the years though