Denon Mc3000

[DemiAlex]

Hey everyone


How does everyone find the Denon Mc3000? I'm buying my first controller, and my primary goal is to reach a club level as a resident (and yes, I know how much work, dedication, patience, and a persistent attitude it requires). I have been leaning towards the numtrack pro, as I've heard it's the perfect beginners controller. My only gripe is that, I'm not interested in buying a beginners controller. I know that mastering the basics is absolutely crucial and if not, a complete must in order to progress. I'm interested in buying a controller which can be used as a semi professional level, if that makes any sense. A controller that offers something above and beyond a beginners controller could present.

I have been thinking about the Denon Mc3000, I made a thread on the general section regarding what controller to get, and a couple of users has mentioned the Denon Mc3000.

My question is, for it's price (419 on ebay), will it be what I'm looking for? A controller I can progress with in an extended duration, rather then a controller that'll get me through the basics, forcing me to buy yet another piece of equipment in order to match the higher level mechanics.

I've also been thinking about the S2, which I know has it's foot on the doorway of a more professional level, however the price tag is a bit too steep.

[boarderbas]

S2 is a toy.

Are you sure you want to be limited to two channels?

[DemiAlex]

S2 is a toy.

Are you sure you want to be limited to two channels?

Yeah I was reading up on both controllers and it looks like you can do a lot more with Denon then the S2. Think I'm gonna go for the Denon and pay whatever it costs for traktor pro.

[boarderbas]

Why not start out with entry level stuff and evolve to more pro stuff. Get a decent mixer with seperate controllers. change the controllers as you progress.
Denon still is a 2 channel controller...

[DemiAlex]

Why not start out with entry level stuff and evolve to more pro stuff. Get a decent mixer with seperate controllers. change the controllers as you progress.
Denon still is a 2 channel controller...

It's a 4 channel controller.


That's a really good idea, but it seems like I'd get more familiar with the basics if I bought a controller and the how to dj fast online course.

[deevey]

S2 is a toy.

Are you sure you want to be limited to two channels?

The S2 is far from a toy, its got the same build as the S4 and while it has "only" 2 channels, it does have the benefit of being well integrated with traktor and INCLUDES a licence for Traktor. The majority of bigname DJ's spinning on Pioneers only use 2 channels as well and dont find it limiting whatsoever.

However the Denon IMHO is a more practical controller (standalone mixer) and better built IMHO than the S2.

For someone starting out, I'd be saying learn to master 2 channels, thats not something you are going to do in any short period of time unless you are some kind of DJ prodigy, at the price of the Denon its a good deal, and you will get endless hours of fun and use from it and sell it for more than half what you paid once you are done, I dont think $200 to get you on the DJ train is a big investment.

Why not start out with entry level stuff and evolve to more pro stuff. Get a decent mixer with seperate controllers. change the controllers as you progress.
Denon still is a 2 channel controller...

A "decent" mixer is going to cost more than the Denon Alone, add the cost of a few half decent modular controllers like the x1/f1/k2/sc2000 and you are approaching the $800 mark and havent even bought a soundcard yet

It's a 4 channel controller.

Its a 2 channel controller - I dont care how many layers you use, its got 2 channel faders and soft-takeover will drive you nuts.

how to dj fast online course.

Sounds like a scam. I honestly think any course you buy, especially online ones for DJ'ing, a complete waste of time. Look to ellaskins youtube videos, much more practical advice from a seasoned veteran and its free.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ellaskins

My question is, for it's price (419 on ebay), will it be what I'm looking for? A controller I can progress with in an extended duration, rather then a controller that'll get me through the basics, forcing me to buy yet another piece of equipment in order to match the higher level mechanics.

There will always be more equipment .... and gear lust goes hand in hand with the DJ business. get used to wanting more regardless of what you have.

[Stewe]

Also you can check Digital DJ Tips, it's great for beginners and you have nice midi controller reviews in there as well.

[thisisian]

However the Denon IMHO is a more practical controller (standalone mixer) and better built IMHO than the S2.

Just to clear one thing up. The Denon MC3000 isn't a proper standalone mixer. It's a midi controller.

Yes, it's got audio inputs, but they route straight through to the output bus. ....the only control you have over external inputs is the funny little rotary crossfader to fade between the two inputs.

If you want full mixer functionality, then you want the DN-MC6000. Which is a midi controller & a fully featured DJ mixer.

Here's a quote from the djworx.com review, that explains probably better than I can;

Auxiliary Inputs
The MC-3000’s line-level auxiliary inputs bypass the main mixer controls completely. Instead, you pan between them using a pot, with the first set of inputs being to the left of the pot and the second set of inputs to the right. The effect is like fading between a cued channel and the master with a PFL pot. Sadly, you can’t cue the auxiliary inputs individually, which means you can’t use this system to mix if your laptop malfunctions, and there’s only one volume pot for the auxiliary system anyway. Still, it’s a better auxiliary system than is seen on a lot of controllers at this price and it means you do have some method of fading between tracks should your laptop have a strop.
You can also route the line inputs through Traktor as a live input, so that you can use the MC-3000’s mixer section to mix audio from those sources.

[DemiAlex]

Just to clear one thing up. The Denon MC3000 isn't a proper standalone mixer. It's a midi controller.

Yes, it's got audio inputs, but they route straight through to the output bus. ....the only control you have over external inputs is the funny little rotary crossfader to fade between the two inputs.

If you want full mixer functionality, then you want the DN-MC6000. Which is a midi controller & a fully featured DJ mixer.

Here's a quote from the djworx.com review, that explains probably better than I can;

Auxiliary Inputs
The MC-3000’s line-level auxiliary inputs bypass the main mixer controls completely. Instead, you pan between them using a pot, with the first set of inputs being to the left of the pot and the second set of inputs to the right. The effect is like fading between a cued channel and the master with a PFL pot. Sadly, you can’t cue the auxiliary inputs individually, which means you can’t use this system to mix if your laptop malfunctions, and there’s only one volume pot for the auxiliary system anyway. Still, it’s a better auxiliary system than is seen on a lot of controllers at this price and it means you do have some method of fading between tracks should your laptop have a strop.
You can also route the line inputs through Traktor as a live input, so that you can use the MC-3000’s mixer section to mix audio from those sources.

What does standalone mixer mean? Does it refer to the ability to play the music should there be a laptop malfunction?

[boarderbas]

A mixer section can send midi to the PC, using the internal mixing software to generate a mix output coming from the computer (or audio interface)

A standalone mixer means that there are at least two stereo audio interfaces in the unit that feed into the mixer section that mixes the two channels together (either analogue or digital). So if you'd connect two external audio sources you can mix them without a pc.