noobish question: rotary mixers

[lenom]

the one thing that i cant seem to find on the internet is whats the thing with rotary mixers? ive looked at some and they often dont have eqs or a crossfader but they cost a heep. anybody know why?

[Majestyk]

Sound quality

[Andrew Wowk]

Rotary mixers sound absolutely amazing, but they are a bitch to mix with if you like cutting shit up like Jeff Mills.

Much better suited to subtle-mixing DJs.

I'm pretty sure they have EQs though...

[lenom]

i think some have eqs but the xone s6 and that urei one that ive just forgotten the name of dont seem to.

[big eddie]

So are these mixers 'sounding amazing' because of the way they are being used? or is the fact there is a pot instead of a fader doing something to the sound

[silvaside]

So are these mixers 'sounding amazing' because of the way they are being used? or is the fact there is a pot instead of a fader doing something to the sound
haha dunno wtf wowk is on about, maybe he's getting confused with valves?

[Bumpy]

The xone s6 has a master EQ.. so I'm assuming that you can change the EQ on the master Channel/Out but not use EQ on each channel??

Also you can get a xone 92 with rotaries...

[Andrew Wowk]

haha dunno wtf wowk is on about, maybe he's getting confused with valves?

All I know is every rotary mixer I've ever played on is fucking incredible sound wise. Maybe has more to do with the construction of the mixer itself.

But, they aren't good for choppage, it's just too hard to do it compared to with a mixer with regular faders.

[lenom]

Also you can get a xone 92 with rotaries...
would a 92 with rataries have the same effect as a regular rotary mixer?

[Majestyk]

would a 92 with rataries have the same effect as a regular rotary mixer?

You mean sound quality wise?

[big eddie]

All I know is every rotary mixer I've ever played on is fucking incredible sound wise. Maybe has more to do with the construction of the mixer itself.

But, they aren't good for choppage, it's just too hard to do it compared to with a mixer with regular faders.

BAM! we have a winner.

Considering they are generally a VCA, whether it is controlled by a fader or a potentiometer has somewhere between none and fuckall affect on the sound quality.

[littlebrains69]

You can get rotary kits for most decent mixers. Pioneer, Vestax, A&H, Rane etc. all put out rotary kits for their mixers.

[richcur]

I dunno, the brap-brap-brap-brap sound of a rotary grates me up the wrong way.. oh wait

[Spectrum]

I dunno, the brap-brap-brap-brap sound of a rotary grates me up the wrong way.. oh wait

http://www.joserotary.com/images/rotary-engine.jpg

Oh come on, how can you not at least admire the ingenuity?! :lol:

[Osiris_S13]

http://www.joserotary.com/images/rotary-engine.jpg

Oh come on, how can you not at least admire the ingenuity?! :lol:
Communism works in theory as well.

[Funkedub]

rotary mixers are for people who play disco and house :P

[ChAbIb]

are they harder to use or easier? ive never used one before and they look harder to use than an ordinary mixer. im not talking about a 92R or something i mean like the v6 or watever its called

[Nick Vidal]

the sound quality comes from the build quality of the mixer itself

you can get rotary kits for most mixers like littlebrains said; i've put them on my mixer

its a personal choice really

[archietech]

bunch of wenkers

[lenom]

the sound quality comes from the build quality of the mixer itself

you can get rotary kits for most mixers like littlebrains said; i've put them on my mixer

its a personal choice really
ok so its just a thing the people who make mixers have to make the good quality ones rotary?

[cowabungadude]

ok so its just a thing the people who make mixers have to make the good quality ones rotary?
no

[Majestyk]

ok so its just a thing the people who make mixers have to make the good quality ones rotary?

I think it's just because of the history that rotaries have as club installation mixers that lead to most rotary mixers being made to extrememly high standards.

[Funkedub]

it's the blind leading the blind innit ...

[Gruso]

ok so its just a thing the people who make mixers have to make the good quality ones rotary?It's like this (all the following points have been made in the thread by others, but as far as answering your question goes it's been a little disjointed)...

Long before faders came into use on audio gear (and even looonger before crossfaders or anything DJ related), everything was rotary. In these early days, audio gear was not a mass market thing - it was the domain of boffins, cutting edge professionals, and mad scientist types (search Youtube for the BBC doco Alchemists of Sound and you'll see who I'm talking about).

Equipment in this era was produced in small quantities, by obsessive perfectionists. These days it's the opposite, with thousands of audio products being thrown together simply to do the job and grab a slice of the market. Vertical faders and crossfaders are now the norm, and like everything else, cover the whole spectrum of quality from shit to awesome. Occasionally though, a product is developed which stays true to the design philosopies of old - with no compromises on design or construction costs. Often (as with the A&H Xone:V6) they follow these designs down to every detail, including ye olde worlde control interfaces and a complete lack of bells and whistles. It's a design approach that owes as much to sentimentality as good quality (which is a good thing I reckon).

Of course, the presence of rotary faders (and absence of certain other features like 3 band EQ) is not in itself an indicator of good sound or big money - after all, any old shitpot piece of gear can lack features and use rotary knobbies. But you'll often see these things on top shelf gear, as a nod to the old days and to give purists erections.