DJ Mixers - 4 Key Points to Choosing a DJ Mixer

DJ Equipment can make or break a DJ. Without great equipment, a DJ can be limited. With so many choices out there, you may be wondering how to choose a DJ Mixer. Asking yourself four simple questions will narrow down your search for the perfect mixer.

1. How much are you willing to spend?

This can of course greatly narrow your search. DJ Mixers nowadays can start from $79 and go up to thousands of dollars. Keep in mind lower priced mixers may be lower quality, so it may be advantageous to save up for a higher priced mixer. Personally I would recommend putting aside at least $175 for a decent quality mixer.

2. What platform or platforms are you using?

Are you using turntables, CD players, a laptop, an iPod or all of the above? Answering this question will help you choose how many channels you need on your mixer. A two-channel mixer has 2 phono and 2 line inputs. Phono inputs are for turntables and line inputs are for digital platforms. In this case you can connect 2 turntables and 2 CD players or a laptop or iPod with either turntables or CD players. The two-channel mixer will allow you to play any 2 inputs at one time, but not more than two.

If you would like to play more than two inputs at one time, or if you'd prefer to have your other media on different channels, you'll need more channels on the mixer. Two and four channel mixers are widely available. Three and five channel mixers are less common.

3. What type of music are you playing and how will you be playing it?

In the world of mixers, you have ones that are more geared toward mixing (usually house and electronic) and ones that are geared towards scratching (usually hip hop). Hip hop DJs usually prefer 2 channel mixers with scratching capabilities. On the other hand electronic DJs are usually more focused on mixing and possibly effects. Which brings me to the next question...

4. What kind of extras are you looking for?

There are all sorts of extra features you can get on a DJ mixer. Here is a short list of some of the options available today.

Crossfader Options

Hamster (crossfader option used for scratching)
Crossfader shape and cut adjustments
Magnetic crossfaders
Assignable crossfader (to assign the channels to either side of the crossfader)

Effects

Wide range of different effects
Mic effects
Sampling
Loops
Tap effects sync (a tap button that syncs your effects to the beat)
Effects send for outboard effects
Touch screen effects
Assignable effects

Other Features

Midi Control
iPod dock/input
BPM counter
USB
Multiple outputs- Record/Booth/Master
Full kills (to fully cut off low, mids, or highs)
Advanced cueing features
Rotary knobs instead of faders
Mic talk-over

There are many more features available on DJ mixers and will be more as technology advances. Choosing what is important to you will narrow your search for a DJ Mixer. As you can see there are a lot of different options when choosing your DJ Mixer. Answering these 4 questions will help you narrow your search for the DJ Mixer that is right for you.

Points to Consider Before Buying a Reverse Camera

Reverse Cameras have become important safety aids for the more expensive or upper end vehicle brands. Could You fit and use one, Of course you can.

WHAT IS A REVERSE CAMERA?
A Reverse Camera is a camera fitted to the rear of the car, RV, caravan, truck or even boat to name a few applications.

A monitor is placed in the car in front of the driver and is activated when the car is placed in reverse either from one of the reversing lights or the switch on the gearbox

THE REVERSE CAMERA AS A SAFETY AID!
The Reversing camera is a logical progression from parking sensors. Cameras allow the driver to monitor the rear bumper and beyond.

Most vehicles tested that do not have cameras have obvious reversing blind spots.Test results indicate that cars with reversing cameras can vastly improve rear visibility.

THE FITTING OF A REVERSE CAMERA KIT
The Fitting of the camera is not all that difficult. But you should probably get it fitted by a professional as in most cases you must cut into the bodywork of the car(not always). The camera must also be placed in the right position as get maximum exposure at the rear of the vehicle

The monitor fits either on or in the dashboard. But the most popular fit over the existing rear view mirror with straps. The wiring is the most time consuming, although the newer kits are "Wireless",you still have to connect to the power and reversing switch which is not that difficult.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
Since it's extremely unsafe for the driver to be required to switch the system on manually every time he or she wants to reverse, it's important that the reverse camera system has the ability to switch on automatically

A reverse camera system should have the capability to produce a 'mirror' (or 'reverse') image through the camera or monitor.If a system has not listed this feature, then it probably does not have the feature

CMOS AND CCD THE FIELD OF VIEW
The field of view provided by any camera is determined by a combination of image sensor size and lens. The larger the image sensor, the wider the field of view. However, a larger image sensor does not always guarantee. While a 90 degree field of view may be sufficient for some smaller vehicles, a 120 degree field is ideal.

You should always try and use a high quality CCD imager from a well known manufacturer. If the system you require doesn't state that it utilizes a "CCD" image sensor, then it probably doesn't.

NIGHT VISION
Always consider purchasing a reverse camera system that does include night vision illumination. The infrared illuminators should provide a minimum of 10 feet of illumination, and 20 to 30 feet or more of illumination is strongly recommended

WIRED VS WIRELESS SYSTEMS
One important fact is that most of the wireless systems have fragile antennas on the camera and receiver that must be aimed directly at each other. Most have antennas that are easily broken during normal use.

I prefer a wired system for reliability. If you really require a wireless rear view system, then you will have to settle for a lower quality picture due to interference etc, always go for top quality in this regard.

More and more vehicle makers are incorporating reverse cameras into their units primarily to prevent the increasing amount of accidents during reversing.