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iDJ Live gives your iPad two turntables, microphone not included
Looking to get a more realistic feel from your Djay iOS app? Yeah, we suspected as much, and now Numark's giving you the ability to boost your street cred while spinnin' tracks in the club... or, you know, your mum's living room. The company's new iDJ Live accessory does its darndest to transform your iOS device (iPhone and iPod compatible, despite being obviously tailored for iPad) into a more legit deejay set-up. With George Strait / MC Hammer mash-ups just waiting to happen, the device guides you into the musical unknown with two "turntables," a mixer (with crossfader), an iPad stand and connection capabilities for use with an external sound system. Already sold? She's yours for a cool Benjamin, and if you'd rather use your existing stash of CoreMIDI-enabled DJ apps, be our guest.
Pioneer DDJ-T1 review
Another day, another digital DJ interface: hardware controllers for Traktor and other mixing software occupy an expanding market, to be sure, and Pioneer's latest entry into the upmarket side of the fold is a beefy contender. Its differentiating features are distinctly vinyl-flavored: a pair of grooved, free-spinning jog-wheels with lighted time indicators and a pair of "needle search" touch strips. Are they forward-thinking innovations or just another cultural tip of the hat to an ancient medium? Click on to reveal our deepest thoughts on the gunmetal-tinted, Terminator-inspired* DDJ-T1. *Terminator inspiration purely conjectural %Gallery-125507%
Stanton's SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station up for Best Buy pre-order this month, in stores by July
When technology meets music, interesting things can happen -- for better or worse. In the case of Stanton's standalone SCS.4DJ Digital DJ Mix Station, anyone can try their hand at DJing. Notable hardware features include two weighted slabs with touch sensitivity, a 4.3-inch LCD, four USB ports for hooking up HDDs (two of which are hidden in handy storage slots), and a mic input for spitin' and spinnin'. If you're lacking in pro skills, the unit can automatically sync the tempos of whatever tracks are queued up, or even mix on its own like a player piano for your favorite block rockin' beats. Lastly, there's support for WAV, MP3, and AAC files, and any regrettable Lady Gaga and Skrillex fusion fun party mixes you make can be recorded live for transfer off the device. If you're psyched to start scratching, the SCS will be available for pre-order from Best Buy's website this month for $500 (pre-packaged skills don't come cheap), and in retail stores this July. You'll find the full press release after the break.
New Signal Process introduces BreakOut Stereo and Stomp for the most serious of iOS musicians
If your iPad or iPhone is set to play a starring role at your next, sold-out concert, you may want to check out two new, iOS-friendly interfaces from New Signal Process. Pictured above is NSP's BreakOut Stomp -- a die cast aluminum-encased pedal that promises to transmit guitar signals to and from your iDevice, without any unwanted distortions or detection interference. All you have to do is slide the stompbox into your pedal board, hook it up to your iPhone's headphone jack and fire up your favorite recording or mixing apps. Whereas the stomp was designed with guitarists in mind, the recently unveiled BreakOut Stereo is geared more toward the DJ demographic. The device offers essentially the same iOS-interfacing capabilities of its pedal-based counterpart, serving as a portable conduit between an iPad and an amp or tabletop unit. Boasting two mono output jacks, this little guy can also be used with guitars, mics or mixing boards and is durable enough to survive the rough and tumble of your next world tour. As far as prices go, the BreakOut Stomp is selling for $155, whereas the Stereo will set you back $135. Groove past the break to see an image of the latter, or hit the source link to find out how to order one.
EVE Evolved: Emergence in the sandbox
We often hear about the amazing things players get up to in EVE Online, from full-scale political wars and massive heists to collaborative business ventures and high-profile kills. While we can all enjoy these tales of high-powered exploits from afar, they can be difficult to relate to the actual game experience. Most of us will never be the puppet master pulling the strings of alliance warfare or the mastermind of some great theft, but we don't have to be. Smaller examples of emergent and opportunistic gameplay exist all over EVE in the daily play of thousands of individuals. I've always thought of EVE less as a game and more as a giant social sandbox with spaceships -- a story about what people do when left alone in each other's company. Players naturally take on roles for which they have a strong aptitude, crafting completely new gameplay styles for themselves in the process. The entrepreneurs among us spy opportunities never imagined by the game's developers, tech-savvy individuals sell web-services, and artists craft propaganda for recruitment or a war on their enemy's morale. Countless players carve their own game out of the EVE universe, and there's no reason you can't be one of them. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at some of the unique gameplay experiences players have engineered for themselves over the years and the community that makes EVE what it is.
uSolo FX Media player review
This is a picture of a digital media player. It doesn't look quite like an iPod, though, does it? No hint of Zune here either, we don't think. In fact, it looks a lot like a CDJ unit, and that's for a reason: it acts just like a physical media-loving digital disc jockey's unit, but without the 5-inch slot at the front. Instead, it's got USB and SD ports up top. If you're a DJ, you might be familiar with the rest: navigate your folders to find a song, cue it up with the jog wheel, and mix it up. DJ Tech, which started operations in the US just last year, has the uSolo FX as its flagship unit -- does it compare to its competition from giants like Pioneer and Numark? Read on to find out! %Gallery-120496%
algoriddim's djay now on iPhone / iPod touch, iPad version updated
Algoriddim, maker of the djay app, has gotten in touch to let us know that it has updated djay for iPad to version 1.1 -- introducing some exciting new features -- and to announce an all-new version of djay for the iPhone and iPod touch. djay is a virtual, touch screen DJ setup with a realistic turntable and mixer interface that lets you mix, spin, cue and scratch your tracks straight from your iPod music library. We took a closer look at djay for the iPad and the Mac late last year and were very impressed with the results. According to the specs, it looks like those results will transition nicely over to the iPhone version of the app. Algoriddim has also updated the iPad version of the app with stability fixes and some new features, including looping, multiple cue points and BPM library browsing. There's also added compatibility for Bluetooth audio devices and extended support for AIFF and WAV files, but this requires iOS 4.3 For the full list of improvements and features click here, or if you already own the app, head on over to the Updates section of the iOS App Store on your iPad -- the new version will be waiting for you to download. djay is available now on the iOS App Store at US$9.99 for the iPhone version and US$19.99 for the iPad version. Click past the break for a promo video of djay for the iPhone.
Pioneer DJM-2000 DJ mixer review
You know that feeling you get when you hop into a car you'll never be rich enough to own? It's full of fascinating technology, everything works great, it's solidly built, it definitely won't fit into the "compact" spots at 7-11 -- and it just doesn't care. If you're a DJ, entering the world of Pioneer's DJM-2000 is a little bit like that. Read on for our impressions of the multitouch-laced behemoth to see if it'll have you raving all the way to 2012. %Gallery-112385%
Video: DJing on an iPad
In the video below, you'll find a pretty rocking DJ set thanks to an iPad and some other pretty gnarly hardware. This isn't exactly a DIY solution, since DJ Kutski is using Traktor Pro (that's the software on the screen above) and an X1 controller, both of which are pretty significant pieces of DJ gear. But the iPad is definitely a big part of the equation, and it's running TouchOSC, a neat app that allows you to hook up sound interfaces over Wi-Fi using some very configurable abstract graphics. There's not much in the way of explanation. You can definitely see him changing pitches and adjusting the volume in real-time (pretty impressive just running the controller over Wi-Fi), but non-DJs will probably have to look elsewhere to figure out exactly what's happening here. Then again, if nothing else, you can enjoy some nice iPad-driven beats on this Christmas Eve. Enjoy!
App Review: Djay for iPad
The iPad's gorgeous 9.7-inch display has been attracting attention for its musical potential, and the Djay app from Algoriddim has definitely contributed to some of the noise. The guys who brought a consumer-friendly DJing app to the Mac have gone ahead and ported it over to Apple's magical tablet, enabling pretty much anyone to get their shot on the decks. Does Djay for iPad live up to the hype? Read on past the break to find out.
Be a turntable hero with djay for iPad
An iPad app might not be enough to convince a seasoned DJ to go iPad-only, but then, a medium-sized, multi-touch surface can only come so close to replicating a turntable, right? With djay for iPad (US$19.99 on the App Store), algoriddim has not only impressively mimicked traditional decks, they've added features that your average DJ setup doesn't have. Plus, they made it easy enough for even the most inexperienced music-lover to rock their next party. Our own Victor Agreda recently gave us a great rundown of djay for iPad's predecessors, djay for Mac and djay Remote for iPhone. A quick recap: djay on the Mac gives you two turntables and a crossfader, BPM analysis and automatic syncing, an "Automix" feature for effortless and seamless playback and plenty of extra goodies. djay Remote on the iPhone lets you control a significant number of those features, but not all of them. The combination is really fun, but the iPhone app doesn't do anything without a locally-networked Mac running djay. Enter djay for iPad.
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 review
Think the iOS-versus-Android war is interesting? Out of sight to most of us, there's a knock-down, drag-out battle that's been waging for years between pro DJ software suites, and it's got all the drama and fanboyism of the dirtiest smartphone fight you've ever seen. In clubs, Serato's Scratch Live sees duty in plenty of booths, but Native Instruments' Traktor is as strong of a contender as it's ever been -- and for all-digital DJs who didn't cut their teeth on turntables, its long, rich list of features and capabilities makes it a strong, maybe even an obvious choice. Traditionally, both Serato and Native Instruments have mostly left the hardware side of the equation -- digital mixers, controllers, and the like -- to other companies. In fact, Native Instruments even certifies a long list of equipment as being "Traktor Ready." But even in the best-case scenario, a third-party DJ controller connected to Traktor is just a glorified MIDI controller with a DJ-friendly layout. It doesn't integrate as tightly as it could, and no matter how fantastic the device might be, you're always making sacrifices -- it's nearly impossible with one of these third-party products to get your setup to the point where you never need to touch the computer. And behold, that's where the Traktor Kontrol S4 comes in. Perhaps as a calculated response to Serato's Itch partnerships with Numark, Vestax, Denon, and Allen & Heath, Native Instruments finally decided to get its hands dirty and put together its own idea of what an all-in-one DJ controller should be. Does it deliver? Let's take a look. %Gallery-107064%
djay for Mac and iPad review, video hands-on and giveaway
We've covered djay and the djay Remote app's release, but I think the video (on the next page) shows you how awesome the two are together. I'm not a professional DJ, however. I understand many of the basic concepts and tools, as I've seen some former roommates practicing their skills -- and skills beyond merely loading up the Electric Slide, too. But djay is accessible to anyone who wants to make a mix for a party on up to real, pro DJs who are looking for an electronic alternative to lugging around a box of records and a couple of turntables. I'm not sure djay can completely replace a full rig for a pro, however, but it comes very close. Be sure to read through to the end as two lucky readers will win a copy of djay the Mac application and the iPhone remote app. Interface The UI for djay is meant to simulate having two turntables and a simple EQ/mixer in front of you. Added to the right is an iTunes-like playlist manager and some buttons to enable audio input/output (more on this later) and samples. Overall it's a simple, yet powerful interface that puts everything at your fingertips. Plus, there are ample keyboard shortcuts available for almost every necessary function in the application. The iPhone interface (which I preferred to use on an iPad -- the app scales up nicely but is not universal) is a subset of the Mac app, focusing on one turntable at a time and giving you a larger, more tactile surface to spin the record back and forth. My biggest complaint here is simply that if you are a professional DJ who is used to having minute control over the platter as it spins, you'll find djay, when you release the surface, will only spin back up in the direction it was going -- in other words, it is not 100% accurate as a turntable simulator. However, for most applications (simply providing a quick break or scratch) it does OK. I've included a video on the next page of how you can interface a MIDI controller with djay for even more "real world" controls.
AirJ app threatens to make decks and drum machines obsolete, but only if you look this serious (video)
If the only thing holding you back making masses of gorgeous people pulsate to the beat is a lack of hardware, it's time to check out AirJ, said to be hitting the App Store soon. How exactly it works is something of a mystery at this point, but you can tell from the video streaming below that the idea is to do for DJing what the Air Guitar Rocker did for real strumming. It looks like you might need two iPhones to make this magic happen, but that's still cheaper than a set of Technics -- though whether or not you'll still need actual technique remains to be seen. [Thanks, Mike S.]
Traktor Kontrol S4 hardware interface set to make the scene this winter
Native Instruments today announced its new (and first) integrated hardware / software DJ system with a YouTube video wherein DMC World Champ DJ Shiftee rocked out to the Tetris theme and samples from Mike Tyson's Punch Out! (We guess someone knows their target demographic.) Traktor Kontrol S4 promises to take "functionality and control" to the next level with a new version of Traktor Pro that supports the hardware interface's many features, including: looping, cueing, effects, and track browsing controls, two sample decks, touch-sensitive jog wheels, a mixer, and more. Also included is a low-latency 24bit / 96kHz sound card. Available sometime this winter for an MSRP will be $999 (€899). See it in action after the break.
Multitouch DJ table lets you swipe to rock
We just recently got a glimpse of one possible future of DJing, but our world has now already been turned upside down once again with this multitouch-enabled rig built by Gregory Kaufman. The big difference with this one, as you can probably guess, is that it employs a gesture-based interface that lets you spin the virtual turntables and use a variety of taps and finger swipes to replicate the main functions of a regular DJ deck. What's more, Kaufman says that the only gear a DJ would have to carry is a USB drive with their own music and settings, which they'd simply plug into the multitouch table at a club -- assuming the idea catches on, that is. Top top things off, the system would also be able to accommodate regular DJ gear for some added flexibility, and even provide enough room for two DJs if you're looking to battle or share the stage. Head on past the break to check it out in action.
Token multitouch screen shows us the future of DJing, today (video)
Think you know multitouch surfaces? Think again. We've just come across a video demo of the Token multitouch, erm, pedestal, which seems to have come straight from the future. A clear sheet of glass that beams out video from your computer and accepts touch inputs in return, the Token concept has been designed by a chap named Rodrigo hailing out of Chile. We know it uses a rear projector for its video, but other construction details are scarce at this point; what's really special here, however, is the way he combines it with a Traktor Pro controller titled Emulator, turning a few intelligent finger swipes into a kickass light-and-sound show. See it on video after the break.
Native Instruments teases new all-in-one Traktor controller, enlists Dubfire to help
Even though it's made bits and pieces of DJ hardware for years, Native Instruments has steered clear of the burgeoning all-in-one controller market, leaving that to third-party players like Hercules, Behringer, Stanton, Allen & Heath, and Numark. Thing is, archrival Serato has been taking it to the paint with its Itch systems lately, so it looks like NI getting ready to step up its game. We've just been tossed a video of Dubfire testing out a mysterious, unnamed rig connected to an updated version of Traktor out at Ibiza, and for Traktor DJs, this looks like it could be the hardware you've been waiting for -- especially if the X1 wasn't quite enough to satisfy your deepest, darkest desires. We don't know what the deal is with this thing other than that it's "upcoming," so we'll toss you details just as soon as we have them.
The Game Archaeologist and the Legend of the Sims: Our memories
Last week marked the beginning of a brief foray into the world of The Sims Online -- "brief" because the title is defunct (meaning no hands-on experiences to share these days) and I doubt that any of the game's creators are itching to reminisce about this lackluster entry into The Sims franchise. So chances are that today marks the end of our expedition, but we'll put our chins up and try to do it justice. Recently in the Massively office, a few of us spent a bit of time chewing the fat about The Sims Online. It's hard to imagine, but when the beta came out for this title, it was actually pretty hot stuff. The Sims had that crack-like addictive quality to it, and a lot of people -- myself included -- thought that the online version would make it exponentially better. Instead of every copy of The Sims being a little island unto itself, now we could connect and build in ways that were limited only by our imaginations. Oh, and also questionable developer decisions.
iOS 4 adds direct access to iTunes library, iPhone DJ apps about to get crazy
Although there's been no shortage of iPhone DJ apps in the past few years, they've remained fairly niche, since Apple didn't allow devs official access to the iPod music library -- mobile DJs needed to upload a second separate music library per app, and that's no fun at all. Looks like that's about to change, though: one of the 1500 new APIs in iOS 4 provides direct access to the iPod library, meaning music apps of all kinds can play your tracks in any wacky way they want -- including, yes, scratching them. The first app to support the new API in the store is Flare Scratch, which is a relatively simple scratch app -- we just gave it a shot and yes, it does indeed load tracks from the iPod library and let you scratch 'em. There's a bit of a wait when loading up a new track, though, so it's not totally fluid to use in anything but a hey-this-is-fun context, but we're betting we'll see more serious DJ apps hit with smoother transitions soon enough -- and we can't wait to see what devs do once iOS 4 hits the iPad and they've got more room to work with. Video after the break.