crossfader

noun

cross·​fad·​er ˈkrȯs-¦fā-dər 

plural crossfaders

music

: a control on a mixer or DJ mixer that allows one source to fade in while another fades out

The crossfader is essentially a switch that makes it possible for the DJ to start, stop, or switch sounds faster than could be done on a traditional instrument.

—Sofia Dahl et al., in Musical Gestures, 2010

Crossfaders, which didn't become common until the late 1970s, were initially used by radio DJs as an efficient way to segue from one song to the next.

—Mark Katz, Groove Music, 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

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