@::mic-minimal::
I wrote this to Future Music about the GREX....
After reading your review of the MXF8 for the third time I find myself unable to contain the feelings of shock, anger and despair. The article states that the MXF8 falls down as a MIDI controller for studio work, well [IMHO] it does not even come close to the functionality needed to perform live as a DJ. It is a classic case of "style over function" with a total lack of understanding of a digital DJ's requirements. Your "reviewer" failed to see past the sleek design stating the product "should shine as an example to product designers." Maybe he meant fashion designers as a good design [IMHO] should perform the necessary functions it's targeted at first?
An example of this severe shortcoming is the need to press "shift" to change from volume to pan or cc#11 control? Apart from the obvious, why not just have more pot controls, there appears to be no way of adjusting the pan and volume [cc#11] at the same time, great live feature?.
A recommendation to Grex would be if you want a DJ to use your product it would be wise to start with the basic functionality of a £80 DJ mixer? Currently as it stands I would rather use the X-Sessions, not great either, or one of the FaderFox controllers [
www.faderfox.de] which although basic, begin cover performance needs?
My disappointment in the reviewer's lacking ability to understand the core needs and see past the slinky aesthetics of this product is to such a degree, as to start thinking money changed hands in a "backroom" deal for the article? Indeed I hope this is the case as I may never trust a review from Future Music again? Another issue, seen in various forum posts, has been consumers sending money to Grex, receiving neither the product nor a reply to their emails, to the point of it being perceived as an internet scam?
I apologize for the rant, but it is still an area of the market not covered adequately and my frustration continues to build while waiting for the gap to be filled.
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And got this reply...
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I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy with your MXF8... i really liked it and found it gave me many hours of enjoyment.
Re style over function. You are wrong in your assessment of and aspersions about my understanding of the product. The layout and feel of the machine are important factors from a DJ/remixer perspective. The X session is a studio MIDI controller with a crossfader bolted on and has received mixed reviews in terms of look, feel and functionality. The MXF8 has been laid out from the ground up to aid live DJ/remixing performance and it looking good is a bonus. The feel, layout and visual appeal of the controls of any mixer are clearly very important to DJs and to suggest they're not is pure nonsense. If the controls had been too cramped or too small or the layout was bad i would have said so. The Grex also provides a considerable amount of visual feedback with it's LEDs and this is a good thing in a live situation. The fact that it is all metal and hand built are also important as these things are superior to any of it's competition.... it is far from all being about fashion.
You are indeed correct in your statement that you cannot alter Volume and Pan at the same time and i agree this would be a useful thing to be able to do. I do point out several times in the review that you need to press the shift button to swap between sending different types of controller data from the controls. I also feel that the inability to do this is far outweighed by all of the other functionality of the machine. With this in mind your comment about getting the basic functionality of an £80 mixer sorted is curious in the light of your only real criticism of the machine seemingly being that inability to alter pan and volume together... £80 mixers don't tend to have pan controls on them at all... neither do they enable simultaneous crossfading of eight channels, control of effects sends/parameters from hardware etc... nor do they offer the ability to start and stop playback, control tempo in real time etc... in short the functionality of the MXF8 is vastly superior to ANY analogue mixer at any price in the context of digital audio mixing/remixing. Even the Allen & Heath Xone doesn't come close at £850. The MXF8 is not a mixer, it doesn't have audio capability and makes no pretence at being a mixer, how could it without headphone cue, level metering or any of the other core functions of a DJ mixer. It is an aid to using software products for live remixing & DJing. It brings tactile, immediate hardware control to software and as such is more than worth it's price tag.
I was very careful to say that the MXF8 comes closer than any other controller on the market to satisfying the needs of DJ's... i specifically did not say that is IS a DJ mixer, or offers all of the functionality of a DJ mixer... or even that there is not any room for improvement.
Re; complaints online about refunds etc - i have checked with the manufacturer and there have been a grand total of three refunds for the product... all of which happened last year when the company had to source a new manufacturer for the hand made chrome parts because the (UK based) sub-contractor ceased trading without warning - this understandably and unavoidably delayed manufacturing. all who sought refunds got them... only one customer has expressed unhappiness and ironically he was actually refunded twice by accident and became hostile when asked to return the second refund payment... despite being £300 up he seems intent on waging forum war on the company.
Re back handers; how dare you! i have been a professional reviewer for 13 years and would never countenance bribery...
And just so as you know... i actually know a fair old bit about DJ gear... i was technology editor at DJ mag for 8 years and have been djing, remixing and perfomring live for 15 years.... and i work for a major mixer manufacturer on product design.
When it comes down to it in the scheme of things this IS the controller equivalent of an £80 mixer... when a major music industry manufacturer develops a product like this is usually starts out life with something approaching a four figure price tag, all the whistles and bells and then gradually releases lower cost versions of teh technology... if the company survives then they will doubtless produce a bigger, better machine... it takes tenacity and a great deal of creative vision for an independant company to even get a product to market and whether you can see it or not from your side of the fence... MXF8 is one hell of an achievement and i wish i could have given it more praise.
Sorry you don't agree with my views... but when it comes down to it a number of famous DJ's have bought the MXF8 and expressed their satisfaction with the product and it has been reviewed by other journalists and given a similar thumbs up.
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As you can see he missed the point and "split hairs", here is the final
reply where I added comments to his statements in bold...
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I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy with your MXF8... i really liked it and found it gave me many hours of enjoyment.
Re style over function. You are wrong in your assessment of and aspersions about my understanding of the product. The layout and feel of the machine are important factors from a DJ/remixer perspective
[agreed]. The X session is a studio MIDI controller with a crossfader bolted on and has received mixed reviews in terms of look, feel and functionality
[agreed] . The MXF8 has been laid out from the ground up to aid live DJ/remixing performance and it looking good is a bonus. The feel, layout and visual appeal of the controls of any mixer are clearly very important to DJs and to suggest they're not is pure nonsense
[feel and layout yes, visual appeal as important, not IMO?] . If the controls had been too cramped or too small or the layout was bad i would have said so. The Grex also provides a considerable amount of visual feedback with it's LEDs and this is a good thing in a live situation. The fact that it is all metal and hand built are also important as these things are superior to any of it's competition.... it is far from all being about fashion.
[I don't think the Grex has any competition, I don't think a product has been made yet to do the job?]
You are indeed correct in your statement that you cannot alter Volume and Pan at the same time and i agree this would be a useful thing to be able to do. I do point out several times in the review that you need to press the shift button to swap between sending different types of controller data from the controls. I also feel that the inability to do this is far outweighed by all of the other functionality of the machine. With this in mind your comment about getting the basic functionality of an £80 mixer sorted is curious in the light of your only real criticism of the machine seemingly being that inability to alter pan and volume together...
[no, the example was meant to show that one hand is tried up on the shift button, when it could be doing something else, as a DJ I guess it would be an EQ of some sort, not PAN?] £80 mixers don't tend to have pan controls on them at all... neither do they enable simultaneous crossfading of eight channels, control of effects sends/parameters from hardware etc... nor do they offer the ability to start and stop playback, control tempo in real time etc... in short the functionality of the MXF8 is vastly superior to ANY analogue mixer at any price in the context of digital audio mixing/remixing
[I said "start" with the basic functionallity of a normal mixer, meaning basic analogue mixer controls routed to software] Even the Allen & Heath Xone doesn't come close at £850. The MXF8 is not a mixer, it doesn't have audio capability
[not expected to] and makes no pretence at being a mixer
[not looking for one] how could it without headphone cue,
[easy to add routed to software] level metering
[look at the PC screen] or any of the other core functions of a DJ mixer. It is an aid to using software products for live remixing & DJing. It brings tactile, immediate hardware control to software and as such is more than worth it's price tag
[see faderfox 179 Euros? Think its gone up?]
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I gave up in the end, time will tell...
