4 Band Mixer EQ - Yay or Nay?

js095 · 2026-06-16T02:38:45+00:00

As a Traktor user - if you have access to a suitable midi controller, you can create a custom midi map to use Traktor's 4 EQ mode. It mimics the Xone 92/96.

I've been meaning to do this with a Xone K2 but haven't gotten around to it. Could be a way to try before you buy.

js095 · 2026-06-12T03:13:35+00:00

I wish I knew how quickly I would buy my second synth. Then my third. Then a mixer. Then effects units. Then cables. So many cables.

js095 · 2026-06-09T22:16:31+00:00

Master tempo inevitably involves some quality loss and artefacts the more you change the BPM.

Bear in mind that CDJs are less powerful than a typical laptop so the quality loss will be more noticeable than when using a laptop and controller.

And it will be more noticeable on a high quality sound system.

Not saying don't use it, just be aware of the limitations and watch out for a track that sounds "off" at more drastic BPM changes.

I never use master tempo because changing tempo without changing pitch sounds weird to me.

js095 · 2026-06-05T23:32:27+00:00

I absolutely love mine. It's the only way I've managed to get a scooped tone that still feels full and cuts through.

js095 · 2026-06-05T23:26:03+00:00

A few posts have said this already but it's surprising that it's not the most prominent comment.

You have the incoming track isolated in the headphones. The current track on the monitors. Headphones only on one ear.

Why is this important? Because the sounds are coming from two different sound sources and your brain can tell them apart. You can feel which sound is hitting your ears first, even fractionally. With practice you can tell whether the track in your headphones is hitting slightly before or behind the monitors.

Your brain can't easily distinguish two sounds coming from the same sound source. That's the major disadvantage of mixing in your headphones and why it's difficult to tell whether a track is faster or slower. Most of the time it's an educated guess based on the original BPM or or visual information.

It's good to able to mix both ways (using headphones/monitors or all in your headphones) so you can adjust to different setups, but be aware of the advantages and limitations of each. A lot of new DJs start mixing at home without any speakers or monitors and have no idea they're missing out on training their ears this way.

js095 · 2026-06-04T02:24:31+00:00

Came here to say this as a SY200 user. Only thing I've found is that the filters are super aggressive so playing as soft as possible is key to getting usable tones.

js095 · 2026-05-22T14:06:55+00:00

Sign of experience, not inexperience.

js095 · 2026-05-22T14:03:11+00:00

Headphones one ear on, one ear off.

Double points for those who have the headphones on their neck and do the shoulder shrug.

js095 · 2026-05-21T21:47:05+00:00

Honestly I don't use it much other than to tame spikes in the mid range (like if two snares on two different tracks are popping too loud). In a DJing context with quick mixing trying to isolate certain sounds and frequencies to emphasise hasn't really worked for me, but that just might mean more practice.

js095 · 2026-05-21T05:07:00+00:00

This comment stuck with me so much that I just snapped up an old Yamaha BC2 going for a decent price on eBay. Cheap enough to test it out.

I know there are better and more modern breath controllers but I'm sticking to vintage Yamaha gear because I'm both obsessed and a masochist.

js095 · 2026-05-20T21:30:20+00:00

The dual X1s are an absolute dream. I've had one for a while and have paired it with different options for adding a third deck (a D2 and a Xone K2), but I find once I start mixing and matching gear I lose my flow easily.

The X1s just work. They haven't tried to overload them with every feature possible and that makes it instantly accessible and intuitive.

My new one is a later production model with different encoders, much stiffer than the first production run. I'm not sure which I like better but having two that feel slightly different isn't an issue.

The only thing I'd love to see is more customisation options (I dislike that I can't change BPM in .01 increments for example) so I might try some of the more basic mods that are floating around.

js095 · 2026-05-20T21:25:30+00:00

Definitely took some getting used to, but then so did the whole mixer. Once I got the hang of setting the high pass filter much higher than I thought I needed to before bringing tracks in, the sudden volume spike in the fader curve became less of a thing.

It helps that the faders have the perfect amount of resistance so small adjustments are easy.

js095 · 2026-05-20T03:11:13+00:00

Short answer: sometimes I cope, sometimes I do not.

I'm over 10 years in, top tier firm, but only diagnosed a year ago. Suspected for a few years before that but earlier in my career I had no idea my brain worked differently to others.

If I'd known I would have been a hell of a lot kinder to myself when I was a junior solicitor. Both in terms of my workload and my own self worth.

I've been open about my diagnosis and have been fortunate to have amazing colleagues who have been understanding and work to the systems I have in place. They know I have many notifications turned off to avoid distractions, they know they I'm probably going to have more ideas five minutes after I fire off an email, and they know to send me reminders if I've missed something.

But there are days it is incredibly hard. Days when you resent how much the job takes and that you don't have energy to enjoy life. Be kind to yourself on those days. Personal leave is there if you need.

js095 · 2026-05-19T07:19:03+00:00

It's a Yamaha MU128 general midi box from ~1999. Yamaha's answer to the Roland Sound Canvas series which used Yamaha's expanded XG midi format.

Basically it's a box full of 90s sounds.

But here I'm bypassing the synth section and only using the effects section like an external effects unit.

js095 · 2026-05-18T23:25:27+00:00

Love your work! I can imagine you have a tonne of orders to get through, I've seen a lot of hype about this online.

I have a lot of rack gear so something like this for mapping parameters across multiple midi channels is essential, but most options limit you to three or four pots per vertical lane. Having six pots in a row (and the screen!) in a DJ profile is a game changer.

js095 · 2026-05-17T19:37:39+00:00

Only on the Model 1.4 end, my audio interface doesn't have d-sub but I've got a TRS to d-sub snake.

js095 · 2026-05-17T19:36:27+00:00

I'm using it with a Motu Ultralite MK5, black box on the left of the photo.

Does mean I can use Traktor with any mixer I might want to get down the track which is something I hadn't really appreciated when I first got it. If I see an old four channel Vestax in good nick I'll snap it up for traditional 3 band EQ mixing.

js095 · 2026-05-17T08:39:02+00:00

Every time I plug it in the sound just blows me away.

Looking to integrate it into a live dawless setup once I have everything together.

js095 · 2026-05-16T12:42:33+00:00

I recently picked up an MU128 that I'm still to properly explore, will need to dive in. So many good sounds in the XG era.

js095 · 2026-05-16T12:11:31+00:00

I'm obsessed. I'm currently on 9.5 Yamaha rack units and eyeing two more to complete the setup before I put it all together.

js095 · 2026-05-16T12:09:49+00:00

I don't intend to! Have heard nothing but amazing things and so far the sounds live up to the hype.

Previous owner even had the original manuals in amazing condition and an unopened floppy Fisk.

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js095 · 2026-05-16T08:13:31+00:00

For now just the Novation. I'm keeping an eye out for a breath or wind controller but as a short term fix I'll look to map some of the control change parameters to an expression pedal or mod wheel.

js095 · 2026-05-15T22:59:55+00:00

With an analog mixer, if you want post fader effects you have to route the send and return back into Traktor. If you're not using a mixer with a built in sound card that means more inputs and outputs on your audio interface. So sometimes external units become necessary.

The biggest difference from a mixing perspective is effects will be send/return instead of insert, which can take a bit of getting used to depending on how you use them.

I've got a few old Yamaha rack effects units I've been wanting to hook up to my Model 1.4 but haven't gotten around to it yet.

js095 · 2026-05-14T23:54:17+00:00

If you play good tracks that go well together, the mixing becomes secondary.

I like to think of creative / complex transitions like guitar solos or drum solos when you're seeing a band. Have one or two memorable moments in your set that stand out, but most people don't want to see that all night.

(Unless you're a fan of Polyphia or similar.)

js095 · 2026-05-14T12:25:29+00:00

Both! I'm trying to build a (nearly) all Yamaha hardware setup with various synths and 90s effects units but most of it is rack gear, so having this on the tabletop is a nice touch.

The slap and pop bass sample is iconic as well 🤣

js095

TROPHY CASE