Currently, I use traktor to mix and I hope to one day DJ clubs, parties, etc. Instead of dropping a lot of money on a very expensive mixer, I thought the Xone:22 would help me learn the ropes and gain experience on using an external mixer/ I just think it might be good for a beginner like me. Any thoughts? If anyone know's about any affordable mixers or external equipment for a beginner please share!
Xone:22 - Good first mixer?
- Thread starter Adam F
- Start date
Like Wes said - A&H makes really nice mixers - but I would like to hear more about what kind of DJ you are. What kind of music, more club music mix vs party entertainer? hip hop & scratching where you'll need hampster mode?
2 channels is kind of limiting, even if you do have a great name behind it.
2 channels is kind of limiting, even if you do have a great name behind it.
I aspire to be a mobile DJ until I earn some sort of club residency. I currently go to Penn State University and hope to DJ fraternity parties in hopes to get my name out. I'd be playing most likely a lot of club music (mainstream) and "party" music. Not so much old bar mitzvah or wedding type music.
Though it's only 2 channel, i'd take that mixer over anything gemini, Denon (they make great CD Players, but their mixers sound like ass) , numark, american audio, mackie, or any other of those cheapie brands makes.
Stepping up to a quality mixer like a Rane, or Pioneer, or Allen & heath can be a real eye opener... The pre-amps, the warm EQ's, the gain, the overhead, the solidity... It can be the biggest dollar for dollar sound improvement you may ever purchase..
I cringe when I see people using nice speakers, and then they have one of the crappiest mixers money can buy.. if anything, buy the nicer mixer now, and outfit yourself with nicer speakers later...
KV-2 QSC, or Dynacord with a Denon DNX, or Numark Mixer? Criminal!
Stepping up to a quality mixer like a Rane, or Pioneer, or Allen & heath can be a real eye opener... The pre-amps, the warm EQ's, the gain, the overhead, the solidity... It can be the biggest dollar for dollar sound improvement you may ever purchase..
I cringe when I see people using nice speakers, and then they have one of the crappiest mixers money can buy.. if anything, buy the nicer mixer now, and outfit yourself with nicer speakers later...
KV-2 QSC, or Dynacord with a Denon DNX, or Numark Mixer? Criminal!
I agree with you up to the bold point.... why would you say Denon mixers sound like ass?
Yeah, I'm not sure I agree with the Denon mixers. While I know that Pioneer and A&H are better - Denon are not anything in the quality family of Gemini, Pyle, or even Numark & ADJ.... and actualy Numark / ADJ seem to be sounding better these days...
Actually I've also been thinking about the Behringer DDM4000. I know it's behringer, but it sounds great and the effects may even be better than Pioneer
Actually I've also been thinking about the Behringer DDM4000. I know it's behringer, but it sounds great and the effects may even be better than Pioneer
The DDM is a great mixer.. Absolutely worth the money. I've just seen 2 die now, so I would keep a backup on site.. I've had nothing but good luck with behringer over the years, and I continue to recommend behringer mixers over mackie's cfx or dfx series any day of the week.
Now for denon... I'm a huge denon fan! they can do little wrong in my eyes.... except for mixers...
I've used or owned several denon mixers over the years, as I've either bought them, or had loaners to demo or whatever.
They are noisy.. They have horrible eq curves... They're cheaply made, the mic pre-amps are absolutely crap, and they make audio sound worse than the source. We ran an iPod through the dn-x900 in Atlantic city at dj times, and then directly into the qsc k12, and all present agreed that the mixer colored the sound negatively. (this was obviously not the denon booth)
Like I said, they make great cd players, but you'll rarely see denon mixers in the wild in installations where quality matters. Sports bars and places where they cut corners on the sound system yes, but not at big clubs...
Put it this way... It's the most important component in your rig second to the audio source. With a few exceptions from ran, and Allen &heath, there are few mixers under a grand that are really nice mixers. I used to argue this point till I was blue in the face... I had a dn-x900, and I ended up buying the almost $3000 Allen & Heath xone464 mixer after hearing the difference.
My arsenal is all pioneer 5000's, Allen & Heath zones, and ran mp series mixers now.
Denon may be a better name than Numark or Gemini, but the performance of their mixers is in some cases worse than a Numark or Gemini.
That's real world 6 night a week actual usage review opinion right there.. I wouldn't put a DN-x series mixer back in my rig if Denon gave it to me for free, and paid me to use it.
Now for denon... I'm a huge denon fan! they can do little wrong in my eyes.... except for mixers...
I've used or owned several denon mixers over the years, as I've either bought them, or had loaners to demo or whatever.
They are noisy.. They have horrible eq curves... They're cheaply made, the mic pre-amps are absolutely crap, and they make audio sound worse than the source. We ran an iPod through the dn-x900 in Atlantic city at dj times, and then directly into the qsc k12, and all present agreed that the mixer colored the sound negatively. (this was obviously not the denon booth)
Like I said, they make great cd players, but you'll rarely see denon mixers in the wild in installations where quality matters. Sports bars and places where they cut corners on the sound system yes, but not at big clubs...
Put it this way... It's the most important component in your rig second to the audio source. With a few exceptions from ran, and Allen &heath, there are few mixers under a grand that are really nice mixers. I used to argue this point till I was blue in the face... I had a dn-x900, and I ended up buying the almost $3000 Allen & Heath xone464 mixer after hearing the difference.
My arsenal is all pioneer 5000's, Allen & Heath zones, and ran mp series mixers now.
Denon may be a better name than Numark or Gemini, but the performance of their mixers is in some cases worse than a Numark or Gemini.
That's real world 6 night a week actual usage review opinion right there.. I wouldn't put a DN-x series mixer back in my rig if Denon gave it to me for free, and paid me to use it.
So here's my next question, hopefully I get a response I know this thread is a little old now. I was on djforums also and I was told that I can't just mix with the Xone: 22 I need other equipment as well? Bare with me, I'm still very new and haven't bought any equipment yet I've just been researching like hell.
"4 in 4 out sound interface"? Can anyone explain?
"also some way of controlling the virtual decks" - I thought this was what the xone:22 was for?
I'm confused as to what I should purchase if I do happen to purchase the xone: 22.
I have my laptop and I figured with a mixer I'd be able to mix externally with traktor on my computer. Can someone explain or simplify all of this for me? It would be MUCH appreciated.
"4 in 4 out sound interface"? Can anyone explain?
"also some way of controlling the virtual decks" - I thought this was what the xone:22 was for?
I'm confused as to what I should purchase if I do happen to purchase the xone: 22.
I have my laptop and I figured with a mixer I'd be able to mix externally with traktor on my computer. Can someone explain or simplify all of this for me? It would be MUCH appreciated.
Steve LeBlanc
DJ Extraordinaire
You need soft ware that will allow you to take each "virtual" deck to s separate channel on your mixer...so that you can cue and mix with the mixer, not the software. You also need a multi channel sound card; a sound card the will let you run multiple chanel outs.
on my rigs i use Virtual DJ..I use a M Audio Fast trak Pro. Virtual DJ allows deck one to be out put to output one and two (left and right) on the sound card. i run this to Ch 1 on my mixer. Out puts 3 and 4 run to channel 2 (using ASIO).....On my back up laptop i use 2 Behringer UCA 202 cards; VDJ and windows sees 2 separate cards.....
There are other options; the Gigaport, DJIO ......
I don't know if Traktor supports multiple out, or multiple sound cards...
on my rigs i use Virtual DJ..I use a M Audio Fast trak Pro. Virtual DJ allows deck one to be out put to output one and two (left and right) on the sound card. i run this to Ch 1 on my mixer. Out puts 3 and 4 run to channel 2 (using ASIO).....On my back up laptop i use 2 Behringer UCA 202 cards; VDJ and windows sees 2 separate cards.....
There are other options; the Gigaport, DJIO ......
I don't know if Traktor supports multiple out, or multiple sound cards...
Traktor supports multiple output pairs. Studio 3 and upwards have 4 decks and a Gigaport Soundcard will give you those necessary outputs! All from 1 usb port. You don't have to use multiple sound cards.
http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/dj/traktor-pro/
http://www.esi-audio.com/products/gigaportag/
If you're not dead set on the A&H you might want to look at the Rane MP4.
http://www.nlfxpro.com/cart/product.php?productid=18165&cat=0&page=3
http://www.nlfxpro.com/cart/product.php?productid=18165&cat=0&page=3
Behringer DDM4000
if i buy this mixer, does anyone know if i can connect my Ipod, external cd player and external computer hub to it?
what is the minimum speaker size I can buy for this and also hang on the wall?
how can I make recordings of my mixes?
any info is appreciated.
I always had in mind to upgrade my mobile DJ mixer since Allen & Heath announced their new Xone 22 back couple of years ago. With the economy and other issues that I had been facing stopped me from investing in it. I was using a little Denon DNX mixer which I thought did not sound too good. Since last seen this post last summer about the Xone 22 I know I had to shed those dollars to get It. Well, this week I finally got It.
It makes a world of difference from the better sound to better headroom to better sounding microphone to the onboard filter effects to better Eq curves to the Line recording for my Mac and the list goes on. lol
The only thing I had to order a new Marathon Case that will still fit my two small Denon DN-S1200s and my new Xone: 22.
Thank you to all the members on this forum with their suggestions.
It makes a world of difference from the better sound to better headroom to better sounding microphone to the onboard filter effects to better Eq curves to the Line recording for my Mac and the list goes on. lol
The only thing I had to order a new Marathon Case that will still fit my two small Denon DN-S1200s and my new Xone: 22.
Thank you to all the members on this forum with their suggestions.