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 contest – every entry had some amazing qualities, and the final count was over 65 entries!
Our Grand Prize Winner:
DJ Berik
This video hit a few points perfectly, and for that reason it was an obvious winner:
1) Musical arrangement. The overal style, feel and progression of the live remix was spot on. It was simply a great little track. I was especially pleased that he sat back and let each sample breathe without trying to overplay. All of the powertools samples were used really well and the final result sounded like a very polished mix that could be released.
2) Creativity. There were a number of creative uses of controls in the video including pitch on the line fader and other custom mapping tricks. We really liked that all control surfaces had become such a custom instrument.
3) Performance. The scratching, button mashing and cuts were all on point and well executed. It was the mix of techniques, all with solid timing, that really sold me on this performance.
For these reasons, myself and our entire staff decided this was the clear winner. We’re proud to award the grand prize to DJ Berik – great work!
– Ean Golden
Second Place Runner Up:
HESH (Williet8) and Joshwa Shah (BassManJoshwa)
Audiences love the unexpected, so we were pleased to see a young duo use Powertools and DJ software in a jam style mash up of DJ and drummer. Hesh and Josh took the samples and arranged their own 100% live session. Even though some of the other videos might have been better played, I really liked that they went for it and tried a challenging concept. Our recommendation for future videos – let’s see some more screencapture! It makes watching a performance way more fun for the YouTube viewers if they can learn exactly what is going on.
We’re excited to award these two guys our second place prize, $50 worth of Chroma Caps and the full PowerTools packs.
Honorable Mentions:
Josuepalma
Josuepalma has an awesome Ableton setup, with two Launchpads and an iPad controller between them as the primary feedback monitor. In his video, he does a great job of making a remix that is focused around the PowerTools themselves, and he successfully blends live production and performance in a clever way that separated him from the pack! Our biggest recommendation for next time is to make sure to record your playback internally – audio quality often can make or break an epic video!
Just Greg, we’re putting you in our honorable mentions because your character shines through the video. You might not have the best technical performance, you might not have the fanciest gear in the world, but you know what you do have? Lasers, a cowboy hat, and tunes that aren’t house or Skrillex. Your video was a refreshing change of pace, and we look forward to seeing more of your antics in the future.
DJ Silence has pads galore- three M-Audio Trigger Fingers and an Akai LPD8 – and he uses them well. We’re glad to give him an honorable mention for rocking a solid set with great structure, overall performance, and beat-synced video editing.
Our thanks to everyone who submitted an official video to our contest – know that we did take the time to watch every single entry, and keep up the great work. We’ll continue to do more awesome contests like this in the future that give you all an opportunity to test your DJ mettle while getting a chance to win awesome gear.
Want to watch all of the videos entered in the contest for yourself? They’re all available for watching here on YouTube.
Want to make your own version? Grab a PowerTools sound pack from the DJTT store!
after the winnter… these went down hill fast 🙂
Not to rain on any parades…but its kinda pointless to make the prize something the contestants already have. Like the kid with PowerTools…..was awarded Powertools. Im no Traktor or Powertools guru so maybe there is a difference…but if i won a contest and the prize was the same gear i already had…i’d be kinda disappointed. Of course the prize isnt a big deal, but it would be kool to get somethin that NO ONE else has. Like a custom midi fighter or some special Traktor skin or something.
Last one is actually the best!~IMO.
Finally got around to watching a few of the videos and DJ TECHTOOLS no doubt made the right decisions.
Wow!!
Three thanks:
1. DJTT – for building such a great contest (and community)
2. Everyone who posted – for diverse, inspired, and fun performances
3. Folks who caught the hardware setup – quite right, that’s no LDP8! I have a Nanopad mapped to FX1 (Beatmasher2).
Great contest! Awesome job all around.
Congrats berik! Way to go to everyone else who entered. I was amazed to see how many people took part and was sad I couldn’t find the time and that leads me to my next question.
When will the next contest take place?
scamo
Well done DJ Techtools for the awesome contest, winners were well deserved.
DJ Silences music was awesome, but beat synced editing is easier than turning on a laptop. It’s also unnecessarily time consuming. Instead of being able to see the traktor screen and his hand movements the whole time I have to see what he chooses, but without purpose.
sorry…i meant Berik killed it….just listened again and……it was the jam!
hey…i think i was the only one who did a “real” mashup (two songs blended together and used the powertools) i might be wrong….but its all gravy baby….def think that Berkin killed it!!!!!
Talk about bursting my bubble! here’s me thinking cramming a shit load of different styles and original technique’s in to a free flowing routine would at least get my effort a mention. Me bitter? yep!
Massive props to Berik a worthy winner, congratulations dude!
Well put Berik. I agree with you whole heartedly that it’s not about the prize or the title…it’s about the appreciation of music, and the appreciation of our peers for the time and effort put into such a submission. (Although i did want those chroma caps, damn, maybe next time). Hopefully DJTT will continue with more contests of the likes to keep us going and going and going….we don’t need expensive prizes (although it is the icing on the cake), we just want to share and appreciate the ideas, the sounds, the grooves and the cowboy hats. Congratulations again Berik for an awesome routine. DJTT, keep em coming!!!!
-Sham/Rock
Berik- that was amazing. For real. I showed my friend at work who doesn’t know much about DJaying or music production this video and he’s going insane. “Wait, the do hickey thing does what? Pitch how? That’s awesome!”
Isn’t that a Korg nanopad in the last video? not an Akai lpd8?
Sounds like DJ Just Greg starts off with some older Delerium if I’m not mistaken?? Awesome 😀
I also wish he would have recorded internally as well so we could better here is mix.
good stuff… congrats everyone.
this is awesome!! great job to all!! love to see that kind of creativity on a wide array of tools.
Thank you very much guys !!! Thanks to everyone who keep supporting me during this competition. Thank you djtechtools , I’m so glad that your crew in your lab enjoyed my work. It’s not about the prize or title, I’m so glad that finally my work can be appreciated. It’s a big honour for me, to be appreciated by someone like djtechtools. To HESH & Joshwa Shah, Josuepalma, DJ Just Greg, DJ SIlence and all other entrants, you guys rock !!! I was just lucky enough to be the surprise winner. Congratulations to you all !!!!
Hey Berik, can you breakdown your screen on the video? TSP with the two decks and effects shown. Is that Live as well? Where does that fit in?
Also see the Maschine, mixer, NI soundcard, vinyl.
Very impressive. Great job.
That winning entry…. Awesome work! Very inspiring.
I can most definitely see your point DJTT – a real tight performance.
I thought I spent money on gear but Wow! Some of these entries must have large electric bills! 😀
Re DJ Silence: that is not an LPD8. The LPD8 has 8 knobs, and this one
here has an XY controller instead. Plus, it has 12 pads, where the LPD8
only has 8. So I’m guessing it’s probably a Korg NanoPad. (The NanoPad 2 has 16 pads.)
Re DJ Silence: that is not an LPD8. The LPD8 has 8 knobs, and this one here has an XY controller instead. Plus, it has 12 pads, where the LPD8 only has 8. So I’m guessing it’s probably a Korg NanoPad. (The NanoPad 2 has 16 pads.)
good job to everyone who put in work and submited a video….so many great and inspiering entries…..congrats to the winners!!!!! they def deserved it!!!!
Congratulations DJ Berik!
@Dan White – don’t cheapen his victory by praising him for his creative mapping of “pitch on the line fader” – a small amount of net research would have told you that is a standard hardware effect on the 909 available to anyone rich enough to own one, furthermore the same 909 speaks about as much midi as my Mum. Sort it out, you guys are meant to be the experts!
I stand slightly corrected, Ean wrote that bit
Thank you!
Dj Berik’s video was clean. His rhythms on the buttons and also the scratching were very tight. The whole production was amazing and hybrid setups are gonna take over. Feel like I could go to Beatport right now and buy that track.
Both fascinating and inspiring to see the range of creative effort. Congratulations to all that took the time. Whether you won or not you are all winners for what you learned from the effort you put in. Keep up the good work. I also enjoyed the energy of DJ Just Greg. Keep workin’ on your craft man!
Great job! I love this blog! And if you’re gonna come in here and be a hater, put up or shut up.
I just wanted to say thank you! My car was broken into last night and my stereo was stolen, so this really made up for it! Congratulations to all winners and competitors!
You’re very welcome, Just Greg! Good luck getting a new stereo, this time get one with a removable head! : )
Congrats all! Can’t wait for the next one
These are all really inspiring entries… great stuff! 🙂
Winning effort was fantastic, and interesting to see a 1 turntable vs controller heavy set up. Very impressed by the two lads in the 2nd video as well. Very very happy to see proper DJ innovation at such a young age – somebody buy them some new video equipment so we can see what else they can come up with!
Like a boss
great job guys !