[Photo: Alesis iMultimix 8 USB]

Your mix: Whatever you do with it, however you choose to represent, what comes out of the speakers is your stamp, your sound and how you are identified.

Mixers and controllers are everywhere, in every price range. Checking out everything at the winter NAMM show in California would have required 24/7 for at least a week, but the Gadget Inspector only had three days.

Here are a few to get you started, whether you’re working from home, online or in the clubs.

Stanton set out to design the ultimate controller, not only one that kicks ass now, but also one that will be adaptable for future software versions.

Their SC System DJ Controller is the Muhammad Ali of controllers—floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee. If you’ve never been behind the deck, this gem will make you want to start.  

Stanton’s product specialist and resident DJ, B-Side, demoed the SC at NAMM all weekend, not in that “I’m up here, you’re down there, watch and listen” way, but instead by bringing folks up to the platform to go side-by-side with him and really feel the mix and vibes. Un-effin’-believable!

Here’s what B-Side told us about the SC System:

“The majority of controllers on the market are blank boards with no LED or feedback. They’re designed from a producer’s standpoint, not a DJ’s standpoint.

Only highly skilled or very technical DJs have been successful with them, and therefore they haven’t had full market adaptability. So we started with ergonomics, and current stereo and analog controls, and incorporated the SoundPoint and FireWire capabilities needed for running software.

“We added more feedback and control than the standard unit. The SCS1M mix controller has four channels in standard mixer layout, and we incorporated a navigation section similar to a computer. You scroll with the dial and load the track.

When you’re ready to play, use the CD transport control on the deck with a spinning platter. We went with a 10-inch design because that’s the space a DJ needs to manipulate vinyl and the maximum space we could use without making it too large.

“So, everyone thinks this mixer is standard analog, but it’s a controller, and you have to have the software to feed it back and use the controls and change the setup. It’s Mac and PC friendly, uses FireWire in order to daisy-chain up to four decks together with one mixer, and depending on your software, you may have a virtual deck.”

Stanton lists the SC System as “designed to fully empower laptop DJs and desktop producers.”

Why should you invest? B-Side recaps:

The SC System DJ Controller is available in April/May: deck $1199, mixer $799. Check out DJ B-Side at NAMM showcasing the SC System:

Lexicon reaches out on three levels, to three budgets, with their $99 Alpha, $148 Lambda and $199 Omega desktop recording studios. Keeping it top-of-the-line while keeping it affordable, you can’t go wrong with any of these systems.

All three feature a compact I/O mixer, Steinberg Cubase LE4 software and Lexicon reverbs. Front-panel controls let you adjust Direct/Playback mix and input levels, toggle monitoring between stereo and mono, plug in an instrument directly and monitor with headphones.

The Alpha is Lexicon’s smallest model, but it still packs a lot of punch for the money. It’s perfect for solo artists recording one track at a time, or for when you’re at home laying down your demos. USB powered, you just plug it into your computer.  

The Lambda is a great headphone system and does not require a power supply. With four inputs and two outputs, you can record two tracks at once. It also features phantom power for condenser mics, MIDI In/Out, and is USB-powered directly into your computer. 

When it comes to critical mixing, the Omega rules. With eight inputs, you can record up to four tracks at once. It offers phantom power for condenser mics, as well as S/PDIF digital I/O along with standard TRS and XLR. AC adaptor included. Great stuff, and it’s all affordable.  

For years, the rap and Hip-Hop hierarchy have trusted Akai to come out with some of the best and most innovative products. Akai has ruled the market and remained on the cutting edge with their ongoing research and development.

New at NAMM was their MPC5000. Brace yourselves: this baby ain’t cheap. At $2499—it even hurts to type those numbers!—it’s a bank breaker for most. But if you’ve got the high-end home studio or your own offsite place (or, for the freeloadin’ fellas out there, a gainfully employed girlfriend who believes you when you tell her you’re “gonna be the next Jay-Z, baby!”), with all the MPC5000 has to offer, it merits mention. 

First of all, it ships with an 80-gig hard drive with over 300 Virtual Analog synth presets and 650MB of drum samples. It has 64-voice drum/phase samples with 64MB memory expandable up to 192MB, pad and track muting and mixing, 12 Q-Link controllers and turntable inputs with preamp.

Let’s continue:

A 20-voice, three-oscillator analog synth with arpeggiator, which Akai tells us has never been done before. This is a very strong-sounding system with eight tracks of streaming audio hard-disc recording, four FX busses with two FX per bus for total of eight FX, master EQ and compressor, USB 2.0 port for computer connectivity, an optional CD-R/DVD drive, continuous Sample Track for perfect play sync at all times, two MIDI inputs and four MIDI outputs, and we’ve only scratched the surface.

From Alesis comes something for everyone, and so much more.

Their iMultimix 8 USB is a mixer and audio recording workstation with a universal dock for your iPod. This all-in-one is perfect for home use, podcasts, performances and studio recordings. It features guitar/line inputs, iPod playback for immediate mixing, and the iTunes transfer feature moves recordings to your computer and mixes to CD-quality stereo.

The 8 has four high-gain mic/line preamps with 48V phantom power, a built-in limiter to avoid distortion, and three-band EQ per channel. You get a Voice memo function, the ability to record WAV files, and it comes loaded with Cubase LE and 100 onboard 28-bit digital effects: Reverb, Chorus, Flange and Delay.

All the iPod controls are on the board—put your iPod in the dock and you don’t need to touch it again. You get all of this for only $299. For $599, you can go with the iMultimix 16 USB, which has all the feature of the iMultimix 8, but double the mic input and stereo to 16-bit, and digital output for two simultaneous tracks.

New for 2008 from Alesis is the MultiPort, which allows you to record to your iPod on your computer. With built-in level meters, headphone monitoring and integrated iPod controls, simply insert your iPod, connect to your computer and record. The MultiPort has headphone monitoring and playback capabilities while recording. This one’s a steal at $199.

The Alesis Master Control is a bit steeper at $799, but what a piece of gear: an all-in-one audio interface, control surface and audio monitoring solution.

It has nine 100mm motorized touch-sensitive faders and eight 360-degree virtual knobs, a built-in talkback mic, LCD screen, removable templates for preset overview, two mic line inputs with phantom power and channel inserts, eight built-in analog inputs, six analog outputs, full MIDI I/O, dedicated transport control, multifunctional jog wheel, assignable buttons, preview button, foot switch, ADAT and MIDI in- and output, expandable audio inputs for up to 26 simultaneous inputs, FireWire and Cubase LE.

The Master Control is compatible with most digital audio workstation software products.

Yamaha’s MG166cx mixing console, at $479, offers a remarkable package for such a reasonable price, along with the quality that makes Yamaha a leader year after year.

It has 16 input channels, six buses, 10 mics plus four stereo line inputs, eight insert I/O, 48V phantom power switch, a three-band MIDI sweep, three-band EQ, two Aux sends and one Effect send, one stereo aux return, a high-quality mic preamp, six compressors, 60mm super smooth fader, SPX Digital multi-effect, monitor mix and it’s rack mountable. This one’s ideal for recording your live performances.

If you’re a DJ, chances are you know, and maybe even own, Numark gear. If you don’t, or if you’re looking to expand your tools, you’ll want to look into their three new bundles: Total Computer DJ in a Box, Mobile Computer DJ in a Box and Professional Computer DJ in a Box. (MAP: $499.95, $699.95 and $899.95, respectively.)

All offer all-in-one solutions for DJs of any level, are Mac and PC compatible, and come with cables and software for immediate plug-and-play.

Total Computer DJ in a Box is ideal for DJs just starting out. With CUE DJ software and the Total Control DJ tabletop software controller, you’re 100 percent hands-on with your mixes. The bundle includes Native Instruments’ Tracktor LE, along with Numark’s DJiO audio interface and HF-125 DJ headphones.

Mobile Computer DJ in a Box features CUE DJ software, JDiO audio interface, PHX DJ headphones, DMC2 professional rack-mount DJ software controller, looping and cueing options, fader buttons with automatic crossfade, key-lock and more.

Professional Computer DJ in a Box is Numark’s complete DJ rig, transforming your laptop or desktop computer into a DJ workstation. It includes CUE DJ software, PHX headphones, DMC2 controller, and CM200 five-channel Pro DJ Mixer with USB audio interface for super-fast mixing and recording into your computer.

Next time: personal recorders and some way-cool stuff we just have to turn you on to.