Introduction:
As a DJ, purchasing a mixer is quite a responsible task. Everything matters: the number of channels, the frequency distribution, the feel of the faders and so forth. All of the above-mentioned factors have to be perfectly suitable for the type of music you play and the type of sound you’re looking forward to. And of course, the with great diversity in functional specs, comes great variety in price, of course. We’re going to look into a few options that are “dirt-cheap” to high-end mixers, all depending on your budget and the spectrum of genres you operate within.QUICK RUNDOWN
If you are in a hurry these are our TOP 3 Picks:
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Product
Features
1. Pioneer DJ DJM-900NXS2
- Professional club standard 4-channel DJ Mixer
- High quality audio 64-bit mixing processor
2. Allen & Heath Xone:PX5 4+1
- DIN Offset Control
- LN/PH Switch for DVS
3. Allen & Heath XONE:23 (BUDGET)
- 2+2 channels with dual phono/line inputs
- 3-band true total kill EQ
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Table of Contents
Before you start off, you have a few decisions to make:
• Define your budget • Determine the seriousness you’re about to approach this hobby/profession • Are you going to shift genres anytime soon?
Don’t hesitate to purchase a rather inexpensive mixer at the very beginning of your journey. DJ-ing, at the very end of the day, is a very meditative process.You also have to keep in mind that there’s quite a few pieces of the puzzle that you will need to adquire like controllers & speakers if you want to be ready for any gig.
All that glitz is only a part of what you do, but once you observe more experienced and even pro DJ’s at work, you’ll instantly notice that the gear they use is an instrument to a sort of musical meditation.
Just as you’re looking forward to eliminate distractors while being mindful, the right mixer will only serve as an asset to that particular endeavor.
So it would only be the right decision to get your skills going first, get a grip on the technical aspects of the craft, and only then you shall be in the right position to decide.
Otherwise, you might run into an incorrect financial decision and spend a grand on irrelevant hardware.
BEST DJ MIXER
Best DJ Mixer for Any Budget
1. Pioneer DJ DJM-900NXS2 Professional Mixer
This pro mixer of course in the top-level niche. Pioneer has long been known as the most prolific players on the market. The DJM-900NXS2 offers great connectivity, carefully crafted effects.
As all Pioneer products, this particular mixer delivers amazing sound quality, using a 64-bit audio processor, a 96kHz soundcard, and Pioneer’s staple crossfader.
Just as most of the Pioneer mixers, this one has a highly intuitive layout and design. As soon as you start interacting with it, you need no more than 5 minutes to get the perfect grip on it and enjoy working with this piece.
The DJM-900NXS2, however, has a few delightful features, namely enhanced connectivity and warmer sound output.
All of that technical and tactile perfection is packed into a solid, all-metal casing, ready to hit the road.
- Price to Value 90%
- Casing 94%
- Sound 96%
THINGS WE LIKED
- High-End Effects
- I/O Capabilities
- Incredible Audio Quality
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
- Pricey
Best DJ Mixer under $1500
Allen & Heath’s latest product in the mixer range, the PX5 is a four-channel mixer that can easily be placed in the upper end both regarding price and quality.
Allen & Heath mixers are probably the irrefutable standard in the industry, especially when speaking of electronic music, they can be found in the DJ booths of the world’s best clubs.
Anytime you have the chance to take a look at the video sessions of the Techno honchos you’ll spot an A&H there.
It will be either one of their or Pioneer’s mixers that you’ll spot immediately. And there’s nothing odd about odd about that, they are very long-lasting pieces of hardware, they deliver great sound quality, and come with an impeccable heritage — and the PX5, with no doubt, is part of that legacy.
To sum everything up, the new XONE: PX5 is a good mixer with an excellent price to value ratio. It has all of the reliable features that its producer stands for: voluminous and deep analog sound, high-end FX, a very delicate curvature to the EQ section, a carefully crafted crossfader profile, and a very solid casing.
They’ve made a move towards a rather conventional look and style, which has left some of their appreciators boggled. It is as if it no longer has a secret to it, the design is very simple and straightforward.
However, that does not in any way imply that the sound qualities have decreased in any way.
- Price to Value 90%
- Casing 90%
- Sound 98%
THINGS WE LIKED
- Very warm, analog signal
- Best LP/HP filters on the market
- Incredible Audio Quality
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
- Toy-ish design
- Expensive
Best DJ Mixer under $700
Denon mixers are obviously and heavily influenced by the more famous, and expensive, DJM series of Pioneer. However the DN-X1600 has made a slight leap from this rather conventional layout.
Denon’s DJ equipment seems the affordable clone of Pioneer’s more pricey flagship hardware, and that’s pretty reasonable. Denon would be a relevant option to look into in case you’re not seeking to invest a significant amount of money into DJ equipment, to begin with.
One thing that most of the customers who have purchased the mixer are very fond of is the quality and durability of the casing. It features a full-steel case that makes it a good candidate if you’re planning on playing gigs with your own setup.
It’s not too heavy, so the X110 isn’t going to be really hard to carry around.
To begin with, the knobs deliver excellent control and do not break quickly even at permanent usage. The faders transition smoothly, and the crossfader has a somewhat elegant curve profile.
In use, the DN-X1600 is amazingly instinctive, due to its simple and clear layout and it’s pretty much classic layout that is fairly similar to most other 4-channel mixers. The sound profile is crisp and clear. The EQ profiles are warm, and the curvature is pleasant as well.
The FX section comprises 14 effects which are often useful. A rather annoying aspect that the X1600 has on board is the built-in FX clock.
That being said, the effects will be applied with BPM in mind, which is, with no doubt, very helpful, when applying delays to your mix, but not necessarily a helpful spec when speaking of other, more pleasantly chaotic FX.
- Price to Value 90%
- Casing 90%
- Sound 98%
THINGS WE LIKED
- Good to great sound profile
- Steady and solid knobs and faders
- Solid casing
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
- Not very advanced technically
Best DJ Mixer under $600
4. Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol Z2 DJ Mixer
The Z2 is a relatively versatile piece of equipment because its applications are numerous and multifaceted. To begin with, it can operate as an analog mixer, just like all of the above. The sound profile is fine, and it doesn’t lack any particular detail in frequency ranges.
Secondly, the Z2 can be used as an audio interface; you can basically rewire it, and use it as a sound card by connecting it to your computer, due to its USB connectivity.
Although the Z2 is classified as a two-channel mixer, you will find two additional decks (C and D) with a volume knob for each, however, no other controls. That makes it handy to use with remix decks
So basically, in a general perspective, it’s an up-to-date, modern DJ mixer, which works perfectly with Traktor.
- Price to Value 90%
- Casing 89%
- Sound 94%
THINGS WE LIKED
- High connectivity
- Versatile in usage
- Solid casing
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
- Some users have reported that buttons are prone to damage
Best DJ Mixer under $300
We need to start with the obvious things: Allen and Health is not the most budget- friendly line of products, however, the XONE:23 is a remarkably accessible mixer in terms of price, and at the same time it has all of the amazing features that all of the A&H products share, like impeccable sound and top notch effects.
I’m in love with this company and the entire set of products that they’ve put out throughout the years. A&H dominate the mixer market, and this is probably one of their most inexpensive Xone mixers.
It is a great option for beginners, one of their exceptional features is their low and high pass filters — it’s a good option to consider if you’re looking forward to making crystal-clear transitions, especially in 4/4 genres like Techno, House, and their adjacent styles.
- Price to Value 92%
- Casing 92%
- Sound 96%
THINGS WE LIKED
- Delicate crossfader curve switch
- External FX loop (soft-switched)
- Low and high pass filters, frequency and resonance controls (called VCF system)
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
- Relatively pricey for its category
Best DJ Mixer under $200
The Numark M6 is a fairly nice mixer for combined setups. If you’re new to the field, you can have faith in anything that says Numark on it, they’ve been on the market for quite a while and are a strong and long-lasting player.
This mixer and the entire spectrum of their products are a great option when it comes to budget-friendly gear. It’s got four input channels; however, this particular model comes in two- and three-
channel versions as well. It’s got LED metering, which will be helpful in case you’re playing in dark places and clubs. Its USB connectivity is compatible with Mac and PC. It’s programmed to integrate well with DJ software like Serato.
The gains and the rest of the knobs aren’t made cheaply and deliver a nice smooth movement. The build is solid and feels secure.
If you’re limited in budget, that’s pretty much a great option, as there are too many other options on the market that have a comparable price to quality ratio.Numark M6 USB |
- Price to Value 95%
- Casing 85%
- Sound 89%
THINGS WE LIKED
- USB connectivity (Mac and PC)
- XLR mic channel and an additional microphone input on the fourth channel
- Crossfader is replaceable (has slope control)
THINGS WE DIDN'T LIKE
- Not very versatile
BUYING GUIDE: THINGS TO CONSIDER:
You may ask: “Who cares?
It’s still just mixing frequencies and volume between channels, right?” Well, yes and no. Essentially, all of the mixers serve the same goal, it’s the one mentioned above, and it’s quite irritating that there are some mixers you can find at Walmart that cost $75.
Why on earth would you buy a mixer that is worth $1500?
It’s twenty(!) times more expensive, is it actually 20 times better? A fair question and the answer is “No.”
There is a point where the progression in an equal price/value ration becomes divergent. What does that mean?
It’s pretty much a ceiling, at which the product will no longer become twice as better if you doubled the price.
An excellent way to understand this crooked progression is to test headphones, for example. You could buy a pair of headphones that cost twenty bucks. Then try on a pair of headphones that go for a fifty. The difference is colossal.
However, if you tried on a pair that cost $150 you probably won’t be immediately convinced of the fairness of the price. The same principle applies to any gear.
If you’re a DJ that gets paid $500 for an hour, you can’t afford bad sound, and you want to ensure that the gear you use will serve to explore technical opportunities and your DJ sets will leave your audience in awe.
If that’s not the case, you shouldn’t probably get out of your way to buy a $2000 mixer at the very beginning of your path.
CONCLUSION
Mixers will vary depending on genres, of course, as well. If you’re into hip-hop, I wouldn’t buy an Allen & Heath mixer, if I were you. Hip Hop, for example, is a relatively ascetic genre regarding mixing.
Techno and House, on the other hand, due to advanced possibilities regarding beat matching, rely on very smooth and seamless transitions. This brings a lot of technical demand on the DJ, respectively.
You might not have found your favorite mixer here. And that’s totally fine. Take this chart as a friendly suggestion, not a statement of absolute truth.
Take care and play on.
