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Scratch: The Ultimate DJ hands-on

For the past few years E3 has been a tale of two guitar games. In a lot of ways it still is, with the Guitar Hero and Rock Band clans still battling it out for plastic instrument supremacy, but this year two turntable games are also vying for your attention. DJ Hero has far more brand recognition on the box, but Scratch: the Ultimate DJ has the better hardware, and we got our hands on it.

Scratch: The Ultimate DJ controller spins into life

We've already gotten a couple of glimpses of DJ Hero's turntable / mixer controller, and now it's time for Scratch: The Ultimate DJ and its Numark-designed deck to steal the spotlight for a song or two. The setup pretty much mirrors the on-screen interface we saw in the initial screenshot, with the free-spinning, touch-sensitive turntable on your left and five Akai Pro MPC-style drum pad triggers next to the cross-fader to the right. According to the press release, you'll actually be able to upload your own samples using a compatible USB mic if none of the pre-loaded jams get you going -- and not to worry southpaw scratchers, you can rotate the mixer to the left if that's more comfortable. We'll have more of Scratch at next week's E3, but in the meantime, hit up the press release after the break for more deets.

Scratch offers Numark-controlled Guitar Hero for hip-hop heads


Are the blatant rockist tendencies of Guitar Hero and Rock Band ruining your enjoyment of those otherwise brilliant titles? Of course they are -- we noted your b-boy flava from two blocks away. But don't sweat it because Genius Products, 7 Studios and Quincy Jones III have your niche in their sights and will happily sell you Scratch: The Ultimate DJ when it hits the stores sometime in Spring 2009. With a game controller designed by Numark (known worldwide for its DJ controllers -- there's an example for you after the break), the game will be available for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and feature tracks by "many" (as yet unnamed) hip-hop artists. Trevor Drinkwater, President and CEO of Genius Products promises all and sundry "a cutting-edge game that captures the vital energy of hip-hop culture." And here we thought they were cynically jumping on the Guitar Hero bandwagon! We stand corrected.

Numark's TTi turntable transfers vinyl to iPod sans a PC


Sure, there's a smorgasbord of products out there designed to transfer your precious vinyl recordings to a slightly more modern format, but few pack the cool factor that comes bundled in gratis with Numark's TTi. This newfangled turntable not only brings back not-so-fond memories of your second high school prom, but it also boasts an integrated iPod dock, USB interface, a metal platter and pitch control to boot. Besides ripping records directly to your 'Pod, the unit also features a line-level output and comes with versions of EZ Vinyl Converter software for the PC or Mac should you prefer vinyl-to-computer ripping. We know, it's tough to leave the 70s, but the TTi should make the transition somewhat less painstaking when it lands in Q2 for $449. One more angle's waiting after the break.

Numark's iDJ2 mixes two tracks from one iPod


When you're tearing it up at the local club, sending droves of sweating dancers into a primal frenzy with your cannon-like beats and thunderous sub-bass, the last thing you want to do is be squinting at two tiny iPod screens for track info. Luckily, the folks over at Numark have heard your cries for help and have answered with the iDJ2 -- a follow-up to the company's iDJ that improves upon the earlier model by utilizing a single iPod to mix two streams of music, and can display track information on a full-color screen in the center of the device. The new system also accepts input from other media via USB, and allows you to organize and cue songs through its on-screen Crate feature. The mixer allows mixing and scratching of MP3, WAV, and unprotected AAC files, can control pitch to plus 25 and minus 100 percent, automatically sets tempo, can visually track through songs, and accepts external keyboard input. Available this September with a list price of $799, and street price of $599.

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