The DVS and controller worlds have been largely separated until now. The analogue mixer is almost always the center of attention for turntablists with controllers occasionally showing up on the side of the turntables. Native Instruments dares to ask why and suggests you give their controller a try by offering a free Traktor Scratch upgrade for every newly registered S4 owner. Our understanding is, buy a new S4, or register your “newly purchased” S4 and you will be sent a brand new pair of records along with a Traktor Scratch Pro license. Sweet!
Continue reading Kontrol S4: The Ideal DVS mixer?
Archive for June, 2011
Kontrol S4: The Ideal DVS mixer?
Inside Look: DJ Dummy and Kontrol S4 Scratch
Native Instruments has announced a free Traktor Scratch Pro upgrade to all users of the S4 who register their product within the next 30 days, and to give you a little taste of why this is a good idea, they got DJ Dummy, the talented scratch DJ who rocks the decks for Common on his shows, putting an S4 DVS setup through its paces on video. We had a chat with the man himself, who took a break in the middle of a busy tour with Rihanna to take us through the routine and if the Kontrol s4 could really be a viable center of the DVS world. Continue reading Inside Look: DJ Dummy and Kontrol S4 Scratch
Power Promotion: Soundcloud Pro Tips
Here at DJ Tech Tools we understand and promote the idea that a very important part of being a DJ is your image, because how people relate to you and what they expect will set the boundaries for what people will allow you to get away with (and how you can push and subvert those boundaries!). With that in mind we’re going to be looking at how you can focus, refine, and promote your image in some upcoming DJ Tech Tools articles.
Great Ways to Discover New Music
At the end of the day, DJing is truly about collecting and curating new music. With today’s remarkably connected Internet there are dozens of great tools that will help you find great tracks that will really work. Here are some of my favorites.
YouTube Has Shaped Controllerism – For the Better?
The art of manipulating and interacting with music through controllers has come a long way in the past 10 years. Today’s dynamic internet has proven to be an excellent delivery medium for new ideas and DJ focused videos have flourished with each new development in hardware and software technology. The area in which we have not seen such a renaissance however, is on stage. While much of the material produced over the past year is undoubtedly impressive and innovative, very little of it seems to translate that well in front of larger crowds. Why is that? Well, there might be unlikely cuplrit- the medium of delivery, YouTube.
Continue reading YouTube Has Shaped Controllerism – For the Better?
Controller Battle!
It’s time to dust off your meanest looks, hardest beats and best controller tricks. There is a San Francisco controller battle this weekend hosted by LoveTech and sponsored by DJ TechTools. DJs from around the nation are converging to bash buttons, crank knobs and earn eternal controllerism glory!
DIY MIDI: Still More Fun in 2011?
Last week we looked at a heap of components that are commonly used in DJ controllers. On one hand, having a better understanding of a component’s capabilities should allow you to make more informed judgements about the right “off the shelf controller” for you. On the other hand – a more adventurous, rebellious hand – knowing how a controller could work is only a few short steps (yes, we’ve transferred from hands to feet) from creating it yourself.
Midi Fighter Mappings for Serato Scratch Live
Serato Scratch is a very popular tool for DJs around the world but one area it lacks strength is in MIDI mapping capacity. For that reason, we set out to create a mapping for the Midi-Fighter that broke new technical ground. The Midi-Fighter mapping for Serato, does exactly that by using scripts to control modifiers (which don’t exist in Serato Scratch Live). This adds shift functionality to several elements including overwriting cue-points with the shift button. Check out our full walkthrough in the video above or continue reading for more details and links to the mappings.
Continue reading Midi Fighter Mappings for Serato Scratch Live
Behind the Curtain: The DJTT Staff
Every solid organization needs a group of dedicated workers to help invent masterpieces, balance the unbalanceable, fight fires, and occasionally mash a few arcade buttons that were getting a bit too cocky. There’s an absolute deluge of work here at DJ Techtools recently – with the launch of the Midi Fighter Pros and the new web store, so we’d like to take today’s article to acknowledge the folks who are spending everyday running and improving TechTools.
Live Effects: Sugarbytes Turnado Review
With advanced effects getting more and more important for DJs to have in their arsenal, Sugarbytes’ Turnado thinks it has the answer by putting eight knobs of sound mauling and an omnipotent fader at your fingertips. Let’s see just how much mangling they can take.
Midi Fighter Pro Mappings
For your viewing pleasure I offer up a quick demo of two models from our new, sold out Midi Fighter Pro series. Instead of a technically complex routine, this video shows a improv exploration of the unit’s performance section that can be enjoyed by DJs and controllerists of all skill levels. The MF Pro series are built to be used as learned instruments and provide intuitive tools that can be unleashed at any moment when inspiration strikes. Just select the preset of your choice, and start working the faders to find a complex range of sounds and textures that can transform any track into your own personal sonic landscape.
