Behringer DDM4000

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  • jarble187
    vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
    • Sep 2004
    • 2047

    DJing Behringer DDM4000

    Ok...I hope this doesn't turn into a "Behringer sucks" thread, becasuse I've heard it before many time. I just don't have any personal experience with a Behringer mixer.

    I've been in the market for a mixer for several months. For starting equipment, my buddy gave my his old shitty Numark 2 channel. The crossfader is busted and and I'm geting some static out of a couple of knobs. Another buddy of mine let me borrow his Roland DJ 2000 for several months. I quickly grew used to it and am missing it now that it's gone. It had four channels, on board effects and operated very nicely.

    I've scoured the internet and have reached out to some people for used mixers. Of course, it would be ideal to own an Xone92, but my budget is around $400 - $500. It seems rediculus to me to spend the amount a new Allen & Heath or Rane would cost.

    I recently fired up Ableton and started playing around. My roomate has a midi controller (E-mu Xboard 25) that we have been using to produce in Reason. I took the midi controller and mapped it in Ableton to set it up like a mixer. Within 10 hours, my novice ass put a great live on the fly session mix together. All of the sudden, a mixer that has midi functionallity just became very useful to me and the value of the mixer greatly increased in my mind.

    This brings me to the DDM4000. For under $400, I get four channels, onboard effects and midi functionallity. I've looked at reviews and the major complaint was the location of headphone jack. My good friend just played on one last weekend in Omaha and he disliked it. He said there were too many buttons, making it complicated to figure out. He said it operated fine. I'm thinking to myself, the more buttons, the better, especially when it comes to midi mapping.

    I'm looking for reviews and comments. I'm a novice dj (less than 1 year) and this would be my first purchase (my cdjs were given to me). For a starter, will this mixer hold up and provide me with the functionallity that I need without having knobs and sliders crapping out within a year?

    Push the envelope, watch it bend.


    www.kansascitytechno.com


    Wakarusa Dj Winter Classic Mix Submission Feb 2011
  • panoulix
    MCast Resident DJ
    • Feb 2009
    • 737

    #2
    Re: Behringer DDM4000

    Originally posted by jarble187
    Ok...I hope this doesn't turn into a "Behringer sucks" thread, becasuse I've heard it before many time. I just don't have any personal experience with a Behringer mixer.
    OK you are right on that, as I was gonna say something similar.

    The good thing with behringer, is that they offer many functions and features at an amazingly appealing bargain price.
    This price as you normally expect has some compromises. the compromises are 3:

    1) Build quality
    2) Sound quality
    3) Durability

    Let's say you are a novice DJ and we bypass 1 and 2 as it is your first mixer. I'm afraid statement 3, might be a problem for you in case you want to keep your unit for a long time.

    As a start and for the budget you want to spend on a mixer with all these functions, the only solutions you can have is a Mackie d.2 Pro (2 channel), or this one.

    You may also get lucky and find a bargain of a lightly used mixer on ebay (for example I sold my Mackie d.4. Pro back up mixer for 460 Euros, a month ago).

    If you can find a used mixer with all these functions for the price of the DDM-4000, then go for it. Otherwise, the DDM-4000 is your only option ( combining midi controls, soundcard, effects, timecoding, 4 channels), for the budget you currently have.
    http://www.panoulix.gr
    http://www.myspace.com/panoulix
    http://www.facebook.com/panoulix

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    • jarble187
      vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
      • Sep 2004
      • 2047

      #3
      Re: Behringer DDM4000

      Thanks panoulix! Could you eleborate on your first and second points? # 3 I don't see being in issue. In a year or two, I may be ready to updgrade to a top shelf mixer. At the moment, Im strictly looking for functionality. That said, #1 & #2 are my main concern.

      I take care of my equipment and it wouldn't leave the studio, except for an occassional event and it would be in my care. Are the internal parts that are constantly being worked going to hold up? What are some of the negative sound quality issues I could expect?

      d.4pro.jpg
      That is pretty sexy!
      Push the envelope, watch it bend.


      www.kansascitytechno.com


      Wakarusa Dj Winter Classic Mix Submission Feb 2011

      Comment

      • panoulix
        MCast Resident DJ
        • Feb 2009
        • 737

        #4
        Re: Behringer DDM4000

        Hello and sorry for my late response.

        I've damaged enough Behringer mixers in live performance and at home in the past. Enough to learn not to trust again this company.
        Concerning sound quality, you get what you pay for. Cheap components will reproduce cheap sound.

        It is like expecting to get the same horsepower and handlings on a Daewoo and BMW.

        I would trust KAM or Citronic much more than Behringer (concerning low budget solutions), but I think you're not gonna find a solution that offers as much as the DDM-4000 does, so honestly the choice is yours. So far I neither heard of bad comments regarding the DDM-4000, but nor good ones, so I cannot tell you for sure whether you should buy it or not.

        If it was a DJX series mixer which is an ULTRACRAP series, then I would advice you to avoid them with your eyes closed.
        But since your budget is limited, then you should decide what is best for you and your pocket.

        The problems I had with the DJX series were: Crossfader noise, I damaged the effector of 2 units in one day, shitty sound with too much hiss and not well balanced.

        The problems I had with VMX series were: unstable sound output, crossfader problem (very easy worn out), shitty and unstable gain knobs and gain amplification circuit.


        I insist on the Mackie d.4 Pro, not only because I had it in the past and I was very very satisfied (I prefer it much more to the Pioneer DJM-800 and no, I'm not overreacting on that, because I know these mixers pretty well).

        So if you can find a bargain (as Mackie announced an End Of Life to ALL of their DJ products) on a used or stock item, then go for it with the eyes closed and f*ck the Behringer for sure .
        http://www.panoulix.gr
        http://www.myspace.com/panoulix
        http://www.facebook.com/panoulix

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        • jarble187
          vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
          • Sep 2004
          • 2047

          #5
          Re: Behringer DDM4000

          Appreciate the response! You really touched on my key concerns and confirmed my fears. I know that in the long run, even though its not cheap, a well made investment will prove to be a more stable and a better product.
          Push the envelope, watch it bend.


          www.kansascitytechno.com


          Wakarusa Dj Winter Classic Mix Submission Feb 2011

          Comment

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