A few weeks ago we got a chance to shoot an awesome What's In Your Bag segment with Claude Von Stroke, Justin Martin, Christian Martin, J. Phlip, and Worthy at their show in at Mezzanine in San Francisco - some of the key cast members in the... Read more
It's here! Ean's remastering of Vestax's flagship DJ controller is available today for preorders, and we're very excited about this one. The Ean Golden Edition of the VCI-400 features a complete redesign, our Chroma Caps, the craziest DJTT mapping... Read more
In the light of Bento San?s excellent Mapulator patch for Max for Live, many of you will be looking just that little bit harder at Ableton Live and what it can do for you. If your interest was piqued but you?re not quite ready to take the plunge... Read more
Ableton Live's MIDI mapping is a double-edged sword: super-easy, but somewhat limiting. What if we could go beyond basic mapping? The fact is that complex MIDI translations in Live shouldn't require a doctorate in computer science to pull off, which... Read more
The DJTT labs are crazy this month! We finally had a chance to watch all of the videos submitted to our PowerTools remix competition and now it's time to announce the winner of the contest. I was completely blown away by the response to this... Read more
An awesome DJ set rarely comes down to which equipment you use - it?s singularly about the sound you deliver. That is, unless you want to scratch. The tools of the turntablism trade are relatively simple, the techniques have evolved at a... Read more
Released to the public earlier this week, Mixed In Key's Mashup is a new simple audio program designed around the creation of super simple key-matched mashups. In addition to taking a look at the software's features and foibles, we challenged some... Read more
The VCI-100 might be dead, but we've got good news for all our faithful VCI-100 users. After some persistent requests from our passionate forum community, we decided to produce one final overlay to accommodate the official DJ Techtools VCI-100SE v4... Read more
Off-the-shelf DJ controllers have come a long way in the past few years, but they?re still lacking that certain something. The whole digital DJing movement was founded on a DIY approach way before manufacturers started seeing dollar signs in the... Read more
The great irony of DJ equipment protection is that one of the most dangerous places to take your gear is to the exact place that you want to be going to - your gig. Be it an after-hours tech house rager, a weekly wobblefest at your favorite venue,... Read more
The Pioneer DDJ-S1 is just over a year old now, having been announced at NAMM 2010. While a number of other controllers have come on the market since, how well does it hold up? And if we were to compare it to the VCI-300, what makes the S1... Read more
Most DJs have heard of the legend of the incredible Innofader - but did you know that this epic fader now has a little brother? Designed to accomodate the many MIDI controllers that don't have room for a full-sized Innofader, we've got the rundown... Read more
This article will not help you get famous or lead to gigs in front of 10,000 people. It will not help you do more amazing technical feats or impress your girlfriend with mad remixing skills. If either of those are your goals in DJing, please stop... Read more
It?s been almost two and a half years since the last DJ TechTools key detection software comparison. Times have changed and the software has moved on, so we took a fresh look at the capabilities of Mixed in Key, Rapid Evolution, and Beatunes-... Read more
Beatport seems set to continue it's horizontal integration as a hub for DJs with today's launch of a new site for high-profile remix contests for budding DJs and producers, Beatport Play. Read more about Beatport Play, get started making awesome... Read more
Today Simon Cowell announced he will be producing a new show in the search for great talent: DJ X Factor. Following the success of the first season of X Factor, Simon shifts his focus with the help of Will Smith to what he calls "the new breed of... Read more
It?s been another wild year at one of the largest trade shows in the industry, and over the last few days, myself and the entire DJTT editorial team have been hard at work bringing you the latest and greatest from the convention floor. NAMM is... Read more
Native Instruments had a party last night to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Traktor, and their they unveiled their powerful newversion of Traktor as well as the new piece of hardware we've been waiting to learn more about, the Traktor Kontrol... Read more
The Smithson Martin KS1974 is one of the more interesting products at this year?s NAMM show, because it?s a really laterally thought out product. What the guys at Smithson Martin are doing is bringing touch capability to your workflow without... Read more
One of the best parts about NAMM is when we get to go downstairs and explore the basement, often full of smaller and more boutique companies making unique products - no 4-deck jogwheel controllers down there! At the Livid Instruments booth, we got... Read more
When was the last time you found yourself craving a keytar? Today's probably a great day to start- at NAMM 2012 Alesis revealed the brand new Vortex, a MIDI Keytar made to bring performance elements to producer/DJs who play sets in DAWs. The... Read more
Yes, the picture we posted earlier this week of the MPC DJ was very much real, and we've got a full look at what the prototype unit looks like. Additionally, we took a quick look at the brand new Numark 4Trak controller, designed to be Numark's... Read more
Korg rolled out their brand new pocket-sized updates to the Mini Kaoss Pad and Kaossilator yesterday at NAMM 2012, with a complete visual upgrade, new OEL screen, and some new sounds and effects. We took a minute to shoot a quick video overview of... Read more
A number of our readers on Twitter and Facebook have been asking us what the latest news from Pioneer is at NAMM, and while there aren't any major new device announcements to share, they do have a few cool smaller items of note - see inside to... Read more
Rane and Serato have worked tightly together for eight years, in many ways pioneering realistic and practical DVS options. The TTM57 is definitely showing its age, though, and for those of you not looking to remortgage for a Sixty Eight, you?re... Read more
We've been waiting to see a finalized version of the Tweaker in person for quite a while, and we finally got to see one on the floor at NAMM running a mapping for Traktor. The unit you see in the video is the final build and construction of the... Read more
The Gemini booth was another stop on our NAMM 2012 tour, and we got a chance to take a close look at the CDMP-7000, their flagship all-in-one CD-J, Flashdrive or software controller. It's well suited for DJs looking for a complete solution to get... Read more
Earlier today at NAMM 2012, we got a chance to take a quick look at Behringer's brand new modular CMD series of controllers, which are not only reasonably priced, but also deliver on versatility and quality. Check out one of the first videos of the... Read more
We got a great chance to take a look at Numark's brand new iDJPro late this afternoon at NAMM's Media Preview day, a controller that revolves around docking an iPad running Djay - we've got all of the details we could glean from the NAMM mockup... Read more
Serato Scratch Live and ITCH users have long awaited an update to the popular but aging Video-SL plugin for Scratch Live to bring video mixing to the next level, and it looks like they've gotten their wish today with the new Serato Video. While... Read more
Update: NI has released a video of the device in action - click to watch and see screencaptures! We're ready to jump on the speculation machine after today's leak from Native Instruments of what we're calling the Kontrol X2, a brand new controller... Read more
We're excited to introduce a brand new backpack to our unique collection of bags designed specifically for djs and controllers. The DJTT S2 Backpack features a unique design that includes a removable case for your S2 or similar-sized controller,... Read more
We're ready to jump on the speculation machine after today's leak from Native Instruments of what we're calling the Kontrol X2, a brand new controller from the Traktor team that features a 4x4 grid of true RGB pads. See the full photo inside, as... Read more
We're ready to jump on the speculation machine after today's leak from Native Instruments of what we're calling the Kontrol X2, a brand new controller from the Traktor team that features a 4x4 grid of true RGB pads. See the full photo inside, as... Read more
Ableton Live has long been the the major player in DAWs that allow for use both production and live contexts, but this morning Berlin-based Bitwig has announced their premiere software that aims to directly compete at Ableton as a solution for... Read more
One of the fondest memories of DJs who?ve been around since the pre-digital watershed is finding new music. When vinyl was still king it was an adventure to head to the record store, don some headphones and put the new records on the shop?s... Read more
Winter NAMM 2012 is just around the corner, and with just over a week to go before the doors open and reveal all types of new DJ gear, we're already getting sneak peaks at awesome new products that will be revealed for the first time at the show.... Read more
There is a brand new PowerTools "House" pack in the DJTT web store and to celebrate its release we are giving away a full set of sounds and holding a contest with some killer prizes. Continue reading to get all the details on the contest and... Read more
We had a chance to sit down with these fun-loving Swedes and ask them what they keep in their DJ bag. As you might expect, it's not the normal array of gear and equipment that some DJs bring with them, but they certainly have the ingredients in... Read more
Nearly 4 years ago, I took the Vestax VCI-100 and made it better - way better. The result was a limited edition "Ean Golden" VCI-100 that sold out in only two hours. It was the first product we ever sold and it started the DJ TechTools tradition of... Read more
This week we've got some cool tips for all you Ableton Live users; if you?ve been wanting to get a little deeper below surface and find out how you can really customise Live into the rig of your dreams then you really should know how you can... Read more
Last week we looked at ten ways to get into digital DJ software for less than $100. Let's take it to the next logical step and add some cost effective hardware controls to the software and really get into DJing on the computer. Today Ean and Chris... Read more
Happy New Year, TechTools readers! We wanted to start this year off right, by doing the thing that we love to do best- giving you the heads up on some awesome tools that could help you take your DJ and production world to the next level. We've seen... Read more
To wrap up the year, we've brought on venerable DJ Angelo from the UK to give us his tips and tricks on surviving and rocking a New Year's Eve DJ set, as well as our usual tradition of finding some awesome and cheesy tracks for you to use on your... Read more
Last week we looked at 10 ways to get into digital dj software for less than $100. Let's take it to the logical next step and add some cost effective hardware controls to the software and really get into DJing on the computer. Today Ean and Chris... Read more
It's been another spectacular year at DJ TechTools, and we're glad to have spent it with you all, our readers and friends. If for some reason you're just now waking up from a cryogenic freeze-state that has lasted exactly 12 months, we wanted to... Read more
It's been another spectacular year at DJ TechTools, and we're glad to have spent it with you all, our readers and friends. If for some reason you're just now waking up from a cryogenic freeze-state that has lasted exactly 12 months, we wanted to... Read more
Many of our readers probably know that custom in-ear monitors are used by a number of major musicians and DJs to make their on-stage performances easier and safer - but what is it about these guys that makes them so great? Are they a realistic... Read more
Dear Native Instruments (and Serato Audio Research, Atomix Productions, M-Audio, Ableton AG, etc): It's the holiday season again, and this year, we wanted to write you a letter to ask for something special - software updates! We've been very good... Read more
Dear Native Instruments (and Serato Audio Research, Atomix Productions, M-Audio, Ableton AG, etc): It's the holiday season again, and this year, we wanted to write you a letter to ask for something special - software updates! We've been very good... Read more
Dear Native Instruments (and Serato Audio Research, Atomix Productions, M-Audio, Ableton AG, etc): It's the holiday season again, and this year, we wanted to write you a letter to ask for something special - software updates! We've been very good... Read more
Dear Native Instruments and the rest of the Dj software Manufacturers: It's the holiday season again, and this year, we're wanted to write you a letter to ask for something special - software updates! We've been very good at practicing regularly,... Read more
In case you've been out of the world record loop for the past few days, Australian DJ Smokin Joe Mekhael is in the middle of what he's hoping will be the longest DJ set on record. At nearly 105 hours already, he's closing in fast on the record set... Read more
Since Christmas is just around the corner, I wanted to ship out a special present to all of our loyal readers. The brand new DJ TechTools Kontrol S4 mapping... for free! Just sign up on the S4 list and we will email it to you. Click on... Read more
Since Christmas is just around the corner, I want to ship out a special present to all of our loyal readers. The brand new Dj TechTools Kontrol S4 mapping... for free. Just sign up on the S4 list and we will email it to you. Click on... Read more
When it comes to DJing, controllerism, turntablism and the like, all too often we think of things from a purely club based angle when there?s rich potential for many techniques in the context of routine based DJing. Making your own showcases with... Read more
In case you've been out of the world record loop for the past few days, Australian DJ Smokin Joe Mekhael is in the middle of what he's hoping will be the longest DJ set on record. At nearly 105 hours already, he's closing in fast on the record set... Read more
Last week we published a video for kids that will help them explain digital DJing. A number of our readers suggested that we should instead show them legitimate ways to get into DJing without much money. We agree, so today I am going to outline... Read more
In a new DJ TechTools feature, we take a look at some of the best up and coming producers and DJs in the electronic music world and ask them how they curate and perform their live shows. Special thanks to Beatport for making these interviews... Read more
Every year leading up to Winter NAMM, DJ equipment companies large and small get into a publicity war to make sure that their new controller/software/mixer is the most hyped and anticipated product of the show. This year, the hype machine is... Read more
Pioneer?s latest controller is a departure from the strategy that they?ve adopted over the past 18 months, namely of putting big ticket prices on their first forays into controller and computer based DJ gear. The DDJ Ergo isn?t a budget priced... Read more
In a natural followup to last week's article comparing filters and EQs, it's time to take a closer look at the powerful audio devices known as isolators. In today's article, we take a look at what a DJ isolator is, how they came to be, how to mix... Read more
We have had a solid week of 5 posts on various topics, so if you dont mind I'd like a moment to tell you about a few cool things we created for the Dj TechTools store. In order to help our younger readers and those who are attempting to purchase... Read more
Special help is here to get our younger readers a proper gift for the holidays. Perhaps you've been begging for a legit DJ controller, but your parents aren't as supportive of controllerist pursuits as you'd like. We've pulled out all the stops... Read more
If you, or someone you know, is trying to get into djing - this is an amazing time to start. Dj Technology is now easier to use, less expensive and more creative than ever. To help our newer djs get started Dj TT has put together 2 things for the... Read more
What happens when the largest internet music store for DJs decides to make an iOS app? This morning, Beatport announced a new iOS application for mashup enthusiasts, Mashbox. We take a closer look at how good the application is for performing and... Read more
What happens when the largest internet music store for DJs decides to make an iOS app? This morning, Beatport announced a new iOS application for mashup enthusiasts, Mashbox. We take a closer look at how good the application is for performing and... Read more
The incredible Lemur interface has been well known as the quintessential piece of digital kit that has work its way into the booth with Daft Punk and Deadmau5. Just in time for the holiday season, Liine has relaunched the Lemur platform on iOS,... Read more
Okay, if one was better than the other, top flight mixers would only have one ? right? Yet it tends to be the cream of the crop that feature both. Why is this, and when should you be using which? BACK TO BASICS Not to confuse you, but EQs... Read more
DJ TechTools has teamed up with Mono to produce a high-quality bag for large controllers like the Native Instruments Kontrol S4. Mono are the team behind some of the nicest bags in the industry, and after we created our own S4 shoulder bag, they... Read more
Everyone's ready to show DJ Mag how irrelevant their Top 100 DJs list has become, and Resident Advisor's list doesn't disappoint. The overlap with DJ Mag's top 100 is extremely minimal, and the list is a veritable who's who of non-mainstream... Read more
Ableton is a remarkably powerful Dj tool but people usually associate it with complicated layers of effects and loops. Those djs that are more familiar, and possibly more comfortable with a 2 decks plus a mixer paradigm need not be afraid.... Read more
Native Instruments had a bit of a sleeper hit with Maschine. It started off slowly but in the two and a half years since its release it?s managed to cause quite a stir. Now, Maschine Mikro is the new kid on the block; is a cut down version of the... Read more
When Native Instruments released the Kontrol S4 last year it quickly set the standard for all digital controllers that came after. Today the S4 continues to offer a substantial amount of functionality and unmatched integration with the Traktor... Read more
What?s the most searched MIDI controller on Google? The answer might surprise you. It?s not a studio mainstay like the MPC or Trigger Finger. It?s not a relatively new controller or a futuristic, buzz-worthy device. Nope. It?s an unassuming... Read more
DJ TechTools has long prided itself on our very strong forum community - if you've never been there, you should know it's one of the most valuable resources on the internet for DJs. Today, we're proud to announce a new feature article and... Read more
DJTT maintains a lively little boutique here on the site that sells carefully curated and crafted DJ gear for the discerning digitalist. Instead of selling cheep gear, our staff prides themselves on helpful customer service and quality equipment... Read more
DJTT maintains a lively little boutique here on the site that sells carefully curated and crafted DJ gear for the discerning digitalist. Instead of selling cheep gear, our staff prides themselves on helpful customer service and quality equipment... Read more
DJTT maintains a lively little boutique here on the site that sells carefully curated and crafted DJ gear for the discerning digitalist. Instead of selling cheep gear, our staff prides themselves on helpful customer service and quality equipment... Read more
We tend to focus a lot on Traktor in our controllerism articles because of its simpler and more flexible controller mapping capabilities, but there are a fair few hidden ? or at least, subtly introduced ? features that make controllerism in... Read more
As some of you probably know, Traktor offers the ability to change any of its decks into 4 sample/loop players. What would happen if you switched all 4 decks into loop players? In this article I'm going to explore the concept, and feasibility, of... Read more
Prior to the release of this year's well-known DJ Mag Top 100 list, former DJ Mag editor Terry Church published an article detailing the complete failings of the list over the years, suggesting that the internet already has plenty of tools to... Read more
Sonic boom! After two months of development, the DJ TechTools labs have cooked up a super sweet mapping for the S2 that is sure to blow your socks off. Continue reading for a full demo from the man himself, Mr. Golden. FAQ Yes, there... Read more
Launched today, Zayik is a new website that allows controllerists to design their own MIDI controller within a web interface. The brainchild of a handful of cool smaller music technology companies, Zayik is a fun and simple tool that is great for... Read more
Okay, so we know loud music?s cool. Not too loud, of course ? there?s no point in putting your eardrums into retirement before your dancing shoes ? but how is ?loud? actually defined? And is ?loud? the only thing we should be... Read more
I remember mashing my keyboard to bits when Winamp launched over 15 years ago with its trippy, keyboard controlled graphics. Now projected displays in tandem with DJing are popping up at many headliner shows, and even in bars and smaller clubs. In... Read more
It wasn?t until the spring of 2000 when someone handed me a black and green CD that I experienced a sound that truly confused me. Having spent the previous ten years subsisting on a diet of mostly progressive house and trance, it had become my... Read more
Don?t run off! We?re not actually going to give you a physics lecture. That said, you might need to put your thinking caps on, because I?ve been working on a concept that?s designed to sidestep some of the limitations of DJ software and open... Read more
As some of you probably know, Traktor offers the ability to change any of its decks into 4 sample/loop players. What would happen if you switched all 4 decks into loop players? In this article I'm going to explore the concept, and feasibility, of... Read more
As some of you probably know, Traktor offers the ability to change any of it's decks into 4 sample/loop players. What would happen if you switched all 4 decks into loop players? In this article I'm going to explore the concept, and feasibility, of... Read more
Prior to the release of this year's well-known DJ Mag Top 100 list, former DJ Mag editor Terry Church published an article detailing the complete failings of the list over the years, suggesting that the internet already has plenty of tools to... Read more
Prior to the release of this year's well-known DJ Mag Top 100 list, former DJ Mag editor Terry Church published an article detailing the complete failings of the list over the years, suggesting that the internet already has plenty of tools to... Read more
Sonic boom! After 2 months of development the Dj TechTool's labs has cooked up a super sweet mapping for the S2 that is sure to blow your socks off. Continue reading for a full demo from the man himself, Mr. Golden. FAQ Yes, there will... Read more
Launched today, Zayik is a new website that allows controllerists to design their own MIDI controller within a web interface. The brainchild of a handful of cool smaller music technology companies, Zayik is a fun and simple tool that is great for... Read more
Okay, so we know loud music?s cool. Not too loud, of course ? there?s no point in putting your eardrums into retirement before your dancing shoes ? but how is ?loud? actually defined? And is ?loud? the only thing we should be... Read more
I remember mashing my keyboard to bits when Winamp launched over 15 years ago with it's trippy, keyboard controlled graphics. Now projected displays in tandem with DJing are popping up at many headliner shows, and even in bars and smaller clubs. In... Read more
It wasn?t until the spring of 2000 when someone handed me a black and green CD that I experienced a sound that truly confused me. Having spent the previous 10 years subsisting on a diet of mostly progressive house and trance, it had become my... Read more
Don?t run off! We?re not actually going to give you a physics lecture. That said, you might need to put your thinking caps on, because I?ve been working on a concept that?s designed to sidestep some of the limitations of DJ software and open... Read more
DJ Unkut, the winner of the DMC Online championships - not to mention a slew of other high profile titles - has just released a new Native Instruments sponsored routine video. Unkut's been bringing more and more controllers into his turntablism... Read more
One rarely known but sometimes serious side effect of using controllers in clubs is jog wheel vibration. Without a motorized platter, some jog wheels can start to move in unwanted ways when introduced to heavy vibration. Unfortunately, big bass is a... Read more