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Topic: Anyone still using Rotary Mixers ? - Page: 1

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I still love to use them. And they should have no X-fader. The last one i built 10 years ago just "died". So at the moment i'm planning to build me a new one. Not sure if it should be MIDI based or not....
 
Posted Mon 05 Jan 09 @ 6:41 am
I love these mixers! I had at home ALLEN&HEATH XONE S 6 for test. If i had my club, i would have this one in DJ booth ;)

Of course is good to add midi function to it ;) I would do it.
 
I use an Original cira 1970s UREI 1620 (actually have 3) at my club.

I also have had the Allen&Heath XONE:V6 ( http://www.allen-heath.com/veterans/xonev6.asp )

I have always enjoyed the rotary mixers. And if you are going to build one Pern (and this should be for all mixer manufactures) I would add a MIDI capability. The way more and more software products are going having MIDI on most hardware should be a must.
 
The Old UREI is fantastic, I have been looking at it since i first learned that they used it at Studio 54.

So, i guess i will do a real old-school rotary mixer with the old knobs and everything. But add some stuff that i also want, like CUE mix, rotary kill EQ etc.


And i finally found where to buy these:




Anyone else want one ;-)

 
Ok tell me the price :P
 
Might be interested if the price is right ...

1 of the mixers use to be in the Ritz (now Webster Hall) in New York back in the 80s.
 

These Rotary mixers are all new to me, never seen them before.

Kinda weird looking, but very cool.
 
A lot of people don't know what they are missing ....


Here is a link to the reborn 1620LE from Soundcraft -http://www.ureidj.com/product_1620LE.aspx

Unfortunately it died off very quickly because the demand just was not there and it didn't exhibit the same level of warmth in the sound that the classic UREI 1620 does.
 
mmm, i was actually just asking to see if there are more "strange" people like me that like the idea ....


But i there is a serious interest i can do it as a DIY project and/or find a cheap company in China that could make the PCBs etc. Or supply bare PCBs, Or something.

And professional made front panels is possible to get from: http://www.schaeffer-ag.de/index.php?id=97&L=1


I think, without more calculating that the material cost is something like 8%-10% of the cost of a ALLEN&HEATH XONE S 6 in single units. Maybee even less. And depending on functionality.


EDIT:

I'm also thinking about doing a VDJ dedicated MIDI controller in the same retro style.
 
 
pern wrote :


I think, without more calculating that the material cost is something like 8%-10% of the cost of a ALLEN&HEATH XONE S 6 in single units. Maybee even less. And depending on functionality.




So you are saying that it is possible for 300 eur make allen&heath quality mixer at home?? Are you sure you can get all pieces same quality? I would really like to make something like S6 by myself - but really with such quality components :)
 
Off course you can spend how much money you want on specific components. But in general when building a mixer it's the mechanical stuff that cost most. Not the PCBs with components.

I didn't calculate with P&G faders but with Bourns/Spectrol (conductive plastic versions as P&G) that is really good and much cheaper. I also didn't think of a Valve construction, but an OP/VCA. And at the moment i'm not thinking of doing it 100% class-A, maybee in a PROII version i will add that. But these things is ok with me, i don't have any problem with it when thinking on how much money i will save. And please note, i'm only talking about material cost here.

Do you want a 100% clone or a really good Rotary mixer in the same style with some new features also. If you want a 100% clone in everything, then maybee you should double the amount to be on the safe side and make your P&G dealer happy.

But i havent done any exact cost calculations yet, i'm talking in general terms here, but i'm normally correct +- 20% ;-)


I'm planning to do a module design, so that you can choose how much and on what you want to spend your money. I will not use P&G faders myself. I'm also thinking of doing 2 versions of the modules, one STD and one PRO (With MIDI support), this to give more options to people that want to use the design.
 
I know that you are talking just about material costs.

I would like to make my mixer 4 ch, 3 eq at each and some other things. line / phono
It would be something between V6 and Vestax PMC46 MkII.

so let's say 400 eur for material without work. It would be good price for quality components ;)
 
It would be great if everyone that's interested could write there feature/specs requests so that i only have to construct one version that is a best-of-everything. Please add them below.

And also what your prio is, please order them from most impostant etc: Cost - Quality (Audio) - Quality (Mechanical) - Functionality - Easy to build. This will help me a lot in the planning.


Mine is:

- Functionality
- Quality (Mechanical)
- Quality (Audio)
- Cost
- Easy to Build.
 


interesting project.. will start thinking about what would be my dream controller ;)
 
Quality (Mechanical)
Quality (Audio)
Functionality
Cost
Easy to build

I want one for home use to have it in my living room with technics GLD series (limited edition) :P (just get good offer for them)
 
cstoll wrote :

Here is a link to the reborn 1620LE from Soundcraft -http://www.ureidj.com/product_1620LE.aspx

Unfortunately it died off very quickly because the demand just was not there and it didn't exhibit the same level of warmth in the sound that the classic UREI 1620 does.


This is very interesting. Do you like the sound of the Original 1620 ? Do you remember what people didn't like about the sound in detail of 1620LE ? I have been looking at the schematics of the "old" UREI 1620 and it's a very simple and clean design, and from what i can figure out the LE version have just used newer components and skipped the transformer on the output.

I have now also looked at every Rotary mixer that i can think about in a little more detail to get ideas on the functionality to have. Everyone from Bozak to Vestax R-3. At the moment i think that the first "STD " version should be heavily "inspired" of the Original Urei 1620. And that it should look and work like it but:

- with 2 selectable inputs per channel, no AUX matrix
- Skipp the Balance function
- Add Channel gain function
- Add CUE mix functionality

So it should look and feel like a Bozak/UREI 1620 unit but with the functionality above. And that EQ etc are added in external box like Xone:V6 / Rane MP 2016S / Crest etc. But this is not final yet. One thought behind this is that you should be able to use these "extensions" with the original UREI units also.

I'm also thinking to build it in a way so that you can choose to have the same components as in the original UREI 1620 or use new (Bettter ?!) ones. Depending on what "sound" you want. I will not clone the schematics, but do the design like it was early/mid 1980 ;-) .

How does this sound ?
 
Another feature in the STD version. BTW, i think i will call it "Classic" from now on.

I think i will add a special VU/LED meter audio output also. And with a special button on the front for selecting PGM L - R / PGM - CUE. This if you want to use an external one.
 
Started Djing in the late 70s with a custom built Mono broadcast mixer.
Had 2x large analoge vu meters One Program and One audition very large chunky rotary faders.
Each channel had a Prog/ off/ Audition switch using old telephone exchange switchs.
Had a Dj Mic Channel Two pU or record player inputs and an aux input for another mic or line in.
Did a lot of kids discos and had an old telephone at front of stage by switching DJ mic , Aux (mic) and "other" record player to Audition
You could chat to punters, play music to them and put them to air to dedicate there song by switching there mic to Program.
Features not found on any Modern dj mixer!!!
This wasa fun tactile mixer modeled on BBC of the time , no crossfaders.
Rotary faders dont trap the sh*t so are more reliable can dig out some old circuits if interested.
 

Urei 1620 . Just love this one....
 
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