Digital DJ Tips

How to DJ properly with portable digital DJ gear

Review & Video: Namba Kucha iPad DJ Messenger Bag

Namba Kucha

Compact and rather cute, the Namba Kucha is like a shrunken laptop messenger bag.

For DJs who have to take their own kit to gigs, the days of lumping around a car bootful of gear are thankfully long-gone. As long as there’s a sound system already in place, you can usually get away with a backpack – even if it’s sometimes a quite big and heavy backpack!

But iPad DJs have really got it easy. As the Namba Kucha Messenger Bag we’re reviewing here today shows, it’s possible for iPad DJs to turn up sporting a really compact set-up, with the whole thing thrown over their chests, messenger-style.

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Video DJing, Part 8: 5 Further Steps For New VJs

VJ Anyone

VJ Anyone throws his stuff onto the big screen. If you've been inspired to have a go at video DJing, here are some resources to help you take it further.

If you’re a DJ who wants to add videos, visuals, logos or other VJ components to your DJing, and you’ve followed this eight-part series, you’ll be in a good position now to know roughly where you want to go next with this. (Not been following? Go to the start and read it in its entirety now!)

So today for the final part (before moving on to reviewing the gear in depth over the coming weeks and months), we want to give you five resources that we hope will help you to firm up your own personal vision of where you want to take this.

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Video: Reloop Terminal Mix 2 Serato Controller

The Reloop Terminal Mix 2 was announced a few weeks ago but was only on show for the first time at Musikmesse 2012. The Reloop Terminal Mix 2 is a two-channel version of the previously announced Terminal Mix 4.

In today’s exclusive video from the show floor, we get to take a first look at it upfront and close.

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Why Are There No Good DJ Apps For Android?

DJing on Android - it’s like iOS a couple of years ago.

If you don’t own an Apple mobile device then perhaps you do own a smartphone or tablet running the Android operating system. Indeed, Android currently accounts for the largest market share of smartphone devices – so why do we not hear much about DJ apps (or indeed any music apps) on Android?

We get asked all the time to cover Android DJing apps and music services, but up until now we’ve struggled to find anything worth reporting to you. So why might this be?

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Review & Video: Allen & Heath Xone XD2-53 Headphones

The XD2-53s

The XD2-53s now sport a screw-in detachable cable and a nifty new paint job.

Allen & Heath has recently updated its well regarded top-end DJ headphones, the XD-53s, with the new (and not altogether originally named) XD2-53s.

Apart from changing the colour (they’re now in a gun-metal finish), the company has also made the cable detachable, something most top DJ headphones tend to have nowadays. Let’s take a closer look and see how they perform.

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Over To You: Should I Buy A Sub-Woofer With My New PA System?

JBL woofer

A sub can add considerable "thump" to your PA system, but at often considerable additional cost too. Is it essential, asks our reader today?

Reader Jon Baker writes: “I’m relatively new to the digital DJing scene, and as such haven’t got my own PA system yet, although I plan on investing in one shortly.

“I tend to play predominately music which is very bass-heavy, yet only have a budget of around £350 for a pair of preferably powered PA speakers (poor student times). I usually only play gigs in small to medium sized venues. As my music is so bass-heavy, would it really sound OK on such a budget system, ie one within my price range, or should I wait considerably longer and purchase a powered sub at the same time? Any views appreciated.”

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Your Questions: Should I Switch From ITCH to Serato Scratch Live?

Serato Scratch Live SL2

The Serato Scratch Live SL2 system. With this, you can DJ on any standard record decks/CDJs and mixer set-up.

Digital DJ Tips reader Mateo writes: “I bought your DJ tutorial video course and it is working great! I’m learning a lot coupled with having a DJ mentor on board, and I’m sure I’ll be out and playing soon.

“The question I have is a very novice one. I have a NS7 and it runs with Serato ITCH, but the club I want to DJ at runs with Serato Scratch Live. I don’t intend to bring my NS7 to the club as they are all set up pretty much but I’m wondering, should I get another controller? And which ones work with Serato Scratch Live? Is there a learning curve between Scratch and ITCH?

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Video: Denon DJ SC3900 Digital Turntable & Midi Controller

At Musikmesse 2012 a week or so ago we snagged a private talkthrough of the Denon DJ SC3900, Denon DJ’s latest spinning platter controller.

It can be used to control timecode software (eg Serato Scratch), as a USB DJ device, as a straight Midi controller, or with an iPad and Denon’s new Engine software. Oh, and if you really want to you can play CDs on it too.

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Pioneer Launches HDJ-1500 DJ Headphones

HDJ-1500 Pioneer

The HDJ-1500s from Pioneer: they are sporting a new look from the company, which we rather like.

Pioneer has this week launched the HDJ-1500s, the latest model in its headphone range. Promising durability, better isolation and higher output than their predecessors, the HDJ-1000s, they also sport a rather stylish updated look.

While headlining professional-grade features and performance, this model is priced more affordably than Pioneer’s top end HDJ-2000s, with a European street price of £149/€189.

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Videos: MixVibes Cross DJ 2.0 & iCross DJ for iPad

MixVibes Musikmesse 2012

iCross DJ for iPad is a port of Cross DJ to the iPad, and is a pretty impressive v1.

MixVibes may not be the biggest name in DJ software and hardware, but it is an innovator. From their own VFX video DJing platform, to being the team behind Pioneer’s RekordBox software, MixVibes knows what it’s up to.

MixVibes Cross DJ software has quietly become a contender, and alongside the company’s U-Mix Control Pro controller, offers a good value, tightly integrated DJ system than punches above its price. So now they’ve announced Cross DJ 2.0 and demoed iCross DJ for iPad, we thought we’d take a closer look.

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5 Ways Apple Could Improve iPad, iPhone & iPad Touch For DJs

iDJ Pro

Numark's iDJ Pro: Incredible technology, but still limited by some of iOS's more glaring limitations, such as no dual stereo outputs.

You’ve read the benefits and pitfalls of DJing on Apple iOS devices, so in this final “State of the Nation” piece we come to consider what can Apple do to improve its devices and mobile OS for DJs.

Exactly what amendments to iDevices or the underlying code could further unlock the potential of DJing on a portable Apple device? Here we list our top five…

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The One Big Mistake Nearly Every New Digital DJ Makes

VCI-100 real vinyl

You can DJ on any old controller, but the software you choose will probably stay with you for life. Pic: Peter Kirn, courtesy of Create Digital Music

There’s one mistake that nearly every new digital DJ makes. Sometimes, there’s not much harm done. Sometimes (by fluke rather than by design), the DJ gets it right without realising it. But too often, this mistake adds a big delay to the new DJ actually starting to enjoy their DJing – or worse, it costs them a lot of money.

It all starts innocently enough. The number one question we get asked here at Digital DJ Tips is this: “What DJ controller should I buy?” Crazily, though, most times the hapless new DJ has, at this point, already made the mistake! So what the hell is it?

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Think Sync Is Killing DJing? Look Away Now!

So you think “sync” is killing the art of DJing? That without a DJ manually matching the tempos of two pieces of music, the skill has gone and the doors have been opened for the unwashed masses to trample all over your sacred ground? Boy, you’re very likely going to hate Mixed In Key Mashup 1.5, announced this week. With this release, the package has come of age, and brings powerful, easy, harmonically matched mashup-making to the masses.

(Not familiar with the software? Take a look at the company’s new promo video above. Otherwise, read on for what’s new and why it matters.)

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Is Avid About To Drop Torq?

Avid Torq 2.0

Avid Torq 2.0: Is it about to be dropped?

Persistent industry rumour has it that Avid, the maker of the Torq DJ platform and the Torq Xponent DJ controller, is about to drop them from their product range and thus move out of DJing hardware and software.

The rumour first surfaced at Musikmesse when Avid’s stand failed to have either Torq software or the company’s Torq Xponent DJ controller on show.

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Gemini Releases SR Series: “Affordable” Monitors For DJs

Gemini SR Family

The Gemini SR Family of powered monitor speakers promise affordable monitoring for DJs.

Once you’ve outgrown your computer or gaming speakers and are ready to get a little more serious about your laptop or digital DJing, it’s often time to look at the speakers you’re using.

If like many hobbyist DJs your “studio” is a small space that demands you use the speakers you own for things other than just DJing, you’ll want something flexible and compact – and it’s you that Gemini has in its sights with its new SR series of active monitors.

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Video: Numark iDJ Pro Working Demo

When we broke new of the first-of-its-kind Numark iDJ Pro back at this year’s NAMM, it was a non-working prototype on display.

A couple of weeks ago at Musikmesse 2012, however, we got to actually see a working version. We made this video to show you what all the fuss is about.

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5 Reasons Why iOS Isn’t Suitable For DJing

iOS DJing

Is iOS DJing all it's cracked up to be? There are several reasons why not, as we discover today. Pic: Raúl Colón

In last week’s instalment I boldly proclaimed that iOS was great for DJing, not only as a tool to use for mixing tracks but also as a means to boost interest and awareness in DJing and the principles behind it.

In the interest of balancing the argument out, today I’ll investigate why Apple mobile devices (since Android hasn’t developed this far yet) running iOS are so far not truly suitable for DJing.

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Traktor Pro 2 Slashed By 61%, Now Comes Free With All NI DJ Gear

Traktor Scratch A6 - new name, new software  - same old sound card?

Traktor Scratch A6/A10 are the new names for the Audio 6/Audio 10 interfaces, which now come - like all Traktor hardware - with the full version of the software, and a free upgrade to version 2.5 when it's released.

In an aggressive move to consolidate its position in the DJ software market, Native Instruments today slashed the price of Traktor Pro 2, killed off entirely Duo (offering all Duo owners a free upgrade to Pro), and announced that the full Pro version of Traktor will now be bundled with all Traktor hardware, from the lowly Audio 2 upwards.

Native is calling it a “simplification” of the range to coincide with the launch of Traktor Pro 2.5, but it also effectively marks the end of expensive DJ software; the most that users will pay for Traktor is now US$89/€79 (the price of the software bought fresh from the NI store) against US$229/€199 previously, and for US$119/€99 for the Audio 2 – the cheapest hardware from NI – you also get the full version of Traktor as well.

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DJ software: MixedInKey.com
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