DJ mixer

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A Numark DM2002X Pro Master DJ mixer. This three channel mixer can have up to three input sound sources. The gain control knobs and equalization control knobs allow the volume and tone of each sound source to be adjusted. The vertical faders allow for further adjustment of the volume of each sound source. The horizontally-mounted crossfader enables the DJ to smoothly transition from a song on one sound source to a song from a different sound source. DJ Mixer.JPG
A Numark DM2002X Pro Master DJ mixer. This three channel mixer can have up to three input sound sources. The gain control knobs and equalization control knobs allow the volume and tone of each sound source to be adjusted. The vertical faders allow for further adjustment of the volume of each sound source. The horizontally-mounted crossfader enables the DJ to smoothly transition from a song on one sound source to a song from a different sound source.
DJ Qbert in Rainbow Warehouse in Birmingham (Video with close-up photography at the DJ mixer, though without sound). From 1:36, heavy use of the crossfader can be seen.
An iRig Mix DJ mixer IRig mix DJ mixer.jpg
An iRig Mix DJ mixer

A DJ mixer is a type of audio mixing console used by disc jockeys (DJs) to control and manipulate multiple audio signals. [1] Some DJs use the mixer to make seamless transitions from one song to another when they are playing records at a dance club. Hip hop DJs and turntablists use the DJ mixer to play record players like a musical instrument and create new sounds. DJs in the disco, house music, electronic dance music and other dance-oriented genres use the mixer to make smooth transitions between different sound recordings as they are playing. The sources are typically record turntables, compact cassettes, CDJs, or DJ software on a laptop. DJ mixers allow the DJ to use headphones to preview the next song before playing it to the audience. [2] Most low- to mid-priced DJ mixers can only accommodate two turntables or CD players, but some mixers (such as the ones used in larger nightclubs) can accommodate up to six turntables or CD players. DJs and turntablists in hip hop music and nu metal use DJ mixers to create beats, loops and so-called scratching sound effects. [3]

Contents

Description

DJ mixers are usually much smaller than other mixing consoles used in sound reinforcement systems and sound recording. Whereas a typical nightclub mixer will have 24 inputs and a professional recording studio's huge mixer may have 48, 72 or even 96 inputs, a typical DJ mixer may have only two to four inputs. The key feature that differentiates a DJ mixer from other types of larger audio mixers is the ability to redirect (cue) the sounds of a non-playing source to headphones, so the DJ can find the desired part of a song or track.

A crossfader has the same engineering design as fader, in that it is a sliding control, but unlike faders, which are usually vertical, crossfaders are usually horizontal. To understand the function of a crossfader, one can think of the crossfader in three key positions. For a DJ mixer that has two sound sources connected, such as two record turntables, when the crossfader is in the far left position, the mixer will output only turntable A's music. When the crossfader is in the far right position, the mixer will output only turntable B's music. When the crossfader is at its midpoint (which is always marked with a horizontal line), the mixer will output a blend of turntable A's music and turntable B's music. The other points along the crossfader's path produce different mixes of A and B.

DJ mixers typically have phono preamplifiers to hook up turntables. The signal that comes directly out of a vinyl turntable is too weak to be amplified through a PA system. Before a turntable can be usable in a mix, it needs to be preamplified. DJ mixers are also used to create DJ mixes, which are recorded and sold. DJ mixers usually have equalization controls for bass and treble of each channel. Some 2010-era DJ mixers have onboard electronic or digital effects units such as echo or reverb. Some DJ mixers also feature a built-in USB sound card to connect to a computer running DJ software without requiring a separate sound card. DJ mixers typically have a microphone input, so that a microphone can be plugged into the mixer, enabling the DJ to announce songs or act as a master of ceremonies (MC) for an event. Some DJ mixers have a kill switch, which completely cuts out a channel, or, on some models, completely cut out a frequency band (e.g., all the bass). [4] [5]

Outputs

The output from a DJ mixer is typically plugged into a sound reinforcement system or a PA system at a dance, rave, nightclub or similar venue or event. The sound reinforcement system consists of power amplifiers which amplify the signal to the level that can drive speaker enclosures, which since the 1980s typically include both full-range speakers and subwoofers for the deep bass sounds. If the DJ is performing a mix for a radio station or television station, the output from the DJ mixer is plugged into the main audio console being used for the broadcast. If the DJ is performing a mix that is being recorded by a recording studio, the output from the DJ mixer is plugged into the main audio console used for the recording, which is in turn plugged into the recording medium (audiotape, hard disk, etc.). In some cases, such as when a DJ is performing a set at a club for dancers that is also being simultaneously broadcast over the radio or television system or recorded for a music video or other show, the output from the DJ mixer is plugged into the sound reinforcement system and into the main audio console being used for the broadcast and/or recording. At club sets, some DJs may use a monitor speaker to hear the house's main mix. This monitor speaker can have its volume increased or decreased by the DJ as needed. [6]

Power

DJ mixers have an AC mains plug that is connected to the wall to supply electric power for the unit. Some DJ mixers can take batteries, which enables users to mix songs outside or away from electric power sources, with the output being plugged into a portable boom box or other battery-powered sound system.

A disc jockey performing at the 2009 Air Force Ball. With one hand he is manipulating a vinyl record on a turnable; the other hand is controlling the mix with a DJ mixer. DJ SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE.jpg
A disc jockey performing at the 2009 Air Force Ball. With one hand he is manipulating a vinyl record on a turnable; the other hand is controlling the mix with a DJ mixer.

History

DJ mixing played a key role in the development of the African-American style of hip hop music. In hip hop music and occasionally in other genres that are influenced by hip hop (e.g., nu metal), the turntable is used as a musical instrument by DJs, who use turntables along with a DJ mixer to create unique rhythmic sounds and other sound effects. Manipulation of a record as part of the music, rather than for normal playback or mixing, is called turntablism. The basis of turntablism, and its best known technique, is scratching , pioneered by Grand Wizzard Theodore. It was not until Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" in 1983 that the turntablism movement was recognized in popular music outside of a hip hop context. In the 2010s, many hip hop DJs use DJ CD players or digital record emulator devices to create scratching sounds; nevertheless, some DJs still scratch with vinyl records.

DJ mixing also played a key role in disco music in the 1970s. In disco clubs, DJs would use mixers to transition seamlessly from one song to another and create a mix of songs that would keep the dancers energized. One of the pioneers of DJ mixing equipment design was Rudy Bozak. Beatmatching and beatmixing with a DJ mixer were first used to encourage dancers not to leave the dancefloor between songs. By beatmatching song A and song B, a DJ can transition seamlessly between two songs, without creating a break in the music. Typically, when a DJ is using beatmatching, they will let song A play until it nears its end. As song A is playing, the DJ "cues up" song B in their headphones and adjusts the speed of record player B until the beats of song A and song B are synchronized ("synced up"). Then, once the two songs' beats are synchronized, they can slowly fade in song B while song A is nearing its ending. In the 2000s, DJ mixers have been used for harmonic mixing.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatmatching</span> DJing technique of manipulating an adjacent track to match the tempo of the current track

Beatmatching or pitch cue is a disc jockey technique of pitch shifting or time stretching an upcoming track to match its tempo to that of the currently playing track, and to adjust them such that the beats are synchronized—e.g. the kicks and snares in two house records hit at the same time when both records are played simultaneously. Beatmatching is a component of beatmixing which employs beatmatching combined with equalization, attention to phrasing and track selection in an attempt to make a single mix that flows together and has a good structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disc jockey</span> Person who plays recorded music for an audience

A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs, club DJs, mobile DJs, and turntablists. Originally, the "disc" in "disc jockey" referred to shellac and later vinyl records, but nowadays DJ is used as an all-encompassing term to also describe persons who mix music from other recording media such as cassettes, CDs or digital audio files on a CDJ, controller, or even a laptop. DJs may adopt the title "DJ" in front of their real names, adopted pseudonyms, or stage names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mixing console</span> Device used for audio mixing

A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals from electric or electronic instruments, or recorded sounds. Mixers may control analog or digital signals. The modified signals are summed to produce the combined output signals, which can then be broadcast, amplified through a sound reinforcement system or recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scratching</span> Turntablism technique

Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two records simultaneously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turntablism</span> Art of manipulating sound using turntables

Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA system and/or broadcasting equipment so that a wider audience can hear the turntablist's music. Turntablists typically manipulate records on a turntable by moving the record with their hand to cue the stylus to exact points on a record, and by touching or moving the platter or record to stop, slow down, speed up or, spin the record backwards, or moving the turntable platter back and forth, all while using a DJ mixer's crossfader control and the mixer's gain and equalization controls to adjust the sound and level of each turntable. Turntablists typically use two or more turntables and headphones to cue up desired start points on different records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Direct-drive turntable</span>

A direct-drive turntable is one of the three main phonograph designs currently being produced. The other styles are the belt-drive turntable and the idler-wheel type. Each name is based upon the type of coupling used between the platter of the turntable and the motor.

<i>Scratch</i> (2001 film) 2001 documentary film directed by Doug Pray

Scratch is a 2001 documentary film, directed and edited by Doug Pray. The film explores the world of the hip-hop DJ from the birth of hip-hop when pioneering DJs began extending breaks on records, to the invention of scratching and beat juggling, to the more recent explosion of turntablism. Throughout the documentary, many artists explain how they were introduced to hip-hop while providing stories of their personal experiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fade (audio engineering)</span> Gradual change in level of audio signal

In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theatre lighting in much the same way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestax</span>

Vestax Corporation was a Japanese musical instrument, turntable and audio equipment firm founded by Hidesato Shiino in 1977. The company started by designing and manufacturing electronic guitars. In the 1980s, Vestax produced multitrack recorders and later moved to making DJ mixers, professional turntables, CD players and signal processors. Debt troubles led to the company's bankruptcy at the end of 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip hop production</span> Creation of hip hop music in a recording studio

Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and "scratching" using record players and the creation of a rhythmic backing track, using a drum machine or sequencer, it is most commonly used to refer to recording the instrumental, non-lyrical and non-vocal aspects of hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinyl emulation</span> Ability to physically manipulate audio playback with turntables

Vinyl emulation allows a user to physically manipulate the playback of digital audio files on a computer using the turntables as an interface, thus preserving the hands-on control and feel of DJing with vinyl. This has the added advantage of using turntables to play back audio recordings not available in phonograph form. This method allows DJs to scratch, beatmatch, and perform other turntablism that would be impossible with a conventional keyboard-and-mouse computer interface or less tactile control devices.

Stanton Magnetics, doing business as Stanton, is a business unit of inMusic Brands that designs and markets turntables, cartridges, DJ mixers, DJ media players, and DJ controllers.

A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. DJ mixes are usually performed using a DJ mixer and multiple sounds sources, such as turntables, CD players, digital audio players or computer sound cards, sometimes with the addition of samplers and effects units, although it is possible to create one using sound editing software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CDJ</span> Line of CD players from Pioneer

A CDJ is a specialized digital music player for DJing. Originally designed to play music from compact discs, many CDJs can play digital music files stored on USB flash drives or SD cards. In typical use, at least two CDJs are plugged into a DJ mixer. CDJs have jog wheels and pitch faders that allow manipulation of the digital music similar to a vinyl record on a DJ turntable. Many have additional features such as loops and beat analysis that are not present on turntables. Additionally, some can function as DJ controllers to control the playback of digital files in DJ software running on a laptop instead of playing the files on the CDJ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel</span> 1981 single by Grandmaster Flash

"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" is a single released by American disc jockey Grandmaster Flash in 1981. It is a live DJ mix recording of Flash scratching and mixing records from various groups using three turntables. The musician employed several DJ techniques in the recording, including crossfading, cutting, rubbing and backspins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ controller</span> Type of music controller

DJ controllers are devices used to help DJs mix music with DJ software using knobs, encoders, jog wheels, faders, backlit buttons, touch strips, and other components.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mixtape</span> Compilation of music

A mixtape is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette tape, CD, or digital playlist. The songs are either ordered sequentially or made into a continuous programme by beatmatching the songs and creating seamless transitions at their beginnings and endings with fades or abrupt edits. Essayist Geoffrey O'Brien described this definition of the mixtape as "perhaps the most widely practiced American art form".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Controllerism</span> Art of using musical software controllers

Controllerism is the art and practice of using musical software controllers, e.g. MIDI, Open Sound Control (OSC), joystick, etc., to build upon, mix, scratch, remix, effect, modify, or otherwise create music, usually by a Digital DJ or Live PA performer, often called a controllerist. Controllerism is also a nod to traditional musicianship and instrumental-ism paired with modern computer sequencing software such as Ableton Live and Native Instruments Traktor. However a working knowledge of scales and chords is not necessarily required as the performers typically focus their efforts more on sequencing events, software effect and instrument manipulations using buttons, knobs, faders, keys, foot switches and pedals than on instrumental notes played in real time. With recent developments in music technology, particularly in software instruments, a USB MIDI controller enables musicians almost unlimited possibilities to control a wide variety of sound types.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional audio store</span> Retail business

A professional audio store is a retail business that sells, and in many cases rents, sound reinforcement system equipment and PA system components used in music concerts, live shows, dance parties and speaking events. This equipment typically includes microphones, power amplifiers, electronic effects units, speaker enclosures, monitor speakers, subwoofers and audio consoles (mixers). Some professional audio stores also sell sound recording equipment, DJ equipment, lighting equipment used in nightclubs and concerts and video equipment used in events, such as video projectors and screens. Some professional audio stores rent "backline" equipment used in rock and pop shows, such as stage pianos and bass amplifiers. While professional audio stores typically focus on selling new merchandise, some stores also sell used equipment, which is often the equipment that the company has previously rented out for shows and events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of DJing</span>

DJing is the act of playing existing recorded music for a live audience.

References

  1. Llc, Books (2010). Dj Equipment: Mixing Console, Technics Sl-1200, Final Scratch, Scratch Live, Cdj-1000, Dj Mixer, Cdj-500, Vinyl Emulation Software. General Books LLC. ISBN   9781155344669.
  2. "It's House Music (DJ equipment, DJ mixer, DJ controller..)". It's House Music. Archived from the original on 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  3. Zemon, Stacy (2013-07-24). The Mobile DJ Handbook: How to Start & Run a Profitable Mobile Disc Jockey Service. Taylor & Francis. p. 164. ISBN   9781136117343.
  4. Broughton, Frank; Brewster, Bill (2002). How to DJ (properly): The Art and Science of Playing Records. Bantam. ISBN   9780593049662.
  5. David Cross. 2003, Cornell University. A History of the Development of DJ Mixer Features; an S&TS Perspective (PDF)
  6. V.K., Shrodin (2018-09-21). "Ultimate DJ Mixers on the Planet". MusicGear. Retrieved 2018-09-25.