Varia Instruments launch newly updated RDM20 Rotary Mixer

Swiss music tech company Varia Instruments has added a new product to its line: the RDM20 Revision B, an updated version of its 2016 RDM20 rotary mixer.

Created by a team of two technicians - Simon and Marcel - the RDM20 Revision B is a fully analogue two-channel rotary mixer created “for your mixing pleasure”, per the intrument’s description.

Announcing the newly updated gear on Instagram earlier this month, Varia Instruments explained: “The main question is obviously what changes has been done for this new version? At a first glance it seems as though not much had changed.”

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According to the pair, the Revision B mixer looks almost identical as its older counterpart, while the “biggest changes” have happened inside the mixer itself - “the whole circuit board was revised and some electronic components were changed too, such as the connectors on the backside”.

The update follows the development of the RDM40, a recently released four-channel rotary mixer which “combines the classic features” of a club mixer and builds on the RDM20’s original 2016 model.

The Revision B features two different three-band isolator banks, one of which is set on the master channel, and the others set on separate channels.

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“The update is based on the experience we have gained during the past years. The understanding for electronics, mechanics and audio design did steadily grow, especially with the development of the RDM40.”

Audibly, the Revision B mixer has less distortion than its previous model, and while the master isolator is “steep and raw” sounding, the channel isolators sound softer and smoother than before.

The updated mixer also features switchable power voltage, better hardware treatment for a more durable machine, and a lower noise floor than previous models.

The handcrafted instrument is available now in a limited run, with an initial cost sitting just over €2,200 (£1,950). Find out more about the RDM20 Revision B here, and watch it in action below.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter