DanceMusic

Dubspot in New York City has just opened it’s Electronic Music Training Facility.

From the Dubspot website:

DUBSPOT, located in New York City’s meatpacking district, is the home of DS14, which prides itself as being NYC’s first DJ, VJ and Electronic Music Production Academy, offering a wide range of courses in small, intimate class sizes.

We believe that the key to effective learning is hands-on experience coupled with direct instructor supervision.

With experienced instructors hailing from a diverse set of musical backgrounds, DS 14’s cross-genre approach to DJ and Music Production education gives our students a solid foundation to work with.

Additionally, we’ve partnered with the leading innovators in professional audio to keep our studios outfitted with the latest technology, including Serato Scratch Live.

They are offering tours of the facility on Saturday and Sunday January 27 & 28st from 12-6pm at 348 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10014 and can be reached at 1-877-DUBSPOT (382-7768) or info@dubspot.com

via: DanceNova

Coachella has become the West Coast’s Largest Music festival drawing thousands of people to the small desert town of Indio, CA in the Coachella Valley somewhere between Los Angeles and Phoenix. This year the festival expands to 3 days and features such artists as: Bjork, Tiesto, Paul van Dyk, Richie Hawtin, Faithless, DJ Shadow, Digitalism, Benny Benassi, Infected Mushroom, Ratatat, MSTRKRFT, and Soulwax. One act that was rumored to be playing this year and is noticeably missing is Portishead. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for this one.

Watts Music, the United States’ largest distributor of dance music has recently closed its doors for good.  With the recent rise in popularity of digital download sites such as Beatport, Trackitdown, Audiojelly, and others it’s no wonder, and no surprise, that formerly dominating distributors such as Watts and Intergroove have gone out of business.  The costs associated with vinyl are just far too much for it to remain a competitive medium for DJing. 

As a former buyer for a record store that has gone out of business because of the high cost of staying competitive with online stores and digital download sites I felt the effects and witnessed a record store that was once the largest in the state dwindle down to nothing.  Many other record stores around the country are bound to really start feeling the effects if they haven’t already.  Expect to see lots of local record shops closing their doors in 2007 as more and more DJs switch to the digital medium.  With distributors closing, it initiates a ripple effect that will surely change the face of the dance music community and the underground culture worldwide. 

When I first got into ”Rave” music at the time the place to hang out was at the record stores, it was where you could meet and talk to the DJ you saw playing the night before, where you could learn about DJing or Electronic Music in general, a place to pick up flyers and find out about other events.  The local record shop was the cornerstone of the Dance Music scene.  With this gone it leaves a new generation of Dance Music lovers with nowhere local to call their own.  It’s a reality that is happening right now before our eyes, but it would have been foolish to think things would always stay the same.

One thing I know right now is that all of those DJs out there that always insisted, “oh I’ll never stop playing vinyl” are hoping right now that nobody will remember them saying that.

The Jupiter 8V is the newest addition to the family Arturia’s analog synthesizer recreations. Offering the unique sound palette of the Roland Jupiter 8, this virtual version is a sound designer’s dream.  Based on the latest version of TAE®, the Jupiter-8V also offers a host of modern features: an advanced step sequencer, a new line of dynamic effects, a module combining LFO’s (called Galaxy), and lots more…

FEATURES:

• More than 400 high quality and innovative sounding presets
• Up to 32 voices of polyphony, and a Unison mode
• A unique audio structure featuring 2 oscillators per voice (16 oscillators in total), 2 LFO’s, 2 filters and 2 envelopes.
• Keyboard split and layer
• A set of Analog Sounding Effects: Dual Delay, Phaser, Flanger, all three being largely modulable by any audio source in the synth.
• 2 digital effects, X and Y.
• Additional Live-oriented Step-sequencer, additional Galaxy module for advanced modulations
  Set to Control with your external MIDI keyboard in just a few clicks.
• Full compatibility with major formats and hosts on Mac OS X and Windows XP (VST, AU, RTAS)

Arturia Jupiter 8V Plugin Product Page

Looks like an upgrade to the BCD2000 is in the works and slated to be released in the second quarter of 2007.  I can’t quite tell what the differences are yet other than the obvious color change from blue to black and the fact that it comes with Native Instruments’ Traktor DJ software.  Apparently there were some issues getting the 2000 to work with Traktor, so hopefully this problem is now solved.

This is from the Behringer website:

B-CONTROL DEEJAY—the Hottest Hands-On DJ Mixer from BEHRINGER

It’s everything you ever wanted in a DJ production tool. It’s gorgeous, you can put your hands on it and the software is just irresistible.

The B-CONTROL DEEJAY BCD3000 DJ mixer lets you play, mix and scratch any MP3, WAV or other audio format with a real vinyl feel. Packed with mind-blowing features such as mixer, dual-player, effects, mic/phono preamps and a full-fledged monitor section, this 4-channel USB audio interface perfectly complements the included Native Instruments Traktor 3 LE DJ software or most other DJ software, running on Windows XP and Mac OS X operating systems. You’ve waited long enough. Go to your local dealer, and make sure this hot babe is yours.

Put your hands on and spin!

Behringer BCD3000 Product Page

Native Instruments unveils Traktor Scratch, yet another DJing system using timecoded vinyl or cds to control digital music files off a laptop. So much for a new and innovative piece of equipment that we were all hoping for that bypassed the whole timecoded vinyl thing. The new package comes with a version of their industry leading DJ software, Traktor, and has a nice high quality sound card for audio output. Nothing new really. The thing about these systems that really prevents me from using them is that you can’t just show up, plug into the mixer and go. You have to disconnect the turntables or cd decks and plug them into the hardware interface then back into the mixer. What a pain in the ass! Now if Technics built in a second set of RCA outputs into the back of some 1200s it wouldn’t be such a bother and you wouldn’t have to worry about some surly sound guy breathing down your neck for messing with his setup.

Native Instruments Traktor Scratch Product Page

Motorola’s new Bluetooth headphones are probably not going to make it into many DJ gig bags, but the idea is interesting. You wouldn’t have to mess with tangled cables when you start dancing on stage, you could answer important phone calls from your agent informing you that the promoter for the event you are playing at didn’t sell enough tickets to pay you, and the noise-reducing, wind resistant microphone lets you converse even in noisy environments.

via: Gizmodo

Torq Xponent is a cutting-edge performance system that brings professional-grade control to the world of the computer-based DJ. Engineered by M-Audio’s SynchroScience Design Group, the package includes the Torq DJ software that’s revolutionizing digital DJing and the Xponent hardware control surface that puts all that power right at your fingertips. With full-size tactile controls, an integrated USB audio interface and intuitive MIDI-learn capabilities, Torq Xponent bridges the gap between traditional DJ hardware and today’s powerful performance software once and for all. This completely integrated system combines the features of a standard two-channel DJ mixer with the controls of a pair of DJ CD players, letting you cue, mix and scratch digital files without touching the host computer.

Priced at $749 it’s not as cheap as some competing products but it definitely has the features to demand such a price. I’m definitely looking forward to getting a hands-on trial soon.

Torq Xponent Product Page

THE MISSING LINK FOR SOFTWARE DJS.

A tabletop controller for DJs who yearn for the control they left behind when they switched from traditional mixers to the multi–processing power of laptop DJing. This fully class–compliant USB MIDI device is the ultimate for any performing computer DJ.

Total Control’s 31 buttons, 20 knobs and 5 faders send MIDI data from the controller to your DJ software of choice, making the inconvenience of mouse or glide–pad software control a thing of the past. No assignment of software parameters for the Total Control is necessary – simply connect the controller to a computer with a USB cable, enable it on the user’s computer’s “config” menu, and watch the virtual controls respond to Total Control’s actions.

The Total Control comes packaged with Numark’s Cue LE and Native Instruments’ Traktor LE software, with pre–mapped controls and overlay “skins” for both applications.

Download Product Overview

Several new DJ controllers are being unveiled at the NAMM show this week in Anaheim, CA and this is one of them. Seems to have all of the requirements such as jog wheels and assignable knobs and faders as well as some extra candy to play with. 

 

FUNCTIONS: 

• 90 parameters of various software are assignable to the VCI-100’s control section via USB MIDI IN/OUT.
• The JOG wheel is constructed with a high-resolution pulse sensor; touch sensor and acrylic platter mechanism. With this combination, operations such as pitch bending, scanning and scratching can be performed with speed and accuracy. 
• The resistance value of the fader movement is AD converted and sent to the software along with curve information created by the CPU inside the VCI-100. Therefore, you can adjust the crossfader curve to your preference whether or not the software you use has curve control. 
• The DATA SEND LED and JOG wheel SENSOR LED provides clear visual of the current status to assist in an authentic play mode in real time. 
• The power source is selectable from USB bus-power and the exclusive power adaptor. (For best performance and stable operation, please use the power adaptor if the computer’s power capacity is low or if using a USB hub)
• There are no issues if you don’t have software to operate. TRAKTOR LE (Native Instrument Inc.) is bundled to the VCI-100 with exclusive control assignment files. 
• The VCI-100 provides simple plug & play working with Apple and Windows computers.
• Compatible with all software that allows MIDI control assignment. Each software’s samples of MIDI control assignment files will be available at www.vestax.com soon.
• The metal body is almost the same size as a standard Laptop, thin but highly durable, compact and convenient for transportation. 
   

 

Vestax VCI-100 Product Page