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View Full Version : help me decide... scratch mixer



hohmann
10-13-2012, 01:06 AM
Hey. new to the forum, i know there is a million threads just like this one and for that I'm sorry. But i want to put my understanding and opinions on these mixers that I'm thinking about buying and see what you guys think. My xone:22 has seriously limited my learning as its absolutely terrible for cutting and i tried to put an innofader in it but something went horribly wrong (heard some sparks and saw some smoke... don't ask) so I decided to say f@#k it and buy a new mixer.

So anyway so far I have the following mixers within my price range:

Rane TTM56s

From what I understand this is a great scratch mixer used by dj's everywhere, I've read they have excellent build and sound quality. But I've also read from some users that the cut isn't as sharp as other mixers, is this true ? Even though it is a nice simple design I'm not really liking the lack of fader controls either (curve and lag adjustment).

Denon DNX600

Only really just started to look into this one, can someone tell me if its any good ?

Pioneer DJM-T1

The only reason why this thing is in my price range at the moment is because it's on special. The thing is but I already own Traktor Scratch Pro 2 and a X1 so im not sure if I should bother with this one, even though I heard the crossfader cuts like a guillotine its bothers me there is no curve adjustments on the line faders. i really like the fact that everything that is on my X1 controller is right there ready to use.

Vestax PMC05 pro IV

Now last but not least the new sibling to the PMC05 family. This is the mixer I'm leaning towards the most, love the midi controls on it even thought it hasn't got everything like the DJM-T1 does (but i have my X1 for that) and I've read that the line faders have decent curve adjust and the cross fader has a nice sharp cut in and good lag adjustment to 1mm (which I'm really liking).



I would appreciate any feedback on these mixers so I can help make up my mind. Please only constructive feedback and criticism, no fanboy bullshit.

thankyou

Sigma
10-13-2012, 10:34 AM
I think it's hard to make recommendations with scratch mixers, because minor differences in the faders can make huge differences in peoples' opinions about them.


Even though it is a nice simple design I'm not really liking the lack of fader controls either (curve and lag adjustment).
The Rane faders have curve and reverse for all 3 channels. They're also magnetic, so you only need to clean them to affect the smoothness - they're not affected by crackling or bleeding. You can adjust the position of the fader sensor to change the lag, but that's not something that Rane recommend so if you tried that it would be at your own risk of course.

Of those 4, the one I see most commonly used by well known scratch DJs is the Rane, followed by the Vestax. Normally I wouldn't bring up what other people use, cos sometimes they can be influenced by brand over build quality/performance, but with scratch mixers I think it's different as it's all about the faders and build quality.

I'm not saying that the Rane is the best BTW, but if I was buying a mixer without being able to demo it first then that's the one I would go for. Ideally, you could do with going somewhere where you can demo them, or find a place where you can order them online that has a good return policy if you're not happy with the mixer.

Oh yeah, I would also toss the Ecler Hak 360/380 into the mix, as I know a few great scratch DJs that love the Eternal fader, but again, it's a matter of opinion as it is a very light fader.

EDIT - And regarding the Rane Vs. the Vestax, I did actually ask that very question on my forum and this is a reply I got from someone that has experience with both: -


Pro4 has better cut and more features (digital mixer); 56 has better sound (analogue mixer).

You can always hear some faint, underlying noise in the Pro4.

I'd choose 56, personally.

hohmann
10-13-2012, 06:06 PM
Can anyone tell me how far the cut in is until full sound with the Rane ?

I'm still leaning towards the pro 4 because I only do this as a hobby so i don't need the great sound right now, i reckon more features would be better.

hohmann
10-15-2012, 11:56 PM
anyone ??

syks
10-16-2012, 02:18 AM
The rane 56 is an amazing mixer,i loved mine,sound is fooking out of this world on it imo especially for scratching,i found the cut to be good,your right its not as sharp as some mixers but with the butter smooth fader it makes up for it,cuts are easy on the rane and the build quality is second to none.

You could buy a cheeper mixer and stick an innofader in it instaead....just a thought,i LOVE my innofader,BEST fader out by a long shot and its fully adjustable for cut etc.

Peace

emarx
10-17-2012, 03:19 AM
Well before you throw out the baby with the bath water, how about I fix the Innofader Pro for you? Try putting the original Fader back and see if the mixer works.

Contact me support@audioinnovate.com. We don't want you to suffer.

Elliot

hohmann
10-17-2012, 04:46 AM
DAMNIT ! are you serious elliot lol?, already threw it out :eek: but the line faders and that stopped working so my guess was the mixer was screwed. how do i tell if the innofader is still alright ?

emarx
10-19-2012, 03:23 AM
DAMNIT ! are you serious elliot lol?, already threw it out :eek: but the line faders and that stopped working so my guess was the mixer was screwed. how do i tell if the innofader is still alright ?

Again I just recommend you email me at support@audioinnovate.com and I can do a warranty repair for you. Unless you have a controlled DJ power supply I wouldn't recommend you check on your own especially in the case of smoke.

Elliot

sixtysix
10-22-2012, 01:33 PM
If you do end up buying a new mixer I'd recommend the DJM-T1 I love mine for playing out, it's a pretty good all around mixer.. The built in soundcard helps for quick set up, and the built in X1 is nice. I have an X1 as well which I'm not using anymore. The construction is very nice and it feels solid. My only big problem is the line faders are pretty stiff, but I'm coming from an aem100i (which is my main scratch unit still).

hohmann
10-23-2012, 04:20 AM
Nah I decided to rule out the T1 because of the line faders and the fact I already own Traktor scratch 2. do you reckon it would be best learning on the Rane or on the Vestax? remembering that the vestax has the least cut in lag. I have basic scratches down, were just way too hard and weren't consistent on the 22 with its bad faders.

sixtysix
10-23-2012, 01:58 PM
If I had to pick between the two I'd probably go with the Rane.

punky
10-23-2012, 06:28 PM
If you had some problems with your Innofader install, you should e-mail me at justin.woo@gmail.com. I'd be happy to help you out.

punky
10-23-2012, 06:29 PM
Again I just recommend you email me at support@audioinnovate.com and I can do a warranty repair for you. Unless you have a controlled DJ power supply I wouldn't recommend you check on your own especially in the case of smoke.

Elliot

Beat me to it.