Everything you need to know about a DJ console

There’s nothing quite like a party with a great selection of tracks. In fact, the rush of the bass drop is undoubtedly the highlight of a music festival. And if you have your tickets booked for the upcoming electronic dance music festival, Croma Sunburn, you’re already down for a night that brings together the world’s top 10 DJs.

However, multiple things go into making a DJ night successful. And while DJs know how to work through a crowd effortlessly, there’s often a lot going on behind the scenes. So, if you’ve casually wondered about what’s behind a DJ’s station and what all their console can do, we’re here to simplify them for you. Whether you’re a DJ-in-the-making waiting to be discovered at Croma Sunburn’s DJ hunt or a fan who wants to learn more, this guide is curated to help you comprehend the whats and whys of a DJ console.

What's on a DJ deck?

A DJ console is a system comprising various controls, levers and switches. Sometimes, you may have also noted vinyl turntables that are a part of the deck. Believe it or not, each of these have their own significance. We spoke to DJ Høax to help break down the basics for you:

Channels: You may have heard DJs talk about switching between channels. Typically, you have two and four-channel mixers on a console. They are easily identifiable by the lineup of levers on the front.

Gain control: This control helps the DJ balance the volume on a track before they begin mixing it. “Gain controllers are usually found on the mixer side, and you can see levels of your sound, which are green, yellow and red,” Høax tells us. “If it shows you red, you would want to reduce your gains so you don’t blow or overstress the speakers. And you can control that individually for every channel and the main channel.”

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Equalisation lever: Ever noticed the bass, treble and mid controls on your music player? This knob adjusts the settings to ensure your overall track sounds incredible. “The equalisation knob is primarily for adjusting,” he says. “Adjusting the sound in your track. Sometimes, you have high treble levels; you may want to adjust or manipulate your track so it doesn’t sound flat.”

Main channel: This lets the DJ choose how much of the output should go into the mix they have created. “Your main channel is the main output,” Høax adds. “That’s where all the sounds from every channel go out from. So, if you have four channels connected, the sound from all four channels will go out of that domain.” 

Cross-fade: Once the DJ has their channels in order, along with the desired volume, the next thing on their checklist is to blend them. Høax tells us how there are sliders to ensure the transition between your tracks sounds seamless.

“You would notice a slider that’s essentially used to introduce a new track or do the outflow,” he says. Some DJ consoles have a cross-fade option at the bottom of the deck to help them blend two tracks seamlessly. 

Headphones: Headphones may not seem like a crucial part of a DJ setup, but they have a fairly large role to play. Every channel on the DJ console has its own cue controller. This allows the output to play within the headphones. It won’t change any of the controls going to the master output but will simply play it on the headphones as an addition. 

The headphone cue is an excellent way for the DJ to test the track before allowing it to play to a larger audience. And just like the main mix, your headphones also have a control panel of their own, meaning the DJ can alter their volume as per their preference. So, whether or not you decide to get mixing, we hope this guide gave you an insight into the workings of the dance party you plan to attend!