These days, the way your gear looks is just as important as how it performs.  In fact, some will purchase controller A over controller B, simply because controller A looks cooler, or perhaps it comes in a color that controller B does not come in.  Manufacturers are well aware of this too, and the color that they produce is always a considered before a product is released.  Sometimes, they even hold back on giving color options, only to re-release the same product in a hard to get color like white, red, or blue.  Even if you cannot buy something in the color you want – that doesn’t mean that you can’t have the color you want. If you own a Technics 1200 turntable, you only get two choices in color: silver, or black.  Since the time they were first released amateurs were finding ways to customize their decks – and it goes far beyond using stickers to say that it is truly your deck.  Customizing has been the norm and it adds a bit of class to your setup.  Even MIDI fighters can be customized with personal designs and logos to help it stand out from the basic 16 button MIDI controller. http://www.djtechtools.com/2013/04/17/top-billin-midi-fighter-spectra-design-contest-winners/

There are two sides to the coin when you want to create a new musical instrument from the bottom up.  One side begins with the modest hackers who only want to pick apart an instrument to see how it works.  These are the guys who have little financial backing, and chances are pretty high that they’ll actually destroy something they are working on before it even starts.  These are the ones I like, because they have to final a clever way to make things work, and they don’t have development teams working around the clock to fix their problems.  On the other side of the coin you have the big names with millions of dollars at their disposal. These are the ones who take an idea and put every ounce of their energy into making it happen.  The initial costs are mostly done with research and development, so there is no real trial and error process that needs to take place.  Sometimes the heads of these companies do not know a thing about what they are producing; they only know that it will be profitable to sell it at a high price.  Both of these methods have unique outcomes, but one is almost always more expensive that the other. http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2013/07/10/alphasphere-nexus-now-available-in-the-us/

There are many MIDI style guitars out there to choose from, and regardless of your budget there is one that will fit the bill.  The most basic of MIDI guitars comes from the gaming community.  Yes, it’s the rock band or guitar hero guitar, and it is already setup to be a MIDI controller.  All that is really left is finding a way to allow it to communicate with other MIDI devices.  If you are handy and have access to a printing machine – you can successfully print out your own guitar using ABS plastics.  Again, the only limiting factor is the programming side of things and how it will actually “work”. [embed width="656"]http://youtu.be/I_UL36-s_Ac[/embed] Now, on the highest tier of MIDI guitars, there are fabricators who have put much more effort into making it look like a legitimate piece of MIDI gear.  In a case like the Artiphon Instrument, the craftsmanship is stunning and the woodwork is something you’d expect on a classic orchestra instrument.  Instead of having it wired to a computer, it actually uses the iPhone directly to relay its MIDI commands.  The starting price of one of these is pretty high, around $700 – but it is certainly not a hacked piece of gear either. http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2013/07/13/2013-summer-namm-show-update-the-artiphon-instrument-one/

With so many MIDI controllers out there to choose from, you would think that few people have a problem finding the one they like.  How can we complain when we have everything from deck emulators to remix decks available to us by virtually every single manufacturer?  Having too much of a choice can actually get in the way of making an informed decision.  Imagine that there are 20 different MIDI controllers in the same price range, each with a slightly different variation – you might opt to get one of these, but neglect to realize that this brand doesn’t have the USB port option you wanted with another option. You can just as easily lose out on something by focusing on the wrong specifics.  Some controller companies like Behringer have actually created entire lines of modular controllers – while others, like uMIDI, have allowed their customers to tell them exactly what they want.  You show them how you want it to look when it is done, and they build it to order exactly the way you want it.  Wouldn’t it be nice if ALL DJ gear was built under the same standards?  Of course, not everything is as easy to build as a MIDI controller. http://djworx.com/umidi-custom-controller-6x6-format-choice/

When hardware is designed and created, its engineering is really a two step process.  Before any technical work is done, there has to be some thought as to how it will be use on a practical level.  This really involves some thought into how humans like to use their gear.  Having the option to have everything you could ever want and need has proven to be the worst option of them all.  It is like having a command center with a thousand buttons, but all you really need is three of them.  This is the mistake that many gear designers fall into, since they do not really know the needs of each individual; therefore, they have try to please them all. When a band or act decides to create their own controller, you can bet that it will only have that which they need and it will ignore all the parts that have no use.  Of course, when this controller is in the hand of someone else, it might be perceived as useless.  Designers everyday have to deal with the fact that they will win some and lose some.  But they know that there is nothing that can win them everything. http://www.musicradar.com/news/dj/the-black-dog-on-designing-their-own-dj-controller-the-cs-x51-586971

It seems as if there are plenty of companies out there that are looking to grab part of the market share for MIDI controllers.  There are currently controllers of all types, and the average person will be more overwhelmed with trying to find a single controller out of the hundreds that are available for them.  Some of them are built for the budget conscious person, and only a select handful of controllers are around the range of a thousand dollars – so it is safe to say that buying one is not out of reach for anyone.  The trouble is once again, finding the right one. With any purchase you are going to have to sacrifice something.  You might pay a little more for a brand name or even pay a little less to obtain a cheaper quality unit with more functionality.  Behringer has stepped up to produce a line of controllers that can suit any setting, but this is yet not enough for most of us.  If you want to have exactly what you want, you have no choice to but to buy something that can be built to order.  uMidi does exactly that.  As for the quality, we have yet to determine how well built they actually are. http://djworx.com/umidi-custom-controller-hits-kickstarter/

There are many MIDI controllers out there that I love to look at.  The trouble is that I would have no idea how to make use of what I have.  The traditionally process of finding gear works when a musician is trying to create a song and runs into trouble with what they need.  It is only then that they decide to branch out and look for solutions to their problems.  The modern MIDI controllerist expects to buy something that has more than what they need.  Basically, they do not know what to do with more than half of the controller until the problem shows itself. I would probably fall into the second camp, since I never have time to actually figure out what I’m doing.  If you are impulsive, it is easier to spend time just jumping right in, rather than trying to figure out what each button and control is best for.  The theory here is to only learn what is necessary and to slowly build knowledge when the time is right.  Others, who already know what they are doing, have gone straight for the bull’s eye and have decided to make their own gear – piece by piece. http://www.djtechtools.com/2014/06/19/check-out-zurich-artist-anders-incredible-homemade-live-controller/

The term “DJ” is something that has changed in definition over the years, similar to the way the word “producer” has also changed.  Many DJs go on to become producers, while few producers actually go back to the world of DJing.  There is a third type of performer who sits in between those two categories, and has a hard time calling him or herself by either name.  Being able to beatmatch and mix music in a club is not a prerequisite of being a good music maker.  Performance does not have to rely on a balancing act of risk and skill either, only the end result is what matters here. Today, performers will come on stage with all sorts of instruments.  Many do not need more than a laptop, a microphone, and a way to control sounds and beats.  Marc Houle is one of these performers.  He is armed with a rather large MIDI controller and samples until the cows come home – but this does not define what he actually is.  This does not make him a DJ with traditional skills, but it DOES make him a DJ in the sense that he is able to control how music is put forth to a crowd. http://www.djtechtools.com/2014/07/23/marc-houle-how-i-play-interview-livid-prototype-controller/