#ipad controller

We are seeing more and more products created specifically with the iPad in mind.  In fact, if you see a product that uses a certified Apple 30-pin connector or lightening connector attached to the unit itself that you know that it is an Apple approved product.  Rarely does Apple undergo the task of producing aftermarket products that are anything more than a power or information cable; perhaps they are aware that tons of aftermarket companies have already spent their hard earned cash creating designs and copies of their products.  But if you do happen to see a DJ product that uses a 30-pin connector already attached to the device, you can be sure that it is apple certified (at least we hope so).  Odds are that it will be stamped with some sort of Apple approved label as well. Numark has a slew of products aimed at the iPad and laptop users, mainly their Mixtrack series of mixers.  These come in almost any configuration you like, and while some of them are fully loaded with a mixer with appropriate knobs, some of them are completely sparse lacking the main components needed to even use the device.  The newest iDJ Flex allows both iPad nad laptops to be situated to the device. http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2013/04/musikmesse-2013-numark-idj-flex-controller/

There has been recent new about independent app developers who have found ways create their own DVS programs, without having to go the traditional route (which means shelling out at least five hundred dollars for a physical USB soundcard).  These underdogs of the digital world actually have a lot going for them, even if they aren’t financially backed like these larger companies out there.  The key to their success is the iPad and what they are able to do inside that operating system.  There is trend towards smaller gear and less gear if possible, so taking the hardware soundcard out of the system seems like a smart play. [embed width="656"]http://youtu.be/ddYxUU5d0LA[/embed] DJ Player and The One are two platforms that promise to reshape the way we currently see our DVS industry.  Instead of having only two choices, Serato or Traktor, they opt to give us an infinite amount of choices in how we want our program to perform.  Their apps are based off of what we would see from any other DVS, except that since they are built from users with custom needs – the interfaces are custom as well.  This means that you aren’t stuck to a particular way of doing things, you can create your own routine. http://djworx.com/dj-player-6-1-numark-idj-pro-friendly/

The New Year has arrived and I haven’t seen any big changes coming from the DJing and production world.  I have seen some very innovative concepts on some old ideas, and likewise I have seen some completely original concepts take off – but nothing on the scale of creating the first turntable or the first scratch.  I think we are far past the point where the discovery of a new sound machine is anything but novel for a short while.  What we will see is the use of more technologies and more of these types of technologies getting along with each other. In the laptop world, Apple and their operating systems have the edge because of reliability.  Whether or not this is actually true is beside the point; they have the name and the branding power that people seem to trust.  Android based operating system need to start getting their act together.  So far, they have done a decent job getting a foot in the door – but they are far from where they need to be to be on par with the types of performance iOS and OSX is offering DJs.  I think that time is approaching but it will need a few more years. http://djworx.com/cross-dj-1-6-ipad-new-year-party-ready/

Does anybody remember the first Hercules DJ controller?  It was one of the few controllers that you could find in Target or Walmart, except that it wasn’t half bad.  It was one of the few toy controllers out there that had any real semblance of what a controller was really supposed to look like.  Personally, I would never buy one since I was doing just fine with my pair of turntables and Serato – but there are many out there who got their start on this simple controller.  The first version had two tiny platters that could only be used for pushing and nudging tracks forward, but since then a lot of things have changed. If you have seen what Pioneer has done in the field of controllers these days, the new Hercules DJ Control Wave is something to admire.  It looks like something that would be produced only from the top end guys – and this controller has room to let you slide your laptop facing a nice angle.  I get the impression that Hercules is not something to forget – and although they produce nothing else except one single controller, they have so far done a very good job of branding. http://djworx.com/ipad-goes-wireless-hercules-djcontrolwave/

For all the things that touchscreen technology has done for us, there are many things that it cannot do.  I remember way back when, when texting and driving wasn’t as big of an issue.  I have a theory as to why there weren’t as many accident.  A phone that uses buttons does not require sight to use.  One could keep their eyes on the road and one hand on their Blackberry – yet have no problem pressing buttons while not looking at the keys.  With a touch screen phone you do not have that luxury.  If you want to press something, you need to know what you are pressing. This requires drivers to take their eyes off the road, which leads to accidents. The same issue is a problem for DJs as well, even if they are not in a moving vehicle.  We can press a button on a touch screen whenever we like – but sliding the finger around takes more control and more skill.  A couple of smart people have been adding physical rotary knobs to their iPads – but this scenario is less than ideal.  They are not permanent and will also make it difficult when doing other things on the screen. http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2014/07/kickstarter-ipad-djing-knobs/