Want to Hear What Dr. Dre Hears

August 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Just recently, my headphones finally broke.  I have been looking for a new pair of dj headphones.  While I was looking, I came across these headphones called Beats by Dre.  Yes, you heard correct headphones designed by Dr. Dre.  The headphones are manufactured by Monster (the same people who make the monster cables).  The headphones have been getting critical praises, and $350 I surely hope so.

Dre, who for three years collaborated with Jimmy Iovine, chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, and audio “connectivity” company Monster to create the Beats, says his goal was to give people a way to “hear what the artists hear and listen to the music the way they should — the way I do.”

However, I don’t know if I’m ready to pay $350 for headphones unless I come into some small windfall, but I can dream.

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, gadgets 

Screw Serato! I want this!

May 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I love turntables because you can actually touch the “music”. However, this cat by the name of Scott Hobbs took the concept of “touching music” one step further by creating this prototype digital turntables called Attigo TT. He created this for his thesis. Damn.  He basically has two touch screens about the size of a turntable, and he uses the song’s waveform as the “wax”.  Then with his hands he can mantiulated just like you would with a regular record.  It looks like he is using the Mac Operating system for the platform.  Check out these videos for a demostration.  You can see other videos here. (via engadget)


Final Product // ATTIGO TT from Scott Hobbs on Vimeo.


Final Technology // User Testing from Scott Hobbs on Vimeo.
 

 

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, gadgets 

Myspace Meets the DJ & the Mixtape

March 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Pacemaker site

In a previous post, I mentioned a cool device called the Pacemaker. Think of it as turnables and a mixer meets the iPod. Well the company who created the Pacemaker just launch a new social network for DJ mixes. They also give you free software to create your mixes and publish to the site and share with everyone.  You can do loops, beat match and effects with the software. However, you can only publish it to the site. You can’t save to it an audio file. I have been playing around with it and once I figure it out I will share my mix with y’all. Check out this mix someone did here.

pacemaker interface
(Screengrab of the software interface)

Could this be the end of the DJ(like me)? I doubt it, but it is fun. Give it a try and let me know if do a mix by posting it in the comments section.

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, gadgets, mixes 

Go Go Gadget

March 6, 2008 | 1 Comment

I found two interesting gadgets for DJs. The first one relates to Serato and devices like Torq and Final Scratch. Lately, I have been getting gigs with other DJs who use different Vinyl control devices. It is a pain to try to switch between them. I have Torq and then the other DJ has Serato or Traktor Skratch. Everytime we switch off, there seems to be a problem. This is where this little device comes in. It is called the Magma Switchbox. It allows two digital vinyl system to connect and then the switchbox connects to the mixer.

switchbox

With the MAGMA SWITCHBOX Digital-DJ, two digital DJ-Systems like Serato and Final Scratch can be plugged simultaneously to a mixer (also Battle-Mixers with only 2 x Phono/Line inputs) and can be combined with a usual DJ setup. That means that it is possible to constantly switch between the signal of the turntable (THRU), the CD-player (THRU) or two digital DJ setups (A or B) with two Phono/Line inputs of the mixer.

Diagram

It cost a little over $200.00. However, it is not available stateside. You can grab it here.

The next gadget is very interesting. What do you get when you cross an iPod and Serato? A Pacemaker. It is a ultra portable DJ setup. The Pacemaker holds 120 gigs of storage and it has software to organize and sync your music. It has a mixer and built in effects. You can even create loops and cue points like Serato. You can play back MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA, and FLAC and it has about an 18 hour playback. Now you can rock a party in your pants. I think it cost around $500.00.

Features:

  1. Line out and headphones crossfaders
  2. Pitch bend, cue, loop
  3. EQ, sound effects
  4. Dedicated headphones and line out jacks
  5. USB 2.0
  6. 120 GB hard drive
  7. Sound to noise ratio of > 100 dB
  8. MP3 with Variable Bit Rate, AAC, WMA, WMA lossless, OGG, FLAG, WAV
  9. 13 ms input latency
  10. 18-hour battery life; 5 hours in DJ mode
  11. Mac and PC compatible (assuming they just make it a USB Mass Storage device)
  12. Save mixes

If the guys at Pacemaker are reading this, we would love to try it out, and be the official spokesman for the device.
pacemaker

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, gadgets 

Serato owes everything to RZA

November 13, 2007 | 1 Comment

rza

Apparently, the RZA actualy invented the Final Scratch techonology that is used in devices such as Serato, and Torq. His Company Wu- Electronics actually developed prototypes almost 10 years ago.  Well here is proof that at least Wu-Electronics existed back in 2001

From USA TODAY, 2001 

Ultimately, he says, the success of the group feeds the success of everything else they do, which in addition to solo albums includes Wu Electronics, the Wu Wear fashionline, video games and such spinoff acts from their camp as the Black Knights and Killarmy.

Check it out and determine if it is true.  Also check out ill doctrine’s take on it.

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Interviews, Music, gadgets 

Mixtape 2.0

September 16, 2007 | 1 Comment

cassette mp3 playerDon’t you just love technology? Now a days you can play your mp3s on vinyl with products such as Serato, or Torq. You got the iPod, and 1000’s of other similar devices. But what about the lost and forgotten tape cassette? Remember when people made mix tapes with real tapes and not cd’s? I actually missed the cassette. I still have a cassette deck in my car which still works (the radio doesn’t though).

Well for all you tape fans out there who want to have the best of both worlds. This is your time. There is a new product out there allows to put your mp3s on a cassette (sort of). It is the Cassette MP3 player. Not only you can listen to this player with headphones, you can plug it into any old cassette player as well. It has no internal memory. You will have to use SD Memory cards (which is not bad thing). You can buy your girl this player and make mix tapes all day long with out hurting the environment (Al Gore are you reading this). And it is pretty cheap. About $22.00. You can find more information about it here.

Posted by Tarik | Filed Under Music, gadgets