Stuff We Like- Joby Magnet Light
This article kicks off a new series where we feature helpful tools that might make your DJ life easier. Not exactly a review — just a spotlight on equipment or software you might not be aware of that we found to be especially cool. Today, I want to tell you about the newest addition to my gig bag, the Joby Gorilla Torch. Its an amazing battery powered light that has the famous Joby flexibility for infinite positions and snaps onto metal for a stable fix. DJ booths are never well-lit places, so having your own source of illumination is critical, and having a powerful light that does not eat up a USB slot is exactly what the controller gods ordered.
CRITICAL DATA
Name : The Joby Gorillatorch
Price: $29.95
Power: 3 AA batteries (included)
Light: Cree LED delivers 65 lumens (bright!)
Cool Features: Dimmable light and super-strong magnetic feet
Not only has this light saved me in many a dark booth where I could barely read the writing on my controllers, but it’s also paid for itself in gear that would have gone lost otherwise. Several end-of-set scans with the super-bright LEDs turned up cables and gear that would have been otherwise left behind.
You do need to replace the batteries, which are rated at up to 80 hours, but that’s well worth the USB spot saved by ditching the USB pen lights that DJs normally use. The magnetic feet are perfect for fixing to the corner of a DJ mixer and then bending the flexible legs out of the way, so all the controls can still be reached and the light angled for the perfect view.
The Joby GorillaTorch is officially DJ TechTools:
December 1st, 2009 at 11:16 pm Quote
lol. Nice series, look fwd to more.
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:17 am Quote
Looks good, thinking bout buying one!
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:26 am Quote
Awesome!
Also the GorillaPods are sooo cool !!!
thx for the article…perfect x-mas present ;-)
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:29 am Quote
yes perfect for xmas gift list :)
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:09 am Quote
Everybody loves gadgets!
:D
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:12 am Quote
i figured Ean would know what each and everyone of these buttons did… i know when i map a controller i know what they do
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:33 am Quote
Cool thingy,might grab two for christmas.. :)
Nice article Ean.. :)
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:22 am Quote
I have this small USB LED snake light that I love and use.
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/263234177/USB_LED_Light_UL_01/showimage.html
December 2nd, 2009 at 8:38 am Quote
But can you touch your controller at the right knob even on the dark? You must train blindness controllerist skills to do that lol
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:31 am Quote
Yea great piece….
I usually position my laptop directly above my controller, so the light from the screen helps to illuminate my controller….
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:02 am Quote
Who needs the Joby when you can just strap one of these on: http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products/2216995/LED_1W_High_Power_Headlamp.html
Especially good for when you’re DJing a rave in an abandoned mineshaft….
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 am Quote
absolutely exactly what i need! ….i’ve just ordered one.
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:49 am Quote
I find the iphone torch to be just fine plus no more extra gear to carry
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:59 am Quote
I use the Mighty Bright XtraFlex L.E.D lights the come in single or dual heads they take 2 to 3 AAA batteries depending on the model. They are bright small and extremely flexible. I have had the same ones for 4 years now, and they are still working. You can get them in Silver,Black,and Blue. Check out
http://www.mightybright.com and click on music lights.
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm Quote
If this is a series, can I make a request? Please find us a djtechtools-approved usb hub.
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:00 pm Quote
who needs a Joby when you can rock one of these: http://www.opticsplanet.net/headlamps.html
Especially stylish when you’re playing a rave in an abandoned mineshaft!!
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:16 pm Quote
great series! looking foward to more from my favorite site!
December 2nd, 2009 at 2:26 pm Quote
great suggestion- we are working on this one for sure. Its now a major requirement. :)
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:27 pm Quote
wow, sorry to e the bummer here , but serious , by reading the first part of thie article i thought i might get some insight on something more than 1 light
dont get me wrong , i like the idea of this light , but wow.
hope to see more!
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:30 pm Quote
+1 on the hub,
Also how about a fAn round up, ESP for big oversized 17 inch laptops like mine!!!
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:56 pm Quote
I second that motion. Maybe one that will work with the Crane stand I just ordered…..
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:32 am Quote
As for the usb hubs, these two have been recommended by pro audio folks more than others I’ve seen. Powered only (gotta have your full 500mA for controllers) I use the Synchrotech unit, and swear by it.
http://www.synchrotech.com/product-usb/hub_01.html
http://www.drbott.net/product/3121-T7UH/
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:51 am Quote
plus 1 for an usb-hub…bad with a macbook pro when you have serato on one, you only got one port left for other stuff like nanopad or denon controllers and so on, would be nice to see one which should work fine in live gigs!
still a great blog, word up from europe
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:59 am Quote
I’ve just recieved mine & it does exactly what it says on the tin!!
Just one thing to watch out for though. ….it has magnetic feet, so just be careful you don’t store it in your bag too close to your lappy/hard drive.
December 3rd, 2009 at 7:05 am Quote
Regarding USB hubs.
I remember seeing an article about this a couple of years ago, but I’ve never found a hub with the following spec’
When you mix USB 1 & USB 2 devices on the same USB bus, the whole bus will normally drop to the lower USB 1 speed. The aricle I remember seeing talked about hubs that allowed you to mix USB 1 & 2 devices, & still maintain faster speeds to the USB 2 devices.
Has anybody ever seen a USB hub that does this?
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:28 am Quote
I have a badly functioning external hdd, which sometimes jumps to usb 1 mode (i get a popup in win xp telling me that is is), when i copy from or to this hdd it shows transfer rates of about 2.5MB/s, the other external hdds on the hub keep functioning at about 30MB/s.
So i guess, it does, it is a logitech powered 4 port hub.
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:25 pm Quote
i have both of these too , and i love them , they power my nano , my externalx2 , and my mouse they are sweet.
i dont get the droping of the hubs with them either , if you have this problem and use any windows os , the best way to get that to stop is turn off your computer , have the usb’s pluged in , and upon the start up windows will do its thing and this problem should not happen.
if it does, for you hhd , make sure you install the hardware with passports and lacies they tend to drop more if you have not installed the items on your computer. once you have it installed YOU DONT HAVE TO USE THE PROGRAMS.
December 6th, 2009 at 3:24 am Quote
Nice, but I don’t like the price, I’ll just order the stuff from dealextreme and build my own for at least half the price!
December 14th, 2009 at 10:26 am Quote
Bought this sucker and am hoping it’s the best $30 ever spent! Thanks for reviewing this – as I have been looking for something like this for a while – with a dim feature!
December 22nd, 2009 at 4:42 pm Quote
Heh whatever you do make sure the magnetic feet don’t touch the chassis of your mac. It made mine stutter and go to sleep haha