Buying quality DJ equipment is a big investment. And with so many options out there choosing the right equipment for your needs is no mean feat.

With mixers costing anything from £100 – £1500+ hiring mixers from a specialist supplier can be a great way to try out a range of models and see which is best suited to your playing style.

Here are some key elements and terminologies to consider when deciding upon a mixer:

Number of channels.  This determines how many sound sources you can mix. The required minimum is two channels, one for each of your decks.

Number of inputs. Inputs are different to channels. Each channel has a switch that tells it which channel inputs to grab the signal from. So even with a 2-channel mixer, you can have a CD deck and a turntable on either side.

Channel EQs. These let you adjust the level of the channel’s frequency bands; the highs, mids and lows. Make sure your mixer has separate three-band EQs for each channel for smooth mixing.

Level meters. An LED strip that bounces back and forth to the track’s beat and shows you its volume. A level meter for the mixer’s main output is a must and separate meters for each of the channels is better.

Gain controls. These set the overall level of the mixer’s channels. You want to have separate Gain knobs for each of the channels.

Mixer outputs. These include master output, recording output, monitor output and a headphone jack. The bare minimum – Master Out and the headphone jack – are present in all mixers.

BPM counters, FX, sampler. A BPM counter detects the tempo of the track playing to aid beatmatching. Mid- and high-range mixers let you transform the sound with effects and often have a built-in sampler.

In Conclusion

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Cheap entry level mixers can be great for getting started, but you’ll pretty soon find your ability outgrowing your equipment and you’ll need to invest some serious money.

Here at Production Audio we stock only the most respected industry brands such as Pioneer DJM 900 NXS hire, Pioneer DJM 900 SRT hire, Allen & Heath Xone 92 hire and more. And with our range of DJ equipment hire Bristol options we guarantee that we have the right equipment for your needs at the right price each and every time.