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Notes: Still a classic, still a brilliant mixer. Nearly 20 years on the market but sounding just as good as ever, the Xone:92 seems like a bit of a bargain now.

Supplier's Notes:
The industry-standard Xone:92 is a versatile six channel analogue mixer, renowned for its expansive, involving sound. With its solid construction and easy to use interface, the 92 is on the riders of most of the world's top DJs and is a permanent fixture in the booth at many of the biggest superclubs.

The Xone:92 was one of the first professional DJ mixers to incorporate MIDI for control of DJ software or external devices, and the first to include the innovative dual VCF filters. With its two stereo FX sends, twin Mic/returns, and one of the best EQ sections around, this mixer is a DJ's dream tool.

For those who prefer to blend with rotary faders the Xone:92R is also available.

Notes: A&H described this groundbreaking mixer as the most advanced product they'd ever designed when it was released. Ultra-technical design with emphasis on effects and performance options.

Supplier's notes:
The Xone:DB4 is a ground-breaking mixer and the most advanced product that Allen & Heath have ever designed. Every feature has been meticulously researched with a view to offering DJs ultimate creativity. Based on the iLive pro-touring FX system, A&H developed FX algorithms with BPM conscious parameters and tight spectral control, customised to perfectly fit the DJ environment. As the loops and FX are automatically synchronised to the tempo of the track, it is very easy to build some amazing grooves and soundscapes without problems of latency, low fidelity and the general hassle often associated with using software and laptops.

The icing on the cake is the flexible input matrix, where any audio source can be selected on any or all of the channels. Different processing can be applied to the same track on separate channels and you can fade between them, or a phrase sampled in the looper of one channel can be added to the mix later in the track. Our digital design team has done an incredible job to ensure that this is one of the most innovative and exciting DJ mix tools to date.

Quad FX Core:
The heart of the Xone:DB4 is the powerful Quad FX Core DSP engine, enabling each channel to have its own FX bank and BPM detection system, which automatically adjusts all time-related FX and loops to the tempo of the music. There are 5 studio quality FX types optimised for DJ use - delays, reverbs, modulators, resonators and damage - plus each FX type has a patch library of different effect variations. Each FX bank has a dedicated expression control and a rotary pot to set the wet/dry level, whilst further tweaking can be performed using the global controllers in the FX master section.

X:LINK uses a standard RJ45 connector and distributes power and data allowing connection to X:LINK compatible devices, saving USB ports on your computer.

Each channel has a built-in looper, with selectable loop length from 1/16 beat to 4 bars. DB4 will always record the full 4 bars, so the loop can be expanded or shrunk at will.

Each music channel can select any of the available stereo music sources: Analogue Line 1-4 (switchable to Phono on 2-3), Digital 1-4 or USB 1-4.

The Mic/Line input has 2-band EQ, gain, cue and mix level. This can also be routed to all main input channels overriding Matrix analogue input channel 1 for adding FX and accessing the loopers.
A built-in, high quality (24-bit / 96kHz), multi-channel, fully patchable USB2 soundcard allows replay and recording from audio software for 4 stereo sends and 4 stereo returns.

Each music channel has a 3-band EQ that can be configured as standard asymmetric EQ (+6/-26dB), Isolator (+6dB/OFF with a 24dB/octave slope), or reconfigured as a High-Pass/Low-Pass filter system with adjustable resonance. EQ knob pointers change colour to show which type of equalization is active.

User-defined settings such as meter mode, BPM range, USB audio routing scheme and display brightness can be saved to a USB key for recall on another DB4.

All controls (except Mic and Phones level) send MIDI data and the mixer can double up as a MIDI controller via the MIDI shift button, allowing the Loop and FX selection controls to send MIDI data without changing the mixer settings. DB4 can generate internal MIDI clock which can be used to control the tempo of a connected DAW via USB and the ability to change the mixers MIDI channel.

Booth, record and phones - source selectable and level trim. Booth and main - phase and level trim controls.

The OLED display is clearly visible, even in bright sunlight, and displays channel FX selection and current BPM, as well as being an easy interface for the Menu setup functions.
4 channels, USB, S/PDIF co-axial I/O, Mic/Line input, XLR outputs, Looper, EQ/Filter, QuadFX DSP effects, built in 24bit/96kHz 4in/4out audio interface

DB4's lightweight aluminium chassis is designed to make touring with the console easy.

Review: Build An Ark is well known as one of the greatest spiritual jazz bandsAin the 2000's led by producer Carlos NiNo and vocalist Dwight Trible.AThis EP includes remarkable 2 cover tracks from their first album"Peace With Every Step(2004)" of the astonishing project where he invited top jazz musicians, Phil Ranelin who led the Tribe label in the 70's and Nate Morgan from the Nimbus label led by Horace Tapscott, etc.AA-side is a cover of Pharoah Sanders' masterpiece "You've Gotta Have Freedom", one of the representative songs of spiritual jazz.AAnother side Includes a cover of "Vibes From The Tribe" which is Phil Ranelin's heavy breakbeats left on Tribe in 1975!

Review: P-Vine is in a particularly strong run of form right now and that keeps up with this deep cut funk classic from US group Soul Expedition as led by guitarist Freddie Terrell. This is the only studio album the band released way back in 1972 but its still carries weight. The tracks are bristling brews, heavily packed with percussion, wriggling rhythm sections and flute lines that soar to the skies. An original is hard to find and expensive if you do, so this lovingly recreated reissue complete with full artwork is a must buy for funk lovers.

Review: Of all the many cutting edge and pioneering records put out by the iconic Black Jazz label, Doug Carn's is one of the most well known and widely acclaimed and now it gets a reissue on Japan's P-Vine. Although everything he did turned to gold, this one reached even more impressive heights with Doug himself at the helm of the composition on the 1973 release. It sees him integrate Jean Carn's majestically soulful and heavenly vocals deeper into the music which was so stylishly delivered by trumpeter Olu Dara, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Ira Williams. The standout track will always be the rapturous 'Power & The Glory' but all the rest are frankly just as good.