#wireless dj

Based on the specs that Pioneer provides, the XDJ-Aero will work with popular phones and tablets, and function with a high quality soundcard. Additional ports on the back of the unit allow for the connection of an external device like a CDJ and the XDJ-Aero can also act as a standalone mixer. Some other features of note are the Jog-Drum, Sample Launch, and Beat Effects. While the XDJ-Aero was on display and working at DJ Expo, we did not get a chance to demo these features. The Sample Launch seems pretty self-explanatory and comes loaded with 4 generic sample sounds including Laser, Scratch, Horn, and Siren. The Beat Effect section is something left to be discovered fully. With 4 effects (Trans, Flanger, Echo, and Roll) the effects can be altered with both a beat control and a level/depth control. Jog drum is sort of a fancy way of saying that you can start and stop the tracks with the touch of the jog wheel but it can also be used to scratch. The XDJ-Aero has some really cool features which help make this a very interesting controller. It has the ability to connect 4 devices although we are still unsure how that works exactly when swapping tracks and devices in and out of the main output as well as when headphone cueing. In addition you have the ability to record your sets straight to a USB drive. It records in WAV format so you can take your mix directly from the XDJ-Aero and put it into your computer. While some folks reading this will probably have the inevitable qualm or query about how DJing wirelessly sounds like quite the gamble. Signal interference or simply relying on your phone or tablet as your CPU source will make some working DJs nauseous just thinking about it. With that premise in mind, this controller is not really for you. With features like sync and automix, this controller is tailored to the DJ looking to have a unique experience when mixing tracks. Its for someone who wants to have a controller to do all the fun performance tricks but can also set it up at a party, leave it alone, and let friends come up to the decks with their phones to change the mood of the party. Sure a working DJ could use this and get a lot out of it but this technology and setup is mostly appealing to the younger generation of DJ’s. If anything we should look to the XDJ-Aero as an attempt for the future of digital DJing. This is the first DJ controller that incorporates this technology, so of course there are going to be some issues while the kinks get worked out, but can you imagine a future where all you have to bring is your phone and a controller to a gig, house party, or friends house if you want to spin your favorite mix? While this excites the science fiction nerd inside of all of us, it will certainly be a test of time to see how this controller holds up on the retail market. Let us know what you think by posting a comment below. Video Transcription: Hey whats going on it's DJ Creme here with Pioneer and we’re here at the DJ Expo and we have our new product the XDJ-Aero. Its our latest release controller and the new features on this controller is that it has a WiFi modem router built into it. You can connect up to four mobile devices and any music thats on any mobile devices you will be able to send to the controler. So I can select a song send it over via the WiFi connection that it creates. It also comes with a USB connection so that you can use it with rekordbox. We have your pre-installed rekordbox in your computer, you can export the music, the playlists, everything will come up. Aside from that its also a MIDI controller so you can use it with your digital software and it's a standalone mixer so you have a line and phono, mic input, so you can fully connect a CDJ or a turntable to it. It's very light, very portable, and it also has built in effects. You have the transform, the flanger, the echo, and the roll. It's the first wireless controller. I can use up to four devices and send the music right from the device, right from the modem, to the device. This is the XDJ-Aero our new product here from Pioneer at DJ Expo 2012.

Ditching the wires in favor of an air streamed signal is not the future, it is already here.  The trouble is convincing all the wireless speaker manufacturers to follow suit.  Creating a wireless protocol for two devices to communicate is not hard; creating a protocol that every device can communicate with is the hard part.  Think about the types of systems we currently use for wired speaker systems.  Most of these use the same type of wire that is used to power a house lamp, but the cabled needed to route that signal to a receiver vary.  You have your common RCA, perhaps an XLR or balanced quarter inch, and then with digital signal you have your HDMI cables. A wireless signal is obviously digital, and will not function the same way a lifeless cable does.  It needs a set of instructions to tell it what to do.  There is then the issue of how many devices will want to talk to the same receiver.  It could be a tablet, a smart phone, or even a CD deck that has wireless capabilities built in.  Either way you go, there needs to be uniformity in this system, and that is what WiSA aims to get at. http://www.audioholics.com/news/editorials/wisa-certifications-wireless-speakers

For some of us (myself included) Bluetooth is just another wireless protocol that will never have a real use for my daily life.  At home I use a wifi router to connected devices to each other, so the need to for Bluetooth does not exist.  When I’m on the road I don’t see myself needing an earpiece to talk to people on the phone, I have no problem with putting the phone up to my ear.  I would guess that I’m a minority since I haven’t yet embraced Bluetooth.  However, I’m beginning to see how it can be useful.  When I want to connect my laptop to my smartphone, I use a USB cable – but I could just as easily use Bluetooth and have the two of them communicate. What I’m getting at here is that wireless technologies are so accessible these days that it would be hard not to use them.  One of the best applications for such a feature is the ubiquitous alarm clock.  Alarm clocks now incorporate many technologies, and the days of an annoying alarm blaring is over and done with.  With these connected to your mobile devices, it would be hard not to find a good use for wireless sound and Bluetooth.   http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/lifestyle-desktop-and-portable/geneva-lab-model-s-wireless-speaker

Do you ever think that the world will eliminate the need for wires and tethers in the future?  Perhaps there will always be the need for wires somewhere, even if they are buried underground or hidden from our view.  The art of making objects wireless is a mystery to many of us, but we just accept the fact that it is here to stay.  Our wireless internet makes using mobile devices a breeze and we hardly have to worry about how it works, except when things go wrong.  Audio is also going into the wireless phase where we can transmit from receiver to speaker without having to run cables along the floor inside of the house.  The next big innovation sans wires is power without wiring.  We already have it in certain forms, but like inductive charging with our cell phones, but it isn’t truly wireless.  There needs to be contact between two pieces for this to work. Wireless electricity is not something out of science fiction, but rather than idea that was never implemented because of the costs of switching our style of power delivery – but it works.  As far as the future goes, even if we achieve all of this without wires, there will still be those who hold onto their wires, such as synth lovers. http://www.xlr8r.com/gear/2013/02/carl-craig-legowelt-john-tejada-

The shrinking of hardware is typically a good thing for electronics, as it allows us to do much more with the little space that we have.  Alternatively, the extra space is simply eliminated all together leaving us with a small product that appears to do the same thing as the older larger one.  There’s also times when having a product too small is simply a detriment to itself and it would be been better off at a standard size (button controller).  With speakers, there needs to be a balance between size and performance, since we don’t like to equate smaller size with better sounding audio.  Sometimes that is the truth but other times you need to have a large driver to achieve good sound. The guys from Bose worked magic with their alarm clock radios which managed to work with the maximum amount of surface area for a small 2 speaker system.  In this case, the sound wasn’t dependant on the size of the speaker but rather the distance the sound had to travel.  The concept is still pretty decent and has been expanded by other companies as well.  Yamaha has their own mini speaker system (which isn’t cheap), and is capable of working with the newest wireless and Bluetooth protocols. http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/yamaha-tsx-b232-desktop-audio-system

When a new technology is introduced to the public, the consumers have two options if they want to make a purchase.  They can either opt for the extremely expensive high end gear, which is far beyond anything they have ever seen, or they can go for a budget and cost friendly alternative.  While the cost friendly alternative is not the best of the bunch, it still gives consumers a chance to taste what is out there without breaking the bank.  The funny thing is that those budget systems are likely to be considered the worst of the worst on only a few years time.  This is the way it has always worked. Consider the first MIDI controllers that were offered for DJs.  Before Vestax came out with their VCI series, there were other cheap alternatives like the Hercules MIDI consoles which looked more like a toy than a proper DJ setup.  Still, at the time these were actually on the table as an option for DJs who wanted to go digital, but were on a tight budget.  We look at such a controller now and we can genuinely say that it is junk – but we can remember how valuable these things were in a time when the technology was new. http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/lifestyle-desktop-and-portable/zagg-origin-2-in-1

There was a time when wireless internet via the use of a wireless router was all the rage and was considered revolutionary.  Before that existed, routers had to use ethernet cables, sometimes running them across the house making our wives made and causing our children to tug the routers from the wall when they tripped over them.  It was a tangled mess, but it did its job for the time that it existed.  When the first wireless router and receiver were implemented it meant that you could use your computers anywhere around the house you wanted.  For a device that was stationary, it was no big deal – but for a laptop it really meant that you could roam wherever you wanted. Today, most laptops and tablet have wireless receivers built in to them; they are not an option (other than turning it on or off).  We take for granted the extreme mobility this allows us to have.  Producers who use a tablet to control certain gestures or functions would not be able to do so without it.  Optimizing the wireless router is not as important as it use to be, since they are pretty powerful – but there are still small tweaks that can make them fast.  http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/increase-wireless-speed-and-range

We don’t give enough credit to our wireless networking systems that allow us to do so much with our smarphones and tablets.  I can walk from place to place and be able to pick up a wireless connection to use with my smartphone.  This enables me to move seamless from place to place and maintain a wireless connection in the process.  Even at home, there are times when I can just reach for the phone instead of having to turn on and log in to our computers.  Wireless modems and routers were not always as friendly to use, so we should take a look at how far these systems have come. The wireless router lies one step down from the cable or satellite modem.  It is able to take a signal and broadcast it throughout our home – which is pretty amazing when you think of how weak this type of signal actually is.  Advancements in wireless routers have to do with ease of setup and how much range they actually have.  Current wireless routers also have systems that allow you to tweak how a signal is sent and received.  If you actually take the time to learn about the different channels and options your router gives you, you can improve its strength. http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/connecting-your-system/how-to-set-up-wireless-router-wifi