A seriously high-end DJ mixer from a legendary designer, the Orbit.6 sets a new benchmark for sound and build quality. Greg Scarth puts this rotary beauty to the test.
Almost every DJ knows the mixers created by Union Audio’s founder, Andy Rigby-Jones. Union Audio was created in 2014, when Rigby-Jones left his position as design manager at Allen & Heath, the company where he’d worked for 22 years and overseen the creation of iconic DJ gear such as the Xone:92 mixer. Since then, his own company has designed, engineered and manufactured mixers and other audio gear for brands including MasterSounds, TPI and Richie Hawtin’s PLAYdifferently. Union Audio’s debut release is the Orbit.6, a six-channel rotary DJ mixer intended to be the flagship model in a new range. There are obvious similarities to the discontinued and highly sought-after Allen & Heath Xone:V6, but the Orbit.6 is a completely new design from the ground up, based around custom op-amps and a fully discrete signal path for true audiophile sound.
The specification of the Orbit.6 speaks for itself: a rack-mounted six-channel design with high-pass filters on every channel, channel aux sends and a three-band master isolator. In addition to the aux send for effects on individual channels there’s a master insert for master effects or a compressor, balanced booth and master outputs, plus a recording output. Channel metering is handled by LED strips while a beautiful stereo pair of backlit VU meters give feedback on the main outputs. A range of inputs allow the six channels to be assigned to any of four phono (RIAA) inputs and eight line inputs. There are also direct outputs for each channel, allowing you to record mixes as multi-track stems in addition to the stereo master.
Power comes from a separate Europa linear power supply, providing stable voltage sources for a fully discrete signal path, i.e. based around individual electronic components rather than the cheaper and more generic integrated circuits (‘chips’) used in most audio gear. There’s a valve stage on each channel, but the real key to the Orbit’s design are the custom operational amplifiers developed in-house by UA specifically for the Orbit. Op-amps are the fundamental building blocks of analogue circuits, with the brand’s bespoke design allowing the Orbit to be engineered for optimal sound quality. In their words, “sweet, clear highs, warm, forward mids and an extended, driving low end”.
Rigby-Jones is well known for the sound of his mixers, with the Allen & Heath Xone:92 in particular setting a standard for analogue designs with characterful filters, sounding distinctly different to the digital offerings from Pioneer’s rival DJM range. The Orbit.6 isn’t based on any of Rigby-Jones’s previous designs, but he told us via email that the overall objective is always accuracy, which can be achieved in different ways. He explains: “As we developed each circuit stage, we didn’t just listen for audio transparency but whether what we were hearing had any emotional effect. Sounds silly, but a remarkably simple and effective test was to have music playing quietly in the background while we carried on with our work, then change the circuit after an hour or two, and listen again. Bizarrely, you would suddenly find yourself drawn into the music where previously you weren’t, completely subconsciously. Pulling all the different circuits together we ended up with a product that, to our ears, not only conveys emotion but also measures well, with a wide frequency response and very low distortion.” Audiophile buzzwords never quite match the subtlety of high-end sound – one man’s warmth is another man’s distortion – but the sound of the Orbit.6 might be described as sweet and detailed. It’s a clear, precise sound but one with engaging character before you even engage the beautifully precise high-pass filters and characterful, smooth three-band isolator. Crucially, the actual summing itself seems clearer than most mixers, gluing things together while remaining detailed during a blend.
A large part of the occasionally overblown mythology of rotary mixers relates to the way that they feel. It’s true that a rotary fader has an inherently different feel to a straight fader but, in practice, most rotary mixers on the market use the same potentiometers (the electrical component behind the level knob). The Japanese-made Alps RK27 ‘Blue Velvet’ is probably the most common, closely related to the RK40 ‘Black Beauty’ which was developed in the late 70s for Bozak mixers. It’s a decent choice with a clear sound and accurate tracking, but there’s more to it than just the electronic specification and resulting sound of the circuit; anyone who’s ever touched a turntable or a DJ mixer will understand the importance of haptics and ergonomics. UA’s solution tells the story of decades of experience in mixer design: the trusty Alps Blue pots are used here, but they’re housed in a mechanical damping system specially developed in-house by Union Audio, aiming to provide a similar feel to the obsolete Penny+Giles RF11 damped pots used in the Xone:V6. It’s a unique feature which gives the fader a slow, weighty feel. As Rigby-Jones explains, “having a heavily damped fader makes for smoother and more progressive audio level adjustments”. You’re not going to be making quick cuts with these faders, but that’s entirely the point. Aside from their feel, the chunky level knobs are also backlit by subtle red LEDs, helping them stand out in a dark DJ booth. Overall, the main contact points of the Orbit.6 give it a solid, reassuring feel that encourages slow, smooth blends.
There aren’t many quirks to the Orbit.6 design, which follows what’s not exactly a standard formula but certainly a riff on a layout which goes all the way back to Bozak. With that said, there are nice little design touches all over the place, from the IP4-rated splashproof cue buttons to the bespoke VU meters which illuminate red if the output level gets too high. Even the placement of the source selection toggle switches seems carefully considered, tucked away close to the trim pots to help avoid knocking them while using the filters. On the point of source selection, it’s worth noting that the mixer doesn’t have a dedicated mic input channel. Instead, the first line input of channel 6 can be set up as a mic input via a push-button switch on the rear panel. This is also where you’ll find a trim control and two-band EQ for the mic. It’s a little more fiddly than having mic controls on the front panel, but given the number of line inputs available, you can still mix up to four turntables and six line sources even if you set channel 6 up as a dedicated mic input. There’s also an option to engage phantom power, which requires a service technician to adjust some internal settings.
Finally, we come to the price tag. There’s no getting around it, £5,490 is a huge chunk of money for any DJ mixer. Conveniently, it’s also pretty much exactly what a secondhand Xone:V6 will set you back these days, and the Orbit.6 is a superior mixer with a full warranty. There’s clearly a demand for a high-end mixer of this variety. It’s more expensive than, say, ARS’s flagship Model 9900, but the Orbit beats it comfortably in plenty of ways, not least its truly exceptional build quality. With the Orbit.6, Rigby-Jones and his Union Audio team have set a new benchmark for DJ mixers as a whole, not just rotary mixers. Further models are expected, with a smaller model called the Elara already being teased. The cost of the Orbit.6 might mean it’s targeted mainly at high-end clubs and very serious audiophile DJs, but there’s no denying that it’s a thing of beauty. As debut releases go, it’s stunningly impressive.
Greg Scarth
More info/buyThe Union Audio Orbit.6 is expected in stock this week, priced at £5,490. Sign up for email alerts to be notified when it’s available. Note that separate versions are available for 230V, 120V and 100V mains power supplies.
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