I have had a lot of mixers over the years and vestax remain pretty much my favorite. I didn't like their turntables- I thought they were too torquey, and didn't like the straight tonearm. but their mixers are superb.

My first vestax many years ago was if I recall correctly, a very battered PMC-625 -which is effectively a PMC-15 (confusing myself here!)




Later on I got a PMC-500.


Utterly superb, one of my favorite mixers ever, and very similar to the PMC-55 which I also adore, I just prefer the 19" layout.

Once when I was meeting with some of the design guys from pioneer japan, and they were asking my thoughts on some designs, and asked me what I wanted to see in a mixer with regards to connectivity and a few other things. I replied something along the lines of 'look at a vestax PMC-55' (as amongst other things, it has the extra channel inputs & inserts on the front panel, which would be a god send for connecting traktor etc nowadays). They weren't too happy with that response!

I had an isolator at some point (that got stolen);




My current weapon of choice is a PMC-46 mk2:

Which I have modified the VUs to glow UV...

(by the way, I had to adjust the internal output level and check something recently- check out the inside of this thing!)





I have one eye open for a PMC-CX;



but they rarely appear for sale. This is the pinnacle of mixer design to me- it has everything in the right place and sounds superb.
Mr cox himself moved onto the PMC-580 when he switched to traktor, as it has the built in soundcard.


I also have an eye open for a phenomenally rare vestax that I used once- it had a built in drum machine and (I think) a sampler. Haven't seen it since - maybe it was a prototype?


A sad loss.

Last edited by Freak on Apr-22-2015 at 07:04

Sheeeeet, now w;re talking.

That PMC 625 is so oldschool. I love how it looks like it was designed for the japanese military. yeah, I think that became the PMC 15.

How come you let go of the PMC 500? That thing is fucking beautiful. I was considering it instead of the PMC 55. The only real difference is the 55 has a "EQ in" button which makes the EQ act like a kill/isolator. Otherwise (apart form it being 19" and having 5 faders) they are literally identical.

Then again, you're hardly slumming it with the 46. Probably my favorite house mixer, and that mod is fucking sweet.

Just look at how much they would pack in there in terms of electronics; they just don't make them like that anymore. Open up a Xone and the PCB takes up less than 30% of the available space. basically an empty box.

The CX is the one mixer I'd consider dropping my 55 for. Weren't they like £2,000 or something?

Only problem is that i love having 4 fader channels (for ease switching between CDJ's and Techs) - I could live with 3, but the CX doesn't have a FX send/return loop.

Thanks for posting these - brought back some good memories when Mixer's weren't made by Fisher Price.

btw, i think the rare vestax you're referring to was called something like the Vestax SL 15. It had a sampler built in. I only ever saw one but never got to play on it.

There way however legend of a ultra rare edition (probably protoype as you say?) which had drum machine built in as well. If you found a working one it would probably be worth thousands.

I just felt like a change, so got rid of the 500. Seemed like a good idea at the time.
I *think* that I replaced it with a Cloud CXM, which was a half decent modular install mixer that I was using almost every nite at the time, but with far too long faders.

The CX does have an effects loop, but it is a master loop, rather than an adjustable send/return, and surprisingly, no on/off switch for the loop. In two minds which is better, depending on what I am doing.

quote:

Originally posted by Freak I just felt like a change, so got rid of the 500. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I *think* that I replaced it with a Cloud CXM, which was a half decent modular install mixer that I was using almost every nite at the time, but with far too long faders. The CX does have an effects loop, but it is a master loop, rather than an adjustable send/return, and surprisingly, no on/off switch for the loop. In two minds which is better, depending on what I am doing.

Wow, i used a Could CXM when I was the standby DJ and lighting guy at a club in Tonronto called This Is London. I have exact the same beef with that mixer; great quality, built like a tank but those faders must have been 6 or 7 inches long - basically impossible to get an kind of cuts going and the crossfader was tiny.

If then CX has a master loop then i'd be fine with that. I just literally only see one come up for sale a year.

Beautiful mixers and classic design.

___________________
Click the link below to stream all of my mixes past and present. New mixes go up about once a month. Enjoy!

www.mixcloud.com/jluger

quote:

Originally posted by Freak I also have an eye open for a phenomenally rare vestax that I used once- it had a built in drum machine and sampler. Haven't seen it since - maybe it was a prototype?

Found it....boom
MW-3000.


It is either a Jeff Mills or Derrick May signature model, depending on who you ask. That fits with my memory of it, as I remember it was a detroit artist I used it with, I just cant remember who!

Built in drum machine & sequencer, and midi sync. Can change the rom chip for new sounds. Manual here if you wanna take a look: http://www.manualslib.com/manual/335045/Vestax-Mw-3000.html

This is from the mid 90's....way ahead of their time.

Last edited by Freak on Apr-21-2015 at 07:33

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN My next one, bought right thereafter - PCV 275.

Ugh you're bringing back memories. I loved this one.

I also had a chance to play on one of their signature controllers when my friend brought his over to jam. I can't remember the model name, but I really liked it, and as you said, they really did pioneer DJ controllers before digital DJing really took off.

quote:

Originally posted by Freak Found it....boom MW-3000. It is either a Jeff Mills or Derrick May signature model, depending on who you ask. That fits with my memory of it, as I remember it was a detroit artist I used it with, I just cant remember who! Built in drum machine & sequencer, and midi sync. Can change the rom chip for new sounds. Manual here if you wanna take a look: http://www.manualslib.com/manual/33...ax-Mw-3000.html This is from the mid 90's....way ahead of their time.

Fucking Boom indeed. I vaguely remember seeing this once, had no idea that all that was included. This is ahead of it's time for now; I mean no one has made a drum machine, sampler, midicontroller and DJ mixer all in one to date.

EDIT: Oh fuck. It seems one went on ebay a few months back for less than £350

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vestax-mw...3035&rmvSB=true

And now I'm looking, it seems a bunch of old distributors are are selling some really rare Vestax stuff.

What the fuck is this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vestax-MD...=item2a1f1d4abe

Also haven;t seen these for a long while...



but damn, look at the ******:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vestax-Pm...=item51cf6d8ded

Currently Ebay UK has 177 Vestax mixers for sale, 121 of which are brand new in the box!

As for parts 1000s of them including these

clicky -> Rotary Faders for the PMC 500

I quite like the Vestax range of mixers, never owned one but have used plenty in various clubs over the years.

___________________
My Mixcloud Profile My Twitch Channel

There is also a CDX 12 for sale on ebay Germany - UK cost at the mo = £144 lol

CDX 12 Link

___________________
My Mixcloud Profile My Twitch Channel

Damn that sucks, vestax def underrated. If only they partnered with Serato or NI and made kit.

Last edited by Innocence Lost on Apr-25-2015 at 04:31