Small update: in the main menu, setting the BPM range to 'MIDI Clock' and enable the clock in the MIDI setup, works really well to sync the digitakt. You set the bpm in the midi setup. Setting both the digitakt and db4 tot the same bpm yielded very good and steady results. This works best when your set has a steady bpm of course :) otherwise you need to change the clock bpm in the midi setup when going from track to track.
You can actually sync the db4 to external midi clock. You need to get a small "usb midi host" device. Connect the usb of the db4 to it and midi output from the Digitakt. In the BPM Range settings of DB4 set it to MIDI Clock.
MrVoonix did you actually try this and got it to work? as far as I know and as I've pointed out in earlier posts, the usb of the db4 isn't class compliant so this won't work. The only way you can sync the DB4 to an external clock is with use of a computer because the DB4 USB needs drivers to work. If you got this to actually work, what midi interface did you use?
Hey Dave. Based on this vid. I'm about ready to pull the trigger on one of these. One thing I need to know is how steady/stable is the looper when using the internal BPM midi clock? So for instance, lets say you have DB4 and DK set to 130bpm. 4/4 kick on DK into DB4. You set DB4 for a one bar loop. Hit sample button on 1, it should then record all 4 bars, but only play the one you set it to, while at the same time cutting the live input (correct). Then if you let it play for like 5 minutes, if you then cut the looper so it's playing the live input, theoretically you should not be able to tell because the beat should match up if the DB4 is stable. This is really the main thing I need, but I don't have one I can test with. I'd imagine for the price, and for how long thing this has been out, that it's gotta work pretty solidly with the number of techno DJ's using it that need solid tempo... Right? Please say "right"... :)
The Drümünkey hey, thanks for watching. I'll try to check it out for you tomorrow. It is pretty steady that when I use it with digitakt, but 5 minutes I'm not sure of. Midi isn't 100% full proof when it comes to unsynced timing across different hardware, so a little drift over many minutes is to be expected. Ill let you know.
Great video and review. I love this mixer so much I sold a Xone 92 to buy it, sold all my gear a few years later, and then re-bought this mixer again when I bought new gear. Truly unlike any mixer on the market currently, and this thing is 10 years old now. I am having a hard time giving myself permission to sell it since nothing else comes close to the control and manipulation available through it. Truly incredible piece of gear.
Nice one, i use this for my dj sets, very easy to completely change a track. Also used it together with ableton and push using the db4 as my 4 channel sound card playing different clips on 4 channels creating tracks on the go...together with studio grade fx its awesome, best thing i ever bought..
While this may be a great choice if you have the money, I prefer a traditional mixer with digitakt running in one channel and synths running through the others. Plenty of routing options once you get up to 12-16 channels. I send one aux to delay/looper/reverb and another to just room reverb. Built in effects can be great but I find them to be hit or miss and prefer using effects I already own and love. I use a Mackie 1642 if anyone is interested. Cool video Dave! I'm sure the EQ on the Allen and Heath is top notch.
This machine is really awesome! I wanted to buy a djm900nxs, but this video turns my choice into the db4. Thnx for showing the effects and stuff, great job!
In one. It is an instrument. It mixes. The but is that it is designed to sculpt sound. There are scalpels and there are 14lb sledge hammers to shape and mash. I am always excited by the different ways that the artists make their own workflow and sound. Getting to know a DB4 is a huge challenge. I think it is that challenge and the way that it releases a renewed inventiveness in its users that adds to our world. It put a smile on my face.
Thanks for the great video, I've just bought a Xone DB4 and it's an incredible machine, I'm not even scratching the surface on what this baby can do but I'm having so much fun!
Played around Ableton till made this mixer setup with audio sends and returns. It's kinda game changer for live jaming with ableton for me. Great video!
❤ thanks you for taking care of this. I watched this one About a 4 times. . Thanks for sharing before I buy it and understand what i need and how to eating with this ~ what is what and is what...I need ? 🤫
Nice video! I think I saw a thread on Elektronauts forum where you were talking about this setup I own both of these machines and was just thinking of using them together when I found your video! But I never thought of using it for production and I will since the internal soundcard is way better than my sound card ! Nice to see how you use this mixer, like you said it is so versatile and let you be so creative with it and every artist I see has different usage of it, I knew you can route same input to different channels but couldn’t figure out how to use it properly, your way is really cool, especially with the crossfader, I’ll experiment with that! Really like the effects Hall 480 is my favourite reverb too! I’m working on an hybrid set with Digitakt And Analog Four + Vinyles thought it could be really cool
looks like a great mixer. I use a Keith McMillen K-mix that has delay/reverb/compression and great touch pad plus audio interface and works great for small outboard mixer.
Yes great mixer, you can make new loops just from one sound and different fx. You inspired me to get one. The only thing I hate is where the fx on sand off are placed, but I guess there wasn’t much room left. Be nice if it had jack ins as well as the phono rca. Imagine an 8 track version or two layers of four. Also they really need to stick a liner curve when you switch to rotary mixing. Mine came with a noisey channel, I’m kind of tempted by Qu16 , but the loopers are so much fun.
I love the placement of the fx on and off buttons because I can use them at the same time while using the filter and fader. The placement is perfect for live imho :)
Been searching for a mixer and came upon your video. Looks like an amazing mixer. FX and looper are impressive. Years later is there anything that compares? The newer options don't look as feature rich. I run windows does it send usb audio per track? Any other recommemdations? Thanks
Still nothing on the market that compares unfortunately. Windows could work yes but please keep in mind that it is discontinued so I wouldn’t trust the stability. For me it caused problems in the end and I stopped using it as an audio interface. So best to view it as the awesome mixer that it is without the audio interface part
stumbled on this video when I was searching for A&H mixers, this mixer is discontinued in 2022, would be awesome if there would be a 2.0 version, focussed more synths ect
I was a Pioneer fan and that's why I wanted to buy the DJM-750MK2 but maybe I'll go for an Allen&Heath DB2 or 4 Mixer. Very informative and good video, thank you a lot! Instantly subscribed
Hey Dave, really appreciate this awesome demo as I'm looking at both live mixing and sampling options and you're video is very clear. Seeing you are an Elektron user and even beta tester of Overbridge I 'm wondering why you chose this mixer over an Octatrack. It seems like all the things you are describing here and more are available on an Octatrack. My knowledge of both devices is limited so I may be missing some fundamental facts though.
Hey Dave, amazing video. Few questions: 1) Where is analog heat mk2 in this setup? Did you decide not to use at all? 2) did you consider other options to make a transitions smoother? like external looper? 3) What about xone 96 vs this mixer? The only advantage is a looper here right?
Hi Vladimir, glad you enjoyed the video. 1. I have analog heat still in use on the master output of my live setup. If you want to learn more about my full setup look at my latest video on my channel. 2. Transitions are smooth already. I use the loopers extensively as well as the fx engines for this. 3. Not really. They are pretty much incomparable. Very different mixers. Db4 has a full fx engine per channel, loopers, switchable eq etc. (well, watch this video where I show what it has ;)) xone 96 is analog, 4 band eq and send returns with parametric eq etc. So they are both just very different
@@Davemech Thank you very much for your answer, I watched already this video, and this comment should be there and not here, I dunno why I made it here :) Thank you
Hey Dave, I’m a bit late to the party on this one, but I was wondering if you can use the looper on let’s say channel 1 loop to 4 bars of sound coming in, keep that sound going internally while adding effects (killing the original signal), and then use that sound as an incoming sound on another channel, allowing you to loop/record an already looped and effected sound, but on a new channel. Does that make sense?
Not directly but you can take the rec out back into an input (you could use the digital rec out into a digital input for example). In the settings menu set the rec output to “cue”. This way you can use the cue buttons to send a post fx signal to another channel and loop that etc. It’s a lot of fun and I use this technique very effectively:)
Hi mate! Thanks for this video! You inspired me cause I have a DB4 and I learned a lot from this video using synths with this fantastic mixer! But what do you think about a video using db4+digitakt+...digitone? ;)
Awesome review and music Dave! Quick question, the midi sync in/out is a big thing for my setup, which is the only thing holding me back from the DB4. I see that the A&H PX5 has this midi feature I need but would probably have to do without the looper or other great effects. Did you ever consider the PX5? Is there anything particularly you didn't like about it? Thanks!
Hee Dave. I've just watched your PX5 video and was wondering what mixer you prefer, PX5 or DB4? I currently have the PX5 but was looking for more effects (pioneer style) than what the PX5 has to offer. What are your thoughts?
I prefer DB4 because of the input matrix and looper per channel. Also has nicer fx. Don’t expect pioneer style fx though. Db4 fx are much higher quality and more creative to use than the instant gratification fx from pioneer to be honest :). Nothing wrong with that but with pioneer it’s really a push of a button and there ya go. With db4 it’s more about layering and subtle fx use to really change tracks/ grooves etc.
Hey Dave. 3 years later, this video still the goto for creative use of this mixer. I have a question. I use a lot of vinyl and would like to be able to grab samples and loops on the fly from my mixer into my digitakt (or maybe an octatrack one day!). I would imagine a send return or aux send to the digitakt would make this easy. Is there a way to achieve this workflow with the db4? Thanks!
Hi! Check out my latest db4 video from last year. I explain there how you can use the headphone cue to achieve this. You can set the rec out to use the headphone cue. Then cue a channel to send it out of the rec out to digitakt :) . DT isn't really suited for real time loops though. It can be done but it's a bit quirky.
@@Davemech amazing. Thanks. Workflow question: if I have the db4 setup with the cue trick, how easy is it to switch back quickly to it being in headphone cue mode? How can I learn more about digitakt’s quirky live looping?
So, 5 months ago I purchased a A&H Xone DB4 mixer. Now, the power supply seems to be broken and A&H responds with a repair cost of 180 Euros stating the power supply unit isn’t covered in the Warranty clauses. The thing is that the mixer never left my house since I’m a beginner DJ and don’t go mobile for gigs.. Also, I don’t live in a cabin in the woods using some kind of electrical generator. So A&H, you can wave your warranty clauses as hard as you want; from a client perspective I feel that I’m not treated fairly !
Just found that video while I am waiting for my DB4. It was very helpfull ... now I am even more excited for it to arrive. The only thing the bothers me a bit is the clock issue - it would be even better if it had a midi out. Has anyone tried to use a hdmi stick for that with a slimed down windows xp and ableton or some other software?
Thanks for the video Dave. This mixer is truly amazing. By the time I could afford one there probably will be a new generation out, lol. I like the whisk btw I see what you did there ^^
Thanks Jonas! :) Second hand they're much cheaper so might be easier to acquire. There's also the DB2 which has a great feature set as well. Thanks for watching!
Hi Dave I took your approach on this mixer and Elektron gear and I’m loving it, very Dj style of playing live so it suits me well. I’m having issues with my DB4 picking up interference which is making static white noise on the output. I’ve read on line about EMF shielding at the back of the mixer not being good or correct, I opened mine up and found none there so I made my own and grounded it to the chassis. I still get noise from the issue from time to time and am not trusting the output for any gigs. Have you ever had such an issue?
Thanks! Hmmm no never had this issue. I would really recommend sending it to someone who can repair it. Mail A&H support for suggestions near you. You connected the db4 to a grounded power outlet?
Can you get independent outs with the sound card? That would be the cats ass if you could multi track into a DAW with this, it would turn it into a studio tool.
Yes. You get 4x stereo sends to daw. And you can assign everything very flexible. Like analog input, or channel pre-fader level or post fader level, mix out mic/Line in, REC out. Etc etc. Per send.
You were using the delay filter and speaking into the mic. Would it be possible to record a loop of you saying something in the mic on the DB4 or is that not possible within the DB4? Even if you can't do, it wouldn't be a deal breaker, as I think I've made my mind up and plan on getting the DB4. Awesome mixer. Thanks for the demo.
Hi Dave, I would have a question, please. Is it possible to use the DB4 solely as a FX mixer by plugging a synth into it, then output the DB4 to another soundcard input ? In other words, using its filters, looper and FXs without using its built in soundcard, when recording into ableton ? I play techno on modular synth, so i need to keep my DC coupled audio interface as active Ableton recording device. Thanks if you could comment on that. Cheers
Certainly! I have multiple videos on my channel showcasing this. Check out the 'db4 as fx' video. Simply use master or booth out to your audio interface
@@Davemech Thanks, another question please - does the DB4 allow to record individual outputs into ableton ? I would like to use the 4 channels, but also to keep them separately after being sent to this unit, instead of having just the master out being recorded. Many thanks for your feedback.
Great video Dave. Im looking to upgrade to this badboy when funds permit. Just wish it had midi. I suppose the wealth of features make up for the omission.
again, it is just a arduino project away from having a midi in (i mean it does run some midi protocol for the K2 via cat5). i ll chip in to the crowdfund if one supplies us with a geek willing to do our bidding
I keep thinking that putting 4 boxes in a suitcase would be the best way to do a PA because 4 channel DJ mixers are the "norm" and it's easy to put 4 elektron (or other) in a carry-on bag. And promoters will always have a 4 channel DJ mixer handy. The question becomes, can you deal with the Pioneer EFX, because it's probably going to be a Pioneer mixer at the club...
Yeah that’s doable. I’m not a fan of pioneer fx. Bit too “instant gratification” for my taste but they’re definitely useable. One thing to think about is that if there are djs also using that mixer this plan doesn’t really work as you have to unplug the cdjs from the mixer and plug your gear in. This is more or less a no go and chances are a promotor won’t be very happy with this ;). But if they have a second mixer in the back this is of course perfectly doable
I just got one of these and the looper is kind of awful if there isn’t a 4x4 beat going on. I have my analog 4 going into one of the channels but the loop gets out of sync quickly with melodic information. With beats it is fine but as soon as you feed it something other than rhythmic info it does whatever it wants. This seems to happen even when the effect is locked to the bpm I am working on. I also tried using a midi host to sync BPM from my MPC Live’s midi output to the usb input of the mixer and as you mention that does not work either. Lovely mixer but those issues should have been fixed long ago, the DB4 has been in the market for several years now. Last but not least, yes A&H should send you a royalty check. ; )
Thanks for the kind words :) In the bpm settings I set it to midi clock and then manually change the midi clock during my set when I speed up a bit for instance. It has been steady as a rock that way. It doesn't detect anything in that mode so it shouldn't act strange. What can happen is when you shorten the length of the loop and then go back to a lower length it is possible that the first beat is now off. But it's normal behavior. When you add a Xone k2 via xlink you can change the looper mode to always snap to the beat even when shortening it. Otherwise good timing is of the essence:) hope this helps! In a few weeks I'm uploading a new Xone video with some performance tricks and a routing hack by the way :)
Dave Mech Awesome, I will investigate that midi trick! Can’t wait for the next video. I am loving being able to transition from track to track using the looper as a mixer. A couple videos of my own should be coming up soon. Thanks for the inspiration on the mixer, great Live PA tool. Cheers.
do not expect a normal midi out, if you want to use its midi as controller, you ll need to connect via a laptop or some odder midi/usb converter. otherwise great mixer. to use a q-16 to route your subgroups through an UAD into your DB4 is overkill, or so they say
so you´ve been there too :) arduino nerdism is our last hope! and yes, i totally recommend a stage rack with the q-mixer (in racked format maybe -QU-sb/Qu-PAC for live application) + UAD apollo (and maybe a cheap patchbay). I don´t know how the Pre-Amps in the QU-sb/Qu-PAC are, but the Qu-16 ones are really swell there is a world in difference concerning your output resolution compared to the DB4 which sounds good, but not excellent, fat signal chains allow pre-parametric equing and pre-sidechained channel structures coming into your DB4, you will hear the sound have more solid frequential body to it. and: reroute back to the q-mixer to have effected channels (effectively you can use 4 in 2 effect routes simultaneously) compressed, gated and equed with a fully parametric master eq. i recommend you scour the 2nd hand market. it will pay off, since you can now a) record every track individually, record 2 different sums individually, or (and if you use a pc): record all subgroups individually coming out of the UAD. oh. now you have mix presets and monitoring and A/B mixes is now the easiest thing, pc not needed anymore since f.e the qu-16 multitracks to usb .
Hey Dave I love the videos ! I'm in love with the DB4.. but unfortunately prices are so high! Do you recommend other similar type of mixers that also have FX per channel as well?
Hey Dave, great work. Also in the other video that brought me here. Do you do any shows in or around Utrecht? I'd love to see you live sometime! I have a question as well...maybe you have an answer for it. You mention you've sold your audio interface. I happen to be in the market for one. Now, I've looked into multi-input interfaces, 4-tracks, digital recording mixers and analog recording mixers. I have analog equipment that I'd prefer to convert only once - on its way to the DAW. Do you think this DB4 would be a viable option for what I want to do? Since these things are labeled as "Club mixers", it never occurred to me that a DJ mixer might be the way to go. It seems so much more fun than traditional recording mixers that I'm seriously considering it. Hope to hear from you. Hope to see some inspiring videos as well. Groeten!
Hi Johannes, thanks a lot! Working hard on getting some gigs going. Best to follow me on facebook.com/davemechlive . Regarding your question: It depends a bit on the amount of gear you have and will have in the future. It's not really meant for that purpose but it's workable. You'd need jack to rca cables though, and it has 4 stereo inputs. Loads of routing options though. I'm unsure if it would be the right thing for you because I don't know exactly what your setup is. Feel free to contactme through facebook to have a little chat. Cheers
It has 4 separate BPM detactors. Yes you can tap, but imho best is to set the clock manually via the internal midi clock. That is fixed for all for channels though.
Have you ever tried using the extended loop function with a K2 controller??? I think you could fix your midi sync problem if you used a DAW and the DB4 was your master clock. You would just have to route the midi out of your DAW to your Elektrons while using the DB4 as your master clock.
Yeah, look for my video about the K2 with db4 "db4 tricks". I dont use a daw live :) . manually setting the bpm works perfect. 👍🏻 (Bpm setting: midi clock, at midi settings set the bpm).
Joris Visser cheers mate! I do sometimes, but not a lot. Mostly because I have many other ways to create new rhythms / grooves / funkyness. I tend to use them within a break sometimes to create a climax for instance.
Really depends on your budget and what priorities you have. Db2 is a bit cheaper. The db4 is quite unique in that it has the fx unit per channel etc. So a budget mixer will probably only have a central fx that you can use on the master or a specific channel. If you already have hardware fx you could consider the xone:43 with its send/return.
Hi Dave, great video dude. I am considering trading in my Qu16mixer for this DB4 and was wondering if the soundcard in this sounds really good for recording into Ableton? Thanks in advance.
The soundcard sounds great. It is however quite old as this mixer is already 9 years old. But latency is pretty low, sound quality is good. But if you are on Mac, upgrading to the latest OSX Catalina might cause problems. I'm on windows 10 myself and it works fine.
Hi Dave, do you have any idea why the current a&h mixers dont have an input matrix like db2 or db4? I think this concept is pretty cool and is very versatile.
Hi Dave - i have a DigiTone, a Moog Grandmother, an Akai AX-73,a Deepmind 12, a Roland JD-xi, and a couple of Micro Korg´s - a 16 gig MacBook i7 from 2012 , a heap of mixers Mackies 1204 and Mackie and a Mackie and a... well - i want to have a SAMPLER : What would you recommend - im really torn here - Im down to 3(4) units a Virus , or an Octatrack, or one maybe a doublepack of Digitakt´s like yours ... what would you recommend , and why ? Thanx for some fine content , Meister Mech,- :-)
Since you already have a lot of synths and laptop, I'd go for a single DT. DT + Digitone is already endless amounts of creative possibilities. Octatrack is very deep and would maybe take away focus from all the other gear. Virus is more of a synth in focus than a sampler. Two DTs is fun but it's better to look at why you would need two. I think with one DT you'll add a very quick sampler to your range of hardware and it connects nicely to your Mac as well (although check if your OS supports overbridge)
When you start the looper, does it mute the incoming input volume after it records or is it acting more as an echo style effect and effecting the incoming audio in real time? I use the roll effect/channel transfer feature on Pioneer mixers and was curious if it worked in the same manner.
The looper starts recording when you press it. Once it has recorded the length that was chosen the input signal is muted and only the loop is audible. Very convenient :)
Great video Dave! 👍 I wonder if I can send audio via usb from an Mpc Live to the Db4. And could Db4 link vía the i:link with a dj media player? Anyone? Thank you!
No in both cases unfortunately. It doesn't have a class compliant USB audio interface. It needs drivers to run. Which currently only work on windows. Xlink protocol is specifically for the xone K2 and nothing else. Still, great mixer :) Checkout xone96 which does have a class compliant USB. Can even connect an ipad to it
Re:fx channels. Are you saying that channel 3&4 are just fx, so you’ll run synth into 2 channels at once... but since most of those fx are kinda send fx, and I don’t think you can kill the dry, don’t you run into issue of master output jumping once you open an fx channel?
The Drümünkey that's how I use it, the 4 channels are identical. It's not just send fx. There are 3 different options. Watch the video from around 19:30 minutes. I go into detail.
This is going to end up being the most expensive video I’ve watched so far this year! I’ve always suspected there was a way to do this kind of thing with my Rytm and a DJ mixer, but I could never wrap my head around how to simulate multiple tacks. I’ve tried a bunch of loopers, and it never got where I wanted it to. This looks like the end of my journey... or rather the beginning of a really long new one!
Hey Dave! Nice video! I have a DB4 since a few years that I use a lot with Traktor. I just updated to Catalina and I cant seem to use it as an external mixer anymore! Do you have any advice other than going back to a previous OS? Cheers, Vedran
Heya, unfortunately db4 is not yet supported in Catalina. If you go to the db4 support page under software you'll see the notification about this. It's being worked on but I'm guessing currently there are other priorities because of corona....best to roll back to previous Mac OSX. Cheers and take care!
Here is the official statement from A&H i got this morning. Lets hope it comes soon: Hi Vedran, Thanks for the message. The correct operation of this product with macOS Catalina is not yet verified by our development and test departments. As a result, macOS Catalina is not currently supported. We currently have beta drivers in test for Catalina and hope to have something available soon, however, we do not have an ETA on when these will be made available for the DB4. If you have already updated the OS, then your options from here would be to either rollback the OS, or set up a partition on the hard drive and create a dual boot system. support.apple.com/en_GB/downloads/macos We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
"DB4 can generate internal MIDI clock which can be used to control the tempo of a connected DAW via USB" it also seems that the DB4 spits out class compliant MIDI so you could use that as your master MIDI clock and convert it from USB MIDI to DIN MIDI through an iConnectivity MIDI interface to synchronize your Digitakts.
Hmmmm tough question . Db4 does have soft RIAA to cope with vinyl so it's definitely possible. It comes down to what you want to do. If you want to go crazy with loopers and fx it's definitely a great mixer. If you want to keep it as analog as possible I'd stick with xone96 and add external fx and an external looper .
Thanks for your review! I have a question. Would you say that DB4 is especially useful because you create music on the fly? Would something simpler, like a Pioneer be better for “traditional” DJs? I read a lot of people complain that DB4 is too complicated / too many buttons, etc. I want to make music live, like you. So I am wondering if the complexity of DB4 is actually beneficial for live “laptopless” setup :). Thank you.
Thanks for watching avaku! Well, I personally like complexity because it lets me dive deep. For a pure DJ setup I think I wouldn't buy this. Mostly because Pioneer is the standard in every club, so you wouldn't be able to do the things you practised at home. For a live setup this is different. You choose the gear you want to gig with. The DB4 certainly has enough depth to create breaks and creative improvisations live. It does take practice to create the muscle memory to navigate on it quickly. Depending on the other gear you want to use, it's an amazing tool for live! Hope this helps :)
Hey man im planning on involving my push 2 into this ?? Any thoughts also is it required to buy the k2 midi control and that small machine ? Or is it just when i want to be laptopless ? . Btw does this mixer has a splitter for the headpones ? And its between this mixer and the a&h px5
Great vid but how have you connected the Digitakt to the DB4? It seems to be going out in stereo but into the mixer in mono . Curious because I'm thinking of getting the DB4 but after seeing this, the Digitakt too.
It's going stereo in as well but the L and R rca connectors are located beneath each other :). You need to use a 2xmono jack to 2xrca cable for this Digitakt is loads of fun. I have a lot of tutorials for it as well on my channel. Enjoy!
Bobby Z you don't need to route them 't Y for that per se. Simply leave the fader of those channels at zero and hit the que button of those channels :)
By any chance, is there a cheaper alternative to this mixer? A device with looper and crossfader that would allow smooth transitions with only one Digitakt?
Unfortunately not. You could maybe have a look at the mod duo FX. Very versatile and I'm sure there's a looper function possible in it as well possibly. Not entirely sure though.
Hi, xone db2 is also nice. However it lacks the loopers and fx per track. One thing it can do is put the two fx engines in series which is pretty cool. However to me the input matrix + looper per channel combination is the best thing abo it db4. So if you are looking for that, hold out and get a second hand db4 :)
Charles Cowper db2 doesn't have a looper per channel and only 2 fx which you can assign to channels as opposed to a dedicated fx section per channel. You can however use those fx in series on the db2 I think. The db4 provides more complex routing options on how to use and where to place each fx / eq section per channel as well. Best thing to do is pull up the spec sheets and see which fits your needs :). Thanks for watching!
Well it's about 12 years old and I used mine extensively:) so naturally I had to have it serviced at one point. Worked like new after that. But yeah good to keep in mind that at some point it might need some servicing like any mixer
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Small update: in the main menu, setting the BPM range to 'MIDI Clock' and enable the clock in the MIDI setup, works really well to sync the digitakt. You set the bpm in the midi setup. Setting both the digitakt and db4 tot the same bpm yielded very good and steady results. This works best when your set has a steady bpm of course :) otherwise you need to change the clock bpm in the midi setup when going from track to track.
You can actually sync the db4 to external midi clock. You need to get a small "usb midi host" device. Connect the usb of the db4 to it and midi output from the Digitakt. In the BPM Range settings of DB4 set it to MIDI Clock.
MrVoonix did you actually try this and got it to work? as far as I know and as I've pointed out in earlier posts, the usb of the db4 isn't class compliant so this won't work. The only way you can sync the DB4 to an external clock is with use of a computer because the DB4 USB needs drivers to work. If you got this to actually work, what midi interface did you use?
Ah I'm super sorry! I don't have a DB4 and only checked the manual of it to read about Midi clock via usb. Sorry for my wrong information!
Hey Dave. Based on this vid. I'm about ready to pull the trigger on one of these. One thing I need to know is how steady/stable is the looper when using the internal BPM midi clock? So for instance, lets say you have DB4 and DK set to 130bpm. 4/4 kick on DK into DB4. You set DB4 for a one bar loop. Hit sample button on 1, it should then record all 4 bars, but only play the one you set it to, while at the same time cutting the live input (correct). Then if you let it play for like 5 minutes, if you then cut the looper so it's playing the live input, theoretically you should not be able to tell because the beat should match up if the DB4 is stable. This is really the main thing I need, but I don't have one I can test with. I'd imagine for the price, and for how long thing this has been out, that it's gotta work pretty solidly with the number of techno DJ's using it that need solid tempo... Right? Please say "right"... :)
The Drümünkey hey, thanks for watching. I'll try to check it out for you tomorrow. It is pretty steady that when I use it with digitakt, but 5 minutes I'm not sure of. Midi isn't 100% full proof when it comes to unsynced timing across different hardware, so a little drift over many minutes is to be expected. Ill let you know.
Great video and review. I love this mixer so much I sold a Xone 92 to buy it, sold all my gear a few years later, and then re-bought this mixer again when I bought new gear. Truly unlike any mixer on the market currently, and this thing is 10 years old now. I am having a hard time giving myself permission to sell it since nothing else comes close to the control and manipulation available through it. Truly incredible piece of gear.
I come back to this video fairly often, such a brilliant and inspiring demonstration of a very unique mixer. Thank you!
Nice 😀 yeah it really is. I'm working on a new solo set and db4 is back in the game. It's still unparalleled!
Nice one, i use this for my dj sets, very easy to completely change a track. Also used it together with ableton and push using the db4 as my 4 channel sound card playing different clips on 4 channels creating tracks on the go...together with studio grade fx its awesome, best thing i ever bought..
While this may be a great choice if you have the money, I prefer a traditional mixer with digitakt running in one channel and synths running through the others. Plenty of routing options once you get up to 12-16 channels. I send one aux to delay/looper/reverb and another to just room reverb. Built in effects can be great but I find them to be hit or miss and prefer using effects I already own and love. I use a Mackie 1642 if anyone is interested. Cool video Dave! I'm sure the EQ on the Allen and Heath is top notch.
This machine is really awesome! I wanted to buy a djm900nxs, but this video turns my choice into the db4. Thnx for showing the effects and stuff, great job!
Thanks for the video. That is amazing mixer! Just put order in. Cant wait to use this beast.
Awesome, enjoy!
Love the chopsticks for sample chopping and the whisk for mixing :'-)
Nijnvenijn good catch :)
Noo!!! i wanted to write that comment :D
For anybody that’s interested, I’ve had mine slaved to Ableton and it seems very solid, as do the audio drivers , so far at least.
H4NDCRAFTED still recommend it? I’ve been considering using this as my main interface
Do you mean the db4?
Tried DB4... It's amazing, even with one source. So many directions can be taken. An instrument on it's own. Thanks for the recommandation.
In one. It is an instrument. It mixes. The but is that it is designed to sculpt sound. There are scalpels and there are 14lb sledge hammers to shape and mash. I am always excited by the different ways that the artists make their own workflow and sound. Getting to know a DB4 is a huge challenge. I think it is that challenge and the way that it releases a renewed inventiveness in its users that adds to our world. It put a smile on my face.
Wow You just sold me this mixer! Very good stuff, your live videos also. Thanks a million for breaking it down, I learnt a lot!
Happy to share! Thanks and have fun with your DB4 :)
Always go lap topless. Nice video, man.
Best mixer period. Sound quality cannot be beat...
It's a beast :)
I have this mixer and it's really a best mixer of the world !
Thanks for the great video, I've just bought a Xone DB4 and it's an incredible machine, I'm not even scratching the surface on what this baby can do but I'm having so much fun!
Great to hear! It's incredible indeed. I recorded a new db4 video showing some neat performance tricks and more. Hope to release it within a few weeks
Played around Ableton till made this mixer setup with audio sends and returns. It's kinda game changer for live jaming with ableton for me. Great video!
Thank you!
Wow. Was unaware the Xone had those features. Thanks.
that mixer and combo with the Digitakt is my wet dream
❤ thanks you for taking care of this. I watched this one About a 4 times. . Thanks for sharing before I buy it and understand what i need and how to eating with this ~ what is what and is what...I need ? 🤫
Nice video! I think I saw a thread on Elektronauts forum where you were talking about this setup
I own both of these machines and was just thinking of using them together when I found your video! But I never thought of using it for production and I will since the internal soundcard is way better than my sound card !
Nice to see how you use this mixer, like you said it is so versatile and let you be so creative with it and every artist I see has different usage of it, I knew you can route same input to different channels but couldn’t figure out how to use it properly, your way is really cool, especially with the crossfader, I’ll experiment with that!
Really like the effects Hall 480 is my favourite reverb too!
I’m working on an hybrid set with Digitakt And Analog Four + Vinyles thought it could be really cool
Thanks for watching and the kind words Antoine! Sounds like a cool setup as well :)
I have one also...Best shit ever ;)..and the sound quality is top notch.
looks like a great mixer. I use a Keith McMillen K-mix that has delay/reverb/compression and great touch pad plus audio interface and works great for small outboard mixer.
Yes great mixer, you can make new loops just from one sound and different fx. You inspired me to get one. The only thing I hate is where the fx on sand off are placed, but I guess there wasn’t much room left. Be nice if it had jack ins as well as the phono rca. Imagine an 8 track version or two layers of four.
Also they really need to stick a liner curve when you switch to rotary mixing.
Mine came with a noisey channel, I’m kind of tempted by Qu16 , but the loopers are so much fun.
I love the placement of the fx on and off buttons because I can use them at the same time while using the filter and fader. The placement is perfect for live imho :)
Wow looks like it's in a league of it's own, so many possibilities
Been searching for a mixer and came upon your video. Looks like an amazing mixer. FX and looper are impressive. Years later is there anything that compares? The newer options don't look as feature rich. I run windows does it send usb audio per track? Any other recommemdations? Thanks
Still nothing on the market that compares unfortunately. Windows could work yes but please keep in mind that it is discontinued so I wouldn’t trust the stability. For me it caused problems in the end and I stopped using it as an audio interface. So best to view it as the awesome mixer that it is without the audio interface part
Agreed. #1 mixer in the world!!
The DB4 is the most beautiful and expressive mixer I ever seen in my life. And Ive bought 11 different mixers in my life. Including (cough) Pioneer
after listening for 6-7 min i couldn't hold myself and skipped forward to hear the digitakt ... i picked 10:00 and was NOT disappointed!
Thanks for watching :)
stumbled on this video when I was searching for A&H mixers, this mixer is discontinued in 2022, would be awesome if there would be a 2.0 version, focussed more synths ect
I wholeheartedly agree!
Superb video!
Awesome techno vibes man, someone has been listening to alot of Robert Hood! Excellent :)
omg they did the pingpong screensaver. I would spend hours watching it waiting to hit the perfect angle.. just like the old DVD screensavers did!
I was a Pioneer fan and that's why I wanted to buy the DJM-750MK2 but maybe I'll go for an Allen&Heath DB2 or 4 Mixer.
Very informative and good video, thank you a lot! Instantly subscribed
DB2 is awesome, I'm sure DB4 is even better!
Thanks for this. I was wondering what could be done with one of these bad boys.
nice
I used to have db4
but had problems syncing them, and had to nudge all the time... :( Good to see it works
Hey Dave, really appreciate this awesome demo as I'm looking at both live mixing and sampling options and you're video is very clear. Seeing you are an Elektron user and even beta tester of Overbridge I 'm wondering why you chose this mixer over an Octatrack. It seems like all the things you are describing here and more are available on an Octatrack. My knowledge of both devices is limited so I may be missing some fundamental facts though.
Octatrack is an entirely different instrument imho. Very cool device, but apples and oranges when compared to a dedicated mixer.
at first I was happy that I fond out about this, now I hate you for making me want a 2500$ mixer XD
XC3N haha! Enjoy! ;)
Hey Dave, amazing video. Few questions:
1) Where is analog heat mk2 in this setup? Did you decide not to use at all?
2) did you consider other options to make a transitions smoother? like external looper?
3) What about xone 96 vs this mixer? The only advantage is a looper here right?
Hi Vladimir, glad you enjoyed the video.
1. I have analog heat still in use on the master output of my live setup. If you want to learn more about my full setup look at my latest video on my channel.
2. Transitions are smooth already. I use the loopers extensively as well as the fx engines for this.
3. Not really. They are pretty much incomparable. Very different mixers. Db4 has a full fx engine per channel, loopers, switchable eq etc. (well, watch this video where I show what it has ;)) xone 96 is analog, 4 band eq and send returns with parametric eq etc. So they are both just very different
@@Davemech Thank you very much for your answer, I watched already this video, and this comment should be there and not here, I dunno why I made it here :) Thank you
@@probarsukov Haha I had the feeling that was the case. Cheers!
I use a xone DB2 a long time for my live PA. I switch now for cable convenience, but I miss it time to time
Hey Dave, I’m a bit late to the party on this one, but I was wondering if you can use the looper on let’s say channel 1 loop to 4 bars of sound coming in, keep that sound going internally while adding effects (killing the original signal), and then use that sound as an incoming sound on another channel, allowing you to loop/record an already looped and effected sound, but on a new channel. Does that make sense?
Not directly but you can take the rec out back into an input (you could use the digital rec out into a digital input for example). In the settings menu set the rec output to “cue”. This way you can use the cue buttons to send a post fx signal to another channel and loop that etc. It’s a lot of fun and I use this technique very effectively:)
Hi mate! Thanks for this video! You inspired me cause I have a DB4 and I learned a lot from this video using synths with this fantastic mixer! But what do you think about a video using db4+digitakt+...digitone? ;)
Giacomo Di Paolo great to hear dude! Would love to do a video of those, but I don't own a digitone (yet). Maybe later this year :)
Awesome review and music Dave! Quick question, the midi sync in/out is a big thing for my setup, which is the only thing holding me back from the DB4. I see that the A&H PX5 has this midi feature I need but would probably have to do without the looper or other great effects. Did you ever consider the PX5? Is there anything particularly you didn't like about it? Thanks!
Hee Dave. I've just watched your PX5 video and was wondering what mixer you prefer, PX5 or DB4? I currently have the PX5 but was looking for more effects (pioneer style) than what the PX5 has to offer. What are your thoughts?
I prefer DB4 because of the input matrix and looper per channel. Also has nicer fx. Don’t expect pioneer style fx though. Db4 fx are much higher quality and more creative to use than the instant gratification fx from pioneer to be honest :). Nothing wrong with that but with pioneer it’s really a push of a button and there ya go. With db4 it’s more about layering and subtle fx use to really change tracks/ grooves etc.
Hey Dave. 3 years later, this video still the goto for creative use of this mixer. I have a question. I use a lot of vinyl and would like to be able to grab samples and loops on the fly from my mixer into my digitakt (or maybe an octatrack one day!). I would imagine a send return or aux send to the digitakt would make this easy. Is there a way to achieve this workflow with the db4? Thanks!
Hi! Check out my latest db4 video from last year. I explain there how you can use the headphone cue to achieve this. You can set the rec out to use the headphone cue. Then cue a channel to send it out of the rec out to digitakt :) . DT isn't really suited for real time loops though. It can be done but it's a bit quirky.
@@Davemech amazing. Thanks. Workflow question: if I have the db4 setup with the cue trick, how easy is it to switch back quickly to it being in headphone cue mode? How can I learn more about digitakt’s quirky live looping?
So, 5 months ago I purchased a A&H Xone DB4 mixer. Now, the power supply seems to be broken and A&H responds with a repair cost of 180 Euros stating the power supply unit isn’t covered in the Warranty clauses. The thing is that the mixer never left my house since I’m a beginner DJ and don’t go mobile for gigs.. Also, I don’t live in a cabin in the woods using some kind of electrical generator. So A&H, you can wave your warranty clauses as hard as you want; from a client perspective I feel that I’m not treated fairly !
Very interesting demo. Thank you
Just found that video while I am waiting for my DB4. It was very helpfull ... now I am even more excited for it to arrive. The only thing the bothers me a bit is the clock issue - it would be even better if it had a midi out. Has anyone tried to use a hdmi stick for that with a slimed down windows xp and ableton or some other software?
Changing the clock manually as my set progresses has been working well for me. The clock is rock solid.
@@Davemech It arrived yesterday and it works as you set. I am really happy with the mixer!
fuck man... the amount of options with this thing is insane! endless fun! awesome videos Dave, thanks man :)
Man, you can use this as a effects unit, intresting! Nice vid 👍🕺
Thanks for the video Dave. This mixer is truly amazing. By the time I could afford one there probably will be a new generation out, lol. I like the whisk btw I see what you did there ^^
Thanks Jonas! :) Second hand they're much cheaper so might be easier to acquire. There's also the DB2 which has a great feature set as well. Thanks for watching!
Hi Dave I took your approach on this mixer and Elektron gear and I’m loving it, very Dj style of playing live so it suits me well. I’m having issues with my DB4 picking up interference which is making static white noise on the output. I’ve read on line about EMF shielding at the back of the mixer not being good or correct, I opened mine up and found none there so I made my own and grounded it to the chassis. I still get noise from the issue from time to time and am not trusting the output for any gigs. Have you ever had such an issue?
Thanks!
Hmmm no never had this issue. I would really recommend sending it to someone who can repair it. Mail A&H support for suggestions near you. You connected the db4 to a grounded power outlet?
holy shit that reverb sounds unbelievable
yes it is for sure a fine mixer... Just takes a little getting used to. What is not to like?!
can we have part 2 of what you were doing? please
Can you get independent outs with the sound card? That would be the cats ass if you could multi track into a DAW with this, it would turn it into a studio tool.
Yes. You get 4x stereo sends to daw. And you can assign everything very flexible. Like analog input, or channel pre-fader level or post fader level, mix out mic/Line in, REC out. Etc etc. Per send.
@@Davemech very nice it really is a electronic instrument while being a mixer
You were using the delay filter and speaking into the mic. Would it be possible to record a loop of you saying something in the mic on the DB4 or is that not possible within the DB4? Even if you can't do, it wouldn't be a deal breaker, as I think I've made my mind up and plan on getting the DB4. Awesome mixer. Thanks for the demo.
Yes you can loop your voice. It's pre fx though, but there are workarounds to loop post fx as well :)
@@Davemech Awesome. Thanks!
Hi Dave,
I would have a question, please. Is it possible to use the DB4 solely as a FX mixer by plugging a synth into it, then output the DB4 to another soundcard input ?
In other words, using its filters, looper and FXs without using its built in soundcard, when recording into ableton ?
I play techno on modular synth, so i need to keep my DC coupled audio interface as active Ableton recording device.
Thanks if you could comment on that. Cheers
Certainly! I have multiple videos on my channel showcasing this. Check out the 'db4 as fx' video.
Simply use master or booth out to your audio interface
@@Davemech Thanks, another question please - does the DB4 allow to record individual outputs into ableton ?
I would like to use the 4 channels, but also to keep them separately after being sent to this unit, instead of having just the master out being recorded.
Many thanks for your feedback.
Great video Dave. Im looking to upgrade to this badboy when funds permit. Just wish it had midi. I suppose the wealth of features make up for the omission.
Yeah it's a strange omission, but it's no deal breaker imho. You'll love it :)
again, it is just a arduino project away from having a midi in (i mean it does run some midi protocol for the K2 via cat5). i ll chip in to the crowdfund if one supplies us with a geek willing to do our bidding
great video - what a beast of a mixer!
I keep thinking that putting 4 boxes in a suitcase would be the best way to do a PA because 4 channel DJ mixers are the "norm" and it's easy to put 4 elektron (or other) in a carry-on bag. And promoters will always have a 4 channel DJ mixer handy. The question becomes, can you deal with the Pioneer EFX, because it's probably going to be a Pioneer mixer at the club...
Yeah that’s doable. I’m not a fan of pioneer fx. Bit too “instant gratification” for my taste but they’re definitely useable.
One thing to think about is that if there are djs also using that mixer this plan doesn’t really work as you have to unplug the cdjs from the mixer and plug your gear in. This is more or less a no go and chances are a promotor won’t be very happy with this ;). But if they have a second mixer in the back this is of course perfectly doable
Best Xone BD4 review
D B thank you!
So where can I find part 2 till 4 of this walkthrough? 😉
Haha well there are 2 more dedicated videos about db4 on my channel. Look, subscribe and you shall find ;)
I just got one of these and the looper is kind of awful if there isn’t a 4x4 beat going on. I have my analog 4 going into one of the channels but the loop gets out of sync quickly with melodic information. With beats it is fine but as soon as you feed it something other than rhythmic info it does whatever it wants. This seems to happen even when the effect is locked to the bpm I am working on.
I also tried using a midi host to sync BPM from my MPC Live’s midi output to the usb input of the mixer and as you mention that does not work either. Lovely mixer but those issues should have been fixed long ago, the DB4 has been in the market for several years now.
Last but not least, yes A&H should send you a royalty check. ; )
Thanks for the kind words :)
In the bpm settings I set it to midi clock and then manually change the midi clock during my set when I speed up a bit for instance. It has been steady as a rock that way. It doesn't detect anything in that mode so it shouldn't act strange.
What can happen is when you shorten the length of the loop and then go back to a lower length it is possible that the first beat is now off. But it's normal behavior. When you add a Xone k2 via xlink you can change the looper mode to always snap to the beat even when shortening it. Otherwise good timing is of the essence:) hope this helps! In a few weeks I'm uploading a new Xone video with some performance tricks and a routing hack by the way :)
Dave Mech Awesome, I will investigate that midi trick! Can’t wait for the next video.
I am loving being able to transition from track to track using the looper as a mixer. A couple videos of my own should be coming up soon. Thanks for the inspiration on the mixer, great Live PA tool. Cheers.
@@Davemech I tried your trick yesterday and it worked really well, thanks! Also hope you are doing well I read what happened in Utrecht : (
@@ritec good to know! Yeah I'm good. Horrible what happened. Saddens me to see this in such a small homey city :(
do not expect a normal midi out, if you want to use its midi as controller, you ll need to connect via a laptop or some odder midi/usb converter. otherwise great mixer. to use a q-16 to route your subgroups through an UAD into your DB4 is overkill, or so they say
prallund feucht true, but even a usb to midi converter won't work. The USB on the db4 isn't class compliant.
so you´ve been there too :)
arduino nerdism is our last hope!
and yes, i totally recommend a stage rack with the q-mixer (in racked format maybe -QU-sb/Qu-PAC for live application) + UAD apollo (and maybe a cheap patchbay). I don´t know how the Pre-Amps in the QU-sb/Qu-PAC are, but the Qu-16 ones are really swell
there is a world in difference concerning your output resolution compared to the DB4 which sounds good, but not excellent, fat signal chains allow pre-parametric equing and pre-sidechained channel structures coming into your DB4, you will hear the sound have more solid frequential body to it.
and: reroute back to the q-mixer to have effected channels (effectively you can use 4 in 2 effect routes simultaneously)
compressed, gated and equed with a fully parametric master eq. i recommend you scour the 2nd hand market. it will pay off, since you can now a) record every track individually, record 2 different sums individually, or (and if you use a pc): record all subgroups individually coming out of the UAD. oh. now you have mix presets and monitoring and A/B mixes is now the easiest thing, pc not needed anymore since f.e the qu-16 multitracks to usb
.
Hey Dave I love the videos ! I'm in love with the DB4.. but unfortunately prices are so high! Do you recommend other similar type of mixers that also have FX per channel as well?
In combination with loopers and input matrix, db4 stands alone I'm afraid. Second hand prices are pretty low I think though!
Hey Dave, great work. Also in the other video that brought me here. Do you do any shows in or around Utrecht? I'd love to see you live sometime!
I have a question as well...maybe you have an answer for it. You mention you've sold your audio interface. I happen to be in the market for one. Now, I've looked into multi-input interfaces, 4-tracks, digital recording mixers and analog recording mixers. I have analog equipment that I'd prefer to convert only once - on its way to the DAW. Do you think this DB4 would be a viable option for what I want to do? Since these things are labeled as "Club mixers", it never occurred to me that a DJ mixer might be the way to go. It seems so much more fun than traditional recording mixers that I'm seriously considering it. Hope to hear from you. Hope to see some inspiring videos as well. Groeten!
Hi Johannes, thanks a lot! Working hard on getting some gigs going. Best to follow me on facebook.com/davemechlive . Regarding your question: It depends a bit on the amount of gear you have and will have in the future. It's not really meant for that purpose but it's workable. You'd need jack to rca cables though, and it has 4 stereo inputs. Loads of routing options though. I'm unsure if it would be the right thing for you because I don't know exactly what your setup is. Feel free to contactme through facebook to have a little chat. Cheers
I wish they would of had a send and return so you could route audio to the mic channel
Check out my tricks video for db4. There is a workaround to get a send return.
Hi. Does it has 4 bpm counter for 4 channels?? Also can we do manually tape for bpm?? Tks
It has 4 separate BPM detactors. Yes you can tap, but imho best is to set the clock manually via the internal midi clock. That is fixed for all for channels though.
labtopless... luv it
Have you ever tried using the extended loop function with a K2 controller??? I think you could fix your midi sync problem if you used a DAW and the DB4 was your master clock. You would just have to route the midi out of your DAW to your Elektrons while using the DB4 as your master clock.
Yeah, look for my video about the K2 with db4 "db4 tricks".
I dont use a daw live :) . manually setting the bpm works perfect. 👍🏻 (Bpm setting: midi clock, at midi settings set the bpm).
Do a video using a 4/4 beat and testing the effects
Great vid again! Question: Do you use the loopers on your dedicated effect channels as well?
Joris Visser cheers mate! I do sometimes, but not a lot. Mostly because I have many other ways to create new rhythms / grooves / funkyness. I tend to use them within a break sometimes to create a climax for instance.
What somewhat more budget friendly mixers should I consider for a similar live use case?
Really depends on your budget and what priorities you have. Db2 is a bit cheaper. The db4 is quite unique in that it has the fx unit per channel etc. So a budget mixer will probably only have a central fx that you can use on the master or a specific channel. If you already have hardware fx you could consider the xone:43 with its send/return.
Dave Mech thanks for your reply, I appreciate it!
Hi Dave, great video dude. I am considering trading in my Qu16mixer for this DB4 and was wondering if the soundcard in this sounds really good for recording into Ableton? Thanks in advance.
The soundcard sounds great. It is however quite old as this mixer is already 9 years old. But latency is pretty low, sound quality is good. But if you are on Mac, upgrading to the latest OSX Catalina might cause problems. I'm on windows 10 myself and it works fine.
@@Davemech the db2 audio interface won't work on Mac. I'd get the Xone px5
would you get a db4 first or an octratrack first if you had to start all over again.
Well if I didn't have any other hardware, in that case an octatrack first because with a db4 alone I can't make music ;)
great overview tutorial!
Hi Dave,
do you have any idea why the current a&h mixers dont have an input matrix like db2 or db4? I think this concept is pretty cool and is very versatile.
Mainly because they don’t have a fully digital mixer in their lineup currently. I agree, it’s amazing :)
Hi Dave - i have a DigiTone, a Moog Grandmother, an Akai AX-73,a Deepmind 12, a Roland JD-xi, and a couple of Micro Korg´s - a 16 gig MacBook i7 from 2012 , a heap of mixers Mackies 1204 and Mackie and a Mackie and a... well - i want to have a SAMPLER : What would you recommend - im really torn here - Im down to 3(4) units a Virus , or an Octatrack, or one maybe a doublepack of Digitakt´s like yours ... what would you recommend , and why ? Thanx for some fine content , Meister Mech,- :-)
Since you already have a lot of synths and laptop, I'd go for a single DT. DT + Digitone is already endless amounts of creative possibilities. Octatrack is very deep and would maybe take away focus from all the other gear. Virus is more of a synth in focus than a sampler. Two DTs is fun but it's better to look at why you would need two. I think with one DT you'll add a very quick sampler to your range of hardware and it connects nicely to your Mac as well (although check if your OS supports overbridge)
When you start the looper, does it mute the incoming input volume after it records or is it acting more as an echo style effect and effecting the incoming audio in real time? I use the roll effect/channel transfer feature on Pioneer mixers and was curious if it worked in the same manner.
The looper starts recording when you press it. Once it has recorded the length that was chosen the input signal is muted and only the loop is audible. Very convenient :)
Great video Dave! 👍
I wonder if I can send audio via usb from an Mpc Live to the Db4. And could Db4 link vía the i:link with a dj media player? Anyone? Thank you!
No in both cases unfortunately. It doesn't have a class compliant USB audio interface. It needs drivers to run. Which currently only work on windows.
Xlink protocol is specifically for the xone K2 and nothing else.
Still, great mixer :)
Checkout xone96 which does have a class compliant USB. Can even connect an ipad to it
@@Davemech thanks a lot! I guess it's the same with the Xone Px5....
@@andoniecheveste8645 actually no :) PX5 also has a class compliant audio interface 👍🏻
@@Davemech Hey, nice one! 😄
Re:fx channels. Are you saying that channel 3&4 are just fx, so you’ll run synth into 2 channels at once... but since most of those fx are kinda send fx, and I don’t think you can kill the dry, don’t you run into issue of master output jumping once you open an fx channel?
The Drümünkey that's how I use it, the 4 channels are identical. It's not just send fx. There are 3 different options. Watch the video from around 19:30 minutes. I go into detail.
This is going to end up being the most expensive video I’ve watched so far this year! I’ve always suspected there was a way to do this kind of thing with my Rytm and a DJ mixer, but I could never wrap my head around how to simulate multiple tacks. I’ve tried a bunch of loopers, and it never got where I wanted it to. This looks like the end of my journey... or rather the beginning of a really long new one!
yea realy a nice mixer. i used the DB:2 for a while.... now i wish i had not sold it :-/
Hey Dave! Nice video! I have a DB4 since a few years that I use a lot with Traktor. I just updated to Catalina and I cant seem to use it as an external mixer anymore! Do you have any advice other than going back to a previous OS? Cheers, Vedran
Heya, unfortunately db4 is not yet supported in Catalina. If you go to the db4 support page under software you'll see the notification about this. It's being worked on but I'm guessing currently there are other priorities because of corona....best to roll back to previous Mac OSX. Cheers and take care!
@@Davemech Hi - yeah i saw that :( ok i will roll back. Thanks !
Here is the official statement from A&H i got this morning. Lets hope it comes soon:
Hi Vedran,
Thanks for the message.
The correct operation of this product with macOS Catalina is not yet verified by our development and test departments. As a result, macOS Catalina is not currently supported. We currently have beta drivers in test for Catalina and hope to have something available soon, however, we do not have an ETA on when these will be made available for the DB4.
If you have already updated the OS, then your options from here would be to either rollback the OS, or set up a partition on the hard drive and create a dual boot system. support.apple.com/en_GB/downloads/macos
We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.
@@vedrandj2999 thanks for sharing this 👍🏻
@@Davemech hey the new drivers are OUT :)
"DB4 can generate internal MIDI clock which can be used to control the tempo of a connected DAW via USB" it also seems that the DB4 spits out class compliant MIDI so you could use that as your master MIDI clock and convert it from USB MIDI to DIN MIDI through an iConnectivity MIDI interface to synchronize your Digitakts.
Sadly no. The USB isn't class compliant, so that won't work.
would it be a good mixer for spinning vinyl or should I stick to the xone 92/96?
Hmmmm tough question . Db4 does have soft RIAA to cope with vinyl so it's definitely possible. It comes down to what you want to do. If you want to go crazy with loopers and fx it's definitely a great mixer. If you want to keep it as analog as possible I'd stick with xone96 and add external fx and an external looper .
@@Davemech alright, i went with the second option. I really appreciate your input! 🥳👍
Any cheaper version of the xone line you suggest
Xone PX5 👍🏻 i have a deep dive tutorial and review on my channel about that one as well. Great mixer
@Dave Mech thanks
Thanks for your review! I have a question. Would you say that DB4 is especially useful because you create music on the fly? Would something simpler, like a Pioneer be better for “traditional” DJs? I read a lot of people complain that DB4 is too complicated / too many buttons, etc. I want to make music live, like you. So I am wondering if the complexity of DB4 is actually beneficial for live “laptopless” setup :). Thank you.
Thanks for watching avaku! Well, I personally like complexity because it lets me dive deep. For a pure DJ setup I think I wouldn't buy this. Mostly because Pioneer is the standard in every club, so you wouldn't be able to do the things you practised at home. For a live setup this is different. You choose the gear you want to gig with. The DB4 certainly has enough depth to create breaks and creative improvisations live. It does take practice to create the muscle memory to navigate on it quickly. Depending on the other gear you want to use, it's an amazing tool for live! Hope this helps :)
The DB4 eats the pioneer for breakfast....it takes a little time to get used to all the functions in there but after that !!
Robb Wood mixing+jam ,is perfect
Hey man im planning on involving my push 2 into this ?? Any thoughts also is it required to buy the k2 midi control and that small machine ? Or is it just when i want to be laptopless ? . Btw does this mixer has a splitter for the headpones ? And its between this mixer and the a&h px5
Great review mate !!! ;) Personally i own myslef DB4 but still there are a lot of things to learn ;)
85Davers thanks dude! Greatly appreciated :)
you're welcome mate ;)
Denon dn x1600 & x1700 have input matrixs as well
Great vid but how have you connected the Digitakt to the DB4? It seems to be going out in stereo but into the mixer in mono . Curious because I'm thinking of getting the DB4 but after seeing this, the Digitakt too.
It's going stereo in as well but the L and R rca connectors are located beneath each other :). You need to use a 2xmono jack to 2xrca cable for this
Digitakt is loads of fun. I have a lot of tutorials for it as well on my channel. Enjoy!
@@Davemech thanks, will check out
Looks great!
With routing the effects to the Y side of the fader does that mean you can here how the effect will be thru your headphones before you fade it in?
Bobby Z you don't need to route them 't Y for that per se. Simply leave the fader of those channels at zero and hit the que button of those channels :)
By any chance, is there a cheaper alternative to this mixer? A device with looper and crossfader that would allow smooth transitions with only one Digitakt?
Unfortunately not. You could maybe have a look at the mod duo FX. Very versatile and I'm sure there's a looper function possible in it as well possibly. Not entirely sure though.
Thanks man for such an inspirational video! I'm sold on the DB$, you should have commission :-))) Respekt!
dewbluezero hahaha, thanks man!!
What other mixer can you recommend
Xone px5, xone 92/96 with an external looper for example. There’s no real alternative to the db4 though unfortunately
@@Davemech db4 is really the best for elektron okay will look into it
@@Davemech DENON DJ X1850 maybe this has many effects
Hi just wondering do you think the db2 will be a good enough mixer, or should I hold out and save for the db4? Thanks
Hi, xone db2 is also nice. However it lacks the loopers and fx per track. One thing it can do is put the two fx engines in series which is pretty cool. However to me the input matrix + looper per channel combination is the best thing abo it db4. So if you are looking for that, hold out and get a second hand db4 :)
@Dave Mech Wow, still researching so too not familiar with the technical stuff. thanks
how does this compare to the DB2? Many thanks, great video.
Charles Cowper db2 doesn't have a looper per channel and only 2 fx which you can assign to channels as opposed to a dedicated fx section per channel. You can however use those fx in series on the db2 I think. The db4 provides more complex routing options on how to use and where to place each fx / eq section per channel as well. Best thing to do is pull up the spec sheets and see which fits your needs :). Thanks for watching!
Thanks, how about the PX5? :)
Charles Cowper very cool mixer for DJing I think, but not so much for live, at least, not for the way I work :)
Interesting thank you. I'm looking into ways to midi sync the DB4 without a computer. Have you tried the Kenton MIDI USB Host?
Charles Cowper sadly won't work. Db4 isn't usb class compliant.
Ive been searching for a unit for a while now, but im wondering. Ive heard that there is some hardware issues? have you experienced any?
Well it's about 12 years old and I used mine extensively:) so naturally I had to have it serviced at one point. Worked like new after that. But yeah good to keep in mind that at some point it might need some servicing like any mixer
Dave Mech I guess this makes Line 6 Helix(Audio Interface the winner, w/ Midi in and (1x Out OR Thru)?)