Vestax VCM600 is a Ableton Specific Controller
Posted January 24th, 2008 by Oliver CheslerFiled Under: Ableton Live, hardware
I am a mouse and keyboard shortcut guy. I work faster sitting in front of a LCD screen than in front of a hardware mixer. If your an Ableton Live user I highly recommend opening Live, go to the Help menu and select Read the Live Manual… Next, head directly to Chapter 26 “Live Keyboard Shortcuts” and start memorizing.
For those of you who still want to touch some knobs there is an interesting new device from Vestax that was announced at NAMM. The VCM600 was designed in partnership with Ableton and it’s specific use is Live.
There are lots of controllers out there and almost all of them will work Ableton Live but this one is in my radar for a few reasons. First off, it’s designed for Live. Second, 
Vestax is a on a roll lately. Have you seen the VCM-100/VCI-100? Highly gearlustable DJ controllers that match Apple’s Macbook Pro line perfectly. The third reason is: metal. These things are made of metal. The faders sit and slide in a metal chassis. Lastly, check out the sides of the unit. From underneath the curved edges is a row of white LEDs that light up the face of the unit in the dark. Wicked!
If you buy a hardware controller it’s for how it looks and feels. The new Vestax makes me want to touch it. That said, I’m still sticking with my Matias Tactile Pro Keyboard and Apple Mighty Mouse.
Check out a video of the VCM600 from NAMM:
Do you use an external controller for mixing?
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I use a Behringer BCR2000. There’s a lot to be said for any external controller over keyboard and mouse – not least that you can twiddle more than one knob/fader at once.
This Vestax thing looks very nice. Unless it’s not bus powered. That would be rubbish.
“From underneath the curved edges is a row of white LEDs that light up the face of the unit in the dark. ”
WOW – now that is a hot design feature! I also think that no company can match Apple for design – and this Vestax looks very Apple-esque (to me), which is a compliment.
I don’t mix with hardware (I mix as I go), though I do own a Novation SL0 mainly for live use but also in the studio to record automation in realtime using physical knobs.
Speaking of mixing, in a previous article you mentioned that you have all of your faders at -12db, and your master at 0. This is interesting – do you set each chanell to -12 whenever you create a new one? Personally I default mine at 0db and go from there, though as a result my master usually ends up around -9db by the time I’ve finished a track!
Yeah I recently got a BCF2000, and am having trouble integrating it into my work flow. It seems quicker to struggle with the on screen knobs/faders rather than assign them in live to the bcf you know? but i think after most of the work, in the mix down and polishing phase it will be most useful. Who knows. I hope i didn’t just waste 200 bucks.
The CME/Bitstream 3x is cool but its a shame they add FW audio cards to there keyboard range only and not the bitstream…same for the novation thingy. Korg zer 8 zero 4 do it but i hear they are buggy as fuck. Not enough ppl buying em either to do a review and I got no music store around me to test one out in..regardless i wouldnt shell out the coin for one anway
there was a cat on the ucapps.de / midibox forums who integrated a fw 410 into one of the smaller allen heath dj mixers..ill post the pic when i find it..fly as fuck it was though
hmm. been using xone:3d for some time, but never i had fun much to use it with live.
this look like a lot of fun. i hope the price range is somewhere around 700-800 bucks.
where is the 4 channel version in “set-top-box” style? Would love this piece of gear if it’d be more portable….
This might interest some you – I have just done a video review..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W496YMopmxI