NAMM 2026: Pioneer DJ’s DJM-V10 is one of the most popular pro-level DJ mixers on the market. Along with the likes of Allen & Heath’s Xone:96, Pioneer’s all-singing, all-dancing flagship is a common choice for DJs playing major clubs or big festival stages.
With six-channels and a price point in the region of $/£3k, the V10 is unnecessarily big and expensive for home DJs or use smaller booths. Now it’s getting a compact and (slightly) more affordable sibling, which offers a similar design ethos and many of the same features in a three-channel format.
Enter the DJM-V5. As with the recently announced RMX-Ignite, the launch sees a product range that was previously branded Pioneer DJ moving under the AlphaTheta banner (for those that haven't been keeping up, it's the same company undergoing a somewhat drawn-out rebrand).
Although it halves the number of channels, the V5 maintains the advanced effects features of its bigger sibling. Each channel has access to a four-band EQ, a compressor, filter and effects send.
The mixer also offers the same audio quality as the V10, with what AlphaTheta describes as ‘studio-grade’ 96kHz/64-bit DSP processing and 32-bit A/D and D/A converters from ESS Technology built into the channel inputs and master output.
The channel filters can be switched between three different modes: low-pass, high-pass and cross-pass. This latter mode is designed to sweep the mid and high frequencies while leaving presence in the low frequencies.
According to AlphaTheta, this allows for “both subtle and dynamic control” perfect for “adding variation to vocals or melodies without compromising the track’s energy and enabling entirely new styles of performance.”
The V5 also has 60mm long-throw channel faders designed to allow for more subtle and nuanced mixing. It also features a new Soft Mix Curve fader mode, which AlphaTheta says "automatically applies subtle high-frequency attenuation to create smoother, more natural blends."
On the effects front, the V5 has six send effect options: Short Delay, Reverb, Shimmer, Tape Echo, Ping Pong, and Echo-Verb. These can be adjusted using a time knob, which controls both the timing and decay of effects, and responds with a context specific clicking mechanism for tactile feedback.
When used with a delay, the control will click to indicate timing divisions synced to the master tempo. When used with a reverb the control removes the clicking mechanism in order to smoothly adjust decay.
Other noteworthy features of the V5 include a built-in SonicLink receiver, for use with AlphaTheta’s minimal-latency HDJ-F10 wireless headphones. The unit also has a ‘multi I/O’ USB-C port, which can be used to connect an iOS device or for single-cable connectivity with the RMX-Ignite. The rear USB-C port, meanwhile, allows for plug-and-play Serato compatibility and DVS use.
Along with its channel inputs and main outputs. The V5 has a stereo pair of ¼-inch TS jacks ports for both a send output and return input, allowing DJs to route an external effects loop. There is also a combination XLR/TRS mic input, two headphone outputs and a booth output with its own 2-band EQ. The V5 also has a LAN port for use with AlphaTheta’s Pro DJ Link system.
The AlphaTheta DJM-V5 is out now, priced at €1,999/£1,739 including VAT, and $2,199 excluding sales tax in the US, or $1,999 excluding tax in Canada and Latin America. Head to the AlphaTheta site for more.
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