First house party coming up… but need to buy some missing gear
Hey all,
OK I have been asked to supply the tunes for a big late bonfire night house party next Friday. I’m quite happy to do it but I just realised I have been bedroom DJing on the cheap and have one piece of equipment missing.
A mixer.
I have 2x1210s, Audio 8 DJ, X1 and a APC40 (have other gear but no need to list it)
The APC40 was my makeshift mixer. All I assigned was the EQ, XFade and some faders. The X1 handled the FXs.
So I need to buy something to fill the gap. I was looking at the DJM800. Part of me wants to try out scratching but the other part knows that I’m more into electro/dnb so a 4 channel mixer would be better than a really really good 2 channel mixer for scratching.
but then I think… do I really want to be taking my turntables to a house party? I don’t have flight cases for them.
So then I think… hmm S4? But that leaves me £800 down, less space in my room and I would still need a mixer for my turntables. (Can’t plug them into the S4 can I?)
I’m really confused guys and gals. I need to buy something but I don’t know what. Friends have suggested I just buy a cheap mixer (was looking at the Behringer 4000) but I just think I would rather spend a lot more money on a better mixer.
I wouldnt advise buying an expensive mixer just to have some prick spill beer over it at a party.
Id probably borrow my friends expensive mixer and spill beer on it myself.
Just kidding.
Just get a cheap mixer for the party that you can use for a while and sell on easily when the time comes to get a better one for your room or if you decide on something that you really want.
Already spoken to him about smoke and beer. Didn’t say I wouldn’t play if there was going to be but they said that they won’t be smoking inside and drinks won’t be near me. I’m already gutted about some chips in one of my decks from parcel force so if anyone came anywhere near my gear with even a cuddly toy I would break their neck lol.
From what I’ve heard the DDM4000 is totally unlike Behringer’s other mixers and actually is a pretty good mixer considered the price. I’d be going for that, in fact, I would’ve bought it a few months ago if I didn’t came across the S4.
In your case however, with an APC and X1 already present, having a simpler mixer would do the trick aswell. Or an S4
I don’t get why you’re considering a DJM800 when the S4 seems too pricey for your likings though. Plus the fact you can actually hook up your TT’s (with timecode support later on) would make me decide S4.. again
Yeah. I guess it’s because it’s 4 decks and I have already bought TSP so I think of it like the Audio 8 DJ bundle. Just got to get it out of my head tbh.
You came all over your S4…dude…
The S4 doesn’t seem pricey to me. I think I would just be bummed out if it’s timecode support wasn’t the best because then I might still have to buy a mixer. I need something that will do all the jobs I want it to.
As for the DJM800, it’s just a well all rounded mixer. Midi support would be nice (yeah the DDM400 has this). I just assumed as the industry standard it would be the best mixer to have.
Was playing on my decks today and I’m thinking it’s too much hassle to take them to the party. But then I have no full controller to seek through tracks and cue them up etc. Yeah the X1 can do this but it’s not the most elegant.
Haha, well in all fairness I’d love getting a DJM-800 if money wasn’t an issue, mainly because it indeed is an industry standard but also because it’s quality stuff. And even thought I don’t think it’s actually that expensive on itsself, it is compared to an S4 when you take into consideration how much more versatile the S4 is.
You did nail the DDM4000 vs the DJM800 though, quality has a price. Still, both mixers don’t have that much advantages compared to an S4 when you already got the gear you got, I think.
I still think Allen and Heath makes by far the best 4 channel mixers if you can pick up a Xone 42 second hand. They really do go the distance if you don’t need all the bells and whistles the DJM line promises.
I always found I never used half of all the bells and whistles you found on Pioneer mixers and the damn think would always break after 2-3 years. A&H’s are beasts.
You can use an S4 for audio through and in time, when they get time code support, it’s sure to be every bit as good as the current traktor scratch standard. It’s not an analogue mixer and I do like having one of those as well in my home setup for flexibility, but for live gigs the S4 has absolutely everything you need (apart from a laptop lol).
I don’t know. I think I’m worried that they might bring out a new version or seomthing. I know NI are not prone to doing this but I don’t want to just jump the band wagon and buy a S4 and then later on find out actually I would have been better off buying a analogue mixer.
So suggesting the S4 then. It is a great bit of kit and as I was out today I just kept thinking “S4, S4, S4, S4”
