i'm in the market for a mixer, and i'm not too sure what exactly to get. basically i'm wanting a mixer to act as the middle man between my record player and samplers, and too make playing everything together easier without having to make a long chain of instruments from out to in over and over again. adjusting levels and such for playing live and recording seems like it would be way easier with a mixer. i'm only looking to spend $150 tops. if anyone has any suggestions let me know.

try to get a small 4 channel mackie or soundcraft used. soundquality really is that much better than most of the cheap stuff. 150$ should be possible - used, of course.

Cosign Mackie, they make fairly cheap mixers with exceptional tough build quality.
The Mackie 802-VLZ3 is attainable for around $200, probably less if you find one a little scuffed up.

I think Soundcrafts are a little overpriced (and it's not likely you'll find one for under $300).

You can probably find a wide variety of DJ mixers for sale on your local craigslist. I think it's a great budget option but most lower-end mixers of this sort aren't going to last you very long. If you get lucky you might be able to find an old analog mixing desk for cheap, but if that's the case then make sure to check every channel and be thorough. Those things always have scratchy pots or crazy line noise or something. If you can compromise (like finding a 16 channel mixer with 3 dead channels for under $200) then you can might find something to work for you, at least until you decide you want to spend more on gear.

The prob with the mackies and all other small studio mixers is they dont have phono input/RIAA eq built into it..

You can get around the not having phono preamp by using mic/instrument, but the EQ is all screwed up...


So on the one hand you want a small studio mixer for all your gear, but on the other hand you want a DJ mixer for your turntable..

grab a cheap numark 3-channel mixer. i have the dm3001X and its a solid, yet basic mixer for your needs..

I have a cheap berhinger 802 8channel mixer and a Vestax 07 pro for the turntables. I'd say save up and buy 2 proper mixers. The berhinger is alright and gets the job done, but it's not the greatest by any means.

for $150 you might be able to pick up a used Hardware DAW like the roland VS or the korg D-xxxx series. Zoom and Tascam also have cheap hardware DAWs too. You could just use it as a mixer for now and learn to record on it later. Another bonus to getting a DAW is that it will come with some FX too.

I would also 2nd numark for cheap dj mixer.. I got a DM1050 for $100 at a pawn shop.


As for studio mixers, if you want better quality than the behringer but don't want to spend the amount you have to on a Mackie, get a yamaha MG series.

True most studio mixers don't have preamps, but you can pick up a decent turntable preamp for under $50. I got a nice one from here:
http://www.phonopreamps.com/
I also think Rat Shack carries some.

One important question is what type of sampler are you looking to connect? if it is a sampler with multiple outputs like an mpc or rackmount, you'll definitely need one that can accommodate you. even if you're thinking of getting a bigger sampler sometime in the near future, you'll want to buy with upgrading in mind. a good compromise between size and price are the Yamaha mg series. I got a MG-10/2 used from guitar center with a 2 year warranty for $80 and that has 2 mono tracks, and 4 stereo tracks (with mic preamps, etc.) I'd suggest keeping away from Behringer stuff. Its cheap and good at first, but soon can go bad (faders are prone to crackling or cutting out (which can only partially be fixed with a cleaning.))

Purchasing a patch bay and some cables might accomplish the same goal here. Then you avoid running signal through another unneeded, possibly lousy (cheap mixer) gain stage.