Serato Itch

A viable alternative to the traditional DJ setup of turntables/mixer or cdj/mixer is the midi controller. While you can use a midi controller in conjunction with your existing setup, such as the Novation launch pad or Native Instruments X1(very popular among both Traktor & Scratchlive users), there are hardware systems out there that combine all the essential components into one neat package.

Enter the Serato Itch platform. These midi controllers provide an outlet to manipulate mp3s, song library management, in addition to mixing and equalizer controls. It's pretty much a seamless integration of the Serato Scratchlive platform many of you are familiar with and a midi controller. The Itch system is plug and play, eliminating the need to setup several components such as your 30 pound a piece turntables.

Perhaps some video examples can clarify what these are capable of:

Allen & Heath Xone: Dx (mentioned in an earlier post, I believe), around $1200


Vestax VCi 300, $800


Native Instruments Kontrol X1, $200 (using Traktor, but I'm trying to showcase this technology!)


Listening to: Dead Presidents Mix Pt.1 (i forgot who the dj was that put it together)

Grindin'

Found four records from my old collection buried underneath a box of Christmas lights. Joe Buddens - Pump It Up, Clipse - Grindin, 50 Cent - In the Club, and Lethal Weapon #60. If you don't know what Lethal Weapon is, its a compilation of around 6 or 7 songs with usually 1 or 2 hit singles along with some breakout tracks from other artists.

Granted, there was a lot of hissing and popping since i kinda fucked these records up when I was learning how to spin (and scratch on these haha, especially that damn 50 Cent record). Weird feeling to hear music pumping out of my setup with my computer off. I miss seeing my collection of records grow with all these crazy ass record sleeves and checking out the art work on some of them. My mixes would be confined to what's in my crate or whatever I could borrow until I saved up enough money to hit up Ultrasounz in San Bruno and buy a record or two. The first party I spun at, a house party in the high school day, I brought 30 records and played the shit out of all of them. Now I have thousands of songs on my hard drive and spend all this time indexing and organizing it. And then I think of my humble box of vinyl that I would rearrange in these different "progressions" and how I used to make notes in a 25 cent composition notebook of which play order worked best. 

I'm not trying to hate on how the move to MP3 changed DJ'ing. Many of the older DJ's say that it ripped some of the soul out of the art, made it too accessible and made the DJ indiscriminate of what they choose to play. I can understand that, definitely, there's some pretty shitty music out there and it seems like there's hardly any refuge for someone that doesn't want to spin whats on the radio and still get paid. 

Anyways, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I realized that I think I've been resting on my laurels a bit because of the technology itself. I pushed myself to practice a lot harder when it was just straight records, the decks, and my shit mixer. Not that I don't practice with diligence now,  I'm still grindin! I love what technology has done for DJ'ing, yet on the other hand I think its whack that there are people out there that wouldn't survive a mix without their computer. But hey, how could you tell anyways when we live in an age where the computer itself is a crucial part of your setup.  I'm not tr ying to sound bitter, but after playing with vinyl it seems like DJ'ing just jumped to another dimension. I guess you could say it was nostalgia that made me post about this.

Putting these ancient relics in a safe place

"She know the DJ, he on serato"

Baby Bash - Outta Control

Online digging

do some recon online when you're bored...

Thought I'd share these sites with you guys:

www.yes.com  - find what songs are popular on any radio station across the country

www.last.fm    - charts and related artist, see what tracks listeners have on repeat

www.discogs.com - chronological lists for any artist's work

www.billboard.com - you shouldn't really have to check this that often, unless you've been living under a rock. The hot 100 lists can be surprising at times... the things people like.

I usually consult these sites first whenever I need some perspective. Check them out and let me know how useful they've proved to you. 

Record Pools and other legal sources of MP3s

If you're using a vinyl emulator such as Serato Scratchlive, Traktor, or Torq and the like, 
you're going to need a reliable source of high quality MP3's to keep your mixes fresh and up to date. True, you can use file sharing software like Limewire or source your music from torrent packs, and you might get by for awhile. Files downloaded from random sources on the internet usually have funky (completely and utterly wrong) tags, too corrupted for the vinyl emulator to read (risk crashing the program during a gig if you play it), have hisses & pops, or just plain ol' shit quality. You'll find that the convenience of a record pool outweighs the costs associated with membership. Files from record pools are always of good quality, and have no hidden surprises.

Once upon a time when DJ's frequented record stores to pick up new tunes, they would browse through the aisles and preview records on the shop's turntables. A single would be about 6 bucks, and most DJ's vinyl collections would be worth many more times the setup they spin on. Back in the day when I got my start I would be lugging around crates of records to gigs, which are a lot heavier than a hard drive I might add.

Enter the digital record pool. A record pool basically has all those records, new and older tracks alike, in mp3 format to be downloaded at your convenience. So instead of dropping a couple bucks on a new record, the cost  to download a song from the record pool is usually less than the cost of a pack of gum. An added convenience of the record pool is that their files are correctly tagged, have some cue points set, and have all of the file information preloaded into the track. This means that your vinyl emulation software doesn't have to waste time building up the overview for the track as soon as you load it. As you know, this can be very time consuming and draws a good amount of resources from your CPU and ram as your computer is busy trying analyze the mp3. Since the nice folks at the record pool have done this for you already, you can spend more time programming your mixes rather than watching your computer do work. 

downloading a song from djcity.com

previewing a song on i12inch.com

Try djcity or breakthecrates to try out some entry level pools. If you don't want to subscribe to a monthly service such as the latter, try i12inch. Pay as you go, better value if you purchase song credits in bulk. Scratchlive users should also check out whitelabel.net. It's free! If you're planning on taking DJ'ing seriously, finding a record pool(s) that suits your musical tastes is essential.  


+ use mixedinkey with your new music, and start mixing harmonically. Saves you a lot of time with the trial and error of what songs will play nicely with each other. I'll explain the benefits of programs such as mixedinkey and the value of harmonic mixing in another post. Check out their website, I'll write an article on how harmonics can guide your mixes soon!

Technics 1200 Series - MK2 M3D MK5 M5G

As promised, a piece on the venerable SL-1200 turntable. I hope you have a pair too.


The Technics 1200 turntable is the industry standard. The design has remained relatively unchanged for the 30 + years since the first MK2 variant was released. In light of ever evolving technology and fair amount of attempts to replicate the success of the 1200 by its competitors, these turntables have endured due to their consistent ability to perform, simplicity and steadfast reliability. It's no wonder why Technics are a fixture in just about every DJ booth you'll step into. For the newest turntables to come out, their performance and usability relative to the 1200 series is the metric of their success or failure. Nothing beats the feeling of scratching on these bad boys. And if you think some other new fangled turntable with a more powerful motor is gonna help you out, such as those insanely powerful Numark's that'll tear the skin from your fingers if you touch the platter, remember that practically all the scratches you know about were researched and developed on this platform. 

Highlights: High torque motor, very accurate pitch (what controls the speed of the platter), well constructed tonearm with anti-skate, dense rubber feet to minimize vibration, great sound quality, and built like a tank! (the body is made out of aluminum). 

The 1200 comes in a couple of different flavors, and while the differences between models are few, it's enough to be a source of confusion amongst new DJ's & those looking into upgrading. For most types of DJ's (across all musical styles), however, it is also worth noting that these differences make a minimal impact on how you perform. The newer features seem to me like things that DJ's got nit picky about, honestly.  Oh and on a side note, if you're out there trying to learn how to scratch, don't try on lesser turntables. Learn how to scratch and spin on these. This way, at least you know you can't blame your equipment if your scratching sounds like ass.

So I'll try to make this as succinct and to the point as possible:

(thought I would get this out of the way first)

1200: Silver

1210: Matte Black

Technics MK2:

The base model of the 1200 line, produced from 1979-present. In buying a used MK2, I found a great piece from wikipedia.org regarding determining the age from the serial number on the turntable. This is crucial as many are sold on the second hand market (i.e craigslist) as being "2-3 years old." 

"It is possible to tell the year (and the month) when the SL-1200 was manufactured from the serial number on the back or bottom of the turntable. SL-1200 serial numbers are in two different formats, depending on the date of manufacture. It isn't exactly possible to determine the decade in which the SL-1200 in question was manufactured, as the serial number contains only the last digit of the year. If the year digit is 8, the turntable may have been manufactured in 1978, 1988, 1998 or 2008. If the year digit is 0, the turntable may have been manufactured in 1980, 1990 or 2000. One rule of thumb is that old-format serial numbers belong to SL-1200s manufactured during the 1970s and 1980s, while new-format serial numbers belong to SL-1200s manufactured during the 1990s and beyond.

Old-format serial number: NHOJF20765 (SL-1200 manufactured 1982)
The first digit shows the year when the turntable was manufactured. These serial numbers contain no indication of the month of manufacture. It should be noted that serial numbers in this format contain no letters following digits.

New-format serial number: GE4FB001154 (SL-1200MK2 manufactured June 2004)
The first digit shows the year when the turntable was manufactured, while the month of manufacture is indicated by the letter following it. Months are coded as letters between A and L inclusive; A indicates January, B indicates February, and so on, so F indicates June."

taken from Wikipedia

Changes from the MK2 to M3D:

The M3D variant was produced in 1997 - 2002, when it was replaced by the MK5.

The most noticable change from the MK2 model apparent in the M3D was the pitch reset button. Pushing this button instantly resets the pitch back to zero, regardless of the position of the pitch slider. Another change to the pitch controls was the removal of the detent (the resistance you feel on the slider) at the zero position of the slider. Basically, no more 'click' when you slide the pitch to/past zero.

Technics SL-1200M3D - notice the round pitch reset button

Other notable changes are the recessed power button (some people tend to switch off the turntable by accident by grazing the switch with their forearms on the MK2). 

Recessed power switch

Changes from the M3D to MK5:

From looking down on a M3D and MK5, they look practically the same. And if you thought this, you'd be about 90% right. There aren't very many significant differences. But they're there.

•  modified tone arm shape further reduces skating
•  led pop-up target light vs that dim light in the M3D/MK2
•  anti-skate settings increase from 0-3g to 0-6g

Changes from the MK5 to M5G:

Cosmetically, the M5G is very different from the other 1200's, as this is the flagship model. The glossy piano-black finish and blue led's are distinctive of this model. As for performance differences between the M5G and Mk5, these are the ones that stand out:

•  +/- 16% pitch adjustment (vs +/- 8% on all other models)
• pitch is now controlled digitally
• revised tonearm mounting and construction significantly improves skip resistance
• improved vibration resistance and oxygen-free wires 

Brand new prices:

Mk2:  $550-750

Mk5:  $600-800

M5G: $950-$1200

My recommendation? Go with the Mk5. Trust.


Listening to: We Own the Night - 454 As Real As It Gets [go get that album!]


Next post: Resource guide pt.one for the new digital DJ!

Serato CV collectors

Came across some 4 pairs of limited control vinyl on the whitelabel.net blog today. So if you're one of those Serato Scratchlive CV collectors, this could be a golden opportunity to get your hands on some limited pressings!

+ Bright pink pair of MadDecent/Diplo (1500 pressings only)
+ Clear pair from Stones Throw (Sold out, comes with slipmats)
+ Grey pair from Planet Mu 'Knob Twiddler'
+ White pair of Plant Music/Tittsworth

Personally, I'm partial to the white CV's.

Worth mentioning is that the proceeds from the sales go to the Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund. Wonderful to see that Serato, based in New Zealand, is helping out their home base through their global notoriety from Scratchlive. Check out the whitelabel blog for pictures / info on these pressings, as 3 out of the 4 are sold out on the market. Ebay is your only bet to get your hands on these brand new!

Go outbid everyone on Ebay for your favorite pair! You've got about 5 days before auctions end. Sorry, no buy it now option.

Allen & Heath DB4

Dog bollocks?

Theres been some hype around a new product from Allen & Heath to be revealed at BPM in Birmingham (if you're not aware, BPM is a huge music conference in Europe, similar to NAMM or the Winter Music Conference).

The Xone:DX was Allen & Heath's latest (May 2010) midi controller to be released. Lets see how this differentiates itself. The name kinda sounds like an Aston Martin, if you ask me.

BPM is in ten days I believe - can't wait to see what they have for us!

Xone:DB4



Listening to: Johnny Osbourne - We Need Love

Pioneer HDJ-2000

Headphones tend to be a neglected area when it comes to reviewing the latest and greatest equipment. That being said, I thought it would be appropriate to review Pioneer's greatest (perhaps maybe not the latest, anymore) offering in the headphone lineup: the HDJ-2000

Designed and marketed as the flagship model of headphones from pioneer, these cans have the specs to back it up. The large 50mm drivers with high-flux magnets deliver deep, rich bass and crisp highs. The quality build of the HDJ-2000's drivers can be seen in their wide frequency response 5Hz - 35,000Hz (compare that to the next step down in Pioneer's HDJ-1000, which has a frequency response of 5Hz - 30,000Hz). That translates to: easy to pick out those kick drums on the down beat & those out high hats and snares. Listening for those separate elements in the sound stage doesn't take much effort for the listener. Distortion is non-existent even in the most demanding DJ environments due to the high amount of power these can take. With a 3,500 mW maximum power input, needless to say these are made to handle most any rig you hook them up to. Use of an XLR connection & gold plated connectors is a testament to the sound quality these are designed to deliver. 

It seems with DJ headphones that to get excellent sound and isolation, you have to sacrifice form factor and comfort. Not so much the case with these. The HDJ-2000's sleek, simple lines and application of premium materials keep you looking good in the booth. The use of magnesium alloy around the hinges maintains a high level of durability and keeps you from feeling weighed down. The finish on the metal has a handsome look to it - polished instead bling. The only shiny stuff on these is the aluminum around the ear cup. Heat-sensitive memory foam  and synthetic protein-leather compose the ear cups. Needless to say these things are pretty damn comfortable, even after a few hours of listening / playing out. The headband is flexible but incredibly durable. 

Also, worth mentioning is that these are fairly easy to carry around with you because of their fold up design. The ear cups are also capable of a 90 degree swivel, for all u DJs that do the headphones on one shoulder thing. These things are built to last. I know that I've put them through punishment that would've snapped the stems on a cheaper headphone.

Pros:

+ Exceptional sound fidelity

+ Comfort and lightweight

+ Thoughtful design and robust construction

+ Look pretty good!

Cons:

- Isolation could be better

- Price ($250-$400)

While not necessarily a deal for the budding DJ, these headphones are an uncompromising tool that are well suited to both the booth and the studio.