Pre-Fader
The signal is tapped before the channel fader.
Detailed explanation
Pre-fader describes where in the signal path a signal is tapped — before the channel fader. The headphone cue button is pre-fader: it lets you hear a channel in the headphones even with the channel fader all the way down. That is essential to the DJ workflow: get track B ready in the headphones while it is still silent to the crowd.
In practice
You want to hear the next track in your headphones before anyone in the room hears it. That only works because the headphone path taps the signal before the channel fader lets it through. This is exactly why you can monitor calmly with the fader closed, match tempo and look for the cue point. Anyone wondering why nothing comes through the headphones has usually not pressed the channel's cue button — rather than forgotten the fader.
Assessment by the DJLearn editorial team — experience, not a sourced factual claim.
Related terms
Where to learn this
DJ cueing
The guide that covers this topic in depth.
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