Our Commitment to You
I have to be completely honest with you: DJ TechTools got off track this month. We got caught up in the product release hype machine and churned out a lot of news and not as many great articles. Don’t get me wrong; new gear is great — we all love it and will continue to review the best gear — but that is not what this site is about. We are here to show you how to get more out of technology, not convince everyone to buy new stuff. That is what the old music publishing paradigm has been about, and we are trying to offer something different, something more special.
THE MISSION
DJ TechTools is an open book. It was created by me (Ean) for you (the community) and is run by a small handful of passionate DJs (Markkus, Phil, Bento and I). We sell a few controllers and accessories that I designed, because no one else would make what we needed and really wanted. Those sales pay the bills and keep us from taking advertising dollars that would require more of the same old stuff from the past. Plus, it is totally transparent; you know who we work with and where the money comes from… it comes from you! All of the profits go right back into designing and creating new cool things that might otherwise never be created in a million years. Who hand-modifies controllers with arcade buttons one by one? We do — and love every minute of it. Apparently you dig them too; they sell out every month in 1-2 days.
So in the spirit of transparency, we want to share our editorial mission statement with you to make you aware of our goals and to keep this site accountable. If we start to veer off course again, tell us! This does not mean we are doing away with reviews; it just means less news and more great articles on DJing. –Ean Golden
We commit to creating compelling articles that enable and inspire creativity through DJ technology.
DON’T G.A.S. OUT
Hi, this is Markkus, a recent add-on to the team as editor of the DJ Tech Tools blog. Before this, I spent more than three years as Technology Editor of Remix Magazine, where Ean got his start as a writer on Remix’s Digital DJ column. Some may think that it’s a step back to go from an editor at a glossy magazine to the editor of a blog. That may true in some cases, but in this case, it’s definitely a step up for me as a creative professional.
For far too long in my decade as a magazine editor, I felt like a cog in an endless consumption machine that ultimately made people dissatisfied with what they already had and encouraged them to buy new things they didn’t need. Of course, that was only the bad half of the equation. On the other side of the coin, I got to try a lot of really fascinating new technology and legitimately help people get the most out of that technology. Now, at DJ Tech Tools, I’ll try to focus on only the good part of informing people about cool new DJ technology that we all appreciate.
As Ean was saying, we have spent a lot of time lately covering new product announcements. It’s always fun to examine and speculate on the new stuff, but I’ve also noticed in the comments that it inevitably leads to a certain amount of anxiety and stress on the part of people wondering which piece of gear to buy or worrying that the thing they have isn’t going to good enough now that a new thing is available. After spending too many years in debt because of G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), I definitely believe that it’s better to maximize the potential of what you have by practicing your art than to spend too much time upgrading your system.
Today, DJing — and the live performances that are blurring the definition of DJing — are wild frontiers in which you have near infinite freedom to create your own sound and your own performance set up. That freedom can be both a blessing and a curse. Like the wild child who benefits from the discipline of a military bootcamp, some DJs may prefer a standardized booth of two decks and a mixer. Certainly, having some boundaries can benefit everyone.
Our goal is to help you navigate this new DJing frontier and establish your own boundaries for your performances. Your comments and suggestions for how we can help you are most welcome. But don’t stress too much about not having the hottest new widget just because Richie Hawtin does. Stress is proven to shorten your life, while listening to and performing music has known benefits to your brain chemistry and stress levels. So by all means, seek out your dream set up, but if you’re feeling anxiety about it, remember that the greatest albums or DJ sets you’ve ever heard were brought to you using equipment that wasn’t announced in the last month. Live long, and rock out. -Markkus Rovito
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:51 pm Quote
you guys are the most righteous people i have ever known! keepin it true..you don’t see that much these days.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:07 pm Quote
i dunno i kinda like hearing about the new gear. doesn’t necessarily mean i’ll buy it but i like to hear different perspectives on what the gear offers. whether it’s scratch djs (skratchworx), digital djs (djtechtools), or a mixed bag (NI forum, company forum) it’s great to hear differing opinions on the matter.
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:07 pm Quote
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:39 pm Quote
+1, you guys never tried to endorse, you just inform- thats healthy and appreciated. One thing my TSI map ALWAYS benefits from is seeing how other creative professionals have tailored products to maximize ease, access and productivity. I’m not ashamed to admit that I remap my controllers every time I update traktor, and all the recent tech news you post here finds itself into the new map in some small way (I even re-thuoght the way I use the 4 EFX decks after using the SONIFI app on my buddie’s iphone). You don’t have to apologize for the recent focus- you aren’t following a template, you’re following an idea. I don’t see any evidence of veering from your philosophy. CONTROLLERS ARE TOOLS; that’s 1/3 of you URL. Keep up the good work (and make that latency setting video you promised us and all will be forgiven, if there even is anything to forgive)
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:42 pm Quote
big ups for keepin it real. a mix of tech reviews and creative tools make this a site i visit daily. interesting how the gear reviews bring out how everyones need for different gear with digital as previously considered a technics or pioneer dominated thing. this type of community is major for learning new sonic directions.
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:47 pm Quote
Keep up the great work guys! Awesome to have such genuine peeps running the place that will self-check themselves. So glad to be a part of the tribe.
PS: the VCI-SE works great (so far so good!)
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:29 pm Quote
I don’t mind seeing the reviews, because its cool to see ppl doin what I do, and using the tools how I would use them. Not some marketing douche/Tool trying to sell me something I really don’t need. You guys are tried & true to the music performance/Dj community. Considering I don’t use Traktor nor a VCI. I’m always checking this site daily, because the knowledge on here is pretty universal, and I thank you guys for being innovators & helping the rest of us out.
Nick F.M
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:36 pm Quote
You had me at hello (or at the first four-on-the-floor synced kick drum).
Will keep on supporting you unconditionally.
:)
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:01 pm Quote
Hell yea it’s important to inform the readers of new dj technology and djtechtools has done a proper job on that end. It just seems like the past couple of articles have shifted from dj mods, tutorials and pushing the limits on gear to a horse race on who’s blog can introduce the latest gear the fastest. djtechtools shines on the former and that angle on dj technology is what makes djtechtools stand out from the others. I know as a reader I’d like to see djtechtools expand it’s focus on dj technology and cover things like lesser-known software xwax 0.6 for linux or tutortials on media backups(Ex. ghosting a 500gb drive full of wav’s, mp3’s and videos for redundancy) if it’s been done then my bad but if not then it’s good info for the dj masses.
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:18 pm Quote
i sure hope this wasnt over the comments a few people made a few threads back.
personally i like the gear reviews and announcements. being new to digital dj’ing and this blog being my main source of information on gear, id like to hear your opinions on new stuff that comes out. maybe a section for that is in order if you guys are really worried about it.
like i said i hope this isnt a hypersensitive response to the comments made in a few other blog posts.
keep with the announcements. i like them.
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:21 pm Quote
No doubt gear anxiety is no fun. But the reality is that companies are always going to be developing new gear, and we’re all going to see it on the street sooner or later. DJTT has kept the gear articles observant and un-sensational, and really has proven to be far deeper than that. This site has been a huge influence on the development (not purchase) of my current rig and performance set-up – the IDEAS are the juice, and the DJTT community has been the driving force behind them.
October 2nd, 2009 at 11:54 pm Quote
Know that you guys have always been doing great things for the digital DJ community. Keep it up! You have been consistently delivering helpful, quality material, although I appreciate that you guys will focus a more on technique rather than reviewing new gear.
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:16 am Quote
ok……….for real…..we need a hug!! like a big one….one of those, kinda feel uncomfortable hugs, before it gets uncomfortable. Yeah! one of those! Then we can pat eachother on th………….never mind. How about a high 5. Like the one they did in top gun. Yeah thats better
peace! and thanks by the way
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:17 am Quote
head nod maybe???
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:22 am Quote
i liked the product reviews. they didn’t seem so much as corporate sales-motivated as they we’re just letting the community know about new gear.
the difference between doing product reviews on a blog/website versus a magazine, is that on this blog it allows the readers to share our impressions and opinions of the product and discuss the pros and cons amongst ourselves – because of this I think product reviews(in moderation) can only be beneficial to the community so long as the readers are allowed to ask questions and discuss what’s being advertised.
So whatever your motivations are for introducing more product reviews, I personally welcome them as long as we the readers are encouraged to discuss the products and forward our questions to the DJTT writers – this way it’s not one-sided advertising like magazine articles. In my opinion learning about these products in this type of environment can only be beneficial to the community.
keep up the good work DJTT !
-chris
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:32 am Quote
…nothing but propz for keeping it real!
big ups from germany.
compact
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:49 am Quote
well…it seems the manufacturers are ramping up their products aimed at digital djing, so to an extent the resulting reviews seemed natural. but i’m glad to know you guys have your focus set on something more than that. this is a great site, and entries like this show why.
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:18 am Quote
Very well said guys, its nice for people like yourselves to wear your heart on their sleeves. And trust me when I say that you will get repaid in some form or another.
Dave
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 am Quote
I think it depends on context. You can’t beat :-) the march of technology, but what DJTT does very well is provide insight not just about a given product, but how a given product can work in a system, or using a novel control approach / functionality (normally that it wasn’t designed for).
This slightly anarchic and out of the box approach is what drives progress. So in the context of controller systems / approach, DJTT should not exclude new product announcements / reviews, as they can be relevant to a software platform, performance technique etc.. Ean’s great reviews of the Korg nano controllers is an example of what I’m on about. These were “new” but the review focussed on what you could do with them, not what they were.
Cheers,
Dave
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:01 am Quote
oh captain my captain !
October 3rd, 2009 at 6:58 am Quote
I really respect you guys, and love all the comments. It’s good to know it’s someone who is willing to be true to the mission statement. Like stated having knowledge of new products is fine but learning how to prefect what you have is awesome. I’m the director of Udma Music pool in Detroit and we have 60 dj’s that are digital with half of them using Vci 100 or 300, the articles here help tremendously, we would have never knew how to create drops through TP, and many other things had it not been for Dj Tech Tool. Pls keep doing what you’re doing, it’s very much appreciated. sorry for being so long in the comments.
Thanks
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:01 am Quote
I’m pretty sure I keep coming onto this site because of everything I’ve seen so far, including the latest reviews. It is different, it shows, and I look forward to whats next. I already have learned a few tricks on how to get the most out of my gear on this site, i.e learned what bomes was. A friend of mine who works at guitar center and is a total gear hound, asked me if I was getting a Novation launch Pad. I told him I was working on building my own controller instead. I believe DJTT is responsible for that inspiration.
I’m still waiting on the USB cables which are out of stock though?
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:11 am Quote
This is the first place where I actually read reviews about new gear, and to be honest i like it this way
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:11 am Quote
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:14 am Quote
I learned about novations new launchpad from this site the other day and I’m glad about it. I’m looking forward to Markkus’ review of it. I think HONEST reviews of new products should continue to flourish on this site for two reasons.
One, why make people go to other sites to find out about new gear. How many times has a DJ said, “if I only had a piece of gear that did XX”. DJTT should play a role in that.
Two, legit honest reviews are had to come by on the net. As long as we stay honest, people will respect that.
Personally I think we could do without the theoretical concept products that some dude dreamed up as part of a thesis product. But I think its important that when a USEFUL new gear comes out, we let people know.
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:22 am Quote
…
Allelluyah!
Don’t leave the reviews; start comparision ones but INDEPENDENT.
I will very glad to help you (Ean and staff) and I may reconsidering help (more than now) this site and community.
I’m very happy with this announcement and actitude!
Amazing new “becoming”…
Sincerely,
Mudo
…
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:40 am Quote
What’s with the self-flagellation?
You guys do an awesome site. As people have said: it’s djtech TOOLS not djtech TUTORIALS or djtech PSYCHOLOGY.
You guys are doing fine!
Although the fact that you are sweating the details like that is a great sign too! (if you know what i mean…)
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:57 am Quote
ean keep the good work u help me alot with your articles and tutorial videos on tracktor,been the only latin dj on my area that use tracktor i am way ahead of my competition technically speakin.keep it up.
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:52 am Quote
you guys are doing a fantastic job – I am another in favor of the reviews, but having said that I am really impressed and a big supporter of reconfirming your mission both to yourselves and publicly. well done. you are blazing new ground, more power to you.
posts like this just reaffirm my love for this site, even though I like the reviews :-)
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:07 am Quote
proud to be part of the community you serve, proud to own vci-se.
the focus call will definitely prove meaningful
keep it up!
October 3rd, 2009 at 10:05 am Quote
Markkus, that was insight! Very true!
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:33 am Quote
You guys are awesome. Keep up the good work. BTW, my new black faders and knobs arrived the other day, my VCI 100 is looking much sexier now :)
Whenever I play out at clubnights and raves, I have people asking me about the VCI 100. People (especially other DJs) are very curious about using these new technologies and breaking free from Turntables and CDJs. I like to show them how software + controller can open up new doors for creative DJing, and thus, I always point them to this site.
Cheers all
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:15 pm Quote
My fav peeps on the net.
You guys rock. I love the gear reviews it’s just eye candy really. But I also love the tutorials. Like the delay effect to mix two different BPMs. That was excellent.
Good work Ean, Bento, Markkus, and Phil.
Much love and respect from LA.
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:48 pm Quote
Thanks for all the article suggestions, everybody. I make a note of all of them, but I can’t guarantee we’ll get to everything. The more suggestions the better, and everyone’s welcome to offer to write, as well.
We’re definitely not going to bail on reviews, but we are going to be exploring ways of making reviews a little more practical and performance based. Also, the technology news won’t go away entirely, but we will probably spend less time on it overall.
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm Quote
Thanks for the info DJTT! Without your objectivity
and concise reviews I’d probably would have a bunch of useless crap I’d be trying to sell on craigslist!I’ve gotten solid info from this site that has helped me build a great setup and the knowledge and ability to use it.I read your site like my dad use to read the newspaper daily! Knowledge is power! Thanks for your diligence!!!!
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:59 pm Quote
I too have suffered from Gear Acquisition Syndrome in the past. For many years I’ve been obsessed with buying new gear and always looking out for the newest toy to add to my setup. I even gave up my IT job at one point to work at Guitar Center as a Pro Audio Associate. There I made much less money and it seemed like I spent every single dime on the next gadget, speaker, effects processor, midi controller, or whatever expensive thing i can have. What’s sad is i didn’t care about music. I was too focused on toys. And while at work I gotten myself burned out. I almost got to the point where i hated music. That’s why i love DJTT. It reignited my love and i no longer feel inclined to go out and buy stuff. This community inspires me to go out and try new things; modify controllers, build my own, or just play around for hours on end. I thank you guys for inspiring me!
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:37 pm Quote
Great job guys. It’s refreshing to see people with such high spirits.
I appreciate the work your doing.
I’m working on an mapping for my Akai-MPK49.
If you guys wish. You can have the TSI files so some someone else could benefit. Let me know if it’s cool.
Peace, Love, Music!
Nitrane
October 3rd, 2009 at 6:16 pm Quote
I like how you guys speak to all of us persnoally, It makes me feel very at home here. I started off DJ’ing in my bedroom and now im hitting up the clubs all around my area. I have grown as a DJ tremendously because of this site and I thank all of you!
I like hearing about new gear too. So I was thinking that to make everyone happy maybe you guys could make seperate tabs for new gear and reviews. While another one for techniques and tutorials?? Or something along those lines, it might not be practical but it’s just an idea.
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:56 pm Quote
I really like the in-dept reviews you do for new gear, I don’t see it as a problem, you are quite honest when you talk about it, I like to be aware of new DJ products when they hit the market and I don’t feel any kind of anxiety for them just keep with my trusty DJ2.
October 3rd, 2009 at 10:43 pm Quote
Glad to hear the focus will remain on the tech but I do love to hear about new gear so no harm, no foul IMO.
Meanwhile, can we expect an update on the Cue Point Chords article? I was hoping to see an accompanying Traktor config so that I could implement them into my TouchOSC project –>
http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6651&highlight=TouchOSC
October 4th, 2009 at 2:21 am Quote
Amen, Brother! Like these guys:
http://www.elektrobahn.com/
ALL TRACKS PROGRAMMED, SEQUENCED & RECORDED LIVE
ON VINTAGE ANALOG & DIGITAL GEAR, c. 1978-1985
October 4th, 2009 at 11:58 am Quote
All good in the hood…Best Dj site hands down!
October 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm Quote
People alredy said a lot of suggestions, I really liked what I’ve read
I just want to say thank to you from DJTT for all the useful information for “wannaabe DJs” like me.
October 4th, 2009 at 2:55 pm Quote
So Far everything you guys do is amazing. Reviewing products and everything that you offer to sale helps me because, I’m always on the road DJing and for the first time I can check this site every other day or so to see if something new is out there to buy. Example like the headphones or Djing Bags, and explaining the good and bads. I love this site you guys rock keep up the good work.
October 4th, 2009 at 5:35 pm Quote
Most of all I’m impressed that the editor at a tech website has been able to find the cojones and admit that a constant stream of tech news isn’t always a good thing. I’ve been guilty myself of making speculative comments on products I’ve not yet tried and objectively speaking that’s really not helpful to anyone.
Clearly the djtechtools team have the cachet and audience now to command the attention of companies able to provide them with hardware/software to trial and review so I look forward to kicking back, keeping my mouth shut and seeing what they think of it all.
Or you know, at least go to my nearest dj store and give some of it a go first!
October 5th, 2009 at 11:29 am Quote
Wow. Respect guys.
Honestly though, I didn’t think you had dereailed at all. Loved all the articles.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:38 am Quote
Most of all I’m impressed that the editor at a tech website has been able to find the cojones and admit that a constant stream of tech news isn’t always a good thing. I’ve been guilty myself of making speculative comments on products I’ve not yet tried and objectively speaking that’s really not helpful to anyone.
Clearly the djtechtools team have the cachet and audience now to command the attention of companies able to provide them with hardware/software to trial and review so I look forward to kicking back, keeping my mouth shut and seeing what they think of it all.
Or you know, at least go to my nearest dj store and give some of it a go first!
October 7th, 2009 at 2:11 pm Quote
the gear news are fine… but i come to this site for tips, tricks and for the soundcard and or pad comtroller type of comparisons…
loved the fact that you have been honest enough to recognize it
keep it up!
October 7th, 2009 at 4:36 pm Quote
Yeah lots of respect guys, you have a fine site here which offers a great deal of invaluable info. Keep up the good work!
October 10th, 2009 at 3:28 pm Quote
I just love how Ean rocks the long, flowy hair….now that’s righteous!!!
October 17th, 2009 at 3:56 am Quote
Absolute 100% respect for the mission folks. I think you are absolutely right to say that the holy grail is not the latest gear but a great mix. What ever helps anyone find that is awesome.
I read a lot of comments where people said they liked the reviews, which is cool, but I think there are loads of places where you could find that information. I’d be much more interested to hear from the DJTT team a heads up that a new piece of kit is out, and then rather than a bog standard review, a more considered ‘we tried it out for a few months, it will be getting a permanent place in our rig’ ‘or we used it a few times but it doesn’t add much for the cost of the upgrade’ kind of opinion.
keep up the good work all at DJTT, you inspire me!
October 18th, 2009 at 12:59 pm Quote
I’m a very glad amateur-dj since I found you while I was wondering about how to use my digital music files without ripping new cd’s for each new gig, and, although I’ve never use my “pimped” VCI-SE on a real gig, only on our net radio http://www.sunhole.net , I keep my eyes on your articles almost daily, trying to, like you said, improve my sound.
These kinds of works is what the world actually need. Your philosophy must be applicated in more areas than the dj planet. Isn’t it?
And thanks again for your kindly attention. I know that is easy to send a birthday greeting e-mail, but i felt something good when I read it so far away from home, travelling across Turkey, and thinking about how to play a weird mix between a recent discovered Turkish music, a Link Wray guitar riff and an old electro beat.
Things like this are the aim of DJTT, find the way to bring the sounds on your mind to the speakers through your hands at the controller(s).
I think.
just two cents of poor english to say Thank You DJTT.
Keep On Moooooving…
December 5th, 2009 at 7:37 pm Quote
Unnecessary.
January 15th, 2010 at 8:14 am Quote
Thank you for being here, just wish I found your site sooner. These music stores in Washington D.C. & surrounding area here are totally worthless. Take Guitar Center here in Washington D.C. (Rockville, MD), customer service Sucks, theirs knowledge is very limited about the DJ Gear that they sells & when you are not buying a big ticket item don’t looking for no help. I found myself waiting for over 1 hour for a salesperson. I have more knowledge about the gear THAN theirs salespersons there do. Again thank you for the information & knowledge. Your site is a goldmine.