DMb | Dance Music blog

Xone delivers a top of the line DJ controller to put all others to shame. Check it out:

After weeks of speculation and buzz around the industry, Allen & Heath and Serato Audio Research have announced the launch of the Xone: DX, a new Plug’n'Play DJ controller, the result of close collaboration between the two companies. The DX, another development in Allen & Heath’s Xone: D range of controllers, is a 20-channel USB soundcard and features total integration of the brand new 4-deck Serato ITCH software.

Boasting the ability to send up to 168 individual MIDI control messages, a 20-channel 96kHz/24-bit USB 2.0 soundcard, two dual layer deck simulators, and RIAA/phono inputs for external decks, as well as the central 4 channel mixer section which directly manipulates the DSP mixing within the computer, the Xone: DX is the most versatile, high specification professional DJ controller to date. A full version of the new Serato ITCH software is supplied with the DX, providing unique 4-deck control, and a comprehensive set of digital DJ FX, as well as looping and time-stretching.

“Serato has always been an admirer of Allen & Heath’s DJ hardware and we’ve watched the development of the Xone: D series of controllers with keen interest. In our opinion, Allen & Heath design some of the best music production software controllers in the professional field,” explains Serato MD, Steve West. “Rather than a partnership to simply bundle our products, we wanted to collaborate with A&H at the drawing board stage, and design a product that would fully manipulate the new version of ITCH.”

The Xone: DX is also fully compatible with other leading DJ software brands, and has Allen & Heath’s customary pro modular design build and high quality components. It also has bi-colour LED feedback layer assignment, UV light sensitive legend, mix outputs on RCA and balanced XLR, a separate booth output, and measures 50mm deep to fit conveniently in a laptop bag.

“Ever since we launched the MIDI-enabled Xone:92 in 2003, followed by the multi-media Xone:3D in 2005, we have strived to design controllers that would fulfil a digital DJ’s wish list. The Xone: DX is the next step in this journey, with a versatile and wide-ranging set of features in a compact package,” comments Xone designer, Andy Rigby-Jones.

Suggested retail price is £999 shipping in November 2009.

More info at Xone Website

JohnBeez has developed a new Fretless Fader which acts as a two octave pitch controller and crossfader which makes creating music on the turntable that much easier. Pair that up with the Vestax Controller One and this is what you get…

Here is another video of JohnBeez with his Controller One and a Loop Pedal…

At the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) expo, Akai showed the APC40 MIDI control surface it has developed in conjunction with Ableton, making it the first such device to be ready to run out of the box with the Ableton Live music editing software. As there is no need to load drivers, users simply plug in their notebooks via a USB port and can begin mixing or otherwise modifying their music using Ableton Live. The APC40 is being touted as the simplest, most direct hardware interface with the popular software, yet still allows advanced users to assign the board’s 40 buttons, knobs and fader controls to any virtual controls in the software.

Each control on the APC40 lights up in a different color to give users an instant indication of clip state. Likewise, the 16 knobs are lined by a ring of LED rings that perform the same functions. Akai points out the APC40 makes controlling music at live events much quicker and easier, taking the connected source, most often a notebook or desktop PC or Mac, out of the equation.

Numark has announced at NAMM that it’s displaying Stealth Control, a professional DJ controller that comes with Native Instruments Traktor LE and MixMeister Fusion Live software. With a design based around Numark’s previous control devices, it provides the same two decks and a mixer layout that allows users to jog, scrub, or scratch. Stealth Control sends MIDI information to control the software and can be used with any application that supports MIDI. A USB cable is used to connect the controller to the computer.

Traktor LE 3 is a dual-deck DJ application that provides features such as auto-sync, beat-accurate loops, and a variety of effects, while Mix Meister Fusion delivers timeline-based mixing capabilities. Stealth Control is available now and has been priced by the company at $400 with an estimated street price of $300.

The Otus from Eks is another new DJ Controller to enter the game, but this one definitely has some features I’d like to try out in person if we can get a test unit in here. A few features that really stand out to me are the ability to control 2 decks with just the one controller and the touch sensitive pitch ribbon. This sleek new DJ controller can be had for 649.00 € via the Eks Website.

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Here’s a nice bit of kit to take along with you on your next flight when you’ve just got to finish that next remix on the go. :)

Snip snip…

Now that the laptop has become the new desktop it’s tempting to do everything on the go. But try composing or editing music while enjoying a latte at Starbucks and you’ll find yourself seriously lacking in the tactile input department. There’s a reason why musicians generally need racks of equipment at their disposal… you just cant play music so well with a keyboard and mouse. The new Korg Nano Digital Music Controllers aim to remedy this musical dilemma by providing three different portable USB versions of common musical input devices that fit perfectly with your laptop. The nanoKEY gives you a mini velocity sensitive keyboard. The nanoPAD provides you with velocity sensitive drum-pads and a Kaossilator style x-y control pad while the nanoKONTROL gives you nine faders, nine knobs and eighteen switches for your mixing pleasure.

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Circuit Bent TR-707 from Diabolical Devices available on Ebay until October 16th along with some other fun goodies HERE.

Diabolical Modified TR707 from Meadows Ling on Vimeo.

Another circuit bent keyboard from DD.

Diabolical Modified SK-1 from Meadows Ling on Vimeo.

Via: Matrix Synth

After making the rounds on YouTube and various blogs the reacTable synth was spotted by Bjork and later incorporated into her live show which brought a large amount of attention to this unique hands-on synthesizer. The developers are now looking into a short production run of the innovative machine.  We look forward to seeing this in some upcoming shows!

From reacTable: 

The reactable is a collaborative electronic music instrument with a tabletop tangible multi-touch interface. Several simultaneous performers share complete control over the instrument by moving and rotating physical objects on a luminous round table surface. By moving and relating these objects, representing components of a classic modular synthesizer, users can create complex and dynamic sonic topologies, with generators, filters and modulators, in a kind of tangible modular synthesizer or graspable flow-controlled programming language.

The instrument was developed by a team of digital luthiers under the direction of Dr. Sergi Jordà. The “Interactive Sonic Systems” team is working in the Music Technology Group within the Audiovisual Institute at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona Spain. Its main activities concentrate on the design of new musical interfaces, such as tangible music instruments and musical applications for mobile devices.

The reactable intends to be:

• collaborative: several performers (locally or remotely)
• intuitive: zero manual, zero instructions
• sonically challenging and interesting
• learnable and masterable (even for children)
• suitable for novices (installations) and advanced electronic musicians (concerts)

The reactable hardware is based on a translucent, round multi-touch surface. A camera situated beneath the table, continuously analyzes the surface, tracking the player’s finger tips and the nature, position and orientation of physical objects that are distributed on its surface. These objects represent the components of a classic modular synthesizer, the players interact by moving these objects, changing their distance, orientation and the relation to each other. These actions directly control the topological structure and parameters of the sound synthesizer. A projector, also from underneath the table, draws dynamic animations on its surface, providing a visual feedback of the state, the activity and the main characteristics of the sounds produced by the audio synthesizer.

visit reacTable Home

It looks like the future of DJing could be wireless and handheld as another new handheld DJing unit is announced.  The Pacemaker looks to be a serious DJing tool compared to the toy Hercules recently announced.  This unit features 120 GB of storage built in along with a crossfader for the master output as well as the headphone cue.  The user, with the press of a button, is able to switch between deck A and deck B easily and choose a track to mix in.  The control pad on the bottom is allows for manipulations while the top screen displays track information and such.  The Pacemaker also allows the user to save and trade DJ mixes created on the unit.  Hopefully we’ll get our hands on one of these units to test and give you the full scoop when it comes out around September.  For now check out their slick website at www.Pacemaker.net to sign up for more info.