Vestax PMC-07 Pro - Review

I have been using the Vestax PMC-07 Pro for around 18 months now, so I feel I am in a position to give it a well balanced, in-depth review.

It's a popular, high end scratch mixer - aimed at turntablists that like to scratch and beat juggle. It's so much more versatile than that, though. The curves, and EQ settings allow any DJ to wow his crowd with whatever he chooses to play.

Features
Being predominantly a scratch mixer, the face is quite minimalistic and clean. There's a lot of room to manoeuvre the faders, and all the controls are spaced out well to allow fast movement when mixing. The EQ levels take some getting used to, as they are controlled by faders rather than the common twisty knobs. Once you get used to the change though, it becomes a lot quicker to switch the EQ up or down. It also has balance control, allowing you to switch your sound from one speaker to the other. When this is done well it is a great effect to use, although I definitely haven't perfected it myself!

If you compare the face of the mixer to that of my VMC-004 XL I reviewed here, you will see the differences.

• Four Faders This leaves the face a lot more cluttered, not allowing for quick movements. It does give you twice as many inputs, though.
• EQ Knobs The EQ levels are controlled using the standard knobs. This is fine, if you have more time to adjust your EQ levels.

I was lucky enough to buy the PMC-07 Pro, second hand from DJ Skully, a pioneer in UK hip-hop and twice DMC UK Champion. Although I'm not quite sure why I look miserable!

Skully sold me the mixer at a decent price, and also threw in some needles, and the mixer itself was fitted with a pro-x fader, bargain!

Quality
Now if it's good enough for Skully, it's definitely good enough for me. The main selling point of this mixer is quality, and robustness. The fader has worn out with previous mixers I have used, purely because they weren't built to take the amount of scratching I was doing at the time. The PMC-07 is different, particularly with the pro-x fader in there. I've done a serious amount of scratching on it, and the fader still glides smooth, with no bleeding or crackling. The sound quality from the mixer is also worth shouting about. When you have so many pieces of equipment working together (turntables, mixer, amplifier, speakers), each one needs to be spot on. This mixer doesn't let down the team and lets a great quality of sound boom out of my set.

Versatility
The picture above shows the curve control for both main faders and the cross fader. This is what makes the mixer so versatile. You can control - on a very fine level - just how sharp you want the cut to be. Have the middle curve (cross fader) set completely to the right as I have, allows a very sharp cut for scratching. I must add this is an incredibly sharp cut, and allows for  easy crab/transformer scratches. On the flipside, setting the curve completely left will have the opposite effect, allowing a smooth fade from one channel to the other. This is much better for mixing, and I have the fader on that setting for all of my dubstep mixes.

Aesthetics
I couldn't ask for much more from this mixer, I think it looks great. It's a smart bit of kit, and does a good job of lighting up when the music is playing. (This is also useful for making sure volume levels aren't going to blow your speakers!) It has a stainless steel cover which reassures the quality of this mixer, no corners are cut here.

Conclusion
I would recommend this mixer to most DJs. If you're anything like me, then you'll enjoy all elements of DJing - scratching, juggling, mixing and blending. This mixer allows for all of that, if you feel you're quite experimental, this mixer is for you.
The only thing I would change about this mixer would be to give it two outputs. This makes recording easier as you can play what you're doing through your speakers, while recording it through to your PC. Currently I have my PMC-07 Pro running into my VMC-004 XL, which then runs into my amplifier, as well as my laptop. Bit of an expensive way to get around it but I had the VMC-004 XL laying around anyway.

Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy (Review)

This album has been out for a couple of weeks so I've been able to give it a good listen - and I'm impressed.

I had first heard of Tinie Tempah when he featured on Killa Kela's album Amplified. I had no idea that he was on the brink of something very special. He had made mixtapes before, but nothing that had earned plays on Radio One, or come close to the charts.
Pass Out - Which features on the album - Launched Tinie Tempah to stardom. An iconic tune, it took electric hip-hop, and drum and bass influences with catchy lyrics that you will hear people repeating for a long time to come.


So fair enough. Anyone can have a one hit wonder right? This wasn't the case for Tinie Tempah. A strong follow up Frisky came out shortly after. A similar format, Frisky took the same influences and was equally as iconic as Pass Out. I actually prefer Frisky and it is one of my favourite tracks from the album. Would You Risk it for a Chocolate Biscuit?


So now with two strong singles under his belt, Tinie Tempah really caught my attention. I can honestly say that when I first heard Pass Out I thought Tinie had one hit wonder written all over him. I am so glad that he has proved me wrong; there is not a bad song on Disc-Overy.




This is currently my favourite track from the album, Miami 2 Ibiza. I am a massive fan of Swedish House Mafia, and I loved One (Your Name) which they collaborated with Pharrell Williams for. Miami 2 Ibiza is a jumped up, feel good house track that is massive in clubs. It's one of those tracks that makes you want to dance, and never fails to put a smile on your face.

Another single worth mentioning is Written in The Stars. Featuring Eric Turner, this track features guitar solos, clever lyrics, and a catchy hook. All the ingredients needed for a great hip-hop track. I think it's quite incredible just how successful each track has been, and the album itself is very strong.

Where Now for Tinie Tempah?
The PR and promotion for Disc-Overy is far from over. There are concerts, signings and appearances to take care of I imagine, and then work will start on new material.
I hope that Disc-Overy isn't a sign of peaking too early for Tinie Tempah, although the way he proved me wrong with follow ups to Pass Out, I feel he will prove me wrong again. The success of Disc-Overy is sure to attract attention from bigger stars, he managed to get Kelly Rowland to collaborate on the song Invincible, which is extremely impressive for a debut album. Who's next, Beyonce? Lady Gaga? Dare I say it... Cher Lloyd?
Jokes aside, I expect some high profile collaborations in the future, and I think Tinie Tempah is UK hip-hop's best chance of truly breaking America. I would love to see Tinie Tempah work with the likes of Jay-Z, Eminem, or Dr Dre. I could also see him taking the electric route and working with Chase & Status, Jack Beats, or even Magnetic Man.

Useful Links
Listen to Disc-Overy on Spotify
Like Tinie Tempah on Facebook