Low levels on some channels: Bad settings or just broken?

[thejfasi]

So I bought a used Pioneer DJM-600 mixer from someone, and when I took it home to plug it in, I found that the some of the channels had some problems.

Channel 2 has an issue where both channels play in headphones during cue, but the right side does not output to master. Or rather, it does, but the signal is very very faint. Channel 4 has the same issue but in reverse: the left channel is the one having problems.

I've verified this by mixing a CD I had down to mono, putting it into my CD player, and hooking and unhooking the RCA cable. The cable is connecting to the correct plugs in each case, and the Line/Phono switch is set to Line in all cases.

Is there some sort of balance setting for individual channels I'm not seeing? Is this mixer broken? If so, is there any way to repair it?

[djpenguin]

My money is on bad channel faders, as the cue bus typically taps into channel signals pre-fader, and the master bus taps them post-fader.

Honestly, I wouldn't spend any money repairing a DJM-600. It's outdated, it sounds like ass, and you can get a better mixer pretty cheaply these days. If there's any way to return it and get your money back, do so.

[thejfasi]

Are the faders interchangeable between channels? If they are then I can swap them around to diagnose the problem.

[djpenguin]

Channels 3, 4, and the master are interchangeable. Channels 1 & 2 use their own individualized faders (because of the fader start hardware.)

Again, I really can't recommend fixing a DJM-600. You're better served by getting your money back if at all possible.

[mostapha]

Are they VCA mixers or would squirting some fader lube in it have an effect?

And, yeah…return it if you can. If you can't……uhh……you can probably still get a better mixer for less than it costs to repair.

[thejfasi]

I appreciate the hate that you guys have for the DJM-600, but I'm only going to be using this thing for a few months, and I don't want to go out of my way to get good gear just for that span. I'll probably end up making do with the busted faders and buying a new mixer after the summer.

[djpenguin]

In my case, it's not so much "hate," it's more "years of experience and training talking."

If you're planning to buy a new mixer at the end of the summer anyway, just use the two non-broken channels until then.

Free bonus tip: if you run the channel gains at +7dB to +10dB as marked on the faceplate (I sincerely doubt these numbers are accurate, but whatever) and the master gain around 0dB as marked on the faceplate, the DJM-600 will sound less ass-tacular.

[Dj Pudgey]

compressed air first before fader lube. also blow air into the pre pot as well.