Doni Music

Mixers and Controllers

Mixers and Controllers

What do you need? Is it absolutely necessary to have a mixer to do your recording? Do you need a controller to make things happen? The answer lies in your experience level and the type of music you are going to be producing. Let’s take a closer look:

MIXERS:
Do you need one? Chances are that if you are just starting to make music with your computer, you will not need a mixer! A mixer is a piece of hardware that you can connect instruments into to mix sound. They usually have at least a 3 band equalizer and volume adjustors, but these are emulated with very well with software. Unless you are going to be recording an entire band, you will not need a full fledged mixer right out of the gate. If you are a DJ and you plan on recording
mixes or sampling old vinyl in your productions, then a DJ mixer might be something you need. If you are like me, you might have bought a DJ mixer and a couple of turntables before you even knew how to use
them. This is not something I would suggest, although it worked out in the end for me. If you are going to buy this stuff, make sure you are going to stick to it or make sure the place you buy it from has a good return policy.

DJ Mixers:
Ok, so you are a DJ. What kind of mixer should you get? Well, definitely you want a DJ mixer, not a regular or stage mixer. A DJ mixer is built for DJing (surprise) so there are features like cross faders and cut-out buttons built in. Here are a few good ones to check out:

Pioneer DJM400 2-Channel DJ Mixer:
This mixer is one of the best entry level mixers you can buy and it will take your skills to where they need to be to advance to a better mixer very quickly. There are big features on this little mixer, like a sampler and several different on board effects. It comes with a bigger price tag than most entry level mixers, but it will save you in the long run if you are a serious DJ. Think of it this way, you would have to upgrade to this mixer if you bought a cheap $100 mixer to start off with. The DJM400 has so much good stuff that it will make your next step feel much bigger. This mixer makes things possible for the advanced DJ. WIth four channels, onboard effects, 3 band EQs and a bunch of inputs and outputs this mixer is solid. After 3 years, mine is still in excellent shape and perfect working condition. This mixer will last and will take your skills up to a high level if you practice enough.

Allen and Heath Xone 3D Mixer/Controller:
This is the mother of all mixers! It’s got everything you could ever dream of on it. Not only a well equipped mixer, but a well equipped controller as well. This thing does it all, and it has great integration with many of the top DJ applications out there. If you can afford it, this mixer is a top notch investment! Check these mixers out at http://www.xone.co.uk

CONTROLLERS:
A controller a piece of equipment that is not entirely necessary, but it can make music production much, much easier. Basically, a controller is a piece of hardware that has controls on it, like buttons and knobs, that are linked into your computer, specifically your DAW/Sequencing program, so that you are able to control the features of your DAW more easily. A controller can really speed things up, but I think that a producer should only get a controller once they have reached a certain level of comfort with audio production. There are some really handy things that controllers can do, and I will take a look a few different controllers to demonstrate some of those things:

M-Audio Keystation 49e 49-Key MIDI Controller:
When you get tired of clicking out your synthesizer-lines, pick one of these up! There are enough keys to support a wide range of styles and there are a few knobs so you can mess with things in real time. These are very sturdy, I play mine with quite a bit of force and it still holds up strong. I don’t think it could take a big drop, but still, it is a very durable keyboard.

Frontier Designs Tranzport Wireless DAW Controller:
This wireless controller is extremely handy when you starting doing a lot of recording and your computer is just out of reach. It’s great for experimenting with different vocal effects because it stops you from having to pop up and down in your seat all the time. This is very handy once you start doing a bunch of recording.

Mackie Control Universal 8-Channel Master Controller:
This controller is for those of you who have had a lot of experience using their DAW and see how having more hands on control would help their productions. With this controller, you can assign parameters to be controlled by the many buttons and sliders found on board. This really speeds up production efforts, especially when you are mastering and equalizing your mixes.

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