The world’s first audio and visual mixer: Pioneer SVM-1000

The world’s first audio and visual mixer: Pioneer SVM-1000

21 November, 2007 | 11.33AM

• Section: Music News Topics: Technology
• Written by: Terry Church

At the beginning of the year we reported on DTC’s survey which predicted that DJs would soon be replaced by VJs.

We were a little incredulous, but now Pioneer has just announced its new SVM-1000 mixer, which is the world’s first integrated audio and visual mixer [Video: watch the sexy SVM-1000 in action].

For a whopping $5400, the merging of the two very different worlds of DJing and VJing can be fully realised with this beast of a mixer, which looks like something the cockpit of the Starship Enterprise might have.

Dutch DJ Sander Kleinenberg, who has always been heavily involved in fusing his DJ sets with visuals, was involved in the development of the SVM-1000, which synchronizes both audio and visuals.

Complete with a touchscreen LCD screen, the SVM-1000 has an impressive range of effects and 96 khz/24 bit studio sound quality.

Pioneer says the MIDI assingable SVM-1000 functions in a similar fashion to their DJM series, “Which for DJs means that the doors to full-on AV freedom are now fully open.”

Is a VJ revolution in the air?

The SVM-1000 is designed for use with Pioneer’s DVJ-1000 DVD/CD decks and it is indeed the missing link that many artists have been waiting for.

The world’s first four channel audio/visual mixer uses Pioneer’s patented Multiple Video Blending Technology, which makes it possible to mix four channels of synchronized audio and video at once.

Faders and EQs can control both audio and video at the same time - even the DJ crossfader is capable of various VJ effects including fade, wipe and chroma-key.

Touch screen heaven

The SVM-1000’s 11-inch LCD touch panel features an AV effect section capable of 30 patterns of effects.

Some of the effects include:

AV Beat Effect

This automatically detects the tempo (BPM = Beat Per Minute) of the music and affects both audio and video in time with the beat. That means delay, echo, pan, trans, flanger, phaser and other conventional audio effects can also be applied to the visuals in synchronization.

AV Touch Effect

This enables more delicate use of effects because users can touch and affect visuals directly, as they appear on the panel. The mixer has 12 patterns of Touch Effects including ripple, spot, radiation, twist and cube.

Text Effects

This automatically detects the tempo of the track and displays text messages in sync with the beat. There’s six Text Effects such as random and zoom, which means the dancefloor can receive your message in many twisted and deranged forms. The ultimate club-friendly propaganda is here.

Jpeg Viewer Function

Shove an SD memory card in the SVM-1000 and view and display still images. Useful for branding and logos at events.

More digital tools

Here’s some more cool stuff that the SVM-1000 has, in the words of Pioneer:

* Video Trim: Allows you to adjust the brightness of input video in each channel.

* Video EQ: Allows you to assign video parameters, like RGB, CONTRAST, HUE and SATURATION to EQ, and to synchronise sound equalisers and video control.

* AV Sync: Allows you to switch between sound and video with synchronous and separate control.

* Fader Start: Connect up Pioneer’s DVJ players (DVJ-X1s/DVJ-1000s) with a control cable and sliding the cross fader or channel faders can start playback.

* Fully Assignable MIDI Function: Allows you to control external MIDI equipment, such as EFX and DJ/VJ application software.

* Video Monitor Select: Allows you to select the type of video monitor output: MASTER, CHANNEL, MASTER AND CHANNEL or MIRROR OF MASTER.

* Talk Over: Automatically lowers track volume so the DJ or an MC can talk over the track.

* Peak Level Meter: Allows you to check the peak level of the input sound immediately at each channel.

* Fader Curve Adjust: Allows you to change the cross fader/channel fader curve.

VJ Revolution?

The SVM-1000 represents an important step in the development of VJing.

For years now, VJs have always been the poor man’s club performer as audio and DJing have remained the central entertainment in a club environment.

Some DJs tried to develop a visual side to their performances, but the technology was never easy to use or transport about.

But if the SVM-1000 goes the way of Pioneer’s other DJ-related products such as the CDJ-1000 and the DJM-800 and become the industry standard, DJs might suddenly discover their inner visual artist.

The realms of visual and audio have now be merged, and by fusing these two worlds of stimuli we might see a new, more exciting era in nightlife which will engage your mind through your eyes and your ears.

Fancy a SVM-1000?

Start saving, because the SVM-1000 will cost you about $5400. You can reserve one today by visiting any of Pioneer’s outlets.

The SVM-1000 will also be available on DJSounds.com from February 2008 onwards.

Retraction

After our SVM-1000 article was published Create Digital Motion pointed out that Pioneer’s mixer is NOT the world’s first video/audio four channel mixer.

Numark’s AVM02 was around long before the Pioneer SVM-1000.

So our headline is misleading, but it was based on Pioneer’s own marketing spiel.

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