The demise of Vestax in 2014 due to bankruptcy was an especially sad day for DJs and the wider music community.
First established in Tokyo in the late ’70s selling electric guitars and multi-track recorders, Vestax morphed into an audio and DJ equipment firm, changing the face of DJing with the release of its VCI-100 all-in-one DJ controller. It incorporated some of the most essential elements of the craft with direct access to software, setting a benchmark for burgeoning technology and hardware that we now take for granted. The brand continued to buck the trend with the release of the first consumer vinyl-cutting machine (at US $10,000, it was always going to be a hard sell).
Though its turntables never shifted Technics from its lofty position (nothing ever did, and quite frankly it seems like nothing ever will, the hideously overpriced new generation aside), Vestax’s mixers and DJ controllers were, and continue to be, especially impressive.
The VCI-400 in particular is a personal favourite. It’s no longer readily available from retailers, having been discontinued since its release in 2011, but you’ll still find quite a number floating around at very reasonable prices. I picked one up a few months ago and have been really impressed with its build quality. Solid metal construction with oversized filter knobs, a compact but comprehensive EQ board, jog wheels with sensitivity adjustment knobs (crucial), plus plenty of triggers, four hot cues per deck, and firm, solid pads. It feels and looks incredibly durable, while still being very portable.
Fully customisable mapping takes it a notch above, and it features a neat little effects bank at the top of both decks. For an intermediate or advanced user, there is a lot of fun to be had with the VCI-400. Add to that its ability to be used as a full four-channel standalone mixer (firmware is still readily available for this update), and it’s very much worth seeking out, especially if you can get it for under $500. With plenty of mixing tutorials now available, a beginner could get a lot out of its many features – give yourself time to learn the basics and you’ll forget the ‘sync’ button ever even existed.
For those still in mourning, Vestax itself has actually made a comeback, albeit in a much smaller and more boutique incarnation. The aptly-named Phoenix mixer, a retro-themed analogue machine, has risen from the ashes of mismanagement and debt. While mainstream distribution and availability from Vestax looks very unlikely to ever return, you should do yourself a favour and invest in what’s available.
This week’s playlist
Yussef Kamaal’sBlack Focus– a short, stunning soulful jazz album on Gilles Peterson’s label. And don’t sleep onAcronym’sThe Void Beneath, with its ambient walls of sound through the key of techno. Gorgeous.
Recommended:
SATURDAY DECEMBER 10
Keep It Disco: Misty Nights @Secret Location
SUNDAYDECEMBER 18
Classic Album Sundays: D’Angelo – Voodoo@The World Bar
SATURDAY DECEMBER 31
Joey Negro, Late Nite Tuff Guy@The Port
Mad Racket NYE: Session Victim@Marrickville Bowling Club
SUNDAY JANUARY 1
Space Ibiza: Carl Craig, Oliver Huntemann, Heidi@Greenwood Hotel
FRIDAY JANUARY 6
Grandmaster Flash@Soda Factory
Pender Street Steppers@Hermann’s Bar
SATURDAYJANUARY 7
Theo Parrish@Jam Gallery
SATURDAYJANUARY 14
Ron Basejam, Dr. Packer@The Port
