Numark announces iDJ2

With DJs almost as revered as professional writers these days, it's little surprise that the market for spinning equipment has exploded recently, or that iDJ manufacturer Numark is already back with an updated version of their original useful-but-flawed iPod mixer. iLounge is reporting that the iDJ2 will only require scratchers to use one 'Pod compared to the iDJ's two, from which it can not only play two songs simultaneously but also record your performance as well. Other niceties include an LCD screen for track-profiling and waveform display, scratch, pitch, loop, and cue controls, and USB and auxiliary inputs for hooking up nearly any audio source. We do know that this model will support MP3, OGG, and AAC tracks, but have no idea when it will be released, nor how much it will cost compared to its $250 predecessor.

[wilhel1812 @ Mar 28th 2006 8:46AM]

cool!! to bad my iPod is bricked... :(

[CJW @ Nov 12th 2006 4:51PM]

What interests me is whether there is any latency in the cueing, if there is, it's pretty much worthless. If there isn't, it would be cool to do some home mix recordings for personal use. I wouldn't use it in clubs though.

Does it support an iPod Nanno?

When is the release date?

[DJ-MoPhiya @ Jul 26th 2007 11:17AM]

This just in Numark iDJ2
to be released:

~~End of AUGUST 2007~~ (Dag! That's a whole year...)

I am currently DJ -ing with the premature 2-channel iDJ and I have been waiting too!

I just spoke to a representative in the sales department of Numark headquarters and they said the release date will be END OF AUGUST 2007.

Yes a whole year after the first date released to the public. Let's hope that they can keep thier word on it.

[Lee @ Mar 28th 2006 8:47AM]

I would love to play with this thingy... I'd like to see how the record feature works and in what formats it does its recording.
My only visual gripe would be that I'd probably prefer a slightly larger "scratch" pad, but this setup is otherwise very nice; large buttons and contrasting knobs and sliders so you can see what you're doing by the glow of blacklight or disco ball.
Damn cool.

[Adam @ Mar 28th 2006 9:21AM]

I wonder if it will be able to charge the iPod as well? Maybe this was a feature of the previous version that will also be included in this one, but its not much use to have to yank out or swap the iPod cause its low on juice.

[max cascone @ Mar 28th 2006 9:26AM]

the real question is, of course, how well the pitch control works.... the lack of pitch control was what made the original one such a joke. But if this one can control the pitch, it's something to look more closely at. Only having to use one iPod is also a great upgrade. This is what the original one should have been; i'll reserve judgement until i can try the pitch out.

[nextusone @ Mar 28th 2006 9:49AM]

It seems like they fixed all of the problems with the first version. It makes me actually think about picking this one up. This thing just has a dorkiness factor that it can't seem to get rid of though. Even though it makes more sense to use this thing than to haul around a bunch of records or cds plus turntables and mixers to achieve pretty much the same purpose, I can't help thinking I'd receive a lot of pointing and ridicule if I tried to use it in public.

[Lee @ Mar 28th 2006 9:59AM]

for #5, nextusone -- If I may say so, the design of this is well in line with DJ equipment by Akai and Gemini, et al. What has been thus far adressed as "dorky" is actually a necessity, as in the buttons are large because this type of product is often used in low-light situations... I've never been to a "well-lit" club and wouldn't want to be.
However, nobody can change an old school DJ's mind about giving up his precious collection of vinyl, and there is where you'd find the most resistance... in the form of someone being peeved that you could DJ with an iPod as opposed to having twenty milk crates full of vinyl.
I'm not trying to argue really... just a point to be made.
This little setup will surely serve its purpose.

Lastly, the typical DJ Booth is high above the people dancing to your music... a DJ doesn't want to be down with the crowd, so as to keep the drunks from bumping into his equipment or spilling some fruity beverage on the expensive electronics... thus, nobody would have to know your "secret."

[Lee @ Mar 28th 2006 10:09AM]

Another use for this, I suppose, would be for those folks who like to host parties at their homes and do not want to have to set up a laptop or PC to run their music all night... this setup would likely be inexpensive compared to a vinyl DJ setup and could be used by an amateur.

[jared @ Mar 28th 2006 10:09AM]

Any device that can scratch audio can pitch control audio with no problem. And compared to the cost of two scratching CD players and a solid state audio recorder, this thing will be dirt cheap. Forget the club market, think about the vast, untapped passenger seat and cubicle markets.

[Pacey @ Mar 28th 2006 10:10AM]

Being that I still do mobile jock every once in a while, this new version makes me drool.

When I was in college, I used to cary 4 milk crates and a shoulder bag for vinyl and 2 250 count CD books, plus all the equipment. It used to fill my whole Tahoe. This would eliminate half of what Ihad to move in and out of a party, so I'm jealous that this is just coming out now.

Granted, I still grab the old turntables sometimes when I go out, but most of my work is done off CD now anyways. If this works as well as some of the CD mixers out there, they may just have another sale from me.

[yuppicide @ Mar 28th 2006 10:15AM]

I'd be interested in this if it wasn't an iPod in there. Apple sucks, iPod's are overpriced for what you get. Sure you can hook up other inputs, but having something up top is a lot nicer looking and cooler.

I would definately like to see what people can do with this, but honestly it probably sucks. CD mixer's suck. Real DJ's use vinyl or maybe even Final Scratch 2. CD DJ's get laughed at a lot of times.

[Festus @ Mar 28th 2006 10:31AM]

>CD mixer's suck. Real DJ's use vinyl or maybe even Final
>Scratch 2. CD DJ's get laughed at a lot of times.

You... haven't been to a club lately, have you?

[o rly @ Mar 28th 2006 10:41AM]

Final Scratch 2 software is garbage compared to Serato Scratch Live.

Numark isn't going after the "real" DJ crowd anyways, just those that think they can DJ; "iDJ makes me-a-DJ."

[mmr @ Mar 28th 2006 10:57AM]

I used to have a Technics MK3D setup and then sold it since I couldn't keep up with buying records at 6-10 dollars a pop (Sometimes for just one song). I still love DJing and I was thinking about investing in some CDJs since I have played with them and they are AMAZING. (If you are bitching about the CD turntables you clearly haven't used one, and if you have then you are probably a crap DJ.) However, I new CDJ setup will run you $2000+, but if this is as good as it says it is (esp with the pitch control) then I might just move down from the professional stuff and just rock out with this little guy. In the end I was just going to make mix CDs for myself anyway and why drop thousands of dollars on just a little fun?

[Gizmo @ Mar 28th 2006 11:24AM]

Now this is more like it. The iDJ was a bit of a failure for pro DJs but even just using 1 iPod is a major leap forward. If it has pitch control and the jog wheels are half decent, Numark will have a winner.

Tomorrow MusikMesse starts in Frankfurt. Skratchworx will be there and will no doubt have pictures and footage of this and all the other new products out there!

[DjFIL @ Mar 28th 2006 11:34AM]

I've been djing 6 years now. I started on crappy cdj's... I hated them... then cheep tech 12's... they did the job... but when I was on real tech 12's I knew the differance and thought i'd never turn back. But I don't play out very often (about once or twice a year for a paid gig) so I too found vinyl expensive to keep up my hobby, as I love the music I play even if it's now only for webmixes for friends and whomever likes housebreaks (see url link). So I tried Pioneer CDJ-1000's... and loved them. Now have a pair, and don't care if I go back to vinyl... CDJ ain't perfect... but lots of lil things i can add to a set thanks to a CDJ that I couldn't with a turntable. But I just got a Korg ESX-1 Sampler/Sequencer and would love to play livePADJ combo sets with it along side a nice compact player like this iDJ2, as long as it turns out to be a quality piece of hardware... I'd love to see an option that you can bypass built in mixer and each player side with it's own output.

[jedibratt @ Mar 28th 2006 11:43AM]

And which club have you been to Festus, that has a dj using cds? No group of people is going to get a high from a someone with a laptop in front of them. Only shi shi lounges have that sort of thing going on. Not clubs. Yeah, I can just see Paul Oakenfold at Cream, or DJ Dan at 1015 with an ipod and some small cd device driving the crowd nuts. LOL!

[Festus @ Mar 28th 2006 12:35PM]

Sasha uses a laptop.

I can probably find you a link to many thousands of people not being bored out of their skulls at Creamfields or one of a dozen other events, but what's the use?

[bv @ Mar 28th 2006 12:40PM]

jedibratt, sorry to burst your bubble but oakenfold is a sell out now and sucks fat balls wherever he goes. he has to be one of the worst djs out there with his lazy ass trainwreck beatmatching and track selection from 3 years ago. I've seen him use CD decks and pretty much every other big name dj out there, its the norm now. Sander Kleinenberg, Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, James Lavelle...they all rock pioneers like its nobody's business. Now this idj2 is a different story. I dont see any option for creativity with onboard effects, im sure the platter is unresponsive and the pitch control inaccurrate. This is a Numark after all and they certainly don't cater to actual live dj's, they are more of the bedroom hobbyist type.

[DJ Spin @ Mar 28th 2006 12:57PM]

For those who don't think that today's top DJ's don't use CD's...you may want to learn more about DJ'ing. There isn't a single major DJ exclusively on Vinyl anymore. There are some purists, but they are all falling by the wayside.

Have I traded in my T 1200's...NO. But before you say you will never go to CD....check out the altest decks. I use Pioneers which in the latest models are great. Even with the 800 now supports MP3 CD's. I can cue, scratch, backspin, brake, blend with almost the same feel and with the same sounds as my Technics. Plus I can loop and do things that my Vinyl can't do.

I would probably play with this thing just to see how well it works, but this is not for club work. This is for the teenage DJ or the backyard barbeque.

BTW...the key is not if it has pitch, but how well the pitch is implemented. Adding pitch to didgital devices creates chipmunk sounds if it's not done right. In addition..who cares how big the scratch pad is..the key is how realistic it is. If I don't use the same wrist moevements that I use on a Turntable forget it.

----DJ'ing since 1983 with over 4000 12"s

[BDC @ Mar 28th 2006 1:33PM]

"--DJ'ing since 1983 with over 4000 12"s"

Does DJ'ing stand for 'Double Jamming'?
Damn man, 4000 12 inchers� You are the HomoThug!

[Tonicboy @ Mar 28th 2006 1:38PM]

@jedibratt - "And which club have you been to Festus, that has a dj using cds?...Paul Oakenfold at Cream, or DJ Dan at 1015 with an ipod and some small cd device driving the crowd nuts. LOL!"

I have seen Armin van Buuren, John Digweed and other top DJ's using CD decks (in addition to vinyl of course). In fact, most top DJs have switched over at least partly, probably because they aren't so self-conscious that they would worry about idiots making fun of them.

And oh yeah, you obviously haven't been in the scene in a looong time if "DJ Dan at 1015" is your stock example of a big name DJ. Dan hasn't played 1015 since I don't even remember when. And Paul Wash-and-fold? What a freaking joke. That sell-out biotch isn't setting an example for any DJs.

[Xaq Fixx @ Mar 28th 2006 1:39PM]

I have waited on replacing my DJ set up for this. I am so stoked.

[ben @ Mar 28th 2006 3:40PM]

I'm curious to know if the scratch wheels are actually scratch wheels. DJs can probably remember that DJ CD decks have had wheels on the top for a long time, but until the CDJs came out, they were only glorified FFWD/RWD and interface controls.

Also, to those complaining about iPod exclusivity...it has USB-ins on the back. You just won't have the sweet-looking dock.

[Comrade Penguin @ Mar 28th 2006 4:14PM]

The big thing in favour of vinyl decks still is bass. Get a 12" version of something and they can pack a huge amount of bass on there to give it that kick most people want ina club. This thing looks good for the bedroom DJ//tiny clubs but I can't see this kind of thing making an impact on the bigger venues for a while.

[Pocket-DJstudio @ Mar 28th 2006 4:53PM]

It looks good... But if you have a PocketPC or SmartPhone with Windows Mobile this born before:

"Pocket DJ Studio"
http://pocket-DJstudio.com

-Two independent MP3 players with:
* PITCH Control
* CUE adjust
* PITCH BEND buttons.
* 2 channel mixer with volume control.
* You can hear one player in the left headphone and the other in the right.
* P.Off effect, like when you turns off the motor in a turntable (with adjustable start and stop time).
* Automix. To be used as a normal player that mix the songs automatically.
* And many other features for DJs.

[cobba @ Mar 28th 2006 5:07PM]

Re: >16 "And which club have you been to Festus, that has a dj using cds? No group of people is going to get a high from a someone with a laptop in front of them. Only shi shi lounges have that sort of thing going on. Not clubs. Yeah, I can just see Paul Oakenfold at Cream, or DJ Dan at 1015 with an ipod and some small cd device driving the crowd nuts. LOL!"

You are behind the times aren't you? Cream closed a few years ago and many many DJ's use CD's these days - everyone from Ritchie Hawtin, Jeff Mills, Sasha, Carl Cox, James Zabiela (almost exclusively now) right the way down to the lesser DJ's and bedroom DJ's. Having run a very prolific high profile club in the UK that's had just about every big DJ you can name play there, I'm somewhat qualified to say that CD's are used as much as vinyl for many styles of music - even scratch DJ's such as Scratch Perverts and Krafty Kuts use them as much as vinyl, and they have been doing for years.

Vinyl's great but you can't stop the new digital age. :-)

[MinceyFresh @ Mar 28th 2006 6:19PM]

I think that CD turntables are actually starting to phase out just as quickly as they became popular...

Many DJs (and other electronic dance musicians who hate to be referred to as DJs) today are using laptops with Ableton Live, which is a loop sequencing software that essentially allows the performer remix a song on the fly. Yeah, it takes the beatmatching element out of the equation altogether, but it allows the performer to fine tune each track to have more of a sound that matches the mood. I actually have not used the software, so I cannot say any real positives or negatives about it.

I saw Paul van Dyk at 1015 in February (click the link), and he had two Powerbooks set up (why two, I don't know), and he had the main room packed the entire time. The only time he whipped out a CD was to keep the music running when he was unplugging his set up for the next DJ.

DJs running laptops with Ableton Live are VERY common today. This is both in high profile clubs and at massives. If you look into more recent mix CDs by Armin van Buuren, Sasha, and James Zabiela (there's a more extensive list when you Wiki "Ableton Live"), you'll notice that they were sequenced using the software. And these are not all "sellouts," either.

(Geez, Oakenfold does a movie score and remixes a couple of pop tracks and the whole world jumps on him for being a sellout? You people need to chill out. I heard his Creamfields mix CD, and it seemed to have pretty credible prog tracks...
Yeah, a mix album isn't the same as hearing someone spin live, but still... Give the guy a break).

I think that the iDJ2 is definitely a step in the right direction for Numark. I don't know why they didn't integrate all these features into the first version (which sort of made a laughing stock out of them and took away any credibility that mp3 mixers will have for a while), but the feature set on v.2 looks mighty nice. :-)

Purists will always hate anything that isn't vinyl, on-the-go dance music artists will love the thing for its portability, but in the end, as long as we on the dance floor can still shake our ass, isn't that what really matters?

[Six.oh.six @ Mar 28th 2006 6:48PM]

Ableton Live is revolutionizing the industry. Check out Richie Hawtin's DE9|Transitions disc which is produced in Ableton Live. Every song is actually made of five or six different songs playing in time using complex EQing effects to keep everything sounding great. At this point the bottleneck is the brain's ability to considers that many simultaneous tracks and keep things moving in the desired direction. I'm quite a fan of Ableton.

That iDJ looks cute. Sure it won't be used by professionals but I think it would be fun to bring to parties.

[Michael @ Mar 28th 2006 8:43PM]

For full product specs the Numark website finally has information!
www.numark.com

[Michael @ Mar 28th 2006 8:43PM]

For full product specs the Numark website finally has information!
www.numark.com

it doesn't say anything about charging the iPod but I am assuming it would..it would kind of suck if it didn't.

[Jason @ Mar 29th 2006 2:18AM]

@25 re: "Pocket DJ Studio"

I couldn't dream up a more inferior device to DJ with. Seriously, come on. Props for pulling it off, but no one's gonna be able to use that in a real situation.

I love my SmartPhone and HTC Pocket PC, but there's no way I would ever use either to DJ a party. Get real. Reminds me of those cool, but totally ineffective programs from 2001 that would let you control Winamp from a PDA. Whatev.

[TDK @ Mar 29th 2006 7:47AM]

"16. And which club have you been to Festus, that has a dj using cds? No group of people is going to get a high from a someone with a laptop in front of them. Only shi shi lounges have that sort of thing going on. Not clubs. Yeah, I can just see Paul Oakenfold at Cream, or DJ Dan at 1015 with an ipod and some small cd device driving the crowd nuts. LOL!"


You can do us all of us a favor and STFU really jedibratt.It seems that youre stuck lickin on Darth Vader's ass since apparently club DJ's are mixing in iPods Give me a freakin break. There is many DJs out there in the world that now playing on CDs. Some DJ's who play on vinyl only dont really want to give up because its the art of DJ'ing. Either way like alot of people have mentioned, cant really stop the new digital age. Its all about being creative artistically.Currently I use Final Scratch 2.0 and wil be heading towards Serato Scratch Live since it tends to be alot more stable. Recently I began to use Pioneer's CDJ-1000 MK2's and it some what it has that feel of a record but not too close. Its like #15 said, CDJ's arent really perfect but it gives you alot of advantages in mixing sets compared to vinyl.

For #27, the reason why Paul van Dyk uses two laptops it is because he uses Serato Scratch Live and Ableton Live. From Serato, PvD tends to play a track and while at it, using Ableton Live, it allows him to do his edits and effects while the track plays. Now the only time Ive seen him use Final Scratch 2.0 was at Dance Valley last year but using only one laptop.

Last but not least, as far as for this gadget, I think its a good tool for thoose who want to get into DJ'ing or are curious about it. Not many features like modern analog mixers like gains,highs,mids,and lows. But, at least a pitch control, song display,and cue controls.

[Tonicboy @ Mar 29th 2006 12:37PM]

@MinceyFresh - "Geez, Oakenfold does a movie score and remixes a couple of pop tracks and the whole world jumps on him for being a sellout?"

No, Wash-and-fold is a sell-out because 1) he spins with about as much enthusiasm as someone doing their laundry, and 2) he will play the same set over and over throughout a tour (yes, I've heard twice on a tour and he plays the exact same songs), and 3) he cares about his hair-do more than his fans. For me, he reached a low when he was spinning a set at Coachella, got frustrated with the wind blowing his needle around a couple times and walked off the stage not even halfway into his set. THAT, my friend, is a sell-out punk-ass biotch.

[Pocket-DJstudio @ Mar 29th 2006 1:50PM]

@29 re: "Pocket DJ Studio"
Of course "Pocket-DJStudio" and a PocketPC or SmartPhone maybe the worse interface to mix... when you are at home or disco...
But the true advantage of that is that you can MIX your MP3 while you are waiting bus... And in that situation is the better interface you have...

If you are able to mix with Turntables or CDs you will be able to do with "Pocket-DJstudio".

[TDK @ Mar 29th 2006 2:22PM]

#31

Dont forget that in 2000-2001 he announced that he was going to stop DJ'ing and focusing into making a rock band as well. For thoose who are chanting that Paul Oakenfold is the shit, I will admit he was until 1999. After that, a true sell out like Tiesto.

[Jon the gimpy @ Mar 29th 2006 5:45PM]

Are not all disc jockey's musician want-a-bes?

[dj-ronald-mc-donald @ Mar 29th 2006 5:53PM]

Cool, now I can dj
Watchout world here I come.

[someone @ Mar 30th 2006 12:04PM]

This is a really good idea and worth considering only for "BEDROOM" or "CASUAL" djs...
Otherwise its crappy.

Check out pioneer's dvj-x1....(link below)
Now that is HOT!!

[the ultimate dj @ Mar 31st 2006 4:13PM]

Now everyone can dj, just like the pro's.

[Nick the Greek DJ @ Mar 31st 2006 4:14PM]

This looks sweet.

[Jesse @ Apr 1st 2006 10:02AM]

I Have the iDJ and its ok but i only have an ipod nano

[bling bling @ Apr 2nd 2006 11:02PM]

The D2 looks like the product of choice to me. It plugs directly into a usb drive/memory stick and provides line outs for your current mixer. It's physically smaller and fits into a standard 19" rack.

That's the right idea, a hardware MP3 player that has pitch control and does not use the D2A converters of the MP3 player and allows you to use your own mixer.

[Nick @ Apr 3rd 2006 4:39PM]

The only real downfall as I can see of the "digital revolution" is that I will no longer be able to make fun of the uptight pricks who cry about "nothing being the same as vinyl," and "vinyl is so much better," and "mine is so much bigger than yours," just to maintain some sort of machismo BS upstanding among others with affections for antiquated technology.

Get over yourself. You're a record player player.

[Adam @ Apr 6th 2006 2:25PM]

According to this site:

http://store.yahoo.com/djgear/numark-idj2-mixer.html

It will be out in august- cool. Hopefully it will not be $599 but even so that is cheaper than buying two SL-1200s + a mixer.

[Boris714 @ Apr 10th 2006 4:33PM]

So, it looks like the music is probably placed in a buffer from the main storage, and in that buffer it can be manipulated right? I mean, how else would you do a Tap Tempo feature? Personally, I think this is a great little gizmo, though I don't think any serious DJ (oops, "electronic dance musician") would actually scratch on this, but who knows.

[Justin a.k.a. ~MixmasterJ~ @ Apr 20th 2006 6:23PM]

It doesn't matter how much it cost just as long as you know me. I still DJ on the side but I work for Granite Leasing. I specialize in financing DJ equipment... check out or website www.graniteleasing.com
we look forward to being able to assist all of you!

[Mike @ Apr 24th 2006 1:00PM]

Here is the response I got after emailing " [e-mail]" asking about the price....

"The MSRP is set for $899 USD, list price. You will have to check with your local dealers to see if they will be offering an introductory price as we get closer to the release date."

[Andre @ Apr 29th 2006 2:05PM]

This is only the beginning. CD mixers were a joke when they first hit the scene and now almost every credible DJ out there has or is using them. There are a select few that are too stubborn to let go of their vinyls. As readily available music is online, mixing with iPods and other digital devices will soon make a move to replace both vinyls and cd mixers. Companies will continue to work on the technology and it will get better just like CD mixers did. The move has always been to be more streamline and more efficient. You can't do that any better than a 60g iPod holding 15000 songs. That beats 25 milk crates any day. Numark may not be the most reliable manufacturer but others will join in and the products will get better. I probably won't buy this one but I'll definately be keeping my eye out for whats sure to come. So don't be so hard on Numark.