Last year at NAMM, Headliner brought their R2 out, a two channel rotary mixer that was budget conscious. This year, the natural followup is here – meet the R4. IT’s a 4 channel rotary analog mixer designed for DJs who want to have that rotary feeling without spending the money for a premium high-end brand.

We’re fans of this type of product development: allowing more DJs to experience playing on a rotary mixer design gives them a unique and different experience. Big chunky knobs control each channel’s volume, each of which have three band EQs.

An even bigger knob controls a main selectable high pass/low pass filter with adjustable resonance.

The IO is pretty versatile as well – three of the channels have phono preamps, and one of them has a MIC input. There is booth and main outs, both of which have RCA or XLR options. You can ground out your turntables on either of two ground screws. The only criticism here is the power – I really wish every piece of DJ gear would use standard IEC cables instead of DC barrel plugs, but the challenge is that requires putting the power supply inside of the gear – which can add cost.

It’s a very straightforward product with a smart price – $599.99 – to match. This might not be the top choice for a club install or for a very high end soundsystem, but that’s entirely the point: not everyone has or needs that level of premium rotary mixer.

More details on the Headliner R4 on the official product page here.

There’s a bunch of new gear coming out and stories this week.
See more NAMM 2024 coverage of DJ products here