I need help choosing a mixer
Okay so, I use Ableton Live for Djing on a MacBook Pro, and I need help choosing a mixer with a good soundcard. I am stuck between Pioneer’s DJM-900 (Possibly the DJM-850), a Xone:4D, a Xone: DB2, or a Xone:42 with an Traktor Audio 8/10. I’m really searching for one with good audio quality, but one that’s not too pricey. I’m in desperate need for a good mixer, but based on the mixed reviews I hear…I don’t know which one to go for. Could you guys help me out?
Hopefully you can go to a store and test a few of them out. The 900 is the only one you would find in a club (if that matters), and the 850 is cool and has a few diff features compared to the 900, but I would wait a few months for the price to come down because right now it’s priced to close to the 900 for it to make sense to buy. The Audio 4/8 are the best sounding soundcards I have ever owned or used (not including Rane SL). I’ve never used the newer 6/10 but the biggest draw back I have w/ them is that the 10 needs to be plugged into an outlet and the 6 has a lot of distortion issues (mostly w/ Macs) that I think people have only been able to solve by plugging them in.
DJing in ableton ? The korg zero series seem right for you ? How much channels do you want ? 4 or 8 ?
-Built in soundcard
-MIDI everything
-Ableton layout
Sold yet ? 
I barely need four, eight is overkill for me, and isn’t the Korg Zero series discontinued now? I also should mention that I want to use a Pioneer EFX 1000 in my setup
I’d go with the 4d due to it having clip control and you could basically ditch any other controllers already your arsenal, downside is its heavy and expensive.
But if you have something for clip triggering and really need the analog mixer side I’d consider the the Zero 8 for sure if you can find one (they are discontinued).
Dare I say it on the cheaper side how about a Xone DX ? .. you can pick them up reasonable ($500ish) although not technically all analogue you can use them as a regular mixer once plugged into a computer and its got a gorgeous sound card (10x10) and oodles of midi controls you could map.
Korg zero series? Yea maybe the list of features seem cool, but those things break way too much.
denon x1600?
midi features are probably the nicest on that mixer.
I was figuring maybe something not as outdated…8 channels is something that I know I don’t need. The Xone DX looks cool, but I need an analogue mixer to fit my needs. I just don’t controlling the levels in Ableton, maybe I could, but I like the whole external routing much better.
I have to 900 and love it. Very fun to use. Personally at the price the 850 is coming in right now its just stupid as hell to get one. Its just not worth it when you can get a 900 for the same price street wise new, actually you can get a 900 way cheaper easily.
I would look into the xone, but I can’t remember, I recall people saying there is no send/return, so hooking up an efx 1000 would be a little more annoying.
Depending on what your price range is, a DJM-2k is much better suited to Ableton use than the 900 is, but the 900 works great if you need to save $300. The 2k is just an all round better mixer, and has a dedicated MIDI control section that’s designed around Ableton.
The DJM-2000 is nice, but it’s too pricey for me.
do you already have an efx-1000? I mean you could always sell that to get a 2000. The 2000 fx unit is like having that built in.
Both the 4D and DB4 are roughly the same price as a DJM2k though
Its a $100-$300 price bump over the DB2/900, and is exponentially more flexible and workable. The soundcard is rather crap for inputs, but it does quite nicely for outputs. It really is worth saving for a few weeks to scrounge up the $2000.
There’s a nice working send/return on the 42.. i am also thinking of buying the xone42 and add the rmx-1000. Or get the 900.
hmmm..
although the send/return on the xone32 sucks.
DB2 and DB4 don’t have send return
I’d say DJM900 or DJM2000. The 2000 as I understand it is geared toward ableton…
I’d sell the the efx 1000 and use the extra money to get the DJM2000
I really don’t need the DJM-200 because I already use and iPad running Lemur. Although, the effects section looks nice.
A screen built into your mixer and an iPad have very different life expectancies on stage. You’ll probably find the screen a lot more comfortable, but it really depends on your setup.
My setup is just a 15" MacBook Pro running Ableton Suite 8, which is being controlled by the Lemur on my iPod. Then hopefully, with the new mixer the audio is routed out of Ableton to the mixer.