AlphaTheta’s debut rotary mixer features unique effects, unusual approaches to monitoring levels, and a blend of analogue and digital tech. Greg Scarth finds out how this boundary-pushing offering mixes retro with future.
Coming hot on the heels of the Omnis Duo controller, the AlphaTheta Euphonia is a debut mixer from Pioneer DJ’s parent company. AlphaTheta is pitched as the company’s more experimental branch, while Pioneer DJ products remain the more conventional club choices. As such, it’s not surprising that the Euphonia takes an unusual approach: most rotary mixers are pitched as the slightly old-fashioned, purist’s choice, but the AlphaTheta is distinctly forward-looking in a number of ways. The combination of these disparate factors – digital and analogue, retro and futuristic – is what makes the Euphonia so intriguing.
The idea of a digital rotary mixer is a little unusual given that the rotary approach is typically associated with an old-school audiophile approach and analogue electronics. There is a precedent here, though. Rane’s MP2015, released nearly a decade ago, partnered a digital summing engine with a retro rotary approach. The Euphonia is similar in that respect, with fully digital summing and a four-channel rotary design. It’s a fair assumption that the electronics are similar to those used in Pioneer’s high-end DJM series mixers, which the specifications back up; at heart, this is a clean, neutral mixer, but it’s complemented by elements like the three-band isolator and a Rupert Neve output transformer which colour the sound and introduce character.
The overall layout of the mixer reflects that split personality, with the lower section feeling fairly straightforward, and the upper section representing the areas where AlphaTheta are pushing boundaries with the design and features. Down below, the four channels are all identical, with computer (Rekordbox), digital (CDJ), line or phono inputs on each one. Three-band EQ is a -26/+6 dB design, while cueing and effects sends are all very logical and intuitive. Up top, the vibe shifts to colouration, with a three-band isolator section alongside Pioneer-style Send FX and a metering screen.
Build quality is exceptional and, in use, the Euphonia feels like an extremely high-end product. Decades of Pioneer DJ technology shine through in everything from the look and feel of the unit to the clear, precise summing and effects. AlphaTheta’s claims about the Euphonia are bold, to say the least: “The Euphonia produces a euphoric sound with the clarity of digital and the richness of analogue that’s never been heard from a DJ mixer before.” Your own ears will be the judge of that, but the formula is effective. Notably, the licensed Rupert Neve transformer in the output stage adds a degree of analogue colouration to the mix. The transformer circuit is always active on all the outputs, meaning that it colours the sound not just of the main outputs, but also the booth outputs, record outputs and headphone output. There’s no way to disengage the transformer circuit to A/B test the impact it has, but there’s a definite warmth to the sound which puts the Euphonia in a different space to similar Pioneer mixers.
The isolator itself is a key part to the Euphonia’s approach, but it’s also interlinked with the effects section in a unique way. The frequencies are designed to “control and highlight the kick, melody and rhythm bands” in AlphaTheta’s words – quite standard stuff, really – but the ‘Boost Send’ buttons work alongside the channel sends to control the effect. Boost Sends are applied by locking on a Send button for each of the three bands, the signal from which is then sent to the built-in effects or an external effect unit if one is connected, with adjustable levels for different results. Aside from a high-pass filter, the built-in effects themselves are heavily based around reverb and delay. One very nice touch here is the way the reverb/delay time knob behaves differently based on the effects setting. The knob clicks based on BPM for effects like delay and tape echo, but moves freely for reverb and shimmer, which avoids interrupting your flow while dialling in effects.
Monitoring levels is also particularly clear and intuitive thanks to the Energy Visualizer on the Euphonia’s screen. Effectively a virtual VU meter, the Energy Visualizer displays levels for all four channels simultaneously. You could argue that plenty of DJ mixers already have individual level meters for each channel – in fact, the Euphonia also has individual channel level meters – but laying virtual VU meters over the top of each other like this is a remarkably effective approach, especially when paired with the real-time spectrum analyser in the background.
On, then, to the final sticking point: the price. The Euphonia is very much a premium product, but what exactly can you compare it to? At £3,249, it sits almost exactly half way between the hand-built, audiophile-friendly ARS Model 9500B and Pioneer’s four-channel DJM-A9, which represents the closest thing to an industry standard club mixer. That just about sums up the Euphonia, with one foot in the retro world of audiophile rotary mixers and one in the forward-thinking approaches best exemplified by that unique effects section.
If you’ve made it this far, you probably already have a good idea of whether this unusual mixture of digital and analogue tech appeals to you. The bottom line is that the Euphonia is a niche offering, but one which achieves exactly what it sets out to do. If you’re drawn to the combination of digital tech, analogue warmth and playability then the Euphonia meets all expectations. Ultimately, the unique approach ticks a lot of boxes which you’d struggle to tick with many other DJ mixers. It’s very much a premium product in the mould of high-end Pioneer mixers, but it takes a very different approach to the DJM series.
Greg Scarth
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