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Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol F1 review
What is a DJ? Everyone who considers him or herself one can probably give you a unique answer. Is everyone with a music collection and a sense for good timing a DJ, or does their music collection have to exceed a certain number of gigabytes or slabs of vinyl to be in the club (no pun intended)? Audio playback devices are certainly getting more plentiful and powerful on a large scale; anyone who's played with an iOS DJ app can tell you that. In the deeper end of the DJ pool, things aren't expanding at such a frantic pace. But every once in a while a new toy crops up that adds depth and breadth to the way music nerds play back music. Native Instruments' just-released Traktor Kontrol F1 is a blinking slab of rainbow-tinged hardware with an intense devotion to manipulating samples. While boxes from Roland and Akai have been defining genres for decades, this 16-pad add-on takes the sampling game to a new arena. Will DJ's want it? We feel it's safe to say they will. At $279, should they buy it? That question's a little more complicated.%Gallery-156497%
iRig Mix ships to iDevice-carrying DJs, Android app compatibility looks unlikely
If virtual DJs aren't your thing, you might be pleased to hear that the iRig Mix mobile music mixer is now shipping. You can forgo hefty price tags and still mix your own tunes for $99.99 with up to two iDevices at a time, audio from guitars, MP3 players, CD players and the like. In addition to physical controls for volume, gain, treble and bass, the mixer is accompanied by a roster of free apps to help with production, performing and recording. For Android fans wondering where their own version of these apps are, IK Multimedia thinks the Android audio engine has too much latency (check the comments section) to handle its real-time processing, but consoles you with the fact that the hardware is compatible with most devices. Hit the jump for the press release. Wiki wiki, y'all.
iRig Mix out now, impresses with size and features
IK Multimedia's iRig Mix mixer has finally arrived in stores, and it's just as impressive now as it was back when we saw it in action at CES this year. The mixer is sturdy and impressively small, and it has hookups for two different sources, including two iOS devices or any other stereo input source, as well as an extra mic/instrument input. Those sounds can then be mixed together, balanced, or tweaked with EQ, and sent out to a headphone jack on the bottom, and a stereo RCA output on the top. In short, this is a great full-featured mixer for mixing together sounds from almost anywhere. The biggest bonus here, however, is that the mixer also works with IK's apps on the App Store, so downloading DJ Rig or any of the other apps will sound extra nice coming through this thing. And there's an X-Sync feature built in to the mixer that works with the DJ app to beatmix for you, making for super simple DJing: Just start up the apps on your iOS devices, turn X-Sync on, and the mixer will beatmatch automatically. The whole kit is very impressive, and even if you just need a mixer for occasional audio use (unrelated to your iOS devices), it would probably work great. Plus, it's out now for just $99, and good luck finding an equivalent professional mixer at that price.
Pacemaker DJ app for BlackBerry PlayBook impressions (video)
Back in 2008, a nifty little box of tricks elbowed its way onto the market -- the Tonium Pacemaker. A gadget about the size of an OG PSP, with a complete DJ set-up hidden inside. It was a brave idea, and one that was fondly received. A few years down the line, mixed with a sprinkling of business politics, and sadly the Pacemaker's time on stage would come to an end. Like all good performances though, the show wasn't completely over. In true musical fashion its back for an encore, reinvented and more importantly -- right now at least -- in our hands. We spent sometime with the reincarnated Pacemaker DJ app, to see what life is like after hardware.
Cogoo's Turntable Rider puts the 'mix' in BMX, 'awesome' in these videos
What if a company built a mixer for your BMX bike? What if said mixer could wirelessly control the music you're grooving to while riding? What if we had two videos to prove that such luxuries do, in fact, exist? Japan's own Cogoo has gone well above the call of duty with its latest concoction, the Turntable Rider. Put simply (or as simply as possible), it's a multi-part system that enables a bike to become a DJing machine; the more complex the tricks, the 'better' the mix. Reportedly, the bike's own wheels act as jog wheels, the brakes act as a beat pad and there's even a gyroscopic sensor that doubles as a fader pad. No word on a set price or ship date, but it'll be making the rounds at events starting with the 2012 Kaikoo Popwave Festival. Enough chatter -- head on past the break and mash play a couple of times. Go ahead and prepare those around you to cease working and do the same.
Pioneer launches RMX1000 Remix Station, now no tune is safe (video)
Pioneer has been dishing out its line of digital DJ tools for long enough that you'd hope it knows what the spinners want, and these days it seems that's remixing tools. The RMX1000 is a new effects based unit, that looks like an evolution of the firm's EFX range. It still cooks up those chops, rolls, and reverbs, but also has a companion "Remixbox" software, as well as studio-friendly VST / AU functionality. The software lets you overwrite the default set-up with one of your own, and there's an SD card slot so you can leave yours at home, but still bring your settings to the club. Word is that pro DJ settings will be available for download, so nosey DJs can see how James Zabiela likes his high-pass filters. The effects themselves come in four flavors: Scene, Isolator, Release and X-Pad. Connectivity-wise it's rocking a pair of RCA and 1 / 4-inch plugs for both in-and out-put, and there's USB for the computer / MIDI hook-up. It's set to land in June with a $1000 price tag, but in the meantime if you want to see if it'll be worth your savings, hit-up the video after the break, or click the PR for the full specs.
IK Multimedia's DJ Rig arrives on the App Store
Back in January, IK Multimedia announced the iRig Mix and accompanying app, DJ Rig. We're still waiting to get our hands on the mixer (due at some point later this month), but the DJ Rig app has arrived on the App Store. And you don't need the iRig Mix to take advantage of it. DJ Rig is a double-deck DJ mixing app that hooks straight into your iPhone's music library. With two turntables, tempo syncing, multiple cue points, sample-based pads and some crazy but useful DJ effects, performing your very own DJ set has never been easier. I'm no DJ, but I took the app for a spin and found, for the most part, its automatic beat matching to be very effective, unless you're playing some rather complicated beats. Simply, while playing one song, I queued another, hit the Sync button and used the crossfader to bring the two songs together. Additional features include a three-band EQ for each deck, scanning a track in wave form, and looping functionality. There are some further features to the app (X-Sync), but they only work in conjunction with the yet-to-be-released iRig Mix (We'll be sure to provide some details on that just as soon as we can). DJ Rig is available for iPhone on the iOS App Store for US$1.99 with an additional in-app purchase of $4.99 for the Pro Bundle, which gets you all the extra features.
Native Instruments announces Traktor Kontrol F1 controller with Traktor 2.5 and Remix Decks, we go hands-on
A very colorful light will shine upon Native Instruments' DJ ecosystem on May 30th, and it's called Traktor Kontrol F1. The rainbow-flavored box aims squarely at the growing number of beat junkies who fall somewhere between DJ and producer. New Remix Decks in the accompanying Traktor 2.5 software cater to a more granular perspective on mixing, and the F1 is the tool that brings the new layers to your fingertips. We had an exclusive sit-down with a beta version of the adorable blinky-buttony-slidery controller/instrument-thing that we're itching to spill the beans on, so join us after the break, won't you?
Pacemaker and RIM announce exclusive DJ app for PlayBook
We loved the original Pacemaker, and were sad to hear of its eventual discontinuation. News just in this morning, however, is that the DJ tool is back as a PlayBook app thanks to an exclusive collaboration with the tablet's maker. Details are sparse right now, as the information spilled at RIM's event this morning at MWC, but we do know that there will be auto beatmatching, vinyl mode with scratching, digital mode, looping, loop travel, pitch control, beat skip and "pro level" effects. All we have in terms of availability is that it will be out this spring, with no word on price. In the meantime we're going to start prepping up that music collection.
Midi Fighter 3D has arcade buttons and motion control, still can't throw fireballs
Ever worry that the line between DJing and video games isn't blurry enough? The latest version of Midi Fighter from the folks at DJ TechTools should help things along considerably. The USB DJ controller features 16 preset selection arcade buttons will fully customizable backlight colors and gyroscopic three-dimensional motion control that lets you alter the music by moving the device around. The new entry will peacefully coexist alongside the Midi Fighter Classic and Midi Fighter Pro when it starts shipping in April for $249 a pop. Check out a video of the controller in action after the break.
If God is a DJ, these are his decks (video)
Not getting the kind of attention you feel a DJ deserves? Then maybe it's because your decks are Plain Janes of spinning black nothingness when they could be so much more. You need projectors up there on the ceiling, creating light shows mapped to the rotation and beat of your records and simultaneously overlaying your software -- so you won't have to keep staring subserviently at a laptop. The next step? Using Wii controllers and motion capture for even stranger effects, plus whatever else your imagination conjures after seeing the video below. Soon this technology will be everywhere, from hospital radio DJs right down to that little pretender who does discos on the pier, so get in there quick to beat the curve.
Apple patent application points to DJ-like beat matching, pairs iTunes with fist pumps
Once upon a less digital time, there existed the art of the mixtape: a tedious labor of love that required timing, taste and a penchant for musical progression. No longer in this iTunes-era, where personally curated song collections that once served as the background to our lives can now be automated by our dear friends in Cupertino. And, based on a patent application filed back in August of 2010, those Apple-made robo-playlists could get even smarter and slicker, with your perennially hip, millennial compadres being none the wiser. According to the claims covered, "an electronic device" (insert Mac or iOS product here) would be able to locate and interpret beats from a preceding AAC, MP3 or WMA file and crossfade them into those of the following track. In other words, it's a virtual disc jockey built into your machine; one that would supercede the currently available DJ feature. Whether or not this Sven Väth-like software will pan out in the company's favor remains to be seen. So, until that fateful day arrives, the creation of those fist-pumping, house mixes is better left to the few, the proud, the orange-skinned.
Korg unveils two new Kaoss family members, brings anarchy to your pocket
Two K-words we're almost always pleased to hear: Korg and Kaoss. Good, then, that the former has decided to make more of the latter -- the mini Kaoss Pad 2 (effects unit), and Kaossilator 2 (synthesizer), to be precise. Both new editions will slip in your pocket, and are dominated by that all-important X-Y pad. The mini Kaoss Pad 2 is all about effects, packing 100 programs, three memory slots, and MP3 playback (with pitch adjust). The traditional flanger, filter, delay, and reverb ear candy are also joined by looper, vinyl break, and ducking compressor. But what good are effects without anything to, er, affect? Enter Kaossilator 2. It's a palm-sized synthesizer, with 150 onboard sounds and a PCM engine for drums. You can sample via a built-in mic, gate and arpeggiate sounds, and create layered textures with loops. Both can record your performance, save it to SD, or impose share with others via a built-in speaker. It's all peace and quiet, though, until April when the Kaossilator lands for about £168 ($260). The KPad, on the other hand won't hit the market until May, retailing at the same price. Full PRs after the break.
Akai releases MPC Fly for iPad, waits 'til you get the pun (video)
We already knew Akai was refreshing its legendary MPC range, but the newest member to the family -- the Fly -- has to be about the cutest. It kinda looks, initially, like a knock-off MPC novelty case, until you realize those pads are real, and that software on screen is legit. The case-and-device approach seems a smart idea, so it feels like one unit -- it even juices your slate when you charge its built-in battery. The trade-off is an extra two pounds of weight, and almost an inch of thickness. Somewhat lighter is the app which rocks effects, a sound library, sampling, supports WIST (Wireless Sync-Start Technology) and works on any iPad -- but you'll need a second-gen tab to use the hardware. Before you bemoan that this is some sort of cash-in, the whole idea is that you can lay down ideas on the (ahem) Fly, and pick them up later back in the studio. If you want to see more, drop some bass over the break for a video.
Slacker Radio tries to break through a flooded streaming music market
One of our final meetings at CES last week was with Slacker Radio's VP of Marketing, Jonathan Sasse, who sat down in a Las Vegas lobby restaurant to tell us what his company has been up to lately. Slacker Radio is one of the many streaming radio offerings that have apps available on the App Store (Pandora, Rdio, and Spotify are a few other examples), and Sasse says that after a few years of building up the service with content and technology and making sure it can be accessed almost anywhere, his main goal these days is just telling people why they should choose this service over all the others. His first reason: Content. Sasse says Slacker Radio has more than ten times more music to play than Pandora does, which is a pretty impressive figure. Slacker's been working hard to make content deals with record labels for quite a while, which means there's a large library of different tunes to choose from. And in addition to all that music content, Sasse said Slacker has been making a big push for non-music to listen to as well. The service has already added in ESPN Radio and ABC News to listen to, and there's streaming comedy stations to tune in on as well. Additionally, while Pandora and other services also have their usual music selection systems for computer-generated radio stations, Slacker's genre stations are actually curated by real DJs, which is a fact that Sasse said is often hard to get across to the public. Slacker's hired former radio personalities, including Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Marco Collins, to actually choose, curate, and even narrate the music on its genre stations, which means that "he curates that station by hand," Sasse said. The company is also working on deals with partners to make sure that users can find and access it anywhere. Slacker already has a deal with Ford to show up in the company's cars, and there are also deals being worked out with phone carriers for special data access, as well as other possible partnerships. Slacker's plan, Sasse said, was to learn to monetize first and then grow, and it's time for the company to really make a marketing push and grow that audience. "We're kind of ready to step on the gas," he said. One of the biggest obstacles, so far, has been a boogeyman that we've heard a lot about during this year's CES: Apple's subscription rules. Slacker Radio also was originally bound by Apple's rule that you can't sell subscriptions on the App Store without paying a 30% cut -- Slacker at first decided to not sell subscriptions through the app at all, which led to just a login screen being shown when users opened up the app. But the call of Apple's audience was too much for the company, and Slacker is now able to sell its Radio Plus subscription (the cheaper of two offerings) via an in-app purchase. Users still can't subscribe to the Premium Radio service through just the app, however. "That margin is still too high," Sasse said. In addition to a big marketing push later this year, Sasse said Slacker is still beefing up its library and trying to figure out ways to differentiate its offerings even further. One goal is to work with users to tag and respond to content while they're listening to it, so the company can provide an even better experience. Already, users can customize ESPN Radio content with their favorite teams and shows, and Sasse wants to bring that kind of customization to other content as well, so listeners can hear exactly what they're looking for. Slacker is also working on more original content, like band-curated radio stations, and maybe even podcasts, Sasse said. Finally, Sasse said the last goal is to create a "unified, clean experience" across the entire platform, so that users see the same setup on the website as on the company's various mobile apps and platforms. Slacker Radio has already done a lot of work on its service, and while the streaming radio market is already full (and growing even more crowded almost by the day), time will tell if the company can push itself in front of the other choices out there and really find a majority audience.
Numark outs new 4Trak DJ controller: no, it's not half an 8-track
Thought you were all done for new products and first looks? Think again. Looks like Numark is trying to stay ahead of the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) curve, outing its new Traktor-specific 4Trak DJ controller a few days before the show. Its N6 and N7 Serato-flavored devices have been well received, so it's no surprise the DJ stalwart made one for the other dominant mixing software. On board there's a four channel mixer, four-deck control, touch-strip track search, high resolution platters and a veritable flight deck of 1:1 hardware / software controls. See that tilted section up top? It's actually a separate clamp-on "FX Kommand Console" (for controlling effects, unsurprisingly) that comes bundled in the box; an unusual, yet welcome variation. If this sounds like your cup of awesome, you could be spinning with it as soon as the end of Q1. You'll need to lay down the estimated $1099 street price, but that does include a custom version of Traktor. Still interested? Tap the PR over the break for the full run down.
IK Multimedia reveals trio of iRig iOS accessories for mobile podcasting and music making
Its no secret that many musicians use their iPhones and iPads to help them craft their tunes, and go-anywhere podcasting holds great appeal for many others. To serve such folks, IK Multimedia has unveiled three new peripherals joining the likes of its AmpliTube adapter and iMic accessories: the iRig MIC Cast, iRig MIX, and iRig Stomp. The MIC Cast is a unidirectional mic aimed at mobile podcasters that hooks up to your iOS device through its headphone jack (and has a 3.5mm port for headphone monitoring). It has a compact form factor that matches the iPhones slimness, and comes with recording and voice processing apps to get things sounding just right. Look for it Q1 of this year for €29.99 ($38). Next up is the iRig Stomp, an electric guitar pedal crafted from aluminum that works with any iOS guitar, amp or instrument app. It connects to your iDevice's 3.5mm headphone jack and comes with a free AmpliTude app for adding effects and will cost €44.99 ($58) when it lands in Q2. Lastly, there's the dual-channel iRig MIX mobile music mixer, which can be connected to iDevices, CD players or other music sources using it's stereo inputs. It's got gain, bass, treble and volume controls along with a channel crossfader to tailor your tunes using the included apps: DJ Rig, AmpliTube, VocaLive, and GrooveMaker. Diplo wannabes can pick up the MIX in February for €74.99 ($96).
Sennheiser unveils $1k HD 700 reference headphones, HD 25-based Amperior for mobile audiophiles
Here at CES, Sennheiser's just unveiled its latest duo of headphones set to please audiophiles at home and on the go. First up is the company's HD 700, which at a glance, appears to be a suave hybrid of its esteemed HD 800 and 650 reference cans. If you've lusted after the HD 800, but couldn't stomach the $1,500 price, you'll be happy to know that the HD 700 can be yours for a cool (albeit still wallet-thinning) 1,000 smackers. Notably, these 150-Ohm, open-backed headphones are loaded with 40mm Duofol dynamic drivers, and are capable of an impressive 10Hz to 42kHz frequency response. Next up, its Amperior supra-aural headphones take the already portable HD 25 DJ 'phones, and spices 'em up with an iDevice-compatible inline remote / mic, updated specs and aluminum, closed-back earcups. While there's no word on pricing just yet for the We're told that the Amperior will sell for $350, and it'll hit shelves along with the HD700 this March. HiFi audio lovers will find a detailed rundown of each unit's ear-tingling specs in the press releases after the break.
Gemini drops two new FirstMix USB DJ controllers, helps you get your foot in the club
Gemini unveiled the original FirstMix last year and now it's just introduced two more models for the beginner DJ. The FirstMix I/O looks little more than a revision of the original, with some minor aesthetic tweaks, although we've not yet been given full specs for a proper comparison. The FirstMix Pro, however, definitely brings a little more to the DJ booth. We spy what appears to be three hot-cue buttons on each deck, expandable to six via a shift function, as well what looks like a three channel EQ. Loop-in and out buttons also make an appearance, along with -- most significantly -- a 3.5mm headphone jack, which suggests a built-in sound interface for pre-cueing. Gemini wants $129.95 for the FirstMix I/O and $199.95 for the FirstMix Pro and both come bundled with MixVibes LE. Fans of the original can now pick it up for a reduced $79.99. Check the PR after the break for the run-down.
Akai makes intentions clear with MPC Renaissance (video)
While the majority of technology execs are packing their cases for Vegas, for some it's all about Anaheim. Akai is clearly ramping up its NAMM campaign, outing the latest in its legendary MPC series: the Renaissance. While the new boy is no dumb controller -- it packs a full audio interface, USB hub and lots of I/O -- for the first time the MPC gets dedicated external software. Sound familiar? Well yes, it's no doubt a direct response to the popular Maschine hardware / software combo from Native Instruments, but Akai isn't just playing catch-up here. The new hardware includes a "vintage" mode that recreates some of that legendary MPC3000/60 crunch, and the standalone software comes with a massive sound library, instant VST mapping (so you can work with all your third-party synths) as well as the option to run in VST / AU / RTAS mode itself. If you're worried about the possible implications of a "tethered" MPC, take a peek at the promo video over the jump, which should soon allay your fears.
