Vestax Corporation was a Japanese musical instrument, turntable and audio equipment firm founded by Hidesato Shiino in 1977.[1] The company started by designing and manufacturing electronic guitars. In the 1980s, Vestax produced multitrack recorders and later moved to making DJ mixers, professional turntables, CD players and signal processors. Debt troubles led to the company's bankruptcy at the end of 2014.[3]
The Vestax Corporation of Japan began in 1977 as a designer and manufacturer of electronic guitars. In the 1980s Vestax introduced a series of cassette-based multitracks, including the Vestax MR66, to challenge established products from Fostex, Yamaha and Tascam's portastudios.
Competing in the turntable marketEdit
DJ Turntable: PDX-3000
During the late 1990s Vestax launched a new flagship range of professional DJ turntables. The PDX models had higher specifications than the two market leading products from Technics and were priced in direct competition with the Technics SL1210/SL1200.
However, the industry standard Technics SL1210/SL1200 models remained the favourite of DJs worldwide. At the time they were an established brand with a twenty-year head start. There have also been some build quality issues reported throughout 2008 and 2009.[citation needed]
This pattern of events has been replicated by other DJ equipment manufacturers such as Numark, Gemini and Stanton. These turntables have either a higher specification or lower cost, in sheer numbers sold they are still dwarfed by the various versions of the Technics SL-1200 & SL-1210 series.
Expanding rangeEdit
Casio XW-J1 DJ Controller (2015) is credited "Powered by Vestax".[4]
In 2006, Vestax moved into the burgeoning digital DJ market and released the VCI 100, an all-in-one DJ controller used to control digital DJ software. Its design of jog wheels and a mixer in a single compact frame sparked a revolution in digital DJ hardware, quickly becoming the blueprint for most DJ controllers and helping to re-establish Vestax as a major player in the DJ market. The company has subsequently solidified this position by launching a highly respected range of DJ controllers from low-end consumer models to more highly specced pro versions such as the VCI-380 and VCI-400.
DJ Turntable: QFO
In the 2010s Vestax focused on high-tech musical electronics, creating signal processors, DJ Mixers, professional turntables and CD players. The company also reduced its range of turntables, but kept the PDX-2000mk2/2300mk2 for mainstream DJ use, and the PDX-2000mk2pro/PDX-2300pro with a new tonearm suspension system for increased skip resistance. In conjunction with DJ Qbert they have also released the QFO and QFO LE models. These turntables have built-in mixers, and a portable turntable/mixer [5]
Debt troublesEdit
In mid-October 2014, many websites reported a speculative piece investigating reports from the Japanese news source "Teikoku News Online"[2], that Vestax was ceasing operations. Retailers in the US closed shop, and there was a lack of representation or new products being revealed at trade shows.[6] On 5 December Vestax started bankruptcy proceedings with a debt of 900 million yen (roughly $7.5 million USD).[3]
TechnologyEdit
Vinyl Cutting Machine: VRX-2000
Vestax was the first[citation needed] manufacturer to release a vinyl cutting machine for home vinyl cutting of new mixes / dubplate, in 2001.[7][8]
Vestax innovated with their turntable using a straight tone arm, which gave greater tracking force; useful for complex DJing maneuvers such as scratching or beat juggling. This has been adopted by virtually all other turntable manufacturers, with the exception of Technics. Some maintain however that the straight arm increases wear upon the record. This is based on the premise that the original 's' shaped tonearm is so designed as to naturally gravitate toward the center of the record. The straight arm will not do this, and so will theoretically drag more as the record rotates, wearing down the grooves. Vestax however have consistently denied this.[citation needed]
MixersEdit
For many years Vestax had been creating professional mobile DJ style mixers, but in the early 1990s they started creating mixers focusing on the developing Turntablism scene. Two of the first early attempts were the Vestax PMC-05FX and PMC-05 Trix mixers. These were simple mixers which were endorsed by famous DJs and had a stripped down layout. They had features (like a centered crossfader which was replaceable). They were also a small size which made juggling and other techniques easier. But they lacked some key features like a smooth crossfader, hamster switch, EQ controls, and an unobstructed crossfader area. During NAMM 1993 Vestax began talking to DJs (including DJ Shortkut, DJ Rhettmatic, and DJ Q-Bert) about creating mixers which took some of the best features from previous models and catered to the emerging turntablism scene. The PMC-05 Pro was the first model which came out of these conversations. It was a major step forward for DJs competing in DJ battles. It had a smooth, quick cut crossfader which was adjustable. The crossfader was also not surrounded by any screws or physical barriers, which made scratching and juggling easier. Other features included headphone cueing, 2 band EQs, and independent gains per channel.
Vestax focused on the needs of nightclubs and Disc jockeys and their DJ mixers became favourites of international DJs such as Carl Cox, Jeff Mills, DJ QBert and Cut Chemist.[citation needed] Mixers such as the various iterations of the PMC-05pro have become staples of the Hip Hop DJ community, and they also have manufactured signature models for DJ's such as Carl Cox and DJ Qbert.[citation needed]
The person who involved with a lot of remarkable guitars including: Yamaha FG series, replica models by Fernandes and Greco, H. S. Anderson brand (known with MadCat model used by Prince), establishments of ESP Guitars, Vesta Graham & Vestax (now known as DJ brand), Akai Guitar 1997 series, re-issue of D'Angelico Guitars, etc.
^ ab [Manufacturer of DJ mixers & turntables under Vestax brand, Vestax Corporation received bankruptcy proceedings decision]. Large Bankruptcy Information (in Japanese). Teikoku Databank, Ltd. 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
[In English: Vestax Corporation (...) have received bankruptcy proceedings decision by Tokyo District Court on 5 December 2014. ...]
^ ab "Vestax Officially Bankrupt; Who Could Buy The Brand?". DJTechTools. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
^ "XW-J1 DJ Controller - Special Features". Products. Casio America, Inc. (casio.com).
"Powered by Vestax- The XW-J1 delivers all the legendary quality of Vestax professional hardware. The mixer controls are built using high quality faders and rotary knobs."
^"DJ Equipment Producer Vestax Has Reportedly Filed for Bankruptcy". Billboard.com. www.Billboard.com. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
^ Pinch, Trevor; Bijsterveld, Karin, eds. (5 January 2012). "Analog turns Digital". The Oxford Handbook of Sound Studies. Oxford University Press (published 2012). p. 517. ISBN978-0-19-538894-7.
"As these events unfolded, small groups around the world were working on a technical solution to this problem. One avenue under development was custom-cut vinyl records. Smaller companies, like the now defunct Kingston, designed devices that straddled a turntable and received a music signal from an analog or a digital input source to drive a cutting blade to inscribe sound into a black vinyl disk. This process, if carefully done, allowed for a simpler means of producing individualized custom vinyl. The dream was to produce a readily available, low-cost, easy-to-use device for everyday DJs. The Japanese company Vestax was the only company to succeed in creating one of these devices with a price point in a consumer's reach (US$10,000). Announced in the summer of 2001, the Vestax VRX-2000 is a stunning and efficient machine, but by its own admission Vestax has not sold many in the last few years. As enticing as this expensive device was for some, it was not a hip-hop community-wide solution to the analog/digital problem."
^ Acland, Charles R., ed. (2007). "The Residual Soul Sonic Force of the 12Inch Dance Single". Residual Media. University of Minnesota Press. p. 105. ISBN9780816644728.
"An affordable vinyl cutter was even introduced in 2001 by DJ equipment manufacturer Vestax, allowing home vinyl cutting of new mixes.
^"Vestax Music Mixer User Manuals Download | ManualsLib".
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vestax and Hidesato Shiino.
Hidesato Shiino Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2011)
September 12, 2023
vestax, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november, 2015, lea. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Vestax news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Vestax Corporation was a Japanese musical instrument turntable and audio equipment firm founded by Hidesato Shiino in 1977 1 The company started by designing and manufacturing electronic guitars In the 1980s Vestax produced multitrack recorders and later moved to making DJ mixers professional turntables CD players and signal processors Debt troubles led to the company s bankruptcy at the end of 2014 3 Vestax Corporationベスタクス株式会社FormerlyShiino Musical Instruments Developing Corporation 1 椎野楽器設計事務所TypeK K IndustryElectronic musical instrumentFoundedNovember 1977 1977 11 in Tokyo JapanFounderHidesato Shiino 1 Defunct5 December 2014 2014 12 05 bankruptcy proceedings decision 2 Headquarters1 18 6 Wakabayashi Setagaya ku Tokyo JapanKey peopleKanako Ohsawa trustee in bankruptcy Toshihide Nakama previous president ProductsDJ equipment DJ mixer CD players turntables phonograph cutting machines DJ controllers multitrack recorders effectors guitar preamps electric guitars etc Websitehttp www vestax jp closed Contents 1 History 1 1 Competing in the turntable market 1 2 Expanding range 1 3 Debt troubles 2 Technology 3 Mixers 3 1 Mixer Models 4 Influence 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditThe Vestax Corporation of Japan began in 1977 as a designer and manufacturer of electronic guitars In the 1980s Vestax introduced a series of cassette based multitracks including the Vestax MR66 to challenge established products from Fostex Yamaha and Tascam s portastudios Competing in the turntable market Edit nbsp DJ Turntable PDX 3000During the late 1990s Vestax launched a new flagship range of professional DJ turntables The PDX models had higher specifications than the two market leading products from Technics and were priced in direct competition with the Technics SL1210 SL1200 However the industry standard Technics SL1210 SL1200 models remained the favourite of DJs worldwide At the time they were an established brand with a twenty year head start There have also been some build quality issues reported throughout 2008 and 2009 citation needed This pattern of events has been replicated by other DJ equipment manufacturers such as Numark Gemini and Stanton These turntables have either a higher specification or lower cost in sheer numbers sold they are still dwarfed by the various versions of the Technics SL 1200 amp SL 1210 series Expanding range Edit nbsp Casio XW J1 DJ Controller 2015 is credited Powered by Vestax 4 In 2006 Vestax moved into the burgeoning digital DJ market and released the VCI 100 an all in one DJ controller used to control digital DJ software Its design of jog wheels and a mixer in a single compact frame sparked a revolution in digital DJ hardware quickly becoming the blueprint for most DJ controllers and helping to re establish Vestax as a major player in the DJ market The company has subsequently solidified this position by launching a highly respected range of DJ controllers from low end consumer models to more highly specced pro versions such as the VCI 380 and VCI 400 nbsp DJ Turntable QFOIn the 2010s Vestax focused on high tech musical electronics creating signal processors DJ Mixers professional turntables and CD players The company also reduced its range of turntables but kept the PDX 2000mk2 2300mk2 for mainstream DJ use and the PDX 2000mk2pro PDX 2300pro with a new tonearm suspension system for increased skip resistance In conjunction with DJ Qbert they have also released the QFO and QFO LE models These turntables have built in mixers and a portable turntable mixer 5 Debt troubles Edit In mid October 2014 many websites reported a speculative piece investigating reports from the Japanese news source Teikoku News Online 2 that Vestax was ceasing operations Retailers in the US closed shop and there was a lack of representation or new products being revealed at trade shows 6 On 5 December Vestax started bankruptcy proceedings with a debt of 900 million yen roughly 7 5 million USD 3 Technology Edit nbsp Vinyl Cutting Machine VRX 2000Vestax was the first citation needed manufacturer to release a vinyl cutting machine for home vinyl cutting of new mixes dubplate in 2001 7 8 Vestax innovated with their turntable using a straight tone arm which gave greater tracking force useful for complex DJing maneuvers such as scratching or beat juggling This has been adopted by virtually all other turntable manufacturers with the exception of Technics Some maintain however that the straight arm increases wear upon the record This is based on the premise that the original s shaped tonearm is so designed as to naturally gravitate toward the center of the record The straight arm will not do this and so will theoretically drag more as the record rotates wearing down the grooves Vestax however have consistently denied this citation needed Mixers EditFor many years Vestax had been creating professional mobile DJ style mixers but in the early 1990s they started creating mixers focusing on the developing Turntablism scene Two of the first early attempts were the Vestax PMC 05FX and PMC 05 Trix mixers These were simple mixers which were endorsed by famous DJs and had a stripped down layout They had features like a centered crossfader which was replaceable They were also a small size which made juggling and other techniques easier But they lacked some key features like a smooth crossfader hamster switch EQ controls and an unobstructed crossfader area During NAMM 1993 Vestax began talking to DJs including DJ Shortkut DJ Rhettmatic and DJ Q Bert about creating mixers which took some of the best features from previous models and catered to the emerging turntablism scene The PMC 05 Pro was the first model which came out of these conversations It was a major step forward for DJs competing in DJ battles It had a smooth quick cut crossfader which was adjustable The crossfader was also not surrounded by any screws or physical barriers which made scratching and juggling easier Other features included headphone cueing 2 band EQs and independent gains per channel Mixer Models Edit 9 PMC 05 Series PMC 05Pro PMC 05Pro Limited Edition PMC 05ProII PMC 05ProD Samurai PMC 05ProQ PMC 05ProIII PMC 05ProSL PMC 05ProIIIVCA PMC 05ProSLVCA PMC 05ProIIIDX PMC 05ProIV PMC 06 Series PMC 06T PMC 06Pro PMC 06ProA PMC 06ProD Samurai PMC 06ProVCA PMC 07 Series PMC 07Pro PMC 07ProISP PMC 07ProD Samurai PMC 007 PMC 37 Pro PMC 50 Series PMC 50 PMC 50A PMC 55 PMC 500 PMC 580Pro PCV Series PCV 002 PCV 150 PCV 175 PCV 175R rotary version PCV 180 PCV 275 PCV 275R rotary version Influence Edit nbsp DJ Mixer PMC 580 ProVestax focused on the needs of nightclubs and Disc jockeys and their DJ mixers became favourites of international DJs such as Carl Cox Jeff Mills DJ QBert and Cut Chemist citation needed Mixers such as the various iterations of the PMC 05pro have become staples of the Hip Hop DJ community and they also have manufactured signature models for DJ s such as Carl Cox and DJ Qbert citation needed See also EditList of phonograph manufacturersReferences Edit a b c Hidesato Shiino 1947 Music Trade co jp Yokohama Japan Dai Show Corporation The person who involved with a lot of remarkable guitars including Yamaha FG series replica models by Fernandes and Greco H S Anderson brand known with MadCat model used by Prince establishments of ESP Guitars Vesta Graham amp Vestax now known as DJ brand Akai Guitar 1997 series re issue of D Angelico Guitars etc a b DJ用ミキサー ターンテーブル製造 Vestax ブランドを展開ベスタクス株式会社破産手続き開始決定受ける Manufacturer of DJ mixers amp turntables under Vestax brand Vestax Corporation received bankruptcy proceedings decision Large Bankruptcy Information in Japanese Teikoku Databank Ltd 10 December 2014 Archived from the original on 24 September 2015 Retrieved 13 December 2014 In English Vestax Corporation have received bankruptcy proceedings decision by Tokyo District Court on 5 December 2014 a b Vestax Officially Bankrupt Who Could Buy The Brand DJTechTools 10 December 2014 Retrieved 6 November 2015 XW J1 DJ Controller Special Features Products Casio America Inc casio com Powered by Vestax The XW J1 delivers all the legendary quality of Vestax professional hardware The mixer controls are built using high quality faders and rotary knobs that is capable of battery power DJ Equipment Producer Vestax Has Reportedly Filed for Bankruptcy Billboard com www Billboard com Retrieved 20 November 2015 Pinch Trevor Bijsterveld Karin eds 5 January 2012 Analog turns Digital The Oxford Handbook of Sound Studies Oxford University Press published 2012 p 517 ISBN 978 0 19 538894 7 As these events unfolded small groups around the world were working on a technical solution to this problem One avenue under development was custom cut vinyl records Smaller companies like the now defunct Kingston designed devices that straddled a turntable and received a music signal from an analog or a digital input source to drive a cutting blade to inscribe sound into a black vinyl disk This process if carefully done allowed for a simpler means of producing individualized custom vinyl The dream was to produce a readily available low cost easy to use device for everyday DJs The Japanese company Vestax was the only company to succeed in creating one of these devices with a price point in a consumer s reach US 10 000 Announced in the summer of 2001 the Vestax VRX 2000 is a stunning and efficient machine but by its own admission Vestax has not sold many in the last few years As enticing as this expensive device was for some it was not a hip hop community wide solution to the analog digital problem Acland Charles R ed 2007 The Residual Soul Sonic Force of the 12Inch Dance Single Residual Media University of Minnesota Press p 105 ISBN 9780816644728 An affordable vinyl cutter was even introduced in 2001 by DJ equipment manufacturer Vestax allowing home vinyl cutting of new mixes Vestax Music Mixer User Manuals Download ManualsLib External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to wbr Vestax and wbr Hidesato Shiino Hidesato Shiino Interview NAMM Oral History Library 2011 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vestax amp oldid 1169017155, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
