The Pull of "Industry Standard"

[mostapha]

I have encountered Allen & Heath a number of times in the wild, and the first time I found that I couldn't do simple things that I took for granted like listening to two tracks through the cans at the same time, (you can do that on the 62, 92, s6, and v6…not sure about the others) it really threw me. Likewise having four eq pots (personal preference. I think the hi-mid is more important than the low). These are little things but they add up to a big deal, as you found which led to you selling your 62. (It was just the cuing issue, and wouldn't have been an issue if I weren't transitioning back to IEMs)
The point is we can take these things in our stride and get on with it, but with Pioneer stuff, even if it isn't technically as good, you don't have to "get used to it", or "work out how to do stuff", because it is all there in front of you, laid out in a way that makes sense. That is why I italicised the words instinctively and confidently. (I'm honestly no more confident on Pioneer than A&H, even the xone:62 like the one I sold…I'd just use headphones and not worry about it if I saw one in a club…same with basically every other mixer in existence. Unfortunately for Pioneer, some of their stuff sucks…I don't like the sound of their EQs, so I just wouldn't use them…at all. Same with the effects. Not using half the mixer because it sounds like crap isn't the same as being confident in the mixer…it's trusting that they didn't fuck up the level meters and faders too bad.)
Maybe you are right about the extent of their PR and their prominence in the market, but I disagree that marketing alone would be enough to gain them such a huge market share if their products didn't have that blend of qualities that made them so wildly popular in the first place. (It happens all the time.)
CDJ100 was the industry standard back when CD players were starting to break through, and it had a lot more to do with the players being universally agreed upon to just work and feel right than it did with advertising.(I disagree. At the time, the DJM600 was widely used but not the mixer. You still found Rane and A&H at least if not a host of other mixers all over the place. The DJM-800 was their breakout because it was finally good enough to not just laugh at)

Edit* I have rarely ever used the effects and sampler on the Pioneer mixer. I do not think they are necessary for a complete and perfect set. Effects are not even the icing on the cake. They are the sprinkles. And some cakes are better without sprinkles. Besides which I don't like sprinkles. And I have an X1. Where was I?

That's awesome imagery with the sprinkles. I'm totally going to steal that.

[quality control]

Wouldn't you always apply an FX with the wet/dry gradually starting at the bottom? It has been a good experience of mine to either apply an FX to an unused channel OR apply the smallest amount of the FX, almost so no one can hear it but you know you are going to hear something. Your set will not be destroyed if you throw in a little FX from time to time to get comfortable.

The other option is to do a sound check before you play. Rip through the FX and try to learn as much as you can. When it comes time to play you will have enough knowledge to throw in a little improvement to your mix. You will quickly distinguish what you like and dislike.