Ableton Forum

Hi there
just wondering if anyone can recommend a simple but effective mixer to use with Ableton for djing use. I have no experience with this type of thing. Do most people obviously use one live? Bit hard to use the internal one.

cheers.

How many chanels?

Analogue or MIDI? MIDI allows you to record your mixing 'envelopes' so you can edit it later, good for creating a 'mixtape' or demo. If you just want to DJ live or record your set you can use any old analogue mixer. I prefer MIDI as it gives you more production options. They usually are cheaper too.

How many channels do need?

Do you have an audio interface?

What's your budget?

More DJing or production?

Hi Drummerz.

Ableton DJs are more likely to utilize a MIDI control surface. They map the MIDI faders and knobs to use it as a DJ mixer of sorts - rather than adapt a traditional analog DJ mixer (like you would use with turntables) to the ins and outs of their computer. This is not to say that Ableton DJs don't use analog DJ mixers, some certainly do, it's just a lot more common to use a MIDI controller. You're capable of a lot more stuff using MIDI controllers with Live. Using both a MIDI controller and an analog DJ mixer is done as well. There are even hybrid DJ mixers that do both.

Here's an article about MIDI controllers that are used for DJing:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control ... the_dj.jsp

If you want MIDI...

After a lot of research, I believe the Allen & Heath Xone 2D ($US700) is the best for DJing at the moment (I imagine you don't want to drop 3K on a Xone 3d).

The Vestax VCM-600 looks primo, but it won't be available for a while yet.

At the end of the day it comes down to your own personal technique. Lately I have been running Ableton through an analogue mixer with good results. Though it has it's drawbacks. 1. No buttons to launch clips, 2. The mixing is not recorded as envelopes in Ableton.

The Xone 2D is a good option, as it has a built in 8 channel soundcard with monitoring section. It is also one of the better layed out devices for DJing.

I would use each channel strip as such:
Illuminated button: Cue
The other three buttons: Track Launch, Clip Stop, Track Mute
Fader: Track Volume
The two pots: EQ Low, EQ Mid
Rotary Encoder: Auto Filter (X Axis)

I would use either the jog wheel or the stand-alone rotary encoder for 'scene select'.

And guess what I would use the cross fader for? yep, cross fading.

I think you could do a reaaly tight set with this set up.

http://www.xone.co.uk/2d/

brom wrote: The Vestax VCM-600 looks primo, but it won't be available for a while yet.

Yeah, what's the hold up?

Hurry up Vestax!! Or, in Japanese: 急いでください Vestax!!

http://www.vestax.com/v/info/newsevent/detail.php?id=49