Musikmesse 2012: Vestax VCI-380 DJ controller

As the concept of 'controllerism' takes root, Vestax has announced a 2-channel DJ controller that's designed for those who practise it.

Coming with a built-in mixer, trigger pads and a copy of Serato Itch, the VCI-380 is apparently "the key that opens the door to limitless possibilities of controllerism," and you can find out all about it in the press release below and on the Vestax website.

Vestax VCI-380 press release

Vestax Corporation introduces the VCI-380, a 2-channel DJ controller with a built-in DJ mixer, FSR pads and bundled with world acclaimed Serato ITCH. The VCI-380 will make its debut at Frankfurt Musik Messe 2012 in Germany, HALL 5.1 / Booth#C90, March 21st - 24th.

The DJ scene and the technology surrounding it have always evolved together. The sole concept of Vestax has always been to create innovative and useful instruments, giving DJs what they want. With the breakthrough of "controllerism", it was obvious to develop a hardware that answered new needs. The VCI-380 is a powerful and creative 2-channel DJ controller with a built-in mixer, optimized to enhance the DJs performance and take a new approach in manipulating music. Mix, scratch, cue, effect, sample, trigger, loop and slice. The VCI-380 is the key that opens the door to limitless possibilities of controllerism.

The ultra responsive FSR pads inherited from the Vestax Pad-ONE are velocity sensitive and controls after-touch. Each pad triggers the 5 performance modes; Slicer, Roll, Sampler, Loop and Hot Cue of Serato ITCH, and enables a unique function of the VCI-380 named Pad FX. An innovative feature, which applies FX to the 5 performance modes using after touch, creating amazing combinations to manipulate music in ways nobody else has before. Parameters for Pad FX can be altered with the ribbon control, which also swipes, holds and needle drops tracks.

The legendary jog wheels from the Vestax VCI series have stepped up in their game with an advanced structure and larger platters for extra stability and smoothness. The LED needlepoint embedded in the jog wheel provides excellent visual monitoring, indicating the decks playback position. The torque of the jog wheels can be adjusted to the DJs preference, and as like all VCI series controllers touching the sides of the jog wheels can bend the pitch of a track.

The VCI-380 functions as a powerful stand-alone mixer, which enables connection with external devices such as CD players, turntables, MP3 players and DVS systems through its hybrid RCA phono/line inputs. Along with standard Trim, EQ, and fader curve control, the two filter knobs function as Hi-pass filters to add an extra touch to the DJ's performance. The built in high quality 24Bit/48kHz audio interface based on technology developed with the critically acclaimed Vestax VCI-400, features BIT-Perfect audio powered by a studio grade asynchronous USB streaming system. This extremely advanced technology provides low latency, premium sound quality and outputs the DJs mix, analog or digital, at its true clarity.

The VCI-380 was designed hand in hand with Serato, and takes perfect control of ITCH and its outstanding features. The extreme integrity between the VCI-380 and Serato ITCH provide and arsenal of music craft tools which will inspire controllerists and DJs of all kind. As a general midi controller, the VCI-380 is also compatible with other DJ midi software.

Keep checking MusicRadar.com's Musikmesse 2012 hub for all the show highlights.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.