Condesa Lucia X Fader 2 Channel Rotary Mixer

The Lucia X is Condesa's compact 2 channel rotary mixer; it has been carefully designed to follow the same discrete circuitry as the Allegra and Carmen for a refined, hi-fi analogue sound.

Mostly emulating the components of the Lucia, the Lucia X flaunts a custom cross fader and curve control, further augmenting mixing capabilities within the unit.

This console also features an upgraded 4 pole master isolator, FX sends per channel, a headphone blend circuit, fixed record out, an ISO assign control as well as a 12dB EQ boost on the channel EQs.

Ergonomics:

The Lucia X is housed in dark Australian Blackwood, measuring at 25 x 25 x 9cm and weighing in at a solid 4.25kg. This has been designed to be compact enough for a touring DJ's travel equipment whilst also slotting nicely into a home set up. The mixer holds five potentiometers for volume and control spreading evenly across the unit as the controls are spaced efficiently to suit most rotary enthusiasts. The ISO is a 4 pole discrete circuit with a 24dB cut per octave. A 12dB boost has been installed in this mixer giving extended EQ volume control for the three designated channel potentiometers.

The two large rotary volume pots are the only volume controls. There is no additional gain level for the channels. Condesa relies on the unwritten purity law of noble rotary mixers to keep the signal as pure as possible and thereby avoids unnecessary distortion.

The phono inputs raise the turntable signal with 42 dB to RCAA level, the line inputs go directly to the channel equaliser without further amplification. If the EQs are set to flat, the signal remains unaffected by further amplification and is only raised to unity gain with the volume potentiometer (at about 2 o'clock position) or is boosted up to 10 dB at full stop - highly beneficial for quietly pressed vinyl.

The custom X fader is accompanied by the ISO assign potentiometer; giving designated EQ control to the chosen channel assigned (master, channel 1, channel 2) on the dial. This option gives way for more authority on the channel isolation further cleaning up the EQ variation when cutting between the channels with the X fader.

A crossfader curve control is situated on the underside of the mixer, it's a pot and it is labelled 'smooth to sharp', this can be adjusted to taste, however its effect is subtle.

Controls:

The headphone switches offers a 2 channel cue split and a volume control for the headphone output. The headphone jack itself is located on the front and is a high-quality socket that should survive thousands of plugging operations without damage. With two small mini toggle switches made of metal, DJs can choose between a phono and a line input. The third switch in between the VU meters is the isolator bypass.

Connections:

Lucia X's back is crammed with connections: 16 cinch sockets, two jack and two XLR outputs as well as the socket for the 48-volt linear power supply and a small metal toggle switch for power.

Channel 1 and 2 both have the options for either a line or phono input and can be switched between the two while both are connected to an external sound source. If no FX send/return unit is connected, the dedicated record-out must be wired via cinch - this will be included with the console. A dedicated FX send per channel (post fader) has been installed for both channels respectively. A dedicated FX return stereo return to mix with fader knob is available to monitor the input level.

Another small, fine detail is the two earthing screws, which is equipped with long hexagonal shafts, so that the earthing cable of the record player can be clamped between the cable plugs without the otherwise often necessary fiddling.

Flight Case:

Included in this listing comes a reinforced travel case custom built for the Lucia X. This will safely house the mixer for any transit required or for just general storage.