[Dynagroove] Re: mixers

[Will Yardley]

Brian Cabalic wrote:
>Phil Cohn wrote:
[ I responded off list originally, but I'll get in my two cents ]

> > i've got the vestex pmc46 mkII and the pioneer 500....both are great
> > mixers.  I haven't heard much on the 3000, but if your looking for
> > rotary knobs i suggest the vestax pmc46mkII.  it's not cheap

If you're going to spend that much, I'd suggest the Rane 2016 instead. I
had a Vestax knobby (pmc26), and had all kinds of problems with it...
the feel of the knobs isn't that great either (the 46 is better in that
regard, from what I hear)... I've heard that the new Vestax sounds and
feels great - but at the price they're asking, I'd rather get a Urei.

> the Pioneer DJM series is nice if you want the effects and stuff...
> they're really "dj friendly" mixers.  i prefer the spacing and layout
> of the djm 500/600.  the djm3000 seems cramped, especially when you go
> to hit the monitor buttons. However, i'm sure i just need some time to
> adjust to it...

I'm not a fan of the Pioneers; I think they have a plastic feel, and the
sound quality isn't that great. I really dislike the sound of the
effects... and I have heard very few DJs who use them tastefully.

I think that any Rane will give you pretty good bang for the buck.
They're not the cheapest mixers, but their whole line has pretty decent
sound quality overall. I don't care for the feel of some of the older
19" ones (mp24, mp22, mojo), but they still sound better than other
mixers in their class.

> then of course there's the UREI 1620... =) the knob mixer that started
> it all...

Yup. While the Rane 2016 is a pretty decent clone, the sound of the Urei
is still better, and they are built like tanks. I've played on Ureis
that have been in the same club since the 70s (seeing pretty heavy use),
and they still feel and sound great.

<pedantic>
The Urei isn't really "the knob mixer that started it all" -
that honor probably goes to the Bozak mixers. The 1620 is based on the
Bozak (Urei bought the design). Some people actually prefer the sound of
the Bozaks, and they can be found for cheaper than a Urei.

Photos / info at:
http://space.tin.it/musica/fcoletti/bozak_dj_mixer.htm
</pedantic>

-- 
Will Yardley
input: william < @ hq . newdream . net . >