Rather than being set in stone, the design of DJ mixers needs to take account of changes in cueing and mixing techniques. Rob Green looks at the evolving market, and finds his £200 party-packs aren't quite three of a kind...

In the beginning, there was the studio mixing desk. Then came the portable mixer, usually with some EQ compromises, and from it evolved the DJ mixer.

You're lucky to get any EQ control at all on these babies, or if you do, you'll probably have it disabled or surgically removed by the venue's power-crazed sound engineer. And even in a domestic or party environment, EQ can always be tweaked at the amplification or graphic equaliser stage.

Instead, the design of DJ mixers is responding to the demands of the clubs, the effects dance music lends itself to, and the tricks DJs are using.

This can mean the provision of some basic onboard sampling or reverb, or possibly 'punch' or 'transform' keys. These allow a track to be introduced in fragments, as opposed to the traditional increments of the crossfader. It can be an effective tool in the right hands.

The market for basic starter models should not be underestimated. A lot of experimentation is required before going live, and most DJs will want to do this at home.

Having shelled out £500 or more for a pair of serviceable decks, there's not going to be much left in the kitty for a flash mixer. And why waste your time developing techniques you can't be sure you'll always have the equipment to repeat?

This month, we look at three entry-level DJ mixers around the £200 mark. Maplin's SM3090 and Kam's GM30 are Far-East manufactured, whereas Citronic's SM250 has origins closer to home in that corner of Wiltshire familiar to readers of Viz comic. Not that I'm about to let that prejudice my opinion of its performance.

Kam Made2Fade GM30TX

Kam's Made 2 Fade range of DJ mixers has a reputation for robust build quality, and the GM30 is no exception. It sports the same tough top panel and casing, as well as some handy little functions. Its beauty is certainly more than skin-deep.

The GM30 is a model of simplicity. You have phono and line channels A and B, a master fader, a cue fader, a cue crossfader (for fading between the channel A and B signals in your headphones), a replaceable crossfader with transforming buttons (for punching in channel A or B), an aux channel and a mic channel. Of course, all channels have cue selector buttons underneath their sections. There is also the peak LED meter that is always featured on Kam consoles.

Perhaps the GM30's only weakness is the absence of an independent fader for the auxiliary channel. It's reliant on the level control of the microphone channel, not that this would cause most DJs any trouble in getting their mix from A to B. The mic channel is pretty good, with knobs for bass, treble and level and an on/off selector toggle.

Incidentally, channels A and B also have selector toggles between phono and line, which are good for dropping one channel in or out in our mix, and the aux has a toggle on/off selector.

Access to the headphone and mic sockets is on the front of the box, and all the input and output RCA sockets are of course situated on the rear. The mains supply is on-board.

The Kam GM30 has very clear sound quality. The monitor channel is very clear, with its level easily controllable. Also the cue crossfader is great if you prefer mixing inside your headphones, or you are in a place with no monitor speaker and particularly dodgy acoustics.

The crossfader is replaceable, and nice and strong to boot. This is maybe not as good for hardcore DJing, where a lot of rapid crossfade movement is necessary, but then again, you still have the 'transforming' buttons, which are luxuries in themselves for beat mixing.

The 'transforming' buttons are useful and great fun to use. In a break, they could effectively tease the audience by kicking in a bass drum from time to time. They're a good idea, economical to provide and much easier and more effective than using the crossfader for the same purpose.

At £179.95, the Kam Made to Fade is an excellent buy and once purchased, it will see many dance parties off with a bang!

Maplin SM-3090V

Up to six inputs can be fed through this 19" rackmount mixer. There's two phono/line channels, plus two CD/line channels. There's one designated mic channel, but provision for two more (at the expense of losing aux inputs). A basic one-knob tone control applies to these.

In common with the master output, the mic channels can be pre-set to two levels, saving time (and face). There's also a mic auto-fade circuit. They can come in handy if you do a lot of voiceovers, but they're also sluggish, so you might have to clear your throat a bit to wake it up. The two auxiliary inputs boast faders, which also have mic inputs. If you're going for loads of channels, then I suppose this mixer represents pretty good value for money.

There is a crossfader for phonos one and two, which is non-replaceable (I wonder how long that one will last). A rather awkward, stiff selector knob is supplied for cue selection for all channels (except the mic one). Channels one and two have to be monitored together, but I doubt that will matter in most cases.

On the top panel, Maplin have also included two seven band graphic equalisers for the left and right stereo channels. This isn't outstanding, but it's a useful little addition all the same. If you then glance below the dual graphic EQ, you'll see that they've given you an echo effect. It also has feedback and speed control. Next to that there is also an EQ by-pass button.

The level meters are analogue, which I'm sure some people will like, but personally I'm not too keen. They're slower than LEDs and give a poorer representation of the actual level.

The plasticky buttons and toggles are somewhat offputting. The buttons are crudely manufactured, and the toggles are sloppy in operation. Nor do the faders feel like they'll survive long. All the RCA ins and outs are situated on the back of the box, and the headphone and mic sockets are on the top panel. Mains supply is onboard.

This will be pretty good for the sort of DJ who just wants a lot of faders, it's just the little touches that I dislike. I don't think it's really been thought out carefully from a DJ's point of view. Things like the non-removable crossfader, the stiff cue selector and the plasticky buttons and toggles. They're all less of a help than a hindrance, and poorly prepared for pub and club perils.

The graphic EQ is okay, but the machine produces a surprising amount of hum and noise. And the on-board echo effect is hardly worth having. It's a crude analogue delay system which the poor acoustics of many venues are only going to make muddier. The money would have been better spent on things less gimmicky.

I suppose this would be okay for a beginner, but it's really over the price of an entry-level mixer. So who are Maplin aiming at? Someone in between a beginner and a pro? Most DJs would prefer a few less bells and whistles and a bit more structural integrity. And at £169.99, this mixer is only £10 short of the Kam.

Citronic SM250 Remix

This mixer is very similar to the Kam with regard to its controls and functions. It is smaller than the Kam mixer, but is a very high quality, professional piece of kit. Don't be fooled by its modest exterior. The controls may look simple, but they sure as hell do a good job.

On the top panel, you have the two phono channels, and they have two small, easily selectable cue buttons by their side. Phono one has a line input at 0dB which is selectable with a button, and phono two has a tape input at -8dB, also with a button.

The crossfader is smaller than that of the Kam, and can be enabled and disabled at the touch of a button. As with the GM30TX, it's replaceable, and the SM250 also has the punch-in transforming buttons, as does the Kam.

On the monitor section to the right you have the LED peak meter, the output fader, the headphone level and headphone pan crossfade. The aux section simply has an on/off button and a cue button, while the mic channel has cue and on/off buttons, plus gain and tone knobs. On the back panel there are RCA ins and outs, and on the front, mic and headphone sockets. The unit is powered by an external transformer.

This midget of a box just happens to be one of the best mixers I've tried. Along with the Kam, its facilities are just enough for a DJ to play around with, yet minimal enough to be idiotproof.

The sound quality, the monitoring and the faders are all well up to scratch. When you test the SM250 against some other mixers, you'll notice that the noise level on the Citronic is definitely lower than the norm.

The monitoring is also quite a luxury, with clear sound and plenty of level range even if you're in the loudest of environments. The monitor crossfade is always useful as well, although it's something that I still find a little confusing sometimes when I can hear the echo of the other track outside the cans.

The crossfader blends the records together beautifully, and somehow it stands out in my mind as being the best. It's also small, which is great for chopping from record to record in a hardcore-type style. The crossfade profile is excellent, seeming to stick the mixes together like glue as you slowly fade across.

The punch-in also lends itself to this style of DJing as it enables you to drop in bursts of a breakbeat or vocal as if you were triggering a sampler. I like the way they've given us the option to disable the crossfader. If you're more used to using the main faders, this will help you to avoid knocking the crossfade by accident and ruining your mix. On the whole, this is an excellent mixer.

Conclusions

For my money, the only two real contenders were the Citronic and the Kam. Those masters of budget equipment at Maplin were up against tough competition here, but DJ gear doesn't seem to be one of their stronger suits. It's as much to do with fortitude as facilities, and a sea of faders and knobs doesn't always fit the bill.

I think the overall winner here has to be the Kam GM30TX. The Citronic is smaller and sexier, but price has to be taken into account. It's also marginally stronger on sound quality, but as far as design, durability and price goes, Kam are a tough act to beat.

KAM Made2Fade GM30TX

Price inc VAT: £179.95

More from: Lamba Plc, (Contact Details)

Maplin SM3090V

Price inc VAT: £169.99

More from: Maplin Electronics, (Contact Details)

Citronic SM250 Remix

Price inc VAT: £289

More from: Citronic Limited, (Contact Details)