Overview – Neither A9 Nor V10: The Curious Case of the AlphaTheta VM-5

There’s one thing concerning the AlphaTheta VM-5 that feels barely unresolved, or undercooked. At first look, it appears to be like like a considerate try to bridge two worlds: the pace and familiarity of the Pioneer DJ DJM-A9, and the broader, extra “instrument-like” philosophy of the Pioneer DJ DJM-V10. That sounds smart in concept. In apply, the longer you spend with it, the extra you end up asking a quite simple query: who precisely is that this for?

The three-channel format is the place that query begins to take form. It doesn’t cripple the mixer, and in isolation it’s completely usable, but it surely does really feel like a quiet step backwards from what has turn into the anticipated baseline. 4 channels aren’t about extra; they’re about headroom in a sensible sense as that offers you choices and lets you change between two unbiased 2-deck setups with ease. Should you take that fourth channel away you’re not essentially being compelled into dangerous selections, however you might be nudged into tighter ones. 

At this high quality degree, that seems like an odd place to land. On the identical time, the V10’s six-channel format has at all times struck me as vital overkill, until you’re an octopus or a visionary with a really clear intent to make use of it. The V10 subsequently turns into bodily large, barely unwieldy, and just a bit too demanding for the typical consumer in a membership atmosphere the place intuition issues greater than structure. The VM-5 doesn’t resolve that pressure – it simply relocates it.

From a technical perspective, there’s no actual proof right here of a significant leap in audio efficiency over one thing just like the A9. Trendy mixers already function with greater than sufficient inside headroom and precision, and if you happen to’re achieve staging correctly and staying out of the purple, nothing is being compromised. There’s no hidden transient loss ready to catch you out. The V10 is bought on the idea that it sounds extra “open” than others, however this usually has extra to do with the way it encourages you to overlap and mix materials than any dramatic distinction underneath the hood. Barely broader EQ curves could make longer blends really feel smoother, but it surely’s additionally adequately subtle that, in most real-world conditions, you’re unlikely to note it until you’re actively leaning into that type of blending.

Let’s discuss EQ. The addition of a fourth EQ band will attraction to some, significantly these coming from an Allen & Heath background, the place that sort of tonal management is second nature. Personally, I’ve by no means discovered that method useful *in any respect* in a membership setting the place pace and effectivity issues, as does intuition. A 3-band EQ allows you to transfer rapidly and decisively, whereas a fourth band introduces a layer of consideration that may both really feel like management or hesitation, relying on how you’re employed. Should you’re used to three-bands, then a fourth can simply result in errors and might degrade your move.

I’m additionally curious as to why they determined to put off the crossfader, though that’s a function I by no means, ever use on DJ mixers. I absolutely perceive that this unit isn’t meant for the scratch market, but it surely’s an absence that feels pointless. 

The consequences part is extra intently aligned to that of the V10 fairly than the A9, with adjustable Sends on every channel, however in a extra streamlined and fewer modular vogue than the V10. This lets you ship variable quantities of results to every channel concurrently which permits for artistic parallel mixing throughout a number of channels which brings V10-style pondering right into a extra accessible and user-friendly format. Nevertheless, I actually don’t perceive why they selected to put it on the left-hand facet of the mixer fairly than the fitting. Equally, putting the headphone jack on the fitting facet of the mixer additionally feels counter-intuitive and it felt just like the cable was then trailing from proper to left throughout the underside of the mixer, which might be grating in a membership atmosphere.

What you’re left with is a mixer that feels very properly constructed, sounds clear {and professional}, and gives a barely completely different manner of interacting along with your music, however by no means fairly justifies its place. Should you worth pace, readability, and a format that retains familiarity and stays out of your manner, the A9 nonetheless feels just like the extra full and coherent instrument. Should you’re drawn to the concept of the mixer as an instrument in its personal proper, and also you’re prepared to simply accept the complexity that comes with that, the V10 goes additional, even when it brings its personal compromises. The VM-5 sits considerably awkwardly between these two worlds. 

The issue is that, for a lot of DJs, that merely isn’t a spot that wants filling.