Which mixer?

Hi folks,

I need a new mixer and, obviously, I want it to be SDVS enabled (preferably) or ready and it will mostly be used at home but I hope to get the odd gig along the way too. My budget matches my patience, low, so I can't afford to get what I really want (not that I'm sure what that is yet :confused: :blush: ).

So, I've been looking at the DJM-S3, which has a few drawbacks, e.g. the TS mic input (why not balanced?), lack of dedicated record and booth outputs (there's room on the back for at least one of those options), etc. However, on the plus side it is SDVS enabled and can be used standalone for my vinyl, which I still haven't started transferring to digital yet :rolleyes:, plus it's relatively small and portable. I would love the S9 and I know the S3 is a very poor relation in terms of sound quality, component quality (e.g. the cross fader) and functionality, but I already own an SP1 and don't really use a lot of effects so I could probably muddle along with the S3/SP1 combo until I can afford to upgrade.

Another, slightly more expensive alternative is the Xone43C, which by all accounts sounds better and gives me up to five simultaneous inputs compared to the three of the S3. Plus it has none of the gripes mentioned above. On the down side, it is more expensive plus the added cost of the DVS licence, and the cross fader has its critics too. I'm not a scratch DJ, but it is something that I would like to get into properly at some point; I suppose it could always be replaced at a later date, but it's still an extra expense whichever way that you look at it.

Coming in at double the price of the S3 (in the UK, at least) is the Quattro, which seems to be the best of the previous two rolled into one (except, perhaps, the sound quality) with extra built in controls for Serato itself. Obviously, this is more than I'd really like to (or can afford to) pay right now, but it might save me money in the long run.

In case it makes a difference, I don't have a controller or CD/media player, I use turntables only at the moment, but I'm not averse to investing in one or the other in the future. The mixer that brought me into the world of Serato is kaput and the mixer that I'm using now doesn't have DVS capabilities and is on its last legs (which is why I bought the other, now kaput, mixer in the first place), otherwise I would have considered getting a DS1 or one of the SL boxes. So, ladies and gentlemen, your thoughts please...

Akai AMX? Not a real mixer but a controller. Can't see anything else within the budget.

So, having cut through the dense fog of replies here </sarcasm>, I visited a well known London DJ shop, chatted about and had a closer look at my options (including the RMX-90DVS), and ordered the 43C plus a DS1, which together are still cheaper than the Quattro but I don't have the extra MIDI functionality it offers (e.g. transport controls in Serato).

However, as previously mentioned, I already own an SP1, I'm not really likely to play from more than two decks at a time, I don't VDJ so I'm not worried about the cross fader not being able to control it and, currently, at least 95% of my music is still on vinyl (although the ratio is changing in favour of digital). So all in all, I'm happy with my decision and am looking forward to receiving my goods in the next day or two.

BTW, if you're wondering why I bought the DS1 as well as the mixer, I was at a rare (almost extinct) live gig a couple of weeks back where I brought my computer but I wasn't able to use it because the other DJ was using Scratch Live and an SL1, which doesn't work with SDJ, so I ended up playing a vinyl only set. Not usually a problem for me, until two years ago that's all I ever did anyway, but the turntables at this gig decided to have fun and games with the pitch controls (changed speed randomly up and down) unless they were 'locked' to zero, so I wasn't able to beat match anything and the platters were wobbly and produced more skips than a full scale building site - okay, slight exaggeration but you get my point. If I'd had the DS1 with me then, I could at least have used Serato's sync and skipless timecode to my advantage. Lesson learned.

You will be happy with both. The DS1 is a pretty solid interface and the 43C is a really solid mixer. If you do scratch, you will want to replace the crossfader with an innofader.