4 Channel Mixer

[Shishdisma]

I think i'm gonna go with the Behringer DDM4000.
Any objections? Other suggestions?

The meters on the DDM are borderline useless, so if you plan on really monitoring your mix, good luck.

[muffintop]

http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store...59-i2794634.gc ?

[fuelandperform]

The meters on the DDM are borderline useless, so if you plan on really monitoring your mix, good luck.

that's my biggest issue... the meters...

[Shishdisma]

that's my biggest issue... the meters...

You're not going to really find anything of quality with 4 channels for ~$500. Tons of great 2 channel, and tons of crap 4 channel mixers in that range, but you're compromising somewhere.

Your best bet is a used DJM-700 or Xone:42. Both of them can be had for around your budget used (a stretch), or around $700-$800 new if you're willing to push your budget.

It's also worth noting that holding your money and saving up for something premium quality, such as a Xone:92/DB2, DJM-850/900, or digital Vestax, will always be 100% worth it in the long run. I can't stress this enough, you're looking at audio equipment, which can have a disposable life of a year, ranging to a serviceable life of a decade+. It's worth it tenfold to save up for quality, lasting gear, rather than throwing hundreds of dollars into effectively disposable electronics. Think of it this way, that $500 won't get you the feature set you want for a significant service life, but it is roughly 1/3rd of the way towards a board that will last forever.

Its also important to say that "cheap" gear isn't necessarily disposable, but there will be a compromise. IIRC, a DJM-250 is running about $120 refurbished, and has the same wear parts as high end DJMs. The tradeoff comes not from lifespan and quality, but from a more limited featureset than the $1000+ mixers. The trick comes from finding what you need and really want, in a quality package, and then accumulating the cash to make that investment.

[Patch]

The meters on the DDM4000 ARE pretty small. But I just run all my tracks through MP3Gain before DJ'ing with 'em.

[keeb]

You know, I actually happen to have a Mackie d4 Pro I've been looking to sell. Perfect condition and fully tested - never had any issues with it whatsoever, just some paint missing around the faders (very common with this mixer). Send me a PM if you're interested.