Crossfader
Horizontal fader that blends between two decks.
Detailed explanation
The crossfader is a horizontal slider on the DJ mixer that blends between two channels. Hard left = deck 1 only, centre = both equally loud, hard right = deck 2 only. In club DJing the crossfader is rarely used — most DJs work with the channel faders for finer control. In scratch and hip-hop DJing the crossfader is the main tool for cuts and scratches.
Assessment by the DJLearn editorial team — experience, not a sourced factual claim.
In practice
In a techno set the crossfader often stays in the middle all night — the mixing happens on the channel faders. In scratching and hip-hop sets it is the other way round: there it is the main tool, because it can swap two sources hard and fast. Which role it plays depends less on the gear than on the style. Using it only as an on-off switch costs you nothing — as long as the transitions land.
Assessment by the DJLearn editorial team — experience, not a sourced factual claim.
Related terms
Where to learn this
DJ transitions
The guide that covers this topic in depth.
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