While software like Serato is very stripped down, it allows a DJ to quickly and easily perform his/her primary task - beatmatching and mixing music. The first time ever using Serato I quickly figured out how to use it with no instructions. The first time I looked at the user interface for Torq it made me want to cry. This interface is easily the most hideous looking thing I have seen in DJ Software market hands down! Even if M-Audio sent me a free copy I wouldn’t install this on my computer. I’m only reporting this new version of the software for those of you that do use it. I would love to hear some first hand comments about how great this software is so I can learn not to judge the software by the GUI, but I doubt I will hear any. Please let us know if you use this.

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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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Another cool instructable for turning an old hard drive into a rotary controller that can then be mapped to MIDI to contol some DJ software or some other bit of virtual gear. If anyone technically gifted enough to build one of these does so please post some photos and let us know how it works out.

Full instructions here.

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.

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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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This is an exciting announcement for users of Serato and Ableton software. It can only lead to more creative and interesting DJ sets in the future.

Here is the announcement from the Serato website:
Serato and Ableton are happy to announce a partnership, which will pave the way for the future of Digital DJing.

With shared artist rosters from hip-hop (DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Nu-Mark, A-Trak) to electronica
(Paul Van Dyk, DJ Sasha), both Ableton Live and Serato Scratch Live are renowned as the premier
performance platforms in clubs around the globe.

While Serato’s Scratch Live excels in vinyl emulation, music library control and lightning quick hands-on scratching, Ableton Live provides the tools for production, on-the-?y remixing and beat creation.

“Ableton and Serato take different approaches to modern musical performance,” says Ableton CEO
Gerhard Behles, “But both companies live by the philosophy that software should be straightforward,
easy to use, and most importantly, reliable and stable onstage and in the studio. Ableton has never had an answer for the DJ who wants vinyl control, and rather than try to emulate what Serato do so well, we simply make sure that our products work well together.”

Serato Audio Research CEO Steve West agrees. “After years of talking together, we’re thrilled to be
working with Ableton. It’s exciting to think about what we can offer to DJs and producers: the ability to go beyond just spinning records and add a personal stamp to the music they play.”

Just where this Serato and Ableton collaboration will take us has yet to be seen but one thing is clear: the worlds of DJing, remixing and production for artists worldwide have changes ahead.

Native Instruments unveiled new versions of Traktor Pro and Traktor Scratch recently. Some of the notable features include: 4 decks, built-in effects, Ultra precise beat detection, sync lock, a redesigned browser, crate flick to browse through songs visually like coverflow, and customizable interface.

For more info check out the Traktor Pro Microsite