4 channel mixer question for you guys

i'm going to purchase a cheap 4 channel mixer (not alot of money to spend on this, have a 2 channel now), but i have a question about how the whole 4 channel concept works. i'm used to 2 channel mixers... ok, so what i dont understand is how the crossfader works with 4 channels, assuming it's just the typical crossfader....

so, let's say i'm playing all four channels in traktor at once, and the mixer is also, one beat loop on each of the 4 channels... if i slide the crossfader to one side, does it play 2 channels blended at once, and the other 2 channels are faded??? so like, channel 1 and 2 would play if i slide the crossfader to the left, and channel 3 and 4 would play if i move it to the right?

sorry, but i'm pretty new at this. i'm just used to the 2 channel mixers, and now want to step up.... i just dont understand how a crossfader which slides to the left and right can decide between 4 channels.... thank you guys for any help. i did a search first, and was not able to come across anything.

 

make sure your sound card works first man i just got a numark 4 channle cm 200 and in traktor preferences theres no way to assign channels eveything song plays on one channle only im useing a fx-i platinum card .....

 

Basically, yes, that's correct. A mixer like the Allen & Heath or the Pioneer will allow you to select which side of the crossfader each channel is assigned to (so instead of 2 channels to left and 2 to right, you could have one channel playing on the right side and 3 channels playing on the left), so there can be some flexibility involved (you can flip one over to the other side if you need to), but the crossfader can obviously only decide between two incoming streams of music (which may involve more than one upfader channel).

I don't know what the full range of 4 channel mixers is like, but I'd guess there are some out there that only offer a fixed 2-2 routing, so that'd be something to check on whatever mixer you're looking at.

Peece,
T. Tauri

 

yeah ok... so i assume all the basic 4 channel mixers will work this way. meaning 2 on each side... yeah, that's actually what i am wanting it to do... would be cool to have the 3 on one side also. i like mixing beat loops for the most part, and being able to have 2 blended on each side of the crossfader would really help me. thank you guys for helping. only thing that sucks for me now is, i can only spend like $130 on a 4 channel mixer, and the best i can find doesnt have kill switches, which my 2 channel does. hate to give that up. the one i found says it has a drum effect kit in it, which i dont know is of much use or what.... has echo too. thanks for a quick reply to my thread

 

hey, just wondering, i assume you tried the ASIO deal??? i have 3 sound cards in mine right now, none are multichannel though...

 

def tryed the asio and still no functions i can get the mix on master and booth so i can do it live if i wanted to .. so only the headphones can hear whATS BEING QUED ..

 

Nope the Pioneer DJM600 allows only one channel at a time to be assigned to the Xfader left or right and I think many of the 4 channel mixers are like this. The Pioneer DJM 800 allows independent xfader assignment as does the DJM1000 Neither of these are cheap. I think you'll find such assignment is available on higher end mixers not much on entry or budget lines.

Phil

 

oh ok... guess i'll stick with a better 2 channel maybe. cant afford much really ... thanks for the help.