Crossfader Curve selection..

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I'm confused. Some mixers have a switch where you can choose the curve your xfader follows. Like sharp curve or flat. Is the sharp curve for mixing and the flat curve for scratching? I thought thats the way it was. Then I'm reading info about the Stanton VRM-10 and it says on their site: "...allow the user to gradually change from a sharp curve for scratching, to a long fade for mixing." Wouldn't the way I said make more sense? Hmm..

Verbal
 
long fade is for mixing, sharp curve for scratching.

with scratching ('n cutting), you have to be fast and use the crossfader all the time, from left to right etc., and it's all about speed. so a fast xfader curve setting is the way to go...

with mixing, you need slow fader curve setting because you very often need to slightly mix in a new track, and it's all about slowness and accuracy... tho you mostly use channel faders for that...
 
Hmm. Ok, I have a Numark 1001x. It has a switch for the xfader, one is a line with a peak under it, the other is a line with a flat peak. I thought the peak is for mixing, cause the center is where the volumes are the same. I thought the flat was for scratching, cause you have to move the xfader a lot less to get the max volume of the other channel. Makes more sense to me this way..

Verbal
 
then your numark is fux0red up

if you want to scratch, you gotta cut fast, so the volume "changes faster" and gets cut.
 
... You'll probably get a smoother mix if you use your line fader instead of your crossfader... 8o) Use the crossfader to do tricks and scratching... 8o)
 
not necessarily..............

A short fader cut-in is not necessarily just for scratching.
It depends on what kind of scratches you perform. If for example you want to do some "crabs" a short cut-in is handy but with some transforming paterns or other scratches, a less steep cut-in is better.
And saying the crossfader is just for scratching would also limit you in your possiblities.
For example if you wanted to make a "start-stop button" stop, the crossfader is handy aswell. And this obviously is no scratching.
You can also scratch using your linefaders. Dont get to hung up about what people call the certain parts of a mixer or other piece of equipment.

Experiment!

[Edited by H.Prins on 01-20-2001 at 12:43 AM]
 
Hmmm... I think I was giving out unclear messages with my last comment... 8o)

Using line fader CAN (but not neccessary - I used the word "probably") give you a smoother mix.

Also, I assume that we all KNOW that a certain part of a mixer is NOT limited to any one purpose only. As an example, if people uses the line/phono toggle switch for just to toggle between sources, we would never had some of the cool transform and tip scratches... (Check out Dj Pumpin' Pete in the DMC 1991 US finals - he scraches really well with the toggle switch)

When it comes to mixing, it all depends on each individual styles. Some dj's like to cold cut the mix... which is fine... as long as your mix comes out sounding good - that's all it matters. But I idolize dj's such as Jeff Mills. I saw Jeff Mills several times. He uses 3 turntables and a Roland-909 drum machine. He constantly has 3 different tracks going on at the same time. He does all his tricks, in-out cutting, and mixing all with his line faders and gain knobs. And his mix is super tight.

So, I have to apologize for giving out the wrong impression in my last comment. Part of being a dj is being creative. So, be innovative - don't limit your thinking...

About transforming with a more shallow fade-in slope, I actually find it easier to transform with the STEEP fade-in slope - the transforming sounds a lot cleaner to me. Sometimes I even use the toggle switch to transform - it just sounds chrisper. The only Dj that I've seen that can scratch with the fader so chrisp that it sounds like he was using the toggle switch is dj Babu of the Beatjunkies and Dilated People. I saw him scratches live at a club in Chicago. It was so clean that I thought he'd pulled out a bottle of alcohol and clean his scratches with it!!! j/k 8o)

Anyways... Good luck and take care...
 
I think all of you are missing the point. I'm not talking about mixing at all. I'm talking about scratching and the slope setting the xfader should have. for example, my xfader has settings that look like this

switch.jpg


I would think that the first one would be better for scratching because you don't have to move the xfader that much to get the full volume of the scratched record. But with the second you have to move it to the middle to get the full sound. Know what I mean?

Verbal


[Edited by verbal on 01-21-2001 at 12:56 PM]
 
ok

Looking at it just that way...................

What can determine the choice of cutin-steepness is the texture of the sound you are scratching with, what you just simply find to sound better or what is easiest for you ( from which the last one shouldnt be the main motivation)
So you can't say that its just for this or that.

again.............

Experiment

and find out what works for you.
 
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