Stanton RM.406 DJ Mixer and T.120 Turntable [Back to HOME page]

For as far back as I can remember the name Stanton has been synonymous with DJing. Their 680EL cartridges were the first real industry standard and their phono pre-amps and broadcast quality carts have been highly regarded for decades. They were the first company to market a vinyl emulation program (Final Scratch) and their products have run the gamut from utterly amazing (VRM 10 valve mixer) to truly forgettable. They clearly have a good reputation in many segments of the industry, but haven’t broken all the way through in others. Let the change begin.

As a means to overhaul their image, changing their logo and color scheme and reworking their public image. The transformation didn’t end with ascetics, as the engineers at Stanton completely reengineered every piece of kit in their catalog, to improve functionality, sound quality and feel. I am happy to report that not only do the new pieces look good and feel good, but more importantly they sound good, surprisingly so. I received two pieces of gear from this new line to review; the Stanton RM.406 mixer and T.120 direct drive turntable and am happy to report that both came through with flying colors.

The RM.406 is a versatile and very well conceived four-channel DJ mixer. The layout is clean and easy to understand and the list of features includes almost every option a DJ could want. You have the ability to set up four turntables, 10 line sources, three microphones, and run them all through external effects by utilizing the available send and receive buttons. There are outputs for Master, Zone, Booth and a dedicated Subwoofer control with an adjustable crossover. The up faders are smooth and their attack is measured and even. The cross fader, while not designed for heavy duty scratching, is certainly capable of effortlessly handling basic cuts and turntable tricks. There are also sound meters on each of the four channels and a dual meter for the monitoring of master/ booth output levels.

From a visual standpoint, the mixer is impressive looking, but how it actually works in the real world is the more important question. The Cue and FX (effects send and return) buttons are all back lit and the gain and EQ knobs on the mixer are equipped with Stanton's new Illumiknobs, a feature that produces an ultra-thin beam of light that actually projects from the pot, allowing you to see the knob position in the dark. While I found this to be an ‘interesting’ concept, I didn’t see the full potential until I inadvertently turned off the lights in my studio and actually saw the light (both figuratively and literally.) What a fantastic idea.

The literature provided by the company spends a lot of time boasting about how hard they have worked to improve the sound quality of these mixers, and in the case of the RM.406, I would say they have succeeded. There is no bleeding between channels and even with all the levels cranked very little distortion to speak of. I was very impressed with the overall build quality of this unit and was pleased to see that the changes Stanton made on the outside were equaled by the changes on the inside.

While I was generally impressed with the RM.406, I would be remised if I didn’t mention the one thing I didn’t like. As visually stunning as they are, the orange and red VU meters are utterly useless. They look great and give the mixer a very modern feel, but as a means to accurately tell where your levels are at and how close you are to “0 dB” or such, forget about it. That complain aside, the RM.406 is a superb mixer and a strong addition to the new Stanton product line.

T.120 Straight Arm Turntable

Boasting the “world’s strongest torque motor” and benefiting from the same radical redesign the entire Stanton product line underwent, the T.120 (straight-arm) and T.102c (curved arm) turntables are poised to make their mark and take a run at the title of best DJ turntable.

First off, the T.120 looks great. Simple and clean, with industrial aluminum and attractive blue lights, the deck is eye catching, in a very subtle, minimalist way. The pitch slider is covered in thick rubber and the 4.5 kgf motor allows for rapid and accurate pitch adjustments. There are dual start and stop buttons; to facilitate easy operation in standard or battle mode and highly customizable platter start and stop knobs. Add in some pitch bend buttons (for those who are more familiar with CD mixing), a quick acting reverse button and the ability to change pitch levels (+/- 8%, 25%, 50%) in a heartbeat. There is a removable target/ stylus light, blue pitch strobe light and the ability to operate the table as a phono or line level device.

I was sent the T.120, the straight-arm version and was up and running in a matter of minutes. The turntable is very heavy, with a thick rubber base and big, adjustable feet that make balancing it on any surface a breeze. I set up my cartridge, pulled out a slab of vinyl and got to work. I was immediately taken with the strength and accuracy of the motor. My first mix was amazingly solid and I was able to effortlessly keep the two tracks in sync for nearly 3 minutes. After one mix, the Stanton had me questioning more than 20 years of fighting mixes on my Technics.

I am not a big fan of straight-arm turntables. By their very design, they exert a level of tracking pressure on your cartridge and wear on your vinyl that is unnecessary for most applications. For scratch DJs however, straight-arms are a great innovation and in the case of the Stanton T.120, they work perfectly. Even my most heavy handed record manipulations, were unable to cause the record to skip. Other notable features like the reverse and adjustable turntable start and stop controls are very well placed and the ability to pitch up and down by 50% opens up some amazing creative possibilities.

It would be a disservice to review a turntable and not briefly address the state of the industry and the fact that every discussion of DJ turntables must begin and end with Technics 1200s. They have been the industry standard for 20+ years and are still the weapon of choice for most DJs, nightclubs and places where people spin vinyl. At a point in the past, the debate would have ended with the mention of Tech 12s; as no other company made a turntable that could even come close. Over the past few years however, many companies have begun to release quality pieces with advanced features, improved performance and enlightened designs. It remains to be seen whether any of these competitors will actually contend for the title, but you can firmly add the T.120 to a short list of tables that are clearly in the running.