NAMM: Soundcraft has reintroduced the UREI line of DJ mixers designed for both the traditional house market and turntablist performance sector.
The UREI legend was born in the 1970s with the 1620, a rotary-based mixer for the house mixing sector, initially establishing its reputation for great sound and smooth control on the New York scene, at the heart of the control center that was Larry Levan’s DJ booth at The Paradise Garage.
First out of the new stable is an updated version, the limited edition UREI 1620LE. Tempting though it was to totally re-engineer this classic mixer, Soundcraft has remained loyal to the original circuits and traditional components that delivered the UREI sound, while engineering for enhanced reliability. Only slight modifications to the circuit layout have been made in order to further minimize noise with no detriment to the sound. With all the sonic qualities retained, users of the new mixer will also experience the reassuringly positive and authentic rotary feel of the 1620, while the panel layout remains as inspiring and intuitive today as it was in the 1970s. All this gives the DJ unrivalled control in the mix.
Features of the 1620LE include six input channels–two phono and four aux inputs (three line and one mic, each with phono options available)–headphone monitoring of any input, House and Booth master output volume controls, and two-band EQ on the output.
Furthermore, the unit has been given gold-plated connectors on the rear.
For the performing DJ, the new 1601 and 1601S are two-channel digital mixers.
Designed with the hip-hop DJ in mind, sporting a clear battle area around the faders, the 1601 features selectable line or phono inputs and three-band EQ on each channel, high-pass filters for removing turntable rumble or stage noise, an FX send and return loop with selectable signal feed locations, and an independent mic/line input with two-band EQ. Each input fader has selectable response curves, as does the cross-fader. The headphone outputs (both 1/4-inch and mini-jack connectors are provided) have an EQ control that allows the DJ to tune the phones to his own ears. Two independent sets of dual 10-segment LED meters show the input and output levels. Outputs are on both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA-phono connectors. A specially designed Exciter section has a variable frequency control, and a mix control to allow the excited program to be added to the main mix. The 1601 is powered by an integral universal voltage power supply.
The 1601S is a true multi-genre mixer, expanding its use to cover house, techno, breaks, drum & bass, R&B and more. It is identical to the 1601, but has the added feature of a high-performance, two-bank, 32-beat, 96kHz/24-bit auto-looping sampler with one-shot and reverse functions. The playback from either sample bank is assignable to channel one and/or channel two. A BPM lock indicator shows that the BPM engine is ready to sample, and a footswitch connector allows control while the DJ’s hands remain focused on creating the mix.
To aid in field servicing, the input faders, cross-fader, CF monitor fader, sampler controls, input select switches and EQ pots on the 1601 Series are all user-replaceable.
Additional mixers in the UREI Series are planned for 2005. For more information, visit Soundcraft’s UREI site.
