GETTIN’ SOME TECH LOWDOWN FROM SCOTT GRANGER COURTESY OF TILLLATEMAGAZINE.COM
Monday, August 16, 2010
THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION FROM AUTHOR SCOTT GRANGER & TILLLAGEMAGAZINE.COM WHICH DVS (Digital Vinyl System)? Firstly, what is a DVS, a digital vinyl system or vinyl emulation software allows a DJ to physically manipulate the playback of digital audio files on a computer using turntables/CD players with special time coded vinyl/CD and allows the DJ to scratch, beat match and perform other turntablism that would be impossible with a conventional keyboard and mouse OR my explanation "you DJ as normal but all your tunes are on your laptop". Well its Back in 2004 i was more than bored carrying my record collection about everywhere i played, in my sets i wanted to move faster and not have to waste half my night looking for a record. So i had a copy of Serato shipped into the UK, transferred all my music from CD or vinyl and i was good to go with my full music collection at my finger tips and any track i needed a seconds type away. Back then i even heard a few DJs saying "isn't that cheating" but now that's a distant memory as its now the norm for a DJ to have a DVS. Things were easier back then as you had the choice of Final Scratch or Serato but these days there are so much more choice but which is best for you??? It used to come down to what style of DJ you were with hip hop DJs going for Serato and the house music guys going for Traktor but that line is getting blurred more each day. Its now down to budget these days as DVS's range from £150 to £529. Lets be fair they all kinda do the same thing so is down to features, reliability ease of use. Features - Audio effects has been the best feature on most DVS's so no matter what mixer the club you turn up at has you can reply on your DVS to supply. Loops feature which allows you to loop tracks on the fly and is a god send when you need to extended a track or make an intro. 3-4 decks is the next big feature with Traktor being the leader of this feature as more and more DVS follow. We then move onto features like video that Virtual Vinyl and Serato offer which was life changing for me when i added Pioneer DVJ's to my sets in 2005 and was a happy bunny when i could carry my whole audio and video collection on the one laptop. Reliability - In the beginning a crash during your set way more common than it is today with regular updates that fix bugs and improve reliability of your DVS coming a lot quicker which is down to the feedback of the DJ's using these software. One thing you need to remember that Apple and Microsoft don't think "we need to make sure these DJ's are OK when we update our operating systems" that's the last thing on their minds so make sure when updating anything such as iTunes on your laptop you check compatibility and you should be fine. Ease To Use - From the set up to the interface things need to be easy as one of the main reasons to move to a DVS is to keep things simple and all in one place. Another thing is adding external controllers to your set up so the ease to plug them in and set them up is a must as all these things are usually done in a packed club where you have minutes before taking over from another DJ so if things are to complicated a DJ will soon bin the DVS. So with all this in mind the question i get asked a lot is what would i recommend when purchasing a DVS??? I give them my full break down that goes like this.......... For someone looking to buy a DVS but on a budget I’d recommend RELOOPS SPIN 2+ which has some great effects and the sound card doubles up as a controller for the software and costs around £229. For easy to set up and use with a simple interface with the great feature of adding video to your sets (at an extra cost) I’d have to recommend Rane's Serato Scratch Live which will run you about £529. For the DVS that comes our on top day is Native Instruments Traktor that is packed full of amazing features and is a must have to take the creativity of your live DJ sets to the next level and never look back. They also offer different price levels of their product from the Traktor Scratch Duo at £279 to the top of the range Traktor Scratch Pro and when it comes to compatibility with external controllers these guys even make there products like the X1 ready to use on other DVS's. NOVATION DICER http://www.tilllatemagazine.com/
Novation introduces Dicer, a performance controller designed especially for the digital DJ, and seamlessly integrated with the cue-point and looping features of Serato Scratch Live. Supplied in pairs, the compact USB-powered devices are compatible with any Scratch Live setup, whether using turntables or CDJs. Dicer is the ultimate performance upgrade for Serato, and in fact for any digital DJ. With a pair of Dicers in your DJ setup, you can mash-up your beats on the fly, and create a unique performance every time you play.
Multi-colour backlit soft-touch 'dice' buttons provide real-time visual feedback from the software, and Dicers are so small and rugged that they can be dropped into your laptop bag at the end of the night. Their compact form factor and versatile mounting options enable them to be fastened securely on the corner of turntables, CDJs or a laptop: Dicer mounts into the 45RPM-adaptor hole on a Technics 1200-series turntable, or on to any flat surface using Novation's removable DJ putty. Battle-style or standard, Dicer fits ergonomically into any turntable setup, and one-deck configurations are fine too: just use the reusable DJ putty to secure the second Dicer to your laptop.
These are a MUST for any digital DJ looking to get faster and avoid spending half the night clicking the mouse so you can spend more time performing with the help of two small in size but big in ability units that fit in your back pocket. Priced at £79.99 and out late June/July i can guarantee you will not think twice about purchasing when you see these in action, iv got mines do you have yours yet???
SKULLCANDY AVIATORS BY JAY Z
Brand new from Skullcandy is their Roc Nation AVIATOR range, a very sexy looking bit of audio head jewelry or beautiful headphone if you prefer. As Skullcandy hook up with Roc Nation (one of hip hops biggest icons) this first joint venture for the two massive brands affords both the opportunity to collaborate in the marketing as well as the creative direction of all merchandise. The power of this partnership will push new levels of style and sound in the marketplace and refine the music listening experience. Jay Z himself commented "Our passion is creating amazing music. We're dedicated to delivering the best in live performances. Now with the Roc Nation/Skullcandy partnership, we're offering the best way for people to experience the soundtrack of their lives". So by the sounds of that i think we can expect some more amazing and highly fashionable products with the AVIATOR range being the first of many.
SESSION STRINGS
From the company who never disappoints us each month with a brand new product its Native Instruments with Native Instruments today introduced SESSION STRINGS, a versatile virtual string ensemble for KONTAKT 4 and the free KONTAKT PLAYER. Brought to life through the advanced functionality of the KONTAKT platform, SESSION STRINGS provides charismatic, highly expressive acoustic string sounds for pop, soul, R&B, disco, house and other contemporary music styles. SESSION STRINGS recreates a string ensemble comprising four violins, three violas, two celli and two double basses, captured and produced in one of Germany’s most renowned recording studios by sampling expert Thomas Koritke’s new sound design house e-instruments. All recordings were taken from exclusive instruments from the 18th and 19th century, played by top musicians from some of the finest European orchestras, resulting in outstanding tone and articulations on the highest level of musical virtuosity. Iv already used this on a few productions and the sound quality is just amazing, when you read how much work has gone in to making this you got to appreciate that and know you are buying something that has a lot of time, care and love put into it. At the tiny cost of 99 Euros this is another fine sound set id recommend you add to your sound library!!!
SYLENTH
Sylenth is a virtual analog VSTi synthesizer that takes the definitions of quality and performance to a higher level. Until now only very few software synthesizers have been able to stand up to the sound quality standards of hardware synths. Sylenth is one that does. Sylenth is not just another synth. It was built from a producer's point of view. It was built to produce superior quality sound and music. It was built to perform. A lot of research has been invested in order to achieve unheard warmth and clarity. The graphical interface ensures the highest level of usability so you can fully unleash your creativity. This has got to be one of the best synths on the market right now with it being used on tracks for major artists from Kylie to Lady Gaga and i have no idea what i have done without it in my set up as the quality is out of this world. Grab your copy of Sylenth for 139 Euros and trust me you will no be disappointed.
KEEPIN’ THE BEAT TECHNICAL!!!
