19 inch rack mount controller
- Thread starter tunes4046
- Start date
Rack mount stopped being a consideration when CD drives became obsolete. With a fully digital audio chain the contol surface and audio mixer can merge into a single 'engine' that functions like a digital audio workstation - albeit specific to live playback. It would make no sense to limit the control surface to a 19" wide architecture because a wider console is ergonomically better than something deeper or taller.
In your opinion, I prefer the 19 inch format as the rest of my gear can fit in the same case, I have a slant top road case that holds a Denon MC 6000 rack mount wireless mics. Custom patch panel and a laptop stand, the less wire to connect and trips to make the more efficient I am with my time, I can get everything I need for most events into the building in one trip.
Then you should also be looking for a Delorean with the flux-capacitor upgrade because what you want can be easily found in 1985. It's not opinion - it's the modern reality of the DJ trade and to which current manufacturing responds.
I'm sure there are some compact controllers that can be fit within a 19" rack (see: DJ Laidback Luke) but they may also be short on features and require a separate analog audio mixer. Certainly not state of the art. It's also counter to your stated goal because a rack system is heavier than a digital console and many of the wired connections you're concerned about don't exist in a modern controller.
I've seen DJs using some very small controller/mixerrs, but they look like toy game controllers and don't inspire professional confidence. When the gear suggests the highest overall priority is making a fast get-away - it's less than inspiring to a potential client. There's a reason so many DJs have adopted custom built podiums and tables for their gigs. That visual sense of permanence goes a long way to solidifying the DJs commitment.
I almost forgot how condescending you are, thank you for the reminder
That came second.
First you forgot how to man up.
If what you have is already perfect than what's the real purpose of your inquiry?
It seems to me it's dishonesty on your part that failed to get the response you want.
You have a rack mount MC 6000, there are dozens more of them for sale on eBay - search is over, is it not?
I don't ask other grownups to do my homwork for me, but if I did I sure as hell wouldn't cry when I get caught.
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I have the Denon DN MC 6000 Mk 11 and I love it. I also know it can be rack mounted. Did it ever occur to you that he may want to upgrade or simply just wants something else?
It's a good idea to check e-bay. I went from my Tec 1200s to Denon Dual CD players to embracing computer technology. What I did not do is embrace the stand alone controller. Until some manufacturer can add knobs to a stand alone controller & mixer, I'll stick with my Denon DN HC-4500s and my Vestax, Peavey, and Urei Mixers.
I was simply inquiring of anyone had seen anything new on the market I may have missed. Asking in a forum of people most of which I respect is not asking them to do my homework, it’s using resources available to make smart use of my time, as it is well known by most members here that many are gearheads and pay close attention to new release products.
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GC is another place to see what they have if you can go to a store. Depending on how much you spend you can get a 15% discount. My partner bought a new stand alone controller and I reminded him about the discount. Saved him I guess over $60. If you don't know they won't tell you about the discount. We've been there and bought stuff there that they know us personally and was going to give the discount to him if he said something or not.
The controller is kind of irrelevant because eventually it won't be software supported, so if it does what you need take it as far as it will go.
However, I would not condition my choice of controller on the basis of old-skool analog mixers. Digital audio is where you want to be for every reason imaginable. Modern DJ controllers will set you free in ways you only previously dreamed about. DJing is no longer constrained by the form in which a piece of music has been stored or recorded. In the new Digital DJ realm you don't need the studio multi-tracks to effectively make live remixes.
All these new features just don't fit well in a 19" rack - and why would we want them to? It would be like trying to serve a buffet from one piece of tupperware.
If I was just starting out, then I would opt for a modern digital dj controller and maybe add a quality laptop with Serato, but I started with turntables in 1980 and whenever I worked at a nightclub, I was greeted with a Bozak or a Urei knob mixer. When I tried mixing with sliders in the past, I did not like it. Having said that, I understand that a controllers shelf life can be limited by software support. So far this has not affected my ability to use the HC4500 with the latest version of windows 10 & VDJ 2023. I can use multiple effects and even drop out the stems for live remixing. Pretty amazing for such an old controller.
It's a 2-lane race, meaning we'll either reach a PC operating system/software that won't support it, or the buttons on it will wear out from old age, or some other mechanical/electrical end of life thing.
I wonder if the new stuff had been available in the 80's if any of us would have really cared to DJ or would DJing have been as ubiquitous as Uber drivers?
Old-skool turntablism required a certain kind of touch and multitask attention. I remember letting people into the booth who wanted to try it and so many could simply not lay a finger on the platter without turning the tone arm into a see-saw.
I'm keeping my two HC-4500s because I just don't need anything more than pitch control and instant start for the DJ stuff I do now. More often I'm doing production stuff that requires Playback Pro or more sophisticated programs because it's an awards show or some other presentation of combined media. I love how far the technology has come though.
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Again it's all about what you feel comfortable with using. My suggestion for someone just starting to DJ is to check out different equipment to play music, see what you feel comfortable with and practice whenever you get a chance.
Why did you post this, nothing in this thread was about someone just starting out
Maybe because we've moved from a lack of available 19" rack mountable units to modern digital options? In other words, there are no new units, but you can still get a used one on E-Bay. Don't be too concerned with used gear. Quality gear is still scarce and costly. I will never sell my 1200 & Urei mixer, or my Denon 2500 Dual CD player & Peavey Rotomix, or my HC-4500s & Vestax mixer. These are my instruments of choice and no new controller with a sync button or ability to mix harmonically easily can ever replace my ears. These instruments will outlive me, so I ain't worried about software upgrades. Good luck!
I keep throwing money at my Denon MC6000mkII with repairs an preventative maintenance. I love it that much. And yes, a big reason why is it fits in the case I prefer to use. A case that has other 19" rack gear in it. All pre-wired. My plan is to get another 5 years out of it. That may be a stretch. 
Because if someone just starting out saw this they may not know this. I got what Bob was saying about him just going with the Denon DN MC 6000 controller he already has. My question for Tunes4046 is why was he asking this question? Is it that you're looking to get another controller? If you are my suggestion is to be careful about the weight of the controller. Some of those big controllers are super heavy. I know some are heavy enough that you will need a case on wheels.
Personally I love my Denon DN MC 6000 MK 2. It works great for what I do and is not too heavy in the case. It's a solid unit made of metal and not plastic like some others.