OVERVIEW
Vestax has brought back this classic line of affordable club / installation dj mixers, highlighted by the loaded DSM-420. The main draw here is a pot of old school trigger effects- these things are pretty badass, and the same ones used in the old Numark effects mixers that everybody used to have! You also get a massive amount of input options (8 lines, 3 phono, 2 mics), seven band EQ's on both channels and much more. While it's not the most advanced in terms of fader technology, this is a really fun mixer that will satisfy the needs all non-scratch dj's.

FEATURES
As stated, the big news with this mixer is the return of classic button-triggered effects. You get the standard machine gun, ambulance, and police siren, plus the more mysterious bulldozer, power wave and sonic blaster, all of which sound exactly like they did 15 years ago. These effects can all be controlled with sound level and speed knobs. The sounds are basically a 6 second sample that restarts every time you hit the button (so you can have it on police siren and jam the button real fast for "wo-woo-woo-woo-wooop!" noises). Best to use in conjunction with the level knob, and it's really really fun to just have those effects right on the mixer. There's also an internal "echo" effect with controls for level, time, and repeat, but it honestly doesn't do that much in terms of straight "echo." When you have the levels on "full," it's more like a reverb distortion, but it can still be pretty cool when used properly.

Other cool features here include the full 7 band equalizer, with each slider going from –12db to +12db. Dropping the first three sliders pretty much kills the bass, and the additional eq's let you really fine tune the sound of the record. The crossfader is pretty much like your standard mid-90s fader, there's no curve adjustment and the feeling is a bit rough, but they are Vestax VMC faders, which have a fairly quick cut in time and should last longer than your standard entry level stuff. Bottom line is that you can cut with this mixer- and it will sound good- but strictly the basics, and if you're really concerned about scratching, you're looking at the wrong mixer.

The selection of inputs is massive. The DSM-420 features four separate channels, all with their own volume fader and up to three different ins (usually 2 lines / 1 phono). There are 2 mic inputs (XLR on mixer face, ¼" in the back), and each of these has volume control with a 2 band EQ included for mic 1. They also have a talkover switch for easy announcements, wheel ups and such. For outputs, you have standard RCA outs for master, booth (with level control on the mixer face), and record. There are also balanced ¼" outs for the master.

OUR OPINION
This mixer is perfect for people who like to play records, have fun, and blast the crowd with silly sound effects like "bull dozer." With those triggers, the echo effect, and the mic talk over, this thing is highly recommended for reggae + dancehall dj's. In this price range, you will usually be buying a substandard mixer disguised as something flashier, but the DSM series isn't afraid to lay it all on the line. No excuses or coverups- these are not high performance machines- but they are a great set of inexpensive mixers with solid old school performance and looks. Quite a lot of fun.

- 4 stereo channels
- 3 PHONO/LINE convertible inputs, 8 LINE & 2 MIC inputs
- dual 7 band graphic equalizers
- MIC Talkover switch
- 6 built-in sound effects
- built-in ECHO - balanced TRS outputs
- combo XLR / 1/4" mic input
- 110/220 switchable power supply
- alpha faders and Alps pots for superior sound quality and durability

reviewed by the mgmnt