options... most 2 chan mixers have 1 mic input, yes you can have lets say 4 cd players, but how many can you have live at one time?

Some people like to play more than two things at the same time.
e.g.
Someone like Jeff Mills has 3 turntables plugged in and his drum machine.
Loads of people play using 2 decks and a sampler

Ok, so the only real reason to use a 4 channel mixer is if your playing off 3 to 4 decks at once. How many people do that on the regular? I dont know any.

I use a two channel mixer, pioneer 707. I always play with 2 decks and a sampler. Most 2 channel mixers come with a session in for plugging in samplers or another deck. Sometimes I'll have two turntables, two cd players and my sampler. If I want to use the CD players or tables I just go from line to phono. That easy.

So really the need for 3 or 4 channel mixers is if you want to play three or four decks at once. Crazy, I guess Im behind just using two decks..

I use a 4 channel mixer in my mobile setup.. Channel 3 and 4 are hooked up to my Denon 6000 with Serato..Depending on the party, I bring my 1200s also (seperate mixer) and plug that into channel 1 so that i can just play off my 1200s and then I use channel 2 to hook up an Ipod (just as backup)...so there ya go...all 4 channels used! :)

How many people play 4 cd players at once by themselves? Ive never heard of such a thing. I'd like to see a video of this. Mixing 4 songs together at the same time live.. I gotta see this.

2 mixers to a gig?

Damn dude I'll save you some trouble. Get a decent 2 channel mixer with a session in, vestax, rane, pioneer, denon, etc. Your carrying an extra mixer for no reason. You could plug the CD players and tables normally and use the session in for the IPOD.

try going from 3 and fading from one song to another without a 4th deck. even to have 2 going its nice to have a 3rd and 4th song ready

I have no idea of what your talking about. Explain this new way of mixing.

ok... lets say you have a mash-up going on. a 3rd cd player lets you scratch a 3rd song... it also gives you a song to transition into, a 4th deck lets you do the same thing without having to load a new song on your #1 deck. after you have that 4th one going you can start over with deck 1 and do what ever you want to do

Alright this is getting a little unreal. How many people really play out like this? Your just stating the obvious of what you could possibly do with 4 channels. In reality everyone is mixing from one song to another. 2 Channels is enough for that.

nope... i'd need 3. 4 isnt necessary... but i do have it usually as an aux so i can download a song and play it straight from my computer through a 3 mm to RCA

So you have three channels so you can download a song while playing.. okaay? I clearly see why you need three channels.. smh.

Anyways I still dont see the need for 4 channels when all the higher end two channels mixers come with everything you need to play out with 4 decks.

Well I only bring this for really big parties...Big Sweet 16s..etc... The reason I do it is because I my other DJ like to spin on CDs and I prefer to spin on TTs...so we have dual serato units hooked up. He can play his stuff on his laptop and I can play mine on my own...We can play off each other if we want..Im bringing a Coffin with my TTs anyway..its actually not that bad setting up. here is a picture of the setup below.
Even before I did that I had a huge rack with a 4 channel mixer...2 Dual CD players hooked up to all 4 channels. Used the other cd player as backup mostly..but it did come in handy somtime to always have certain things ready to go.

photobucket.com

Umek
Cristian Varela => Watchwww.youtube.com
Ben Sims

There are loads of DJs that do this kind of thing

Your setup is nice and I can see why you personally would need two mixers with 2 DJ setups.

For the rest of us though, I still cant see the need though for 4 channel mixers.

Loads of djs? C'mon man get real. I cant watch the video now, but I'll check it out when I get home.

Since your original question was about the reasoning behing getting anything more than a 2-Channel mixer, the answer will depend on your DJ needs.

A 2-Channel mixer may be sufficient for you, if all you plan to do is mix from 2 seperate sources, at any given time.

But what happens when you want to add more, like a sampler for example? It wouldn't be practical to have a sampler share the line of one of your channels.

A 3 or 4 channel mixer isn't designed simply for mixing 4 turntables or 4 cd players at once... there are many other uses. I have a 3 channel mixer and I don't really ever use the 3rd channel in live situations anymore... but a sampler was what I was using it for.

In a nutshell it depends on what type of DJ you are.
Simple mixing - 2 channels will do.
More complex, performance/battle/live remix skill dj's - 3 and 4 channels is a must.

Example
Channel 1 - instrumental
Channel 2 - acappella
Channel 1& 2 are now a live remixed song.
Channel 3 - mix in a song, without any break to the remix
Channel 4 - Scratching

DJ's showing their true DJ creative skills, and not just making a remix on the computer and burning it to CD to play at a later date. There is an audience for this. Trust me.

Did you read what I wrote? I play with 2 tables and a SAMPLER. Do you know what an aux/session in is? All your high end 2 channel mixers have it. Its where you can connect a sampler or another deck into.

Again your stating the obvious of what you can do with 4 channels. Read the other posts above.

now that I own a TTM57... I'm beginning to think that my Xone 92 is going to be collecting a grip of dust.

I miss my third deck, it adds so much more to a mix.

I'm just blown away that anyone would need more with a 57.. 5 inputs, and an effects loop... I'm looking forward to the day midi is added and I can run Ableton in clocked perfectly on the Aux... I say DAMN!!!

in drum and bass some people do. raiden is the shit for this. dj friction puts on 3 deck sets... here's a good example for ya... there's like 15 tunes in this dnb mix... all in the 1st 8-10 minutes... it's insane. i don't like the tunes, but knowing the tunes helps you decipher when one's comin in or out, but it's cool nonetheless. here ya go. this is a temper D mix from july 2005 as explained just now.

content.dogsonacid.com

yo shiestO! - link is bad.

word thx. hold on.

www.dogsonacid.com



it'll be huge writing CLICK TO DOWNLOAD etc...

the t/l on that mix doesn't do it justice dude "teases" or layers tunes that aren't included in the tracklist. anyhoo.

www.flickr.com

is that you DBB?

Louie Vega...nevermind..

did u peep it kagen or no

I downloaded it... and about to listen

dis shit is badazz....

word! haha. dude is QUICK with the mixing.

from that page..

this site is damn funny.


www.engrish.com

say you have channel 1 line: cd deck, phono: technic 1200 and channel 2 line: cd deck, phono technic 1200. you're limited to using EITHER the cd deck OR the 1200. meaning... you can't use the left deck at the same time as the left cd deck.

i dont even have cd players and all 6 channels on my mixer are in use by effect toys and whatever.. it‘s always nice if u can route sources u are using in a mix through the eqs of the mixer.

for example when u buy a redsound soundbite u can use 2 line sources, one for the looping function and one for ur soundcard when u sync ableton with it.

then maybe u want to add a mpc to ur set one day..

I have no idea of what your talking about. Why would I want to use the left TT deck at the same time Im using the left cd deck? That doesnt make any sense.

makes sense to me

^Enough of this nonsense. Somebody please explain this to me in a real world situation.

i dont think there is one that you will be in

i did. u didn't get it.

Yo SELECT, are you normally this close-minded?

Personally I dont think 4 channels are enough. Give me 6 or even 8 and I will be a happy camper.

it would give you full flexibility. here you go. real life situation:

your spinning a CD on your right channel and mixing a piece of vinyl with that on your left channel. the next song you want to play is on ANOTHER CD that is not in your right CD deck. in order to cue that CD up while the vinyl on the left is still playing, you'd need another channel. you wouldn't be able to do it, right? so you're like... fuck i guess i'll mix some other track instead and go to that one next.

balls to that idea my friend... balls. full flexibility is the key.

this coming from a shitty 2 channel numark owner but still do you get the idea?

i meant while in the mix if bth were playing you couldn't cue the 3rd. whatever.

i knew what you meant...

I get it.

First I put one record on so I can hear one record playing, then I put a second record on so I hear two records playing, then I put a third record on now I can hear three records playing. It's not that hard to understand and I need three mixer channels to do it.

Yeah, I did read what you wrote.

But your last point is actually interesting.
So, what you're saying is that your 'high end' pioneer 2 channel mixer is actually a 2.5 channel mixer... IMO. I don't really classify the 'session in' as a legitimate channel, but technically it is. Therefore you really have a weak-ass 3 channel mixer and don't even know it. And since mixing with 2 players and a sampler is all you want to do, than anyone explaining to you what the possibilities are of having a 4-channel mixer is useless.
Question... can you mix 4 channels simultaneously on your 2 channel mixer?? No.
And since you currently don't see a possiblity of needing more than 3 channels than this thread that you created is useless for you.



Although most 2 channel mixers give you the ability to connect up-to four players... they don't give you the ability to actually use all 4 at once. Hence why you are forced to "switch over". If you want the luxury of not having to switch over than you'll need a different mixer.

TECHNICALLY: a quality 4 channel actually let you connect 8-10 sources + mic(s)? mixing up to 5/6 channels at the same time.

Yeah I have a Denon 4 channel. It has 8 inputs(4 at once), 2 mics, and you can trick the effects loop into an extra active input but what I really need is the A&H xone:3d(its'a very nice). This would do pretty much everything I need a mixer to do.

but you only have control of TWO channels!!!!!
thats when a 3rd or 4th channel comes in handy.
i just got a ttm56 after i got rid of my cdj800 ,had 2 1200's and the cdj running in to a 3 channel vestax pmc37-pro

dont knock it till you've tryed it,mixing with more than 2 channels is hard,it takes a DJ with a lot of skill to master.

what is beatmatching?

Yeah I hear what your saying, but I'm assuming your using Serato right? You shouldnt run into this problem. Its cool though, do you. For the most part im playing devils advocate. I know most of us have run into those dudes who frown when you show up with a battle mixer and cant do half of what you can do. For the record I mixed for years with 4 channels. Almost all club setups still have 2 cd players, 2 turntables and a 19 inch mixer.

-Peace

Well for those of us still using Turntables (not CD Decks) with a 2 Channel mixer ALL our sources are gone.

Serato Time code Vinyl uses the Line inputs...
Real Vinyl uses the Phono>Thru Inputs...

What if I want to play a CD? Sure I could import it into Serato but what if I don't want to clutter my Library. Third source. Also suppose something happens to my Laptop or Serato. When that goes down EVERYTHING goes down (with no power adapter).

Realistically you should have AT LEAST 3 channels and a Mic.