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About Mixing Consoles

It is exciting to get your first set of brand-new DJ decks. After all, now you can learn to mix for real. One of the first things you will need in your deck is a good mixing console that will allow you to swift through different tracks swiftly and seamlessly.

Mixing consoles are often very expensive. Because of this, there is no room to make errors and then go and buy another one. Therefore, before buying a mixer, you should know the role of the mixer and what are the features you will need in them. Also, the price range of mixers varies from a few thousand dirhams and all the way up to a few hundred thousand dirhams that are exclusively designed for professional performers. Read this article to know more about mixers. Having a better understanding of them will help you make the right choices when you are making the purchase.

A brief guide to Mixing Consoles

Audio mixers are pretty common for producing clean audio during events and in studios. They help in mixing sounds from different mics, vary the volume of each input, and adjust their effects. But mixing consoles are not the same as audio mixers. In fact, mixing consoles can do everything that an audio mixer can do and beyond. They are much more specialised instruments than regular audio mixers. This article tells you everything you need to know about them. You will also find some really helpful tips that you can use while you are shopping for mixers.

Common features of mixing consoles

Most mixers can do at least two basic things. These include mixing audio from two or more separate sources and matching them for the beat and applying effects to each one of these channels separately and deploying the audio through audio channels. While this is the basic function of them, there are mixers that can do more than this. Some features that you won’t find in regular mixers include crossfaders, option to chop between tracks and beat-match them on the fly, and scratch mixing the tunes to make creative effects.

Beat-matching

Beat-matching means matching a beat that is separate from the live music without feeling out of sync or out of place. To do this, DJs should be able to preview both music and the beat without playing it through the speakers. And then they have to adjust the tempo of either the beat of the music so that both of them match. So, mixers let the DJs here a preview of both the tracks through their headphones. This eliminates the need for a separate monitor speaker. So, now you know why DJs have their headphones on most of the time.

Effects and filters

In fact, regular audio mixers can add effects to the audio. But the built-in features of audio mixers are basic and if you want better features, you will have to patch other hardware into the mixer. The advantage of mixing consoles is that they have all these features already built-in. Therefore, you won’t have to look for an extra piece of hardware in order to apply a specific kind of effect on the sound. Besides low, mid and high-frequency gain dials, they have a slew of other digital filters that you can apply to each channel separately.

Honing the skills

While you can read all the books and watch all the tutorials regarding mixers, using them during a live event is a whole different thing. In a real situation, you have to be fast and accurate. There won’t be a lot of time for you to experiment a lot before deploying an audio mix. So, you should be able to figure out the flaws and rectify it using your muscle memory. This is no joke and will take a lot of experience and practice. So, if you find it difficult to produce a compelling mix at first that simply means you just need to put in a bit more time and effort into it.

Tips on how to buy Mixing Consoles

Finding the right type mixing console might be harder than you might think. There are hundreds of different models from so many different brands across a variety of price ranges. So, how would you find the right one that fulfils your requirements and also fits your budget? Well, it would require you a fair bit of research to do that. But here are some tips that you can use as your starting point. You can learn more about these factors.

Scratch mixer vs regular mixer – Mainly, there are two different types of mixers: scratch mixers and regular mixing consoles. Scratch mixers, also called battle mixers, give more importance to the crossfader. You can cut out scratch audio fast and precise using scratch mixers. But regular types of mixers give more importance to effects and filters.
Consider how you will be using it – Mixers come in a lot of different sizes. There are really large mixers that are not meant to be carried around. Then there are modular mixers that have all the features of a large mixer but in a more portable way. If you will be travelling to different places with the mixer, it is better to go for a more portable option.
Mixing style – You need a mixer that combines all the right features that you need. If you desire a mixer that is more suitable for performing tricks live, then a scratch mixer is a great choice. But if you are recording the audio in a studio and need more precise and easier controls that you can tweak according to your liking, a regular mixer will be better.
Quality and price – When it comes to video and audio equipment, the quality improves as you go for the higher price range. There will be really affordable equipment and ridiculously expensive ones. But an expensive gear is only as good as the one who is using it. Therefore, if you are a beginner on a tight budget, it is better to go for the affordable ones first.

There are several other types of equipment apart from mixers. These include Disc lamps, DJ sets, DJ tables, turntables, effect machines, mixing panels, studio microphones, studio monitors, Truss elements, preamplifiers, and many more. You can use our shopping search engine to find them all easily. It will also let you compare the prices and features of different models and pick the best one among them. Finally, don’t forget to check out other amazing products from the Musical Instruments category.

Question & Answer

What are mixing consoles?

As it is apparent from the name, mixers mix audios. But mixing consoles are more capable than small mixers that simply combine audios from two different sources. Besides that, mixing consoles can also vary the volume levels of different channels and apply filters and effects separately. They also offer features that are specific for them like crossfaders, scratch mixers and beat-matching. Compared to other regular audio mixers, the equaliser on DJ equipment is more extensive and far more precise. Because there are so many packed into these mixers, using one for the first time can be an overwhelming experience.

Why are mixing consoles expensive?

A lot of complex engineering goes into making a mixer. Moreover, all these complex components have to last for several years. That means all of the components that go into a mixer should be tried and tested for flaws. Even then, the equipment itself should be resistant to small degrees of abuse. All of this takes a lot of research and precise manufacturing that costs money. Therefore, the reason why mixers are expensive because of the cost of materials and work that goes into building a mixer that is reliable and outputs good quality audio.

Do you need a mixer with a DJ controller?

All DJ controllers have a built-in mixer. You can also control this mixer by connecting a laptop with DJ software. But typically, a DJ controller is designed so that you don’t have to use another mixer with it. However, sometimes the mixer in your DJ controller might not have a specific feature that you need. In that case, you can add a separate mixer with it. But keep in mind that when you are connecting another mixer with a DJ controller, you will need a separate audio interface for this. Using this interface, you will also be able to connect your laptop to the controller.

If you are looking to buy mixing consoles online in the UAE, look no further as you are in the right place. There are more than 500 shops and brands offering them here on Shops.ae. These shops offer products from popular brands like Pioneer, Rane, Numark, Behringer, Native Instruments, Reloop, and Mixars.