Best replacement crossfader for Vestax PMC...

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djperkins

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Sep 22, 2011
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Can't believe mine is croaked after a month, can't be fkd sending it back etc...it never did feel up to the job if I'm honest, I have seen the Innofader PNP for £125, are there any other choices apart from stock or has stock been improved?
 

Jiglo

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Mar 21, 2005
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I've always thought the Vestax PMC05 PROIII's crossfader was the best i've ever used and they're built to take some serious hammer and cycles and there's shit loads of detail for the entire length of the crossfader (which helps hold the last tune in the mix until you're fully across and all high quality throughout), but there's obviously different types available. That of course is a pro model though and by contrast the PMC15SL's crossfader was ok but nothing special, but still probably a whole lot better than the dogs arse in the Pioneer DJM 600, which is truly horrible for a (then) club standard mixer!:| I mostly use the Penny & Giles in the Rane Empath at the moment though (by default of it having full eq's by comparison the PROIII's 2 band eq), but if I could swap it out with the PCV fader in my PMC05 ProIII, then I would.

Never tried an innofader and not likely to unless it's in a future mixer purchase, because of the price. I've also heard that Rane's magnetic faders and Ecler Hak mixer's have/had decent faders too, but doubt they'd work in your mixer without some big mods and I don't even know if they're readily available off the shelf. I'm guessing your choices are probably between the Innofader and a Pro Vestax crossfader (PCV, not a standard model) if you want the best experience then. That's if a pro Vestax fader will hook up to your board.

There are the newer pro Vestax faders too though, but whether the digital pro fader in Benny's Pick's Terrace Vestax PMC-08 Pro mixer is better than mine is probably debatable.
 

djperkins

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Sep 22, 2011
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good answer..cheers Jim..it's a PMC -05 pro III...should be tuffer than this, I wll speak to the sales staff..if they answer the phone...see if I can get a replacement...it has lost it's cut off point when on steep slope and gone "soft" slight bleeding when the cross fader is wiggled up and down, so deffo cooked
 

Jiglo

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Mar 21, 2005
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Blimey Dave that's a surprise mate, but if it's never been right for you then it makes me wonder if something has changed over the lifespan of the model :S

If I listen to old mixes that I did on mine, I still marvel at how slick the fader is on those long mixes and it's never started to bleed (unlike every other mixer i've had apart from the Empath). I might just have been really lucky though.
 

Benny-Digital

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Apr 20, 2006
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Pink makes the boys wink....
There are the newer pro Vestax faders too though, but whether the digital pro fader in Benny's Pick's Terrace Vestax PMC-08 Pro mixer is better than mine is probably debatable.

Much preferred to my 06 pro fader, I went through several CF-PCV replacement crossfaders over the couple of years I had it. Wish i'd have cottoned on to these CLS1 fader cut lag spacers though, there was a good 5mm before i got any sound man!

vestax-cls-1-fader-cut-lag-spacer.jpg
 

djperkins

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Sep 22, 2011
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mine seems to cut in earlier than it did..maybe 3mm before sound is allowed through but the return stroke isn't as sharp and doesn't cut off as it should/has been...and there is about 1mm of wiggle on the slider itself, before the fkr starts to open or close, like a car with a very worn rack. I bought this mixer not long ago, from the DJ store online, I'm wondering if it has a/more/all shit Chinese faders that wear out...I have seen some awesome copies of Fender guitars etc so I would'nt put it beyond the realms of possibilty that crossfaders could be re-pro'd.
 
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Jiglo

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Mar 21, 2005
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Much preferred to my 06 pro fader, I went through several CF-PCV replacement crossfaders over the couple of years I had it. Wish i'd have cottoned on to these CLS1 fader cut lag spacers though, there was a good 5mm before i got any sound man!

View attachment 32704

Hmm.... What a difference 4 years makes ...

Mine (although they're claiming P&G faders are better for some people) SKRATCHWORX™ v2

Your 06 (supposedly same fader, but now with problems) SKRATCHWORX - Vestax PMC-06 Pro VCA - Review by Gizmo - January 2008

Your current mixer (and the best i've ever used) SKRATCHWORX™ v2 - Vestax PMC-08 MIxer Review - By Gizmo - January 2006 although your fader seems to transition quicker, even in the longer mix mode than mine does in the same mode

I'm wondering if something changed in the process of the fader build between the 05 and 06 though as pretty much every turntablist was rocking an 05PROIII back then. Maybe it's just that standards got higher, but i'm not convinced.