Ahh yes. One of the greatest arguments in the life of a DJ.

Everyone has their favourite mixer for different reasons. I happen to have favourite mixers that I can’t afford. I’ve used quite a few mixers in my time which have been deemed as the best but I never saw them that way in my eyes. Thats just me though, as I said before, everyone has their favourite for different reasons. To date these are my 3 favourite mixers:

1. Vestax PMC-08 Pro

This mixer which comes in as my number 1 mixer is probably the most slept on out of all the good mixers on the market. The Vestax PMC-08 Pro is straight heat. Compared with other mixers such as the Rane TTM-56, it is solid and doesn’t have the flimsy plastic feel to it. Also in 1 turntable situations I have found this to be a mixer which stays in its place. I’ve used the Rane TTM-56 and had it move all over the place while having a jam because it weighs significantly less. The curve’s on all of the faders are completely adjustable to how you want it. The crossfader works with a 1mm cut in which is crazy, but your shit sounds really sharp. DJ Impact has this mixer and can vouch for me on this one- I reckon if you haven’t had a jam on this mixer, you should. You might change your mind on what you want to purchase if you’re looking around.

2. Rane TTM-56

This is my 2nd favourite mixer to use which has a couple of things that make this mixer come in second spot. The first thing is the weight. I find them too light and they seem to move around in the one turntable situation. The next one is the plastic feel. I think they are easily breakable and makes you think you need to be a bit careful with use incase you damage it. I know you probably won’t do shit to it, but when I’m using it that seems to stick to my mind. The curves on the faders are all good and the cross fader is completely adjustable using the “contour” knobs at the front. The upfaders aren’t as easily adjustable. They have 3 presets which are defined already by some sliding switches. However once you have a good play around with the settings you seem to have it locked. The cross fader knobs are hard to get used too if you’ve just come from a Vestax mixer, however you can buy the block style fader knobs for these to help you get into using the mixer. The sound output which comes into this mixer is crazy. You can turn up every level and get next to 0% distortion. Everything seems to come out crisp and clear. I think this mixer is a bit over rated however. The quality is extordinary and I’m sure Rane always will be- It’s just the Vestax comes across as a much nicer mixer.

3. Stanton SA-12

This is the mixer I currently have. There are a few let downs with this mixer when you buy it brand new. I got this mixer for $300.00 on Trademe, so I can’t complain too much. The worst feature of this mixer is the Penny & Giles Faders. All the faders are the same in these mixers which is cool, but the stems for the fader knobs are complete crap. They are brittle and can easily be broken. I have gone through every fader stem broken. Lucky I was able to source some new ones here in NZ and replaced the Upfader. After doing some reading I learnt that this mixer can take the Vestax PCV Cross Fader (the ones used in the PMC-05 MK II, PMC-06 Pro & PMC-07). I worked out with my man Kahrez that you need to modify the plate which mounts the fader on to the mixer to have screw holes which fit in. He modified it for me (he’s a mixer geek) and solved my problem. I now rock this mixer with the Vestax PCV Fader inside and it is the shit. I compare this mixer to the Vestax 07 Pro and rate it better. I find it more sleek and best of all this mixer has a cool effects unit which can be taken out. I have a feeling there are other effects units for this mixer, but i’ve never seen them. From factory you get a pitch shift, Flanger and Fade Delay features. They are really cool and all have their advantages. I like to use the Fade Delay when mixing- it makes it interesting and fun a lot of the time. Another cool thing is the Vestax Fader knobs can fit on the Penny & Giles faders so you don’t have to use the annoying Fat Stanton knobs which come with it. I’ve found it to be an awesome mixer and even though it’s discontinued- I recommend it.

Now with my little reviews done of my 3 favourite Mixers. I want to know which ones you guys use and why? It’s interesting knowing what equipment other DJ’s use to influence their style as a DJ. Everyone has a reason for why they use a particular mixer and it usually all to do with features. So.. What do you guys reckon?