Been looking at buying my first DJ mixer (only been DJing in public +30 years so figured it was about time I had one at home), so I started browsing 4 channel mixers…
Why are all ‘analogue’ and/or ‘valve’ DJ mixers (Im not talking club Pioneer/Gemini/workhorses etc.) only offering ROTARY dials?
Long, smooooove piss breaker mix’s I get,
Bozak leaning balearic disco blending I get,
Home listening I even get,
But where’s the love gone for chopping, scratching and dropping?
Convince/show me this new (ie: very old) way forward…
The ROTARY mixers I see (some, like Mastersound, used to offer linear, but alas, no more)
The people who jumped on the rotary trend, who were in their 20s when it was all happening, are likely in their 30s now and likely relegated to taking that mixer to a quiet bar that is sympathetic to them turning up with some mates to get drunk and play Kerri Chandler 12"s once a month for some beers.
Judging by the rotary mixer groups on facebook (age wise where most of the hobbyists would likely go to discuss) there are no real new people jumping on this trend, nor is anyone even discussing it anymore. When i just checked, the pages are overrun with scam and spam posts, nobody is even reporting them either. Which suggests that nobody is engaging any more.
If you are planning to join this group of people in 2023, i would just keep in mind that it is a hobbyist type of activity. You could just get a cheaper 4 channel mixer and make a start on restoring a vintage car? Or maybe look into woodwork? I noticed your garden needs a bit of tending to, that might be nice and relaxing for you, eh grandad?
Mastersounds made linear fader versions of the 4V.
The Xone 96 is still a good proposition, too.
Mostly though, cutting chopping etc is usually something that will mess up the potentiometers, or worse, require digital pots (laser faders etc) to work best. Not to mention that the extension of that kind of activity is the modern Serato DJing with hot cues and DVS rigs that by definition are digital.
You seen to be in the very middle of what both of these groups want. Formula Sound makes a good mixer you may like.
To echo previous posts Formula Sound definitely the way to go if linear plus great sound are the considerations - only ever played on them at parties so no great day to day knowledge of them but always been good to use