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Free Music Downloads from Audiojelly.com

djnth — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:38:18 +0000

AudioJelly is celelbrating their 5th Anniversary this year and to celebrate they are giving away 50 free tracks when you make a minimal purchase. I’ve used AudioJelly’s website from time to time when I’m looking for certain tracks that just don’t seem to make it onto Beatport. They have a nice site and an extensive selection of Trance. Because I live in the US, it tends to be cheaper to just go with a company in the US but sometimes you just gotta shell out to that track you really need. But this seems like a pretty good promotion.

From AudioJelly:

To mark the 5th anniversary of their dance music download launch, www.audiojelly.com is now offering a new 50 free downloads special.

If you visit the promotions page www.audiojelly.com/promo.cfm, you see that users only need spend £5, to enable the receipt of the 50 track voucher in their account. The tracks are all from one imprint each selected by the labels themselves. The majority are tracks released within the past 12 months.

Labels participating include Armada Music, Toolroom Records, Baroque, Coldharbour, Stoney Boy Music, Mondo, Wildchild, Discover, Boz Boz and Aurium.

Audiojelly was founded in 2004 by songwriters and producers Ricky Simmonds and Stephen Jones. Together, they are the driving force behind major acts such as Lustral, The Space Brothers, Chakra, The Realm, Oxygen, Kaleidoscope and Ascension.

Xone DX DJ Controller with Bundled Serato ITCH

djnth — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:26:16 +0000

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

Joris Voorn Interview About the Future of DJing

djnth — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:53:26 +0000

Beatportal Interview:

DJs were confined to the turntable for a quarter of a century. They were slaves to the music. Rhythmically matching two records together was all they could do to help people dance. Then technology set them free.

CD players with loop functionality, FX units, and sophisticated mixers all helped DJs to seize control of the music in the 1990s. Software was the next phase and it is changing the very meaning of the word ‘DJ’.

Dutch producer and DJ Joris Voorn has embraced technology. His ‘Balance 14’ mix CD, released in February, saw Voorn mix over 100 tracks across two CDs, with each different track a layered construction of three or four different songs.

With mixing in parts (or molecular mixing) becoming more and more common, Beatportal decided to meet Joris Voorn to find out his opinion about what is the definition of a DJ today.

Your ‘Balance 14’ mix CD was mixed using parts. Do you do this in a live setting?
Yes, I do. There have been such huge improvements in technology recently so it has become a lot more viable in a live environment. I use Traktor and a lot of what I do is playing loops and re-editing in real time. It works very well.

Do you prepare a lot of those edits beforehand? With so much going on it must be difficult to keep track.
You get into certain habits when playing and get to know which loops fit together and what will work. Some of it is improvisational, and some of it I do in Ableton prior to the gig. I make edits offline to play out live. Those edits are always inspired by real-time live performances on stage, so it all feeds back.

You’re a producer. Other producers have said that they feel it’s disrespectful to break a track down into micro parts as it undermines their hard work. What do you think?
I wouldn’t be disappointed if someone played something from my music, no matter how small it was. If someone liked the first four beats of ‘Sweep The Floor’ and looped it to mix with other loops I wouldn’t mind. If it works, and it sounds good, that’s great. Technology allows us to explore more avenues and I think we should embrace it.

When did you get into the idea to mixing in parts?
I first got into the idea of editing music whilst DJing when I started playing CDs. The Pioneer CDJ1000 had a loop function which opened up the door to this new world for me. That was the start of me rearranging tracks live. Then Traktor took things to the next level. I started properly playing loops about one and half years ago.

Do you still beatmatch?
No I don’t do any pitching at all. All my tracks have beat markers and the computer beatmatches for me.

People say that’s not the true essence of DJing. Beatmatching is something DJs should do.
What is the definition of DJing?
That is a question that we, as a scene, are trying to answer now. I’ll admit it did feel quite awkward when I stood on stage for the first time after so many years of playing CDs and vinyl, and didn’t have to beatmatch. I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands. The weird thing is that people think DJing is beatmatching. But by letting the computer take care of timing, you can concentrate on the music.

So what’s your definition of DJing?
DJing is playing music for people. It is knowing what music to play, and when to play it. It’s about being creative with the music you play and making it your own. It’s about making people dance, that’s it. Some things about DJing will never change. For instance, it will always have to be done in real-time. You will always have to plan two or three records ahead.

Couldn’t the computer just do it all? You could just turn up and press ‘play’?
At the end of the day, you’re also there for your own fun. If you ever find yourself just pressing ‘play’ and not controlling the music in real-time, then you should probably find something else to do.

Have you noticed any significant impact on the crowds that you play for, having adopted this new way of playing?
I think I’ve been able to keep the vibe and attention of the floor much better since the switch. If the crowd aren’t feeling a particular beat or track, I can change it up quickly. I can jump cue points, or repeat a breakdown if I feel they want it. I feel more interactive than ever before. I’m much faster at reacting to a crowd. It’s like you direct the music, rather than the music direct you.

Like a conductor with an orchestra of electronic sounds?
Yeah, something like that. You can do so much to the music now, and can control so many aspects of it. There are endless possibilities.

What set up do you use for your live performances?
I still use an outboard DJ mixer as I don’t like using the internal mixer of Traktor or any software. Analogue mixers just sound better and they are easier to use. I also have an Allen & Heath Xone:1D MIDI controller and a touchscreen Jazzmutant Lemur.

What do you use the touchscreen for?
The Jazzmutant is a very nice piece of kit. It’s my interface for Traktor and I use it to control everything in the software. I don’t have to touch my laptop at all, if I don’t want to. The Lemur comes with Traktor templates, but I designed my own custom set up.

Why’s that?
Everyone has their own favorite way of playing. The great thing about the Lemur is that you can customize everything. So for instance I can make extra large buttons for the important controls. I can make it look however I want.

Do you think touchscreen interfaces will become more popular with the DJ community?
There are still lots of improvements the touchscreen could get. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s still incredibly exciting.

What improvements are needed, do you think?
The touchscreen has sliders, which I think is not needed. Having sliders on a screen is weird because you have to watch exactly where your finger is heading otherwise you might hit another button by mistake. What touchscreens need is some type of physical feedback so that your fingers know the boundaries. Like with an analogue mixer, you can just feel where the maximum input is – it’s tangible. Touchscreens need that.

What do you think?

What is the definition of a DJ? Joris Voorn doesn’t have the answer. No one does.

via: Beatportal

TechnoBox: Finally a Useable iPhone App for Making Music

djnth — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:15:43 +0000

I recently heard about TechnoBox from AudioRealism for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and already being a fan of thier Bassline VST instrument I had to check it out. $10 for this app is a steal when compared to the price of a VST instrument or any music creation software for that matter. Compared to the price of most iPhone apps it is on the higher side but it’s well worth it. Basically TechnoBox is similar to the old Rebirth program by Propellerheads but better sounding. I definitely see someone using this app in a live set, but you would have to deal with manually syncing it up. Definitely worth a look.

From the AudioRealism website:

TechnoBox is your virtual techno studio on the go for iPhone / iPod touch featuring stunningly accurate emulations of three classic boxes: The legendary 303 bass line machine together with the smooth 808 and punchy 909 drum machines. technoBox has easy to use sequencing capabilities which lets you tie together patterns, or use it live by improvising pattern switches on the fly!

Featuring the same high quality audio engine as ABL2 which was painstakingly optimized to be able to run on mobile devices. For the uninitiated our audio engine has aliasing free oscillators and full range non-linear filters.

The drum section features 11 parts with 808 or 909 sounds (for a total of 22 sounds) with variable amount of shuffle per pattern.

technoBox comes with a session manager which allows you to load/save sessions in realtime without stopping the internal sequencer — great for saving realtime improvised patterns without interrupting the audio stream.

TechnoBox Website

NAMM: Akai debuts APC40 an Ableton Live Controller

djnth — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:48:48 +0000

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 Stealth Spotted at NAMM

djnth — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:24:28 +0000

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.

M-Audio Torq Makes it to v1.5 Somehow

djnth — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:23:47 +0000

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.

From the M-Audio Website

cue, beat-match and mix digital files > leave your cumbersome records and CDs safe at home
works instantly and seamlessly with compatible M-Audio hardware > no complex set-ups or conflicts
organizes digital audio files (including iTunes) into easily searchable database >instant access to your entire digital library
supports optional third-party VST effects > add your own signature sound
16-cell tempo-synced sampler > trigger loops and samples on the fly
ReWire support > take your performance to the studio
transmits and receives MIDI beat clock >flexible synchronization with external devices
compatible with control vinyl/CDs >easily integrates with traditional DJ hardware

The Flashy New Eks Otus Controls 2 Decks with 1 Controller

djnth — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:48:18 +0000

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.

From the Eks website:

Functional Design
To meet the needs of professional artists, all the controls are of the absolute best quality. The placement of each control has been optimized for usability and for show factor. All of the key functions are placed closest to the DJ, while effect orientated controls are placed further away. Otus is also designed to fit on top of a standard vinyl turntable. This makes it easy to fit it in any DJ booth. Otus weights 2kg, so it’s firm and sturdy but still retains its portable nature.

Future Proof Control Layout
10 control knobs, 17 low travel buttons and 6 touch sensitive buttons – all controls freely assignable to suit the artists’ personal needs. No mouse or keyboard is needed to perform. The controls are specially designed to meet the needs of the present digital world as well as the challenges of the future.

7,5” Jog Wheel
The heart of Otus is its illuminated, high resolution 7.5” jog wheel with both physical and virtual sensitivity adjustments. The touch sensitive top part of the wheel functions like a vinyl turntable, allowing you to scratch or cue the track by rotating the wheel. The outer rim of the wheel functions as a pitch bender. The LED illumination around the wheel enables two way communication with MIDI software in a configurable manner.

Dual Layer Control Surface
Otus features two layers of controls, which can be easily swapped by pressing the switch button. This enables operating two virtual decks with just one controller. Layer changes are indicated by the change of the LED colour.

Touch Sensitive Pitch Ribbon
The 80mm touch sensitive relative pitch slider with LED visualization enables highly accurate pitch adjustments. The amount of pitch is altered by sliding a finger on the slider, and the accuracy of the slider can be chosen on the fly by pressing the scale button, for example 1x/5x/10x. The LED indicates the pitch value, which is recalled as the user swaps the virtual deck.

Integrated Soundcard with Dual Outputs and A Headphone Jack
Individual professional level analog and digital outputs for both virtual decks. The headphone output enables direct headphone preview.

Touchpad
A touchpad for mouse or user definable X/Y effect control. This makes touching computer while playing unnecessary.

Four Selector Jog Wheels
Each corner of Otus features an assignable jog wheel controller with an integrated select button in the middle – created for optimal file browsing or selecting effects and other features.

LED Illumination
All controls are backlit by colour changing LED’s for easy utilization in a club environment and other poorly illuminated situations.

Works with Your Favorite DJ/VJ/MIDI Software
The advanced MIDI mapper and ASIO drivers make creating configurations for your favourite DJ/VJ software easy and intuitive. The EKS support pages contain downloads and instructions for setting Otus up with different software.

via: Eks Website

Build a Rotary DJ Controller Out of an Old Hard Drive

djnth — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:46:02 +0000

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.

Korg Nano Digital Music Controllers

djnth — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:25:02 +0000

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.

Basically all three Nano Controllers are USB MIDI devices that can work with various music software that supports MIDI. The nanoKEY comes with a free download for Korgs nice M1 Le synthesizer software with some great classic Korg synth sounds. The nanoPAD has a free download for EZDrummer 1.14 to get you started with some rockin’ beats and the nanoKONTROL gives you a $50 off coupon for Ableton Live music editing software.

Included with all of the models is Korg’s Kontrol Editor software which allows you to customize the exact MIDI commands sent by each key, slider and button.

nanoKEY

* Keyboard: 25-key with velocity and 4 velocity curves
* CC MODE button
* Octave Shift up/down buttons
* Pitch up/down buttons
* Modulation button
* Dimensions: 320(W) x 83(D) x 14(H) mm/ 12.60”(W) x 3.27”(D) x 0.55”(H)
* Includes free download for Korg M1 Le Synthesizer software and Korg’s Kontrol Editor software

nanoPAD

* 12 trigger pads with velocity and 4 velocity curves
* X-Y pad (Like the Kaossilator!)
* ROLL button
* FLAM button
* HOLD button
* 4 SCENE buttons (Allows 4 different MIDI configurations to be recalled instantly)
* Dimensions: 320(W) x 82(D) x 16.5(H) mm/ 12.60”(W) x 3.23”(D) x 00.65”(H)
* Includes free download for EZDrummer 1.14 software and Korg’s Kontrol Editor software

nanoKONTROL

* 9 knobs
* 9 sliders
* 18 buttons
* Transport buttons: REW/PLAY/FF/LOOP/STOP/REC
* 4 SCENE buttons (Allows 4 different MIDI configurations to be recalled instantly)
* Dimensions: 320(W) x 82(D) x 29.5(H) mm/ 12.60”(W) x 3.23”(D) x 1.16”(H)
* Includes $50 off coupon for Ableton Live software and free download of Korg’s Kontrol Editor software

PC Requirements

* Mac OS X 10.3.9, or Mac OS X 10.4.7 or later
* Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later, or Microsoft Windows Vista SP1
* Available USB Port

via: thinkgeek

Serato and Ableton Announce a Creative Partnership

djnth — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:11:01 +0000

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 Traktor Pro Unveiled

djnth — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:27:50 +0000

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