Ultimate Guide to DJ Mixers

Another key piece of your setup is a Mixer. DJ Mixers allow you to mix, blend and scratch between the records playing on both your turntables.

Before going into detail we recommend you choose a mixer which has at least the following features:

• 2 input channels
• 3-band Equalizer
• Kill Switches
• Gain Controls
• For scratch DJs -Hamster Switches and Curve Controls
• Extra Outputs to connect equipment to record your mixes

This is an example of an entry level DJ Mixer from Stanton. Ideal for beginners, it comes with 2 channels, a 3 band EQ, mic input controls, as well as curve controls for the crossfader.

Stanton M.202 2-Channel Mixer

Denon DN-X100 2-Channel DJ Mixer

Another entry level DJ Mixer from Denon at an affordable price. Features include 2 channels allowing 4 line-ins plus 2 phono-ins, 2 master outputs, 3 band EQ and Gain controls, and channel reverse.

When you first look at a DJ mixer, it can look quite confusing with all those knobs, switches, buttons, and sliders. But after reading this section everything will be much clearer for you.

Essentially, the DJ Mixer is the central hub connecting the majority of your DJ Equipment together. Your turntables, headphones, microphone, CD turntable (if you have one), and an amplifier all need to be connected to the mixer.

So the first thing you need to look at when deciding to buy your mixer is will it cater for everything you want to connect to it. For example, if you plan on buying a pair of turntables, an amplifier, and a tape/CD deck to record your mixes, you will need a mixer with two channels to connect your turntables and at least 2 external outputs for your amp and tape/cd deck.

Most basic mixers come with at least 2 channels and a master output to connect an amp. Each channel usually allows you to connect two devices; one phono input (PH1/PH2) plus one line input (L1/L2). Therefore, a 2-channel mixer will usually allow you to connect up to four devices.

For example, if your set up consists of 2 turntables and a CD Player, you can connect your turntables to the phono inputs (PH1 and PH2) and the CD Player can be connected onto a line input (L1/L2). One thing to note with a 2 channel mixer is that even though you can have 4 devices connected to it, only 2 of these devices can be set to run at the same time. In order to have more than 2 devices running at the same time, you will need a mixer with 3 channels or above.

All mixers have a crossfader. A crossfader allows you to control the mix and is usually a horizontal slider placed along the bottom of the mixer.

The slider allows the transition of sound from one channel to the other. Sliding it completely to the left will give you 100% of one input channel and 0% of the other input channel. Sliding it to the right gives you the opposite effect. Sliding it into the middle will give you 50/50 blend from each channel. 

Some mixers have a ‘curve control’ feature. This feature is mostly used by Scratch DJs. The curve control allows you to adjust the way the crossfader works when switching/sliding from channel to channel. Scratch DJ’s prefer a short and sharp control, whereas Club DJ’s prefer a more long and smooth curve control setting. Some mixers also have a ‘hamster’ switch. All this does is reverses the channel output. So the channel 1 output will move to channel 2 and channel 2 output will move to channel 1.

Each channel on the mixer has a number of different controls that aid the DJ in managing the sound being output. Some examples of these are Faders, Gain/Trim Levels, EQs, Kill Switches, LED Monitors. These are explained in more detail below. Also note that depending on what mixer you buy, it may or may not contain some of these features. However, these are the most common features you will find on a DJ mixer.

All DJ mixers have Faders. These are like a volume control for each channel, which is usually a vertical slider located above the crossfader. Moving the Channel fader up increases the volume and moving it down decreases the volume. An Equalizer (EQ) is used to control the frequencies of the sound being output for each channel. These are usually rotary dials located above the fader controls for each channel. A 3-band EQ will give you control of high (treble), medium(mid-range) and low(bass) frequencies, of the music being played. The more EQ control you have, the better your mixes will be once you learn how to use them properly. Some mixers come with a 2-band EQ, and some with 3 or more.

It is best to choose a mixer with at least a 3 band EQ for each channel. Some mixers also have a Kill Switch feature that simply cuts or kills the desired frequencies. The Gain/Trim Control is like a master volume control for each channel. This is usually located above or beside the EQ or fader controls.

The headphones you use also need to be connected to the mixer. Without headphones it would be very difficult to mix! The headphones allow you to listen to and set up the ‘cued’ track whilst the ‘live’ track is being played. The cued track is the track that you are about to mix in. Most mixers usually have switches to select what you want to hear in the headphones. You can choose between listening to the cued track only, or the live track only, or both at the same time. This is especially useful if you want to hear how the mix sounds before everyone else hears it.

So there you have it, a basic guide to what to look for when buying a DJ Mixer.

DJ Mixers - Recommendations

Here are some examples of good quality DJ Mixers ranging from mid to high end on the market.

Numark DXM06 2-Channel Digital Mixer	Vestax PMC-05PROSL DJ Mixer with Sampling	These mixers are ideal for beginner and improving DJs. Giving you a few more features than you get with entry level DJ Mixers. The Numark DXM06 is a digital mixer with a built in effects unit, giving you added dimension to your mixes. The Vestax PMC-05 has a built in sampler and features more suited for scratch DJs.
Rane TTM 57SL Performance Mixer with Serato Scratch LIVE Software	Allen&Heath Xone:02 Battle Mixer	Another two incredible DJ Mixers. The Allen&Heath Xone:02 is very popular among scratch DJs. It has a simplistic design and robust build quality and all the features required by the most demanding DJs. And the Rane TTM57SL Mixer comes bundled with Serato Scratch LIVE software.
Rane TTM 56 Performance Mixer	Pioneer DJM-909 Professional DJ Mixer	These mixers are top of the range. More suited for battle DJs as they have less clutter around the crossfader allowing you to battle without worrying about accidentally hitting any controls. The Rane TTM56 has had rave reviews and gives you no bleed EVER! The Pioneer DJM-909 is an incredible piece of kit. It has a built in effects unit with touch screen technology, plus a whole lot of features that will keep you busy for a very long time!