I’ve got back into vinyl mixing and having used rotary mixers in the past quite fancy getting one in. They suit my style - nu disco, house, long blends…
I’m not quite sure I want to get a bozak or urei as getting the separate eq rack will make it mega pricey.
The main thing I want to know is how is the empath for sound quality? Eqs? Older analogue rane mixers haves very good rep, the few I played on all felt decent and solid.
My local store doesn’t have an empath on display anymore… Im gonna try and test one first but that maybe tricky.
When I bought my 56 I was flirting with grabbing the rotary empath. I have not used the new rotary mixers, but having used the old Rane rotary kits in club installs, it stands to reason I would have been happy with it.
If the EQ can be judged by the 56 and similar time frame mixers, than you can trust Rane didn’t skimp.
I think I remember seeing something about the E&S being around 3 grand USD…but I think that one had some custom work.
The rotary Empath is on my short list of mixers I’d love to have. I never want more than it can handle, and it’s pretty awesome. EQs are Rane’s normal progressive slope full cut things, so the slope accelerates as you get towards the bottom……which I liked back when I was using EQs.
If I had the money, I think the only thing that would stop me would be being able to buy a 2016a–which would mostly be an aesthetic thing–and finally have a mixer that didn’t waste room with a crossfader. But I’d have to get an external VU meter. Darn. More pretty to buy. (no, i wouldn’t get the xp unit)
I played with one a few years ago, because a buddy of mine got it. And compared to my MP2016, it feels just as nice except you have the EQs and you can place it on table without a rack. I was tempted to sell my MP2016 to get a rotary Empath, but I wished it was 4 channels instead of 3. Other than that I say its a solid product.
Yeah…the Empath is probably a better mixer. I just like the old rotary design (aesthetically). The only thing I don’t like about the 2016a is that apparently it doesn’t sound as good as the V6 and the vintage ones……and it has gain knobs for some reason.
Both of them are better than the 2016, if only because of they can do the type of cuing I like. Other than that, I’m not sure there’s much of a difference……
Truthfully… I like my pioneer 800 and I have considered the rotary mod…
But I don’t love my pioneer. Partly because of the reaction of people I’ve never met on the internetz (like mostapha) who pointlessly sway my judgement but also just cause… It is a bit soulless.
I feel now with Dj gear and particularly mixers that actually its like buying a car. The pioneer 800 is like a reliable automatic Japanese car that is really well thought out and solid but there’s no love… There’s no quirks. It just works and has most features you’d want. Also it’s popular and no one likes anything popular cause it looks like it lacks imagination.
The rane empath rotary is like a manual BMW 3 series… Or an Audi. Get me?
I drive a black, manual 328i. So, I think that fits.
Pioneer mixers are perfectly good…they sound great. They’re easy to play on. They have some cool features. But they’re insanely expensive for what you get, and there are much better mixers available. There’s nothing really wrong with them. But if we’re talking about the Empath Rotary…that’s a mixer that sounds at least as good, has some cool features of its own, and is very different to spin on. I’m not quite sure why they’d appeal to the same person. But I also just don’t like Pioneer…the 900 is okay, but everything before that felt like cheap crap.
Well I got my 800 second hand so didn’t pay that much for it. New it’s over priced for sure.
Im just saying its crammed full of features you’d expect from an “all round” good mixer.
Filters per channel
“Decent” fx
Ch fader curve adjustment
Cross fader curve
Plenty ins and outs
Fader start
2 x mic inputs
Rec out
Booth out
Fairly accurate long per channel vu meters
Rubberised knobs
And the 900 adds features plus is scratch certified and sounds crystal.
To physically touch I find there’s almost no difference between the 800 and 900… If any?
Now im personally moving away from that mentality. Want something more stripped down and sexy.
I’m getting back to what I love about mixing which is vinyl and I want a mixer that sits with that.
Thinking the empath rotary is the one.
I ain’t quite up for the full old skool rotary shebang cause I quite like the idea of having a portable mixer too.
