8 ms·
I've been playing records for a few years and have had the pleasure of playing with a DJR400. Some personal additions to the article I'd like to share: 1. The
by antris 8y ago
I've been playing records for a few years and have had the pleasure of playing with a DJR400. Some personal additions to the article I'd like to share:
1. The physical feel of the device is amazing. Every knob feels and looks both smooth and incredibly sturdy. It's like the difference between driving a Mazda and a Porsche. Madza might be more versatile, practical, and cost-effective. But which one of them is more fun to use?
2. Simpler design. Sometimes less is more, especially at DJ gigs. The article kind of hints at this, but part of the feel is not just the quality of the parts but how little (visible) parts the device has. Just compare how the Xone (one of the most respected lines of mixers) looks: https://i.pinimg.com/474x/35/52/dd/3552dd4fbb206be6a4425523e9a26b10--dj-animation-dj-sound.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/474x/35/52/dd/3552dd4fbb206be6a4425523e... to the DJR-400:http://www.electronique-spectacle.com/media/DJR400.jpg http://www.electronique-spectacle.com/media/DJR400.jpg Yet the tools in DJR-400 are just fine. I definitely wouldn't want a DJR-400 for a 10-hour minimal techno set, but for blasting out house music in a packed club there might not be anything better at that price point.
3. You can do amazing tricks with the above mentioned Xone mixer (you could argue that it's almost a musical instrument of its own), but the way of operating reminds me more of a computer than an analogue device. There's a reason why so many DJs still prefer vinyl. The digital XDJ stations are even "worse" in this aspect with their LCD touchscreens and endless configuration options behind menu trees. After a long day sitting on a computer, the last thing I want is to feel like going to stand next to another computer.
4. If a problem occurs on an analogue device there are only a few things that could have gone wrong; there's some dust where there shouldn't be, some cable is loose, there's problems with electricity or some part is physically bent. But with these increasingly digital tools it's more like debugging and fixing a computer with proprietary software. There's an endless amount of error modes and although the reliability of the high-end models is still excellent, it's just another thing to keep in the back of your mind when you're trying to focus on your music and expression. The new rotary mixers are a statement against this trend of increasing digitalisation that has entered the mixer market, too.
- monadgonad 8y ago> It's like the difference between driving a Mazda and a Porsche You mean Honda? Bit of an odd comparison when the Mazda MX5/Miata is one of the most well-known fun drives.
- vinay427 8y agoWell, you picked the other company that is most known for an extremely fun relatively affordable car: the S2000 :) I feel like neither Mazda nor Honda are appropriate here, anyway.
- lisper 8y agoI nominate Acura as the nameplate with the least fun to drive cars.
- ams6110 8y agoI nominate Buick.
- namdnay 8y agoDacia all the way (not that they're bad cars)
- lisper 8y agoAcuras aren't bad cars. In fact, they are quite good. Comfortable. Well-designed. Efficient. Reliable. And incredibly boring (except the NSX, of course, but that doesn't really count because it is so utterly unlike all of the other cars in their lineup).
- vinay427 8y agoAlso, the NSX is a Honda in most markets, as was the TSX, and both were more exciting than the average Acura.
- whatusername 8y agoNot to mention the RX7/RX8.. (Given we are talking about "rotaries")
- jen729w 8y ago> After a long day sitting on a computer, the last thing I want is to feel like going to stand next to another computer. Utterly tangential, but this is why some of us still love shooting 35mm film.
- Cthulhu_ 8y agoAnd some have a hobby in IoT / non critical electrical fiddling?
- fbnlsr 8y agoI'm a web developer / gamer. My guilty pleasure is leatherworking. :)
- ghostly_s 8y ago...or why some of use shoot on manual-forward digital lines like the Fuji X-Series. :) I basically never look at the menus, and have never once felt like I had to 'debug' my camera.
- jen729w 8y agoYes! Have you seen the Leica M10-D? Oh man I’d like that. http://en.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-M/Leica-M10-D http://en.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-M/Leica-M10-D No screen. It has a wind lever! (I asked in the shop, it just functions as a thumb-stop. Shame it doesn’t have a true Leica fabric shutter...)
- pdkl95 8y ago> DJR400,jpg I love the EQ section's silkscreening with Bode plot-like representations of each filter. They even indicate how the filters overlap in their transition bands.
- bloat 8y ago> DJR-400:http://www.electronique-spectacle.com/media/DJR400.jpg http://www.electronique-spectacle.com/media/DJR400.jpg How do you choose what input is in your headphones?
- pimeys 8y agoThere is a small round black button next to the dials.
- disko 8y agoHave one too. Proud owner for over about 11/12 years now. Amazing mixer :) By the way, the article is at fault, as it mentions it was released in 2010. This is false - it was released around 2003/2004 I believe. In https://www.deejayforum.de/threads/32604-djr-400-rotary-mixer-conceived-by-dj-deep-and-jerme-barb https://www.deejayforum.de/threads/32604-djr-400-rotary-mixe... (a thread from 2006) one forum user mentions the delivery of a DJR400 in 2004. The article made me doubt it for a little while, but I'm quite sure I ordered mine before 2010 ;)
- jbergstroem 8y agoI own a Model 1 (http://playdifferently.org/model-1/ http://playdifferently.org/model-1/). The overall feel is very "analog" and the faders are by far the best I've ever used. The "filter" approach (LPF,HPF) is also hard to live without. With that said -- not going to lie, still remember the sets I've done on the Radius 4 or Rane's. The feeling creates a totally different experience and it changes the way you mix. Casual, fun - "closer" to the audience somehow.
- nraford 8y agoI own a Model 1 also and freaking love it, but I just picked up a Condesa Lucia V and have to say, I'm totally converted. The isolators alone are worth the switch. I miss 6 channels on the Model 1 since I use a lot of Ableton drum fills and loops, but honestly probably going to sell my Model 1 compared to the Condesa. Pure tactile, expressive joy. Both are amazing but the knob action on the Condesa are so expressive. Just so much for to work it in the mix. Both are gems though. Enjoy!
- chewyland 8y agoI regret selling my Xone62. It was a beast.