A more advanced sister model to the popular TRM-202, the 222 offers exceptional value. Greg Scarth puts it to the test.
The boom in rotary DJ mixers over the last few years has seen the arrival of excellent options at every price point, from basic entry level models right through to exotic boutique models. Omnitronic’s TRM-222 sits towards the more affordable end of the scale, but represents a step up from the basic TRM-202 MK3. We’re big fans of the 202, which offers exceptional value at just over £300. The 222 is substantially more expensive at just over £550 for a two-channel mixer, but even a cursory glance at the two models side by side shows how much more you get for your money.
Out of the box, the 222 is immediately impressive, especially given the price. Despite having the same channel count as the 202, the 222 is obviously a much more fully featured model and benefits from a similarly more premium approach in terms of styling and build quality. It’s a fully analogue mixer, clearly designed with nods to classic rotary models, but brought up to date with features for contemporary DJing styles. The layout is fairly straightforward stuff, with both channels on the outer edges of the face plate – gain/trim for each input, clipping LEDs, three-band EQ and aux sends – then a central section with extensive controls for cueing and monitoring, mic input and an assignable resonant filter.
Sonically, we’ve come to expect decent performance from Omnitronic mixers. These aren’t ultra-high-end audiophile mixers and don’t deliver the kind of gloss and sparkle you’d expect from brands like Alpha Recording System, but ARS’s two-channel Model 1100 mixers start at over four times the price of the TRM-222. Instead, what you get from Omnitronic is neutrality and a good, honest sound. From pre-amps through EQ, summing and filters, everything’s nicely clean and neutral. The 222 feels like a step up sonically from the 202, with a nice weight to the low end and musicality to the isolator. The resonant filter can produce a popping noise when engaged on occasion, but this isn’t uncommon even on much more expensive analogue mixers.
Above all else, the 222 gives the impression of being very well thought out, giving a sense that Omnitronic have responded to user feedback and addressed some of the weaknesses of the more affordable 202. You still get the benefits of things like ALPS Blue Velvet potentiometers (found on some of the best audiophile mixers) and the excellent full-kill master isolator, but there are neat touches everywhere, from the VCA (voltage controlled amplifier)-based crossfader, meaning that the curve can be adjusted, through to the new effects send and return, exceptional metering options and adjustable EQ curves.
Omnitronic’s rotary mixers are already well established as being excellent value. Coming in at just over £550, the TRM-222 is no exception. There’s very little which can compete in this kind of price range, but the closest alternative is probably the Ecler WARM2, which just about has the edge in terms of sound quality but is a much more basic offering. Omnitronic’s own TRM-402 is the closest rival if you need a four-channel mixer, but once again it’s a significantly more basic mixer, essentially a four-channel version of the TRM-202. The bottom line is that Omnitronic have hit the mark very well here, delivering exceptional value and carving out another new niche with a great balance between price, features and sound quality. We have no doubt the 222 will prove just as popular as the 202 has been over recent years.
Greg Scarth
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