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Pioneer DJM-800 DJ Mixer
Another old school classic – the Pioneer DJM-800 DJ Mixer. This has now been replaced with more expensive, more all singing-all dancing models. But Like your mama’s home cooking, you can come back to one of these and enjoy an audio feast as good as it always was in the old days. I’ve still got mine.
The Amazon review back in the day said “With its unparalleled sound quality the DJM-800 has rapidly become the Club standard. And users everywhere are raving about the new Pioneer’s sound quality.”
I can back this up. We used to go out and do live sound using high end Opus Audio gear – and I remember the first time we installed one of these Pioneers – I kept finding myself thinking, wow, this system is sounding good tonight. And then I remembered – the DJM-800. It’s got a real sonic lushness to it that’s just… tasty. I don’t know how better to describe it.
This was an expensive piece of kit back in the day – at around $1500. But you can pick these up on eBay now for around $400-$500. The 900’s are going used for about $1000. If you are running live sound, you are bound to get some deejays who want the latest and greatest on the spec (probably the DJM-2000 nexus). But I’m perfectly content with one of these and for a great sound at a small party while not wanting to break the bank, you would be so fine with one of these.
It’s got the legendary Pioneer build quality – and they know do how to make good mixers. Their DJM series has been an industry standard in nightclubs for years, and they are built both to last and to do what DJs want them to do. I’ve still got one in my studio – in 2021! And everything on it still works. Everything! Nothing broken. Audio gear that still works perfectly and sounds great after more than a decade is not to be sneezed at!
It’s got 3 phono inputs, harking back to the days when there were a few 3-deck turntablists on the scene… Also it packs a fair number of effects… I don’t really care much about these as I’m the kind of DJ who relies mostly on the EQ and my track selections to do the business…. but according to those who have used the DJM-800’s effects, they are incredible. The only one I use is the high pass filter – which takes some practice to get the best out of. It needs to be played by feel – but it’s beautiful for knocking out the low end on one channel when you are coming into a transition. It just does it right, does what you want it to do. It’s hard to explain it any other way but there is a “rightness” to the filter curve and the way it handles the low end.
