Deck controls
Fader start
Fader start makes a linked player begin playing the moment its channel fader or the crossfader leaves the bottom, and return to its cue point when the fader closes. Moving the fader replaces pressing play.
In practice
The fader becomes the play button. Check whether it is armed on unfamiliar gear before you touch anything.
It needs the player and mixer linked, so it works on matched club setups and often not on a mixed one. Where it is available it suits quick cutting and turntablist work, where you want a record to start exactly as the fader opens. It suits long blends much less, because the track starts the instant the fader leaves the bottom and you lose the ability to bring something in already running. Turn it off if you do not want it rather than working around it.
Linked
What it requires
Cutting
Where it earns its place
Check it
On unfamiliar gear
Where these come from: Standard fader-start behaviour on linked club setups — documented behaviour, not catalog figures. For what we can measure, see the other automatic start.
Why it matters
It removes a hand from the transition. Instead of pressing play and then opening the fader in two movements, the fader does both, which matters most in fast cutting styles where the difference between one movement and two is the difference between clean and late.
It is also the feature most likely to surprise you on somebody else’s mixer. A deck that starts playing when you brush the fader is alarming if you did not know it was armed, which is why checking it during your changeover is worth the five seconds.
Frequently asked
Why does the deck start when I move the fader?+
Fader start is armed. It makes the fader act as the play button on a linked setup, and it is easy to inherit from whoever used the mixer last.
Do I need a specific mixer for fader start?+
The player and mixer have to be linked, usually by the manufacturer’s control cable. A mixed setup frequently will not support it.
Is fader start useful for long blends?+
Not really. The track starts as soon as the fader moves, so you cannot bring in something already running — which is exactly what a long blend needs.
Related terms
Relay play
Relay play alternates two linked players automatically: when one track ends, the other starts, and the first loads the next track from its list. It plays music continuously with nobody at the decks.
Channel fader
A channel fader is the vertical level control for one deck. The crossfader chooses between two sources; the channel faders decide how much of each is in the room, which is where most club mixing actually happens.
Crossfader
The crossfader is the horizontal fader that blends between two channels. At one end you hear only the left assignment, at the other only the right, and a curve control sets how abruptly the handover happens in between.
Pro DJ Link
Pro DJ Link is the Ethernet network that joins several players and a mixer. One USB stick feeds every deck, the players share tempo and beat position, and lighting or recording software can read the whole rig from one connection.
Explore: Transition techniques · Crossfader · Channel fader · All DJ terms