Related
Akai APC40
Release Date – ETA of April 2009 (Probably 1st April in relation to Ableton Live 8 Release Date)
Pre-Order Now – £399 – Soundware UK
The only controller built in conjunction with Ableton themselves, Akai has come up trumps with this unit, offering more buttons and features that most amateur Ableton Live users actually realise they need. Yes the Vestax VCM 600 offers more knobs and faders but it lacked thought in triggering clips and scenes etc. The Akaiton (credit goes to Gizmo over on Skratchworx for this nickname) on the other hand offers more to DJ’s who need to trigger clips, loops and samples at ease with native connectivity. No nonsense of mapping midi, it all comes to work straight out of the box with Ableton offering a free patch for the Live software offering tight integration with this controller.
Read more [here]
Native Instruments Audio 4 DJ
Release Date – 15th Jan 2009
Order now – £209.99 from Soundware UK
Probably the finest audio interface for DJ’s with quality and features available today is the Audio 8 DJ. Now, Native Instruments are offering the same professional quality and build you won’t find anywhere else in a half sized Audio 4 DJ. Obviously this is just a backwards progression from the Audio 8 if you can say such a thing, but in reality this interface should of been developed a long time ago. Most DJ’s simply only need 2 stereo channels of inputs and outputs, not 4. Also this interface lacks midi input and output, but what DJ really needs these ports due to most controllers coming with USB connections.
So for a current price of around £209 you can save ‘a little bit’ of money by disregarding the features most don’t really need that the big brother Audio 8 DJ has. My only concern is the price, but when this interface is regarded as the best DJ interface out there today, then your getting the best value for your money.
View more information [here]
Numark Stealth Control
Release Date – In Stores NOW!
Order Now – £219.99 – Soundware UK
Just when you thought there could be no more room for another new DJ Midi Controller from Numark, Whoosh, here comes the new Stealth Control right out of nowhere. Just imagine the Numark Omni-Control without an audio interface and sprayed a lovely sheen of dark ‘stealthy’ grey. So if your just looking for the midi control featureset of the Omni Control because you already own an audio interface then this is the controller for you. I am still undecided whether I like this colour but it goes directly up against the Hercules RMX Steel as a competitor. It seems black is the new silver lately!
Read more [here]
Ableton Live 8
Release Date – 1st April 2009
Pre-Order – £TBC – Soundware UK
With new GUI control, a fresh groove engine and a new innovative warp engine Ableton Live 8 plus the new Looper instrument and ‘Max for Live’, digital DJ’s are set for another big influence towards creativity in their sets. Check the link below for more detailed information on these new additions and improvements. But just imagine being able to zoom in on the Ableton layouts, create a groove map from a track your playing and add your own loops from that groove. Or how about warping a track being made easier with the new warping engine, hopefully stripping the time down to how long it takes you to warp all those tracks in your library.
Then you have the new Max for Live developer tool, allowing you to really get customising on Ableton Live for yourself. If your half a geek you might be able to program your own instruments and tools and because of this the new Akai APC40 was born offering us DJ’s the perfect controller for Ableton.
Between now and the April 1st shipping date for Ableton Live 8, when a UK customer unlocks their Live 7 purchase, they will receive the following downloads:
- Free ‘Operator’ FM synth module (value €129 euros) Operator is an FM synthesizer that delivers an eclectic spectrum of sonic possibilities and musical inspiration.
- Free ‘Drum Machines’ software (value €69 euros) Drum Machines offers a choice selection of classic drum machines, meticulously sampled to faithfully reproduce the original sounds. Drum Machines is easily tweaked with cleverly mapped controls, allowing users to experiment with the inner workings of the instrument and adjust to taste.
- A special upgrade price of just EUR 49 for Ableton Live 8 (upgrade download direct with Ableton)
Read more about the new Ableton Live 8 [here]