I went a similar route with my Z2 OP, but found myself wanting a four channel mixer pretty soon. You definitely miss being able to EQ the remix decks. The only downside to a modular setup is you want to add more stuff and 2 decks doesn’t cut it!
touche, i didnt think of that. So for you guys that have the x1600. did you just plug in and play with your x1600? or did you have to map it at all? i know its scratch certified but that doesn’t really interest me. Im just looking for a good mixer that i can plug all of my stuff into and be happy with. Without breaking the bank.
I’ve narrowed my mixer choices down to the djm 900 or the denon x1600. i honestly don’t know which one i should go for. pioneer is more widely used. but i could get the denon for 700$ versus the 1500 of a used djm 900. which one would you guys go after
How much is a new DJM850? That’s what I’d go for … Or have already gone with 
Does the mixer have to be scratch certified?
If it’s not you gotta plug it into a scratch ni soundcard
if youre not playing with time code, you should even consider the djm750, or even the allen & heath xone db2
just my .02… i find using an actual deck for remixing to be better than remix decks. the remix decks are cool and all, but take alot of work to set up remix sets. using a 3rd deck with a song that has well placed cue markers is much more spontaneous feeling and requires no more work than usual for prep. its very ez to beatjump around making loops and stuff on the fly, compared to making fully chopped up remix sets.
just speaking on the issue of advancing techniques and creativity, in the end any set up will facilitate any workflow, if youre determined enuff.
Scratch certified doesn’t really bother me. I may get tables down the road but for now I’m just looking at a simple modular set up. But I do want the mixer to be plug and play. Which of the djm mixers are plug and play? I see a lot of people liking then denon. But I hear good things about the db2, and the djm 850 and 900. A worker here in the shopping section when I asked for support said to go for the 900 because it’s the club standard. And that’s really it. I was hoping you guys would expand on that more.
pioneer meh…if i didnt care about scratching id have either a rane MP2015 or AH 93 rotary… thems classy
im tellin ya , if you want to get more creative and expand your mixing abilities, start using a 3rd deck more. cool herc to carl cox..
If scratch certification isn’t an issue then get a decent 4 channel digital mixer and you’ll be set. Scratch is good an all if want to use turntables for mixing you’re digital collection, but i did away with it and my tables are all for vinyl now, alongside my modular set up.
Mixers are quite a personal thing. I’ve not long had my DB4 but i love it. When i went to try a load of mixers out i thought i’d be coming away with an 900/850 but after using them i wasn’t keen on them. Each to their own though, i have a mate who has a 750 and he loves it.
Personally with what you’ve listed and expressed an interest in i’d get a DB2 with 2 X1’s and a midifighter if you’re feeling cheeky.
its now between the denon x1600, pioneer djm 850 and maybe a db2. my biggest issue is that the db2 doesn’t have rca inputs. only has xlr. i can get the x1600 for around 600$ to 800$. djm 850 is around 800$-1200$. but i do like the set up for the djm better. and its a club standard. Plus i can deck her out with chroma caps which i cant on the x1600. i plan on starting out on just 2 x1’s. so i can run 4 decks and get a f1 for stems and remix decks then buy 2 midi fighters for effects on the fly. I feel with that set up i should be good to go. The biggest thing i needed for a mixer was a built in sound card, rca inputs, and great sound for around 700$ to 1200$. thats why I’m left with the x1600 and the djm900. May eventually get 2 d2’s down the road but i can get 2 x1’s for around 400$ versus the 1000$ with two d2’s. So i feel with the mixers i said earlier and the controllers i just listed too, i should be a very happy modular dj. thank you for all of your inputs.
ive always prefered a modular setup. the d2’s are amazing - you’ll never want to have to look at your laptop again. i use the NoSleep app on osx so i can close my laptop lid and pretend its not there…
Honestly, my next investment will be an S8 with two D2’s attached. So I guess both, but this way I can have the option to take my full setup with me as an all in one, or just my d2’s for anywhere that has space constraints and use the djm as my soundcard.
S8 and D2s is ridiculous.
Ridiculously pointless.
Something something ‘creativity’ i guess.
Get the Denon and spend the spare cash on 2 X1’s & a Midifighter.
Im noticing that the denon doesn’t have a dedicated filter for each channel though.
Use the filter in Traktor.
For me it actually matters because I mix with the filter a lot.
I used to load a Xone 92 filter in FX1 and FX2 (never was big on FX)
Now, I have a Rane 2015 with more filters that I know what to do with
You win some, you lose some - with non-dedicated filter you can filter two channels at the same time. My buddy says he loves his DJM-750 because of that.