SL4 or Sixty-Eight?
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  1. #1
    Tech Wizard
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    Default SL4 or Sixty-Eight?

    looking for some input. the difference in price is a huge factor (plus i have the denon hc-1000 and a working mixer, albeit behringer, already). the biggest reason i'm looking at the two are because i want the two usb connections. the sl4 would satisfy that piece of it for a lot cheaper. what i'm wondering is if the feature set you gain is worth it, specifically the recording of sets.

    i've read a lot of reviews on the sixty-eight, but i'm wondering if anyone else has had to make this decision. is the 68 worth $1500 more than the sl4?

  2. #2
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    I would always go for the audio interface rather than the mixer. Unless I already had the audio interface. Reason being that it is a pain in the ass to lug a mixer around while moving an audio interface is far easier. Modularity also helps when it is time to upgrade or change equipment.

  3. #3
    Tech Guru mostapha's Avatar
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    Do you actually want the Rane 68? Or would you rather get the SL4 and have over a grand to use to upgrade your mixer?

    The two products aren't marketed at the same people.

  4. #4
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    actually i'm pretty damn well torn on it. i use serato a lot in recording and i'd really like to have the fader automation recorded. i can't get that with the sl4 which is why i'm looking at the 68 (in addition to the 4 channels vs 2 that the sixty-two's have). however putting my audio interface inside the my mixer concerns me greatly, not to mention the sl4 seems to have more I/O flexibility.

    that's why i start the thread, i'm really not sure which will fit my needs. i really need both the i/o flexibility that comes with the sl4 and the fader automation recorded. so far i haven't found anything in a dj mixer, or otherwise for that matter, that does that.

  5. #5
    Tech Guru DJ SB's Avatar
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    I'd get the 68. The reliability of having an integrated interface has been proven with the 57 and does the mixer honestly not have enough I/O flexibility? I can't think of any I/O advantages the SL4 has over it.

  6. #6
    Tech Guru mostapha's Avatar
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    Why do you want to record fader automation?

    That mixtape thing is one of the things that confuses me. the Ableton mix and what you're monitoring won't sound the same, because the faders and summing busses will be different, not to mention EQs……unless the 68 comes with plugin versions of itself…which would be weird.

    But, why do you need to record fader automation with a DJ mixer? What's wrong with just performing a mix correctly and recording it?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by DJ SB View Post
    I can't think of any I/O advantages the SL4 has over it.
    the SL4 can work as a standalone audio interface from what i can tell. so if i wanted to multitrack something, i have the ability to do so.

    Quote Originally Posted by mostapha View Post
    But, why do you need to record fader automation with a DJ mixer? What's wrong with just performing a mix correctly and recording it?
    we run out of i/o pretty quickly when recording. if i record the automation, i can get away with only recording 2 channels as reference and have the multi for mixing. there has also been multiple times where i would like to go in and tweak some spots. that's the part where i do agree with you: do it right the first time. however being able to see what i've just done while practicing helps give some visual cues to say "yeah buddy right here you fucked up bad." the best comparison i could make to that is being able to see the wave form in scratch live as compared to just putting vinyl down old school (without using any software).

    but what do you mean in regards to the sl4 and 68 are marketed at different people? who specifically is he 68 marketed for that the sl4 isn't?

  8. #8

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    Mosquito, I have both. I first got the 68 as an upgrade to my old pioneer DJM 600. The 68 is a wonderful mixer.
    I later bought the SL4 aswell. Bringing the mixer to the club every weekend was getting a little tiresome.

    Obviously the switchover / tag team features are the same on both products.

    What I especially like about the 68 is:
    - faster setup for mobile events, just run rca's from your players straight into the mixer, and the usb of course.
    - the ability to run FX from any VST directly into the mixer POST fader, before the 68, I don't think any other dj mixer allowed for this, the 62 does support it though. -> http://rane.com/sixtyeightvstau.html
    - recorded fader movement in the Bridge mixtape.
    - Ability to choose between Video SL, Inklen Mixemergency ME, or the new Serato Video, Once it is released.
    - the FX system, although quite limited compared to Pioneer, you can "drum" FX instead of twising a knob, can be very effective.
    - the loops, cues, track navigation on the mixer. (I also own Dicers, HC1000S, Kontrol X1, APC20, MPD24, Touch OSC)

    My setup with the 68 is 2x technics 1210mk2 and 2x cdj1000mk3 -> http://forum.djtechtools.com/showthread.php?t=45450

    So basically, it boils down to what you really need, or think you might need down the road.
    Main Setup: Technics 1210, Rane Sixty Eight, Novation Dicers - Backup: Pioneer CDJ1000Mk3, Pioneer DJM400, Denon HC1000S
    Soundcard, Software, Midi & CPU: Rane SL4 & SL1, SSL, Ableton Live 8, Bridge, Mix Emergency. AKAI APC20 & MPD24, Touch OSC. Macbook Pro 15" Leopard, Macbook Pro 17" Lion, Dell 17" XP, Dell 17" Win7

  9. #9
    Tech Guru mostapha's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dj_mosquito View Post
    we run out of i/o pretty quickly when recording.
    What are you recording?

  10. #10
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    a lot when we are in writing mode. its not unheard of for us to have 2 stereo pairs from guitar/bass/cello/violin, stereo mix off the dj mixer (which means ableton and serato are intermixed putting my loops, beats, and vocal samples all on the same mix), and it wouldn't be unheard of for me to use a synth. right now i end up using the aux send on the dj mixer to record ableton and scratch live on their own stereo pairs, but i'd still like to have each deck separate as well. the recorder we have only does 8 channels at a time, but if i had all the automation, etc i don't have to record more than the stereo pair. i just pull the tracks off the recorder and drop them into ableton using the stereo mix of me as reference to line it up.

    Quote Originally Posted by warpnote View Post
    - the ability to run FX from any VST directly into the mixer POST fader, before the 68, I don't think any other dj mixer allowed for this, the 62 does support it though. -> http://rane.com/sixtyeightvstau.html
    - recorded fader movement in the Bridge mixtape.
    i had forgotten about the vst effect piece. while i'm not a fan of a lot of the stock fx from ableton, i can purchase additional vst effects that i do like.

    i'm still really torn, but it seems like for me the 68 is likely the way to go. the only thing i'm wondering is if i'm using the 68 can i run 4 decks with only 2 decks plugged in (same would be true of the sl4).

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