Although the feature set is not going to give the majors a run for their money, Djay 2 does contain one offering that is really making me scratch my head. It supports playback of music purchased from Itunes aka DRM protected files. W-W-W-What!? Do you know how hard it is to get the algorithms to play DRM protected files from the apple store? Impossible- thats how hard. Which is precisely why no-one else supports them. So I downloaded the demo to confirm and sure enough, you can sort of mix, pitch bend and otherwise dj with DRM files fresh off the Itunes music store. How can a tiny software company called “algoriddim” (do they also make reggae rave starter kits?) manage to pull this off but Traktor and Serato Scratch cant?
Archive for December, 2007
Black VCI-100 update
**Update**September 2009, We now have black VCI-100SE controller for sale in the webstore
Our black VCI-100 controllers are the only version in the world that come with the exclusive 1.3 firmware. This firmware adds numerous performance functions and fixes several critical bugs. Read here for more info.
I should have been more careful about showing that new black VCI-100 because now everyone wants one! Here is the “semi-official” word from Vestax on release dates for the limited edition black VCI-100.First, the black VCI-100 pictured above is a Japan only release for the time being, its been made in very limited quanity and it is not scheduled to come to other markets any time soon. Thats the bad news, so now for the good news. The limited edition “Ean Golden” version of the vci-100 might be available in other markets after NAMM. That all just depends on how excited the distributors are at NAMM when I show them the first model. To help insure that you get a chance to buy one of the limited editions, you can always send them an email saying HEY, I would buy the Ean Golden VCI-100! Usually, that seems to go a long way :-)
American Distributor of Vestax
Sales centers from other parts of the world
So how did our version of the VCI-100 end up? Check it out here:
Is it time to build…… a forum?
For the most part forums can be profoundly annoying places where you get lost for days and eventually die of starvation. On the other hand there are a few forums out there that are incredibly useful places. There are so many questions and answers getting posted on djtechtools these days, it seems like it might make sense to consolidate them into one place. A place were people can also discuss digital dj topics, sell used gear, post photos of their setups and so on. What do you think? Are forum’s tired left-overs from web 1.0 or do we really need one? Dont hold back, give us your honest opinion as its valued!Happy Holidays,
Dj Tech Tools
DJ Tip-Save your pennies till after the hollidays..
I know you are surrounded by the overpowering urge to buy your body-weight in consumer electronics this Holiday season, so don’t let me stop you. Buy, buy, buy to your hearts desire but you might want to just wait about 2 weeks. In fact get your parents and friends to also wait a few weeks before also buying more electronics no-one really needs. Why, you might ask? 4 little letters my friend, NAMM. There is going to be some crazy things that will show up in Anaheim on January 17th and you might just want to save your hard earned money until you know what they are going to be. Sure, the loving- always delivering products on time manufactures might make you wait until next Christmas to actually get some of the new products they show this year but trust me, you might want to wait 2 weeks before you buy anything else. There are several key manufactures that will be dropping some really cool stuff into the digital dj mix this year so stay close as we will keep you posted on the most important.
Ipod- the Mk1200 of 2010?
With all the computer-DJing options out there, people are still using CDs live. CD technology is so 1997, dude — shouldn’t they get with the program and get a laptop? Well, CD slingers still have a few attractive features that the computer can’t quite match: great portability, universal compatibility, ease and reliability, among others. So, allow me to suggest a compromise. Quick quiz: What is a nearly universal medium for digital audio storage that is light, portable and reliable? That’s right, the iPod. Then why isn’t everyone DJing with an iPod (or a brand new iPhone) yet? Because the technology to do so is just finally coming into its own now. The truth is, people have been hacking iPods and pseudo-DJing with them for years. Lately, however, technology has caught up with those pioneers, and now true iPod DJing is within everyone’s reach.
Are you mixing “in key”?
Some older djs seem to have a sixth sense about mixing tracks. They will often mix similar songs to other djs but for some reason the sequence and timing results in a completely different feel. Promoters and dancers are left happy as the dance floor consistently explodes on the big tracks and chugs along between without any energy drops. There is no secret to their formula, many guys have just developed a keen ear and sense of when to play the rights tracks. Take a closer look by examining the musical structure of their sets and you might find they are often mixing in key and don’t even realize it.
So how you reliably tap into that knowledge without waiting for those random perfect mixes to pop up in your sets? Figure out all the keys of your songs and then learn how to wield that information to create a powerful dance-floor.
Headphone cuing 101
This is the first of many posts that will go into all aspects of djing. Techniques, theories and applications that will take you from your first mix to playing in front of thousands. They are grouped according to what might interest you:
dj 101: just getting started
dj 202: starting to get the hang of things here
dj 303: yeah, I built my own mixer from car parts, it was easy.
We visit Vestax Japan and check out a new VCI
Wow! I have been literally flying around the world, going from SF-Berlin-Tokyo-SF with very little time for writing. While in Tokyo, I did a controllerism performance at the Vestax Extravaganza and talked with the Japan team about a lot of exciting things including a sneak preview at the new VCM-100 and a brand new black VCI-100 with improved firmware and controls. Check out this video for the full scoop:
NEW VCI-100 mod and the “super” crossfader
As many of you know, I have been working on a special layout for the VCI-100 that is in the beta stages. You can download, test and give feedback on the current version here. In the mean time I stumbled on this crazy midi mod that got me REALLY excited (which is rare) so I wanted to share it. I mix externally with the vci-100 so all the central controls are dedicated to effects. However sometimes I need to quickly cut out a song and I have been using the input faders to do that by engaging the reverb to 100%. Each channel fader engages the reverb, fades in the mix and then at the top freezes the effect. So, if you quickly flip the fader up you get a really clean cut with a cool reverb tail. Then I was thinking instead of 2 faders, what if the cross fader did the same thing for both decks but in opposite directions? So when you move the cross fader to the left the right decks cuts out with a adjustable reverb trail and when you move it to the far right the left deck cuts out with a reverb tail? Continue reading NEW VCI-100 mod and the “super” crossfader
