Will Marshall has sent us yet another update of his latest APC40 DJ Template. This template has been pretty popular over the years- its staying power a testament its usefulness. Highly recommended for DJs using the APC40 on stage.
The walkthrough can be seen in the video above. If you need help with installation go to: https://vimeo.com/37932482
To download the template, visit WillMarshall.me
DJTechTools brings us a little preview of iZotope’s Stutter Edit. Like some of the other glitch VSTs out there, this piece of software can be loaded into Ableton Live or another DAW to achieve some glitched out feats. The advantage of this program is its ease in creating “gestures” or a customizable series of launched stutters, cuts, filters, and effects. This is not too different from using dummy tracks in Live. Sutter Edit may save a lot of DJs time but this isn’t without a sacrifice. The VST listens to midi notes coming from your midi controller and launches a gesture assigned to a key. The downside to this simplification is that you won’t be able to control multiple parameters for each effect on the fly. For example, I’d like to have the frequency of a repeat assigned to a knob while pressing, a pad set to on/off, and velocity of the pad set to dry/wet or perhaps a bit crusher. As far as I can tell, this sort of customization is absent.
Till February 14th Stutter Edit is available for $149, after which it will increase to a rather pricey $249.
Get the trial at iZotope.com
Want to start cutting up some beats and begin DJing but don’t know where to start? Then Sugarpill has an excellent introductory gear guide for you. From controllers to soundcards, this is a quick and dirty list that may save you a lot of time spent on research.
Head over to InTheMix with Sugarpill for the review.
And here’s a little bit of my own input:
As far controllers go, the now discontinued M-Audio Trigger Finger is a staple. There’s a reason why you see almost every VJ/controllerist/DJ with one. It’s highly customizable but sacrifices on durability. I love the hell out of Trigger Finger, had it for a few years now, but you’ve just got to accept that it isn’t built to last. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a fantastic device. There are many people out there who are on their fifth one and are always hunting for a back up.
Sugarpill recommends the MDR-V700 headphones and although they are the standard, I found them to be only adequate. I had a pair and went through them in about a year. After that I got the Sennheiser HD 25-SP II and I’m never looking back. Shell out the extra $50 and you will not be disappointed! Plus all parts are user replaceable. The only caution is that you should try them out and see how they feel. Some people complain about tightness around the ears, but I found them to loosen up after a few months. Plus, the tight fit provides a little bit of sound isolation as well.
Finally, Sugarpill is absolutely right about notebook and midi controller stands. This trend is catching on and it makes for much more interaction between performer and audience.
“Go to your local office supply store or online DJ store and get something to set your laptop on or your back will hurt after a 45 minute session. Equally important is the Midi Controller stand, as an Ableton DJ it is really important that people can see what you are doing on the pads. It drives me crazy when someone sets their trigger finger up behind their raised computer and the extent of their stage show is something that looks like occasionally checking your email and then dancing around about what you’ve seen on it.”
-Sugarpill
Taking digital DJing to the next level? How about controllerism without a controller? I wonder if the loud audio environments of a club would interfere with the bio-acoustic sensor of the Skinput.
That’s Moldover above, the guy credited with coming up with the term “controllerism“. Although I’m more of an admire and enthusiast of controllerism than an expert, I somehow was persuaded (my well-being was indeed threatened) to do a talk on the subject. The workshop will take place in NOD (above Prague’s Roxy) on the 11th of March from 9 PM. I’ll speak about everything controllerism, including its background, software, hardware, innovators, musical affiliations, and its future. I’ll also do a demonstration and a short set afterwards.
UPDATE: The presentation on controllerism will take place at 9 PM. Afterwards, I’ll be DJing to the visuals made by the workshop attendees from earlier that day. And don’t miss out on Secondhand Sureshots at 8:30 PM!
-14:00–19:00 – Ilan Katin workshop
- 20:30 – Projection: Secondhand Sureshots
- 21:00 – RBMA info session + přednáška controllerism s Ingtzi
- 22:00 – Ingtzi vs. visual vytvořený účastníky workshopu
Thanks to the Lunchmeat Festival for making this happen!
Alright, some blatant self-promotion. Denoir, tvprodukt, Claviq and I (Ingtzi) will be rocking the second stage at the upcoming Lunchmeat Festival on the 13th of March. This multi-media extravaganza will be taking place from Tuesday to Saturday. Headliners include Nosaj Thing vs. Aalto and Ikonika vs. Video Jack. But there’s much more to see and hear during the festival including: Jahbitat, Ad Bourke, Annie Hall, C.H.District, Fuss!, Ghostmother, GLGN & Jimmy Pe(e), Initi, Kidkanevil, pintaycolorea, Rec_Overflow, The Stereovideo Project, Torrent de Bites, Video Jack, VJ Comankh, VJ Entter, VJ Kolouch, Yes Robot, and more.
The first 100 tickets are on sale at a special discount: 390 CZK / 15 Euro
I’ll also be doing a short lecture on controllerism at NOD around at 7 PM on Thursday the 11th of March.
Although the Launchpad can certainly hold it’s own as a controller in session mode for live, many music makers out there were hoping for a more accessible and cheaper version of the Monome. I think it’s still too early to judge how well the Launchpad accomplishes this goal, however there are already many Monome emulators available. If you have Max or Max4Live, you’ll be able to run an emulator such as Nonome, Nomepad, or Monolive. There are various monome patches out there and each emulator can handle some patches better than others. The ability of the Launchpad to emulate the Monome is somewhat dependent on the capabilities of the emulator.
From my experience, the most challenging patch to emulate has been MLR-V. Of course, I’ve got pretty high demands. I’m not looking for just any old MLR patch, but one that will draw its clips from Ableton Live. For over a month, members of the Monome forums have been hard at work. Check out the MLR-style chopping if Live Clips for the patch that does so. I’m sure the input of additional Max programmers would be greatly appreciated in the effort to perfect the patch.
In the meantime, and even if you don’t have Max4Live there’s a work around, albeit a slightly clumsy one, to get MLR style mixing in Live. Edison, a recent guest on DJTechTools shows how he used follows actions to get a similar kind of control. Take a look at 3:50 of the YouTube video for his explanation. If you decide to take the follow action route, make sure you’ve got your quantization set to the right mode.
Moldover has arguable coined the term ‘controllerism‘ and has made some wacky devices over the years. Now the Mojo, Moldover’s first commercially available controller will most likely be previewing at Wham Bam Thank You NAMM. The Mojo looks like a beast of a machine with super sturdy buttons, knobs, and touch activated strips. This is a controller you can go absolutely berserk on without worrying about scratching, breaking, or denting it. The downside? It comes with a hefty price tag of $1800. There’s been some serious discussion online about the price. And although I think the cost is somewhat justified in regards to the build quality and low production run of the Mojo, you still have to wonder how many can shell out that kind of dough for what is essentially only a midi controller. Especially when the same money can get you a much more versatile albeit less tactile JazzMutant Lemur. Nevertheless, the lucky twenty customers receiving their Mojo in March will certainly be having a lot of fun jamming on that thing. And getting laid.
Mojo Details:
- Works with all MIDI compatible music software
- Includes new Moldover template for Ableton Live
- 10 ultra-responsive touch strips
- 24 competition-grade arcade buttons
- Rubberized knobs, rugged faders and burly toggle switches
- Assembled in San Francisco CA by Andy from Pance Party
- Sexy mahogany body by Livid Instruments
- Scratch-resistant anodized aluminum faceplate
- Environmentally sealed twist-lock USB cable included
- USB bus powered electronics by Hale Micro
- Class-compliant USB device (no driver to install)
- Free copy of Moldover’s self-titled album included
- Will totally get you laid
- Dimensions: 11.5″ x 18″ x 4″, 7.5lbs
