DJ mixers & mixer consoles

DJ mixer - the best equipment for your party

A console belongs to the DJ like the beat belongs to the song. Without it, there is no party. And not only the song selection allows diversity, also the mixers are built differently and have different technical equipment. At LTT you can expect DJ consoles for beginners, advanced and professionals. We give you an overview of the different possibilities, so you can make the best choice for your sound. So every celebration will be beat strong. And if you have any questions, contact us and we will advise you!

This belongs to a DJ mixer

A mixer includes the technical equipment you need as a DJ. Classic models are also called club mixers. This is where all the signals from the feed players flow together. The DJ console is the control center for volume ratios and crossfades of channels and effects. Connected are, for example, laptop, turntable and audio interface. What your personal DJ setup looks like depends on your requirements, but what DJ equipment do you need for a console?

• DJ controller
• PA system
• DJ headphones
• Cable
• Light
• Laptop (optional)
• DJ software (optional)

Mixers for your use

Before you decide on a particular DJ console, consider what exactly you need. Because the mixers differ in terms of size, structure, connection options and functions.

DJ consoles are compact and have a crossfader and sometimes internal effects. However, the sound control is reduced to a 3-band equalizer for bass, mids and treble. So if you want to mix music live from several feeds and manipulate it with effects, the DJ desk is best suited. Depending on the model, this can be built into a table or placed on the table as a case or table-top variant. If several microphones or instruments are to be fed into a loudspeaker system, a stage or studio console with many equalizer controls performs better.

DJ mixer by number of channels

When you buy a DJ console online, the first important question controls the channels. For example, with a 3-channel mixer you can process and mix up to three stereo signals simultaneously. The line fader and a slider for the volume are used for control (per channel). In addition, there are pots for the equalizer and a potentiometer for the gain. In most cases, even a 3-channel mixer allows you to connect more than 3 devices. You can switch between two connections via a selector switch. However, only the selected input is always audible. Club mixers are usually equipped with four line channels, a microphone channel and a crossfader. In more extensive models, VCA faders are built in, which reduce the susceptibility to interference. Furthermore, there is the possibility of fader start.

Connections

While players are always connected to the mixing console via RCA, the less interference-prone XLR connections are also used for the speaker connections in addition to RCA cables. If there is a slot for a microphone, this succeeds via jack connection or XLR. For DJs who occasionally make an announcement while the music is playing, a console with talkover function is a good choice. For a DJ mixer, the pre-listening section (CUE function) is central, because here you can test the mix via the headphones without the audience noticing anything. For larger setups, it also helps to have a booth connection for a monitor that provides sound for you as a DJ, so that you can hear not only the bass, but also the mids and highs.

Effects and other functions

A comprehensively equipped mixing console has an internal effects section. Here you assign the effects to a channel, a side of the crossfader or the master signal and can also control them in intensity and length (depending on the model). MIDI functionality is relevant if you not only want to influence analog music signals, but also connect your mixer to a laptop and DJ software. Equally interesting then becomes an internal interface, a sound card. The audio signals of the software can be output directly, without the detour via an external interface.

Setup with or without laptop

If you create a setup with a laptop, you get a modular system where the components can be easily exchanged. If you switch to a different DJ controller, for example, your music collection will remain intact and you won't have to learn any new moves. If you don't want to rely on a laptop, that's not a problem either. There are various solutions available that prove to be portable and robust. For example, your music collection can be on vinyl, CDs, USB sticks, USB hard drives or an internal memory. Depending on the data carrier, you will then need the appropriate player and connection.