Numark busts out iDJ dueling iPod mixer
posted Jul 21st 2005 4:45PM
Alright mixmasters, turns out that Numark dueling iPod DJ
mixer we peeped back in April is indeed not vaporware. Numark will be announcing tomorrow the iDJ mixing console
for iPod as part of their summer 2005 product lineup — a two-channel mixer that accepts all iPod models with bottom
connectors and breaks out their controls into its dedicated interface. Both channels sport a 3-band EQ and gain
control, and the unit's got dedicated mic and phono/line inputs for bringing in additional signals. It's also rocking
some USB connectivity, enabling it to converse with your portable rig as a music-loading base. What we don't yet know
is the price, but y'know, if you've already shelled out for two iPods it's probably not gonna break the bank either
way.
[Thanks, Albizu]
Update: we're looking at $399.00 retail/$249.00 street on this thing. Not bad, not bad at all.
can you change the pitch on this? i stil dj using vinyl.
As a DJ, I can tell you that this thing is ahead of its time and will most likely only be used as a backup system by semi-professionals or by teenage "bedroom DJs".
Biggest problem with the current incarnation of the iPod for DJing with: no pitch control. As soon as they fix that issue, then there's some contention from the Apple corner of the ring.
This is pretty cool, althought it kind of sucks that you need 2 iPods.
I hope it has pitch control..
Actually, chances are if you already bought two iPods, the bank is long since broken. Like someone once said in art history: If you had the Mona Lisa, you'd be rich. Well, not exactly. You'd be wealthy indeed but you would be broke after buying it.
I doubt it has pitch control.. i don't think the iPod could support it, unless the mixer grabs the song off the ipod onto internal RAM after which you can control it. Personally I think its a gimmic...
Weak . . .It was bad enough with CD turntables, but now this? So I can go to a club and expect to hear crappy bitrate mp3's mixed on a crappy Numark mixer, presumably by a crappy DJ who would have the nerve to put such a craptacular setup together and play on it. Fantastic. I'll take vinyl anyday, thank you.
Uh, I don't see a pitch slider or pitch bend. You can't even beatmatch!
If you're not beatmatching - you're not DJing, you're just playing 2 tracks at the same time.
What's the point of this? What will it achieve that plugging 2 iPods into any other mixer won't?
Digital turntables are just stupid. If you're going to DJ digitally, just bring a laptop. If you can't scratch, what's the point of having turntables?
I don't like this one bit. Nothing will compare to vinyl, this is actually embarassing to anyone who tries to bust this out in public at a show.
No one would bust it out while they're DJing. It's much too bourgeois...this is for the white suburban yuppies riding the wave of their psuedoclubbing preteens.
Now it'd really be sweet if you could transfer music from one iPod to the other, you know, as an added bonus.
Or for people with lots of money and bad backs.
I still think that a lappy and final scratch is the way to go but secretly I want one to have in the house (if it can pitch shift).
Without any pitch control, I see this device having novelty appeal at best.
Yet another iPod accessory... vaporware.
This does look pretty weird..
but obviously it must have some sort of beatmatching capabilities..I mean. it's a mixer. I don't really suggest to anyone to buy 2 ipods though..
and Morwan, I have a pair of technic 1200s and a pair of cdj1000s, and I'm sure I could out-scratch you on any of them. Digital turntables will not and should not replace vinyl, but they're useful..
Are you kidding me?
I guess I was too heavy-heanded, but eh. I don't scratch, but I don't like digital turntables. DJ's just seem like glorified jukeboxes to me unless they can scratch.
I'm probably missing a lot of the subtleties, but that's what appeals to me most, and this is just another step in the wrong direction.
I'm not seeing beatmatching, nor anything else that would make this a serious DJing tool. I don't see a control to do loops or adjust the crossfade contour.
The price point alone makes me think 'gimmick'. Your average DJ mixer worth buying costs a minimum of $600. If I was a club owner, and a DJ showed up with this, I'd have security slap him around a few times, get my money back, and then book a real DJ, one who can work a real club mixer and real DJing tools like a pair of 1200s, a pair of CDJ-1000s, or a laptop loaded up with Ableton.
No pitch control, no chance.
LOL OLOL
thats is all i got 2 say really.. never posted on this site but read it alot
if you buy this you would have to be a dipsh!t loll thats really really lame this wont get further then the bedroom of a 12yrold rich kid with 2 ipods that can go from one song to another just as the radio does, simple crappy fade or a pause inbetween
even if it was able to beatmatch id still giggle coz its just so so stupid LOL
It would work for radio jocks, or podcasters. But it's still not very cool plus the fact that you need to go and buy another iPod which would bring the total ownership of this thing to near $800.
I'd stick with FinalScratch if you want to mix your MP3s. If you really wanted a standalone device without traditional turntables it's complete overkill to require dual iPods since a single iPod would quite happilly serve two files in parallel as a USB mass storage device. Sorry to be such a cynic but I really don't think that this is the best of ideas.
Laptop + Traktor DJ Studio w/ optional Final Scratch.
End of story for anything non-vinyl
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4110230.stm
It's worthless without pitch control~! This will end up on the aisle next to karaoke machines, cheap mexican guitars, and DJ-in-a-Box kits.
Lame. cool idea. I hope it never makes it. It will be a sad day when dj'ing is totally digital. there is just something about vinyl that cd's/iPods can't touch.
i have two ipods, and i am not a 12 year old rich kid. i am a 21 year old poor student. either way i wouldnt buy this item.
#23
"i have two ipods.....i am a 21 year old poor student...."
i take it when u say poor student you mean your intelligence
ok to all the too cool for school non-dj's posting to engadget to prove their vinyl-affiliation..
the prospect of carrying 50 lbs of wax around is a definite night ender for us DJs who play early and would love to have a night that continues somewhere other than home in a cab that our fee barely covers.
sure, pitch shifting and jog controls will be necessary features, but stop hating. I love vinyl as much as the next, but anything that carries the artform to a medium more updated than 20-year-old-still-top-of-the-line hardware is welcome in my book.
plus it's inevitable, so stop being hypocritical ludites that read a "technology" blog.
This is completely pointless and probably rubbish even if it has beat match.
your other options are
1. buy a laptop - same price as 2 ipods mix with Traktor
2. buy 2 ipods and get a crappy mixer plug together - thats all this POS seems to actually do and would probably be much cheaper to do it that way.
what utter crap
(and if you go for option 2 buy a couple of decent mp3 player instead)
I don't see the point of having two otherwise unconnected iPods in this device. Two audio channels playing MP3 tracks from one harddisk, that would be ok. But why should a DJ be required to carry two MP3 music collections. What if he decides to play track B after track A, but both are on the same iPod?
it warms the cockles of my vinyl loving heart to read the comments from fellow vinyl loving dj's etc. Two iPods now that isn't djing in my neck of the woods as you'd be laffed out of town and no it isn't the future. Vinyl Lives
Uhh just one thing to all those people that are saying
"Digital turntables are just stupid. If you're going to DJ digitally, just bring a laptop. If you can't scratch, what's the point of having turntables?"
Every taken a look at the Numark CDX, it is a CD turntable with a full vinyl platter and real vinyl that controls the CD with no latency as if it was a vinyl record.
Check out Numark.com for it as well as a video of at I think scratchworx.com
That would be http://www.skratchworx.com - with a K. This is an entirely different beast to the CDX and not even in the same sphere of DJing. The lack of pitch control means it's more for the mobile DJ rather than the clubs.
I'm a scratch/hip hop/house deejay using vinyl, and without pitch control, it's true, this is pretty dull technology. But I read that's coming in another model. So, good! Why is everyone here such a purist. Digital's fine. What if you just want to spin some tunes at a cafe. I don't want to lug all my equipment and vinyl for that kind of gig. Embrace the technology! I also ripped 200-300 of my own CDs to MP3 at 192kbps, and the sound quality is bangin'. (Full disclosure: I've never mixed CDs, but it can't be all that bad.)
I am a long time DJ who loves the turntables. Recently I have been force to also use a MP3 player. Its sucks but it gets the job done. I would love it if they took pioneers CD turntable tech and allowed you to run a MP3 player via the Pio 1000 and use the effects. But I think I will be dead long before this will happen.
This thing is a monument to how restrictive an iPod is. The player designed to hold everything, but you have to have two because you can't manage your music yourself? Idiotic.
My goodness I think I just wet myself.......this is sooooooooooooooooooooo unbelieveably cool....what will the Mac people think up next?!!
DJ'ing with anything other than vinyl is stupid to me. A lot of people laugh at you if you have a CD Mixer or one of these iPod things.
I'd be interested to see the Stanton model that allows you to scratch your mp3's on vinyl tho.
I think some of you are missing the point. Let's look at a few of the arguments:
1. No Pitch Adjust.
Yeah. That makes it rubbish. Once they fix that, I'll get one.
2. Vinyl's Great!
Yeah, of course it is. But if you're playing out to a small bar, and noone can see what you're up to, who cares? I'd rather carry 2 iPods and the mixer instead of 100 crates of vinyl. Plus, imagine a 4-channel mixer version so you can connect turntables too. Would you be happy then? We're not all super-hip-hop scratch jockies, so if the thought of no scratching offends you, don't buy one.
3. You need 2 iPods.
Of course you need 2 iPods. Could you stream 2 tracks down the same USB interface at the speed required to keep up with real-time pitch shifting? How else could you mix 2 tracks together? iPod's aren't designed to play 2 tracks at once, just like CD decks aren't. Think of this concept as a replacement for a pair of CD Decks.
4. Laptop + Final Scratch is Better.
Well, I would say it's different. It allows you to scratch, sure. But a laptop in a club environment is iffy, and how much are we talking about now? Laptop, 800 bucks for a decent rig? 500 bucks for Final Scratch?
Anyway, just my 2c. If you had pitch adjust, I think this would be an awesome product.
Two iPods cost $500 - $800.
My TT1200s cost $500 each when I bought them 10 long years ago.
Two iPods is a bargain.
1 ipod is lame. 2 ipods are super lame. 2 ipods and using them in an attempt to dj is just plain sad. I bet it will be overpriced like the rest of the ipod oriented crap (including the ipod itself.) Some people don't take digital DJs serious now, and with an iDJ, you'll be a good laugh.
This is what digital dj'ing is like in my eyes. iPod/CD/Laptop DJ = Lounge singer: no talent ass clown that can only sound like the person he is singing to...he has no originality. Vinyl DJ = Superstars...eh all of those big divas...or Frank Sinatra = talents!
Sure i feel all of those people who hate lugging around all of their vinyl. However...don't call it DJ'ing...If you want to play music at a "cafe" just play a cd, it won't confuse anyone "is he a dj, or just some kid playing w/ his iPods" plus, you would get payed for doing nothing!
I hear the "vinyl Djs are the best" argument a lot, and I still can't understand it. It's all about how the music is delivered - what's the difference between having 2 spinning pieces of plastic or a bunch of MP3s on a device? I've DJ'd using both methods, and CDs/MP3s are harder to use because:
1. Can't see breakdowns.
2. Can't manipulate the pitch in an analog way.
Why would vinyl DJs be superstars and CD DJs be rubbish? You still have to put together a playlist, beatmatch, mix, regardless of the medium you're using.
Unless we're talking about scratch and hip-hop DJs. In which case we're talking genres and styles - nothing to do with skill levels.
Butter is right. You people really need to wake up and embrace technology. I've been DJing for 16 years and the minute clubs started putting CDJ-1000's in the booths is the minute I stopped lugging around 50 lbs of overpriced vinyl. In fact, if they made a CDJ with a dock for an iPod I'd be on this in a second. Spinning with vinyl does not make you a purist, it just means you're stuck on some outdated romantic vision of what DJing is. Most "big name" DJs (at least the house/tech ones) spin mostly CDs these days, so don't think it's just for tools.
DJing is NOT about the medium used to play your tracks. It's about track selection, mixing ability, etc. If you're up in a booth, the crowd doesn't care, your back feels better because you didn't lug records on the subway, and you have your entire music library at your fingertips. Where are your priorities?
a sexy digital dj mixer without pitch control sucks because it's not a real mixer. regarding whether we can scratch on it or not, who cares? most of club djs doesn't do scratch unless they spin in a ghetto hip-hop club. you don't have to scratch in order to be a dj. just like you don't have to know how to read a music sheet to be a musician. put your have-to-know-scratch ego somewhere else please. and who said the mp3 sounds crappy? 192-bit rip sounds identical to how the real cd sounds like. Maybe you should learn how to use a computer IMO.
digital dj mixer is invevitable. time to embrace the future.
a sexy digital dj mixer without pitch control sucks because it's not a real mixer. regarding whether we can scratch on it or not, who cares? most of club djs doesn't do scratch unless they spin in a ghetto hip-hop club. you don't have to scratch in order to be a dj. just like you don't have to know how to read a music sheet to be a musician. put your have-to-know-scratch ego somewhere else please. and who said the mp3 sounds crappy? 192-bit rip sounds identical to how the real cd sounds like. Maybe you should learn how to use a computer IMO.
digital dj mixer is invevitable. time to embrace the future.
What is a DJ if he can't scratch!
For all of you haters who don't know your history the answer is ALAN FREED. If you don't know, now you know! Rent American Hot Wax becuase without Alan Freed, one of most influential DJs of all time, you would not be who you are today!
For those of you lappy haters go see The History Of Scratch World Tour and then tell me you can even come close to the skills of DJ Jazzy Jeff. Final Scratch baby, it rocks the house!
Like vinyl, and CDs, MP3s have their place. Even if you don't own an iPod, or even a CD player for that matter you might want to thank Apple for helping to keep this industry some what profitable. In the last few years music sales have fallen off dramatically. iTunes just celebrated its half billionth legal download.
*Vinyl is a niche market supported by purists
*Studio time costs exceed vinyl profits
*CDs nearly put vinyl in an early grave
That said, I still cherish my vinyl. If you love yours as much as you claim you might want to tell all your non DJ friends to stop using P2P and start using iTunes. Better yet, buy them an iPod and a gift certificate for a dozen songs.
DJ culture has come into the mainstream. It's time more DJs moved past adolescent rants about other DJs and started respecting each other the way learned professionals do. There are many specialties in the medical field and the legal field. DJs have their specialties as well.
DJs come in all flavors and each of us makes our contribution to this fast growing field. However, if we want to earn the respect we deserve we better start giving it.
Props to Butter and Fudgeboy for thier contributions to this forum.
To the haters who may flame me, consider the following.
*I did my time in major clubs using vinyl
*I get paid very well to do what I do now
*It's unlikely that I will ever read your comments!
A better idea: CD decks that take high-capacity flash cards.
If those things become as standard as say CDJ1000s you could be assured a decent UI and could carry your entire music library around in your pocket, without the need for dropping $ on an iPod.
Fuck the stupid 'vinyl si teh rule' argument, I've worn out and beaten up enough records and busted my back lugging crates around enough to see the advantages of easily-portable, high-density music storage.
This could have pitch control if you did some work.
You could create your own pitch adjust on the iPods by loading Linux (http://www.ipodlinux.org) instead of the regular apple OS and then run a linux sound app such as snd that has the pitch adjust built in. But then you'd just be running two small computers instead of turntables. As for cost though, this system would be cheaper in the long run than turntables as mp3s are much cheaper than vinyl.
Check out the video of the iDJ here:
http://namm.harmony-central.com/SNAMM05/Index/videos.html
thank Buddha for you guys, if it wasn't for your small minded intolerant DJ dogma, the more hyper-visionary creative right-brained types, would never be ahead in the game.
LOL! you are all like immature football supporters!
thanks guys!
thumbs up! :-)
hint for today: use more of your brain. Not less of it! :-))))))
Nobody has mentioned this yet as far as I can tell. In addition to no pitch control as far as I know there is no frame accurate start on an iPod either. Numark has been working on the HDCD1 for a couple of years now. It's basiclly one of their Dual CD units with a built in Hard Drive to store your MP3 files. You can still use the dual CD decks just like any other DJ player out there or you can playback from the HD. I don't know why Numark just didn't focus there efforts on getting that to market sooner. You woudn't have to worry about the problem of your collection being split or duplicated on two iPods either.
amen to martin's comment near the beginning....
some strange comments indeed. if so many of you are against new technology what are you doing here in the first place. obviously this product wouldn't be targeted straight at the club, initially it would be more for home use or mobile djs and the like, kids.. until it gets pitch control i can create basically the same level of playability by running my ipod and laptop in to my mixer and going back and forth.
why make such a fuss about it though. it is just a first step in creating a new product. more and more djs are switching to cd mixers and mp3's. vinyl still has its place obviously, but any touring dj will welcome the opportunity to carry less vinyl, djs always like to take their favourite records as carry on luggage to avoid having them stolen (which happens surprisingly often), after september 11 airlines have got a lot stricter on weight and size restrictions for carry on luggage meaning these vinyl collectors just have to chance all their carefully procured records with general baggage.
plus it takes ages to get stuff on vinyl, so while carrying around a bag of your favourite records you would be stupid (as a dj) to not take the option of playing some of the newest songs available including ones made that very day on cd-r.
at the end of the day 97.5% of punters dont know or care what medium they are listening to as long as it is a good track with good sound. i am a bedroom dj with record players and cdjs. i have an ipod but i dont need to use it in this matter although i have used it with two other friends ipods on 4 channel mixer and laptop when on holiday. not to play a set though just to choose songs.
some strange comments indeed. if so many of you are against new technology what are you doing here in the first place. obviously this product wouldn't be targeted straight at the club, initially it would be more for home use or mobile djs and the like, kids.. until it gets pitch control i can create basically the same level of playability by running my ipod and laptop in to my mixer and going back and forth.
why make such a fuss about it though. it is just a first step in creating a new product. more and more djs are switching to cd mixers and mp3's. vinyl still has its place obviously, but any touring dj will welcome the opportunity to carry less vinyl, djs always like to take their favourite records as carry on luggage to avoid having them stolen (which happens surprisingly often), after september 11 airlines have got a lot stricter on weight and size restrictions for carry on luggage meaning these vinyl collectors just have to chance all their carefully procured records with general baggage.
plus it takes ages to get stuff on vinyl, so while carrying around a bag of your favourite records you would be stupid (as a dj) to not take the option of playing some of the newest songs available including ones made that very day on cd-r.
at the end of the day 97.5% of punters dont know or care what medium they are listening to as long as it is a good track with good sound. i am a bedroom dj with record players and cdjs. i have an ipod but i dont need to use it in this matter although i have used it with two other friends ipods on 4 channel mixer and laptop when on holiday. not to play a set though just to choose songs.
what the "new technology" kids don't realize, is that:
- good vinyl sounds better than cds or mp3s
- procuring music (on wax) used to be part of the art
- mixing is integral
"convenience" is allowing us to forget quality of music and part of the magic in being a dj.
i'll rock an ipod walking down the street, but pay to see someone use it in a club?
Is this for suburbanites or yuppies who want to 'play DJ' .... OF COURSE IT IS!!!!!! That is the point! If the only people into DJin were hardcore vinyl collecting DJs, who buy 1200s and a top of the line DJ mixer. The culture would have disappeared 10 years ago. Sorry guys, but there are people who just want to mix at their house party, bbq or a bar for their birthday!!! And that is just fine!! Hopefully they will download their MP3s from sites like Beatport, Dufflebag, etc. and put some $$ into the pockets of musicians and producers. Because VINYL SALES ARE DOWN!!! VINYL DISTRIBUTORS HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS!! And for the couple of thousand of you left in the worlds who are still buying vinyl every week, you'll be $20 a record in 5 years if you don't encourage 12 year-olds to start mixing on anything even this iPOD toy!!!!
Listen. I know there's been some criticism of people who may own two ipods, but with two comes versatility. Check out --
http://ipod.hackaday.com/entry/1234000653030448/
Bring on the stereoscope!
C'mon people, it's obvious that this thing is a toy. We know it, Numark knows it... but it's a damn fine piece of marketing as far as Numark are concerned. Jumping on the back of the iPod hype is a worthwhile exploit for any company. Numark have never made top of the line DJ gear, but they have pushed out some good mid level / mid priced gear fo years so they must be doing something right. This thing can only do them good as a company and build a stronger brand. It caters to their target market, the hobbyist and bedroom rockers.
As for all you vinyl pundits and purists out there... digital is here and it's staying. I've been using Serato Scratch Live on gigs now for over 6 months and it's the most amazing and robust digital - vinyl bridge system out there. There are too many advantages, no lugging massive crates, every track you have at you finger tip and no wearing rare wax.
When the pro DJs and turtablists start not just endorsing, but using it live on their gigs you know it's the bomb.
A-Trak, Jazzy Jeff, AM, MixMaster Mike...
http://www.scratchlive.net
http://www.dj-am.com/DJAM.mov
WOW!
UNBELIEVIEBLE THING!!!
no pitch... i hope the ipod djmixer2 will get!
Hey
I have seen the Numark kit and its amazing, they also have a deal with ipod so the 2nd Gen Mixer will be able to alter the pitch as well.
They are showing this product off at www.plasashow.com which is some sort of disco show for DJ's well worth a look Im gonna go.
You can pre order this item at http://www.easyipod.co.uk its 229.99
as if they couldnt make it use only one ipod? stupid idea.
btw. skm u cute :P
lol
DJ SKOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM
I am reading all of your comments on here and I can kind of see where everyone is coming from. Vinyls are great and they do have good sound. Cds and MP3s are also a great asset to have as well. I come from a town where there are only 4-5 major DJs and none of them have vinyls. They are mostly digitized. At least with this, it would be a great way to distinguish yourself from the rest of the DJs. Also, whatever happened to just goin to some place where there is DJ and just having a good time and not critiquing about their equipment? I respect everyone in the DJ profession and I don't think it should really matter what kind of equipment they have as long as they play well.
Okay... this could be a great present for my nephews.
In elementary school they would be the kings on the campus, I guess. MicroMachines and ActionMan will be forgotten forever !
I hope, that they both have two iPods each. If not...we will see for the next birthdays.
Thanks, Numark :-)
Who the fuck has two ipods? Karl Lagerfeld usually travels with 40 ipods in his luggage, he had somebody who converted all his cds to mp3s...
The idj is a tool for not-djs who cant get enough of expensive ipod accessories. What about a ipod case by Louis Vuitton ($ 250)?
I will keep on playing vinyl...
I have been a DJ for over 20 years. I use the Dell DJ - not the IPOD for mp3s (I don't use portable mp3 players for gigs, because there is no pitch control). Two things....
1. Is there a pitch control for this product?
2. Will Numark or any one else design a dj mixer for other brands of portable mp3 players (Dell)?
In case people did not know, "Mixing" and "Scratching" are two different types of art forms. It takes a lot of skill to do either on any type of medium, specially on Turntables. It also takes a lot of skill to mix on Professional CD Players, but I must admit that it is easier to mix and scratch on Professional CD Players.
EXPENSIVE Technology does not make you a great DJ. I have seen real DJ's ROCK on two RadioShack Turntables and a RadioShack Mixer. So it is not about the equipment, it is about the "Human Talent" behind the equipment. Talent is one thing you can not buy for yourself. You either have it, or you don't.
In my opinion, this Ipod mixer will eventually be a good product. When CD Players with pitch control came out in the early 90's, DJ's that used Technics 1200's used to laugh at them. Now I see people like MIKE JONE's DJ on MTV using Technic's Pro CD Players.
Like Chris Rock once said, "PEOPLE LIKE TO KEEP IT REAL, YEAH, REAL DUMB." I say this because dumb DJ's will keep using the same old ways, and REAL SMART DJ'S will use every piece of technology to out smart the so called "REAL DJ'S".
I just had to take the time to comment on this hot issue. In my opinion my comments should carry some weight, as I am retired club DJ who mastered the art of mixing records and CD's in the 1990's in order to pay thru college and become a Professional Civil Engineer. I
I have a lot of respect for DJ's who can mix and scratch on vinyl. However, I also respect the DJ's that use their brains to bring it to a new level by using technology. Who wants to hear and use the same shit that was done 30 years ago all of the time. Also keep in my mind that the people that invented mixing and scratching did not have the technology that we have today. If they did, then those smart and talented people like Grandmaster Flash and Jam Master Jay would have probably used it to make better music and beat their opponents. Ask any real DJ, and they will tell you, that its all about beating out the competition.
I completely understand where the DJs who are expressing concern over the iDJ are coming from. However, I think the usefullness of this piece of equipment is highly dependant on what genre of music you spin. Personally, I spin mostly modern rock, dance rock, indie, britpop, etc. I really have no use for beatmatching or pitch control, as the music I spin should sound like its original form. I am used to lugging crates of records around just like most of you. I recently have lost my access to a car, so it makes it nearly impossible for me to move the ammount of gear I once was able to. The iDJ makes it possible for me to put everything I need for a night of DJing in one portable flight case, and take it with me on public transportation.
I am using it tonight for the first time, having previously hooked my two iPods up to the mixer via 1/8 to RCAs. I LOVE that it charges my iPods while I am using them. I'll also be picking up the second generation model of the iDJ if/when it comes out.
"I'm a 21st century digital boy, I don't know how to read but I've got alot of toys"
Why hasn't anyone answered the question that concerns all DJz universaly? DOES THIS THING HAVE PITCH CONTROL??????????? If it does not have it then no matter how good the quality of sound is..... doublebeating will always sound the same..
uh oh are those the horses comin!!!!!
Why all the hate toward new technology from those that profess to love it? A pitch controller would be nice but certainly not a deal breaker for your average wedding jock.
Whether you use an IPOD or Laptop anything that cuts down on lugging a crate of CDs or Vinyl around is welcome. As to other people laughing because your a "Digital DJ" I just don't get nor care. It's nearly the year 2006 and I'm in the business to have fun and make money and don't care about the critics. They can continue to be self absorbed about how cool they think they are while I keep booking more shows!!
I agree with the "no pitch control, No use to club (or even home) DJ" have to say it is just a novelty and not worth the money. I have no problem with DJ's who use CDs, the higher end CD Turntable (even Numarks HDX or CDX) offer virtually the same control and feel of real turntables, and superior sound, versatility and quality to low end vinyl turntables.
The only use I could see for this over priced toy is part of a ULPFM (or Pirate) radio station, BUT you can pick up a really cheap CD DJ package (the Ion iCD02-also a toy but not highway robbery) and a ramsey electronics kit FM transmitter.
As a professional DJ myself, I can safely say that the I-DJ is the best piece of DJing equipment I have ever owned. You don' need pitch control when the secret ingredient is love, damnit.