Chroma Caps Bring Style and Life to Your DJ Mixer
NOTE: For my complete video review of Chroma Caps, scroll to the bottom of this article.
Chroma Caps from DJ Tech Tools are a great way to dress up your mixer while also adding practical functionality to your DJ performance.
A dimly lit DJ booth or dark corner of a ballroom is a scene quite familiar to DJs. Without proper lighting over a mixing board, those stock knobs and faders -- with their dark black and gray colors -- can be hard to see. Also, since they are mostly made of plastic, the tactile feels isn’t great, something that DJs underestimate. When you consider how much we grab these things, several times throughout a gig, comfort should be a concern.
If you want to view your mixer in better in low light situations, while also customizing it so it’s unique when compared to all the same mixers out there, look no further than Chroma Caps from DJ Tech Tools.
What are Chroma Caps?
Chroma Caps are replacements for the factory stock knobs and faders that are installed on DJ mixers. They are designed to be slightly larger to enhance grip, and in a multitude of colors with wider position markers to enhance visibility. They are also a great way to “pimp” out your mixer while adding some practical use to it as well.
Chroma Caps come in 12 different colors and multiple sizes:
- Fader (channel and crossfader)
- Super knob (typically the smaller knobs found in EQ or gain sections)
- Fatty knob (slightly larger than the super knob, works well for filters
- Encoder (same as the fatty knob, but without a marker position; works well on knobs that have an infinite turn such as browse or loop functions)
You may think swapping out perfectly good knobs and faders is waste of time and money. But overhauling your mixer this way can also improve your workflow and performance.
For example, the Rane 64, four-channel mixer that I “chroma capped” now has a better, more categorized layout. If you look at the stock layout, there are three types of knobs (three different colors) and the black faders. The gray knobs are primarily used for equalizer functions, but also for different volume controls.
I reorganized, using the Chroma Cap colors as a visual cue. Now, all of the volume functions on my mixer have a red knob or fader. Equalization or pan knobs are blue and filter knobs are gray, using the larger “fatty knob.”
My favorite modification I made to the mixer is using the Encoder as my new ‘browse’ knob while keeping the stock smaller ‘loop’ knob.
Those two knobs are spaced close together that often times I was grabbing/pressing the wrong one. I was looping when I meant to load; and loading when I meant to loop. Now I know which one I am touching based on feel.
By the way, if you’re looking to overhaul a Rane 64, there are 40 replaceable knobs and four faders. Unfortunately due to the construction of the crossfader, that is not replaceable. The breakdown on my mixer is as follows.
- Faders: 4
- Super knobs: 27
- Fatty knobs: 5
- Encoder knobs: 2
I did not replace the FlexFx browse knob, session in, session out or balance knobs.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend a swap of your knobs and faders. They are great way to improve performance and also stand out from the crowd -- not that that matters, but it’s kinda cool anyway.
A look at Chroma Caps by djtechtools.com and how I applied them on a Rane 64 mixer.