Is a crossfader really necessary?
Hello everyone. I am new here…been getting back into DJ’ing after a VERY LONG hiatus…but that is another story.
I am not intending to start a holy war…I know that a good crossfader is essential for scratching…so my question is really for the non-scratching folks/controllerists…how useful/necessary is a crossfader to you?
As a bit of an explanation on this question…I started off on vinyl…two decks and a mixer WAY back in the day. I have only recently gotten back into it (mainly because of my love of music…not for work) and am embracing digital technology (controllers,software etc.).
I am slowly evolving my setup moving more and more toward modular controllers and am planning my next set of “investments”. I mainly mix with volume faders/EQs and only use the cross fader to quickly switch between playing songs as part of a routine…but that is more the exception rather than the rule…So I am thinking that I should embrace my controllerist tendencies and just map that functionality to buttons and avoid the crossfader altogether. That gives me the ability to be more creative with my setup and controller selection moving forward…
I am already forsaking an external mixer by using an M-Audio X-Session Pro…But it feels slightly like a toy compared to my Kontrol X1. If I can use something like the A&H Xone:K2 or Behringer CMD-MM1, I can get away without an external mixer AND have decent controls for EQs etc…
You can ask the same about any control on your mixer – is a midrange knob really necessary? How about a cue button? It all depends on your mixing style.
I agree. I don’t use it too much except for some specific mini-routines cutting back and forth between songs…I mainly mix with volume faders and EQs…I just wanted to get a sense of how other used/didn’t use the cross fader so as to be better informed.
Maybe a better question would be…how do you use the crossfader when you perform?
I haven’t used a crossfader in at least 5 years.
I mostly use the line faders and EQ, the only time I use the crossfader is when I’m mixing breaks and want sharp quick cuts.
Likewise, but like I said, I am just getting back into things and am wondering how things have progressed and how people are performing. Curious if it is still an integral component, or is it a “holdover” from analog/vinyl days and destined to go the way of jogwheels. Note that jogwheels are still around…but it looks to me like there is a non-trivial movement away from jogwheels…
You could say that BUT I specifically searched out controllers with touch sensitive jogs just because I sometimes want ot mix “Old School” It’s true that you can now “get by” without using them BUT you’ve got to do some pre-prep on your tracks with gridding & loop points and such. I wanted the ability to do both.
I’ve thought about that and am VERY conflicted on the issue. On the one hand, I want to be able to mix “old-school” as that is how I started…but on the other hand, I don’t have the ability to spend indiscriminate amounts of cash buying lots of controllers, or something like the S4/VCI400 etc…they are just out of my range.
I thought about buying something like a Numark Mixtrack to use alongside my Kontrol X1/Launchpad/X-Session Pro when I want to mix old-school…but that it just seems so bulky…Maybe a Behringer CMD PL-1 might be a solution for me…give me a jogwheel for multiple decks when I need it…slim and not too expensive.
Well, ultimately you’ll find and establish your own workflow within the confines of what you can afford. As long as you’re having fun and are able to challenge yourself to keep it interesting then nothing else really matters (ie the sync vs beatmatch debate) Seems like you’re approaching it the right way though.
It’s easier to make quick cuts with a crossfader than slamming a line fader all day. It also allows you to bring in a track at instantly full volume instead of having a slight ramp up as you slam the fader (not that it makes a huge difference). Primarily though, it’s useful for scratching and even though I don’t scratch a ton, I wouldn’t want a crossfader-free mixer.
Thanks. I have been having a blast getting back into music. I am a bit of a computer nerd, so I have embraced making my own MIDI mappings for Traktor. Having USB-based MIDI controllers has been a revelation to me that I have fully embraced…(I know I’ve been out of touch for a while…last I knew MIDI was the domain of electric keyboards in the 80s).
I hear you…that is what I mainly use it for (though not too often). So, given that just about every imaginable DJ mixer has a crossfader, my real question then becomes down more to whether I can get away with doing everything I want just with controllers mixing internally) and just 2 steroe outs (Main & Headphones) or do I need/want/benefit from an external mixer.
I mix with the line faders and scratch with the crossfader, it is set at 0.78% cut in that is one CC tick… My personal opinion is if you are mixing with your ears open you can’t help but notice the lack of control over the level that the crossfader gives.
Map the crossfader to something else. You might wanna mess around with cuts in the future. If your investing in gear you plan to use for a long time. Better then buying something expensive without one and regretting it later.
Well, you lose a minor amount of sound quality mixing internally (I’m talking audiophile-type niggles here), but you’ll be fine doing so. I mixed internally for two years without issue and there are big acts out there (Zedd, Porter Robinson, etc.) who use internal mixing with the S4. Just make sure you have a decent soundcard - I’d imagine the K2 should cut it but it’s hard to tell with it not being released yet.
i only use a x fader for scratching.. i dont even have my x fader mapped on my apc atm. for mixing why bother with anything but the volume imo? its just another thing to keep track of in the mix.
Besides scratching I like using the crossfader to cut patterns in and out of a mix (though be careful not to overdo this). It’s a bit different way to mix two songs together - cut back and forth from one to the other on the & or the 1,2,3,4 for a couple measures before coming into the next track. Of course it only works for certain track combinations. I also like doing this without cutting all the way across on other mixes, have the new track’s channel fader at half mast and cut in and out on the beat as you bring the new track’s channel fader up and the previous one down. Again, don’t overdo this or try it on tracks you haven’t practiced with because it won’t always sound that great; it really depends on the sounds being cut in and out.
^ i like to freeze them back in forth.. also fun sometimes