To begin with, setting up a crossfader or a mixer for scratching is not always easy.

Then what we are interested in for scratching is that the crossfader acts like a switch. Either the sound comes through or it doesn't.

Thus, like a musical instrument, one plays the note or not.

So for the piano it is the fact of pressing a key of the keyboard and for the wind instruments it is the fact of blowing or not.

There are four parameters for setting the crossfader.

• Setting the hardness
• The adjustment of the sound curve
• The cut in time
• The inversion of the curve

Hardness adjustment:

This is a setting that may only be possible on crossfaders like the innofader and the pro x fade. Moreover, a soft crossfader allows you to scratch longer without cramps (yes, repetitive movements).

The sound curve setting:

It is this setting that allows a crossfader that opens the sound in a linear way (for the mix) or instantaneous (for scratch). A rotary knob sets this parameter on most of today's mixers. A small graph shows the curve, progressive or instantaneous.

The cut in time setting:

This setting is the distance the crossfader must travel to open the sound or not.

So, as for the sound curve adjustment, the "cut in time" is adjusted with a potentiometer that changes the distance to be covered with the crossfader to open the sound.

So for the scratch, a short stroke (a few mm) will be useful for quick opening and closing of the sound.

Curve inversion:

A switch reverses the curve of the crossfader, so channels 1 and 2 are inverted. Is called "hamster" when you scratch with the crossfader inverted. This is done by opening the sound with the thumb as for the channel 1 and 2 faders. DJ's like Mix Master Mike, QBert and Shortkut use the crossfader as a hamster. Moreover, this mode can facilitate some scratching techniques as the Crab scratch.

Specifically on the image below called contour controls, the setting of the curve. Slow for progressive and fast for instantaneous. The reverse function reverses the direction of the crossfader.

The setting of a very short cut in time.

On the picture on the right the sound does not come through.

Then, on the second image, the sound plays.

Finally the sound comes through with only a few millimeters of travel.

The cut in time setting is called cut control by Vestax.

Here you can see the graph of the sound curve adjustment.

In summary:

To conclude, the crossfader setting is important because it will determine the sound produced.

Admittedly, some crossfaders will tend to click in the sound. Also this is the case for the old track crossfaders.

Today there is no more track, with the magnetic crossfaders the sound does not pass through it anymore.

The advantage is that there is only wear and tear on the axles and the plastic structure.

Finally, it is in the scratch DJ equipment guide that you will find crossfaders, mixers, turntables and all the necessary scratch DJ equipment as well as advice on how to make your choices.

Click here to see scratch techniques and learn more