Finding the perfect soundcard is a never-ending battle for most digital DJs, especially for the DJ on a budget. Echo has been putting together rock-solid devices for years and is definitely not a newcomer to the scene. Echo is well-known for its very reliable drivers that will seldom let you down no matter what system you are running. We previously reviewed the Echo AudioFire2, so now it’s time to take a look at how its bigger brother, the Echo AudioFire4, stacks up.
Read on, and we’ll answer all the questions you should be asking yourself when you’re searching for a soundcard for DJing.
The DaScratch controller from Stanton is a one of a kind and truly innovative controller. We have seen a lot of new devices aimed at the digital dj recently but not many manufacturers have been willing to think outside of the box and innovate on a software and hardware level. Developing such a device seems to have paid off for Stanton, as after several months of playing around with the controller I am happy to report its a pleasure to use and surprisingly fun! Continue reading SCS-3d “DaScratch” Reviewed
On Monday we published a article introducing Bento’s new smart mixing pack to the Dj TT community. The smart mixer is a very powerful tool that can make basic mixing very smooth and super easy. The concept of smart mixing may be easy to grasp but the actual mechanics behind this technique are a bit more complex. Dj TechTools prides itself on teaching your the fundamentals of new concepts so here is the 2nd half of that article where we will go into the nuts and bolts of creating and modifying a smart mixer on your own.
Do you find yourself needing 4 hands in the middle of a set? The fundamental principles of mixing tracks are; balancing the EQ and keeping volume levels even through a transition. This may sound simple, but often in the heat of a mix several of these factors need to be handled at the same time. The most frequent problem is trying to turn down the bass on one track while raising the bass and volume on the other and somehow managing to keep everything in time. Considering that the average DJ only has 2 arms and usually about 3 drinks in him, there has to be a way to make that process easier right? Yes- and the answer is smart mixing.
One of the users in our rapidly expanding forum has made this wonderfully fun arcade controller and shared some info on how you can do it yourself. Inspired by the Monome and Ean’s original arcade button mod, King Vitamin set upon a journey to create a unique controller for his live ableton sets. The result is a great example in DIY controllerism that you could easily adopt into your own concepts. Lets dive in and take a closer look at his controller, the mappings and how you might also do the same thing.
Has your DJ equipment ever stopped working and your left scratching your head wondering why? Did you drop $500 on a midi controller and still get irregular performance? Well, don’t throw in the towel just yet, chances are that it is probably a problem with the cable connecting your equipment to your computer. We have had many reported instances of gear dropping out in the forums and in particular the VCI-100. While Vestax did a great job with the quality of the VCI-100 they skimped on the quality one area, the USB cable.
Lets take a look at what goes into choosing a cable that you can rely on.
Those who do a lot of heavy scratching and crossfader tricks on their VCI-100’s have some minor complaints about weight of the fader being too light. Luckily however one of the users of our Forum going under the name of PaddyDj has successfully integrated a Pro X Fade into his VCI-100. We were able to get hold of PaddyDj who was kind enough to make a wiring diagram that will make doing this mod just that much easier.
EKS, the creators of the Otus, have told us about their plans for another version called the EKS Otus Raw. While the devices are very similar there are some notable differences you might be interested in. EKS has also released a series of videos that take a closer look at the EKS Otus than the original video Ean shot which introduced this space age controller to the world. Baring any un-foreseen obstacles, you might be able to try one out as soon as September.
The last time we looked at the Otus it was still very much in development and the final controls were still not decided upon. Now everything is in place so lets look at the what the Otus will look like and then how the RAW will differ.
Update: EKS Otus in action Video, the fate of HD-midi for the Otus and production status !
Moldover has made an appearance on MTV’s “How To Show”, showing off you how to turn an oxygen 8 or any other keyboard into your own expressive controllerist musical instrument. With only a handful of items you can easily find around the household and using the similar techniques to that used on his own Novation Remote-25 SL keyboard, Moldover shows in three simple steps how easy it is to become a controllerist armed with just a oxygen8 and a copy Ableton live.
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