There was a decent amount of new dj gear on display at NAMM so at first it was hard to choose which ones to cover. However, after the tremendous feedback from our first round up post- it was clear what gear you wanted to see. It took longer than expected but our dedicated team dove headlong into the front lines of trade show madness to get an inside look at controllers from American dj, Allen and heath, Serato and others. Read on for all the films and release details for each product.
American Audio Velocity
Release Date: April 2010
Street Price: $499
Cool Stuff:
- Will come with a “special version” of Traktor that is not pro but will have 4 decks
- mixer section is fully analogue or midi so you can mix internally or externally
- 2 mics
- full output section
- great price for the control amount
Not So sure:
- Its heavy- around 20 pounds
- the jog wheels, faders and buttons are all so-so quality. Passable but not stellar.
Verdict:
- we need to get this thing in for a review. With some arcade buttons, a DJ TechTools overlay and a sick mapping it might be pretty cool.
XONE DX
Street price: $1299
Release date: March 2010
Cool
- quality faders, case and overall design is very pro looking
- more portable than other big controllers, sized to fit a laptop bag
- 4 faders/4 deck control
- comes with 4 deck version of itch
- built in sound card
- RIAA/phono inputs for external decks
Not So
- jog wheels from XONE:4D (small, no touch sensitivity)
- buttons are tiny and not fun
- micing of external sources inside software only
Verdict:
I would pass on this one personally because I just cant get into the jog wheels and buttons but its a shame because the design, layout and interface design were really done very well. The integration with itch is quite good but it will be hard to accomplish the same thing if you want to use this one for Traktor.
NUMARK V7
SHIPPING DATE: January 2010
STREET PRICE: $799
WEIGHT/DIMENSIONS:
| Dimensions: | 12.625″ x 14.5″ x 4.375″ (WxDxH) |
| Weight: | 16.4 lbs |
SPECS:
- High-resolution turntable software controller
- Direct-drive, motorized turntable platter with high and low-torque settings
- Includes Serato ITCH software, compatible with Serato Scratch LIVE libraries
- Includes effects controls
- Premium, rugged, all-metal construction with high-end knobs and buttons
COOL FEATURES:
– One V7 can control up to 2 decks with one copy of Itch
DRAWBACKS:
– Two V7’s cannot control 4 decks within one copy of Itch
VERDICT:
Its a lot more portable and lighter than the Ns7, which is a beast, but we still dont get the point of a controller that looks like, weighs the same, costs more and performs almost as good as a turntable. Also, can someone please stop paying marketing guys in suits to talk about dj gear?