Thursday, February 24, 2011

New Macbook Pro 2011 Models are here!! Benchmarks showed EXTREME improvement



Click HERE for more details from apple!

I was really expecting a Macbook Air Form factor (paper thin) but it seems like other than the improved internals the MacBook Pro series retain the same look and shape. Okay so they put an improved i5 dual core on the basic 13 inch macbook pro model, but the battery life drops down to 7 hours?? They also introduced the 'thunderbolt' technology which supports up to 10Gb/s speed, damn! Once they make good external hard drives supporting this, this would probably be a good idea!

Aniway, this new update seems really worthy, the entry level macbook pro 13 is now on par with previous year's top of the line i7! Wow!!! Whoever bought the top of the line i7 Macbook 15 inch must be pretty upset right now hahaha

The mid-level Macbook Pro 13 inch boasts a 2.7Ghz i7 dual core, 4GB DDR3 Ram and 500 GB Hard Drive! - now this is something that is guaranteed to run Traktor with 4 decks, all effects on and minimum latency!

If you are in the market for a new MacBook - Go for it now!!! The best price & performance pick would be the 13 inch with 2.7Ghz i7 - this sure will be a popular choice among digital DJs with its uber-fast i7 and 500GB of hard drive space!

EDIT  Feb 27th 2011:

According to the benchmarks found HERE , the 2011 Macbook Pros are WAAAY faster than the 2010 models, in fact the cheapest 2011 model (13 inch macbook pro, i5 2.3Ghz) Rivals 2010's top of the line (15 inch i7!!)

so there you go, the extreme performance gains seem to justify upgrading to the new model if you have the really really old macs or are looking to get your first mac. Those who just bought the Macbook Pro last year? I suggest you wait till next year before rushing off to sell your 2010 model, the 2012 Macbook Pros are expected to be even better than 2011's one!


Also, a good review by Engadget of the 2011 model HERE , check it out! 

Sunday, February 20, 2011

James Zabiela & the DJM900 (Nexus)

Pretty Cool Video of the New Pio Mixer...



Like it or not, seems like its gonna be the next "Industry Standard" (LuLz) replacing the very popular DJM800

Cool Thing : They are TRAKTOR SCRATCH Certified!!! :D 
Do you know what this means? if these do get their way into clubs as a standard, Traktor scratch users just need to plug in their laptop into the USB and voila! Timecode mode without soundcards!!

Pioneer DDJ-S1 vs DDJ-T1 comparison video

I just saw this on youtube:




Pretty good comparison video - when Pioneer announced these a few weeks ago i was like DAAAAYUM! I JUST BOUGHT THE S4!! (Thinking if I should sell the S4 and pick up one of these Pioneer kit)

But with the upcoming Traktor 2 update, and seeing that the Kontrol S4 will have a direct 1-to-1 (pretty much) mapping utilizing all the new features (loop recorded, sample decks , filter on each channel etc) im gonna say that I will pretty much stay with the S4

The NI Kontrol S4 IS a great controller, although some things about it Im not so happy with at all (The Stiff Hotcue buttons that arent so responsive, the short pitch sliders, and the seemingly non-replaceable crossfaders) but so far the PROs of the S4 outweighs the CONs, so I think Im gonna stick with it... I just hope the HotCue buttons will loosen up a bit and get more responsive in time with more wear and tear!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Traktor Pro 2!!! Video Online!!!

This just in... Finally!!!









Available from April 1st 2011!!


Pricing: Click Here!

For Traktor S4 users : We get it for FREE! :D  (Read the page linked above, we get a free e-voucher when update is ready!!)


Best feature -> Coloured waveforms and MEGA-Detailed Waveforms for Ease of Beatgridding! AWESOME!!!

Hmm... suddenly the Pioneer DDJ-S1 becomes less and less interesting... 


And now, here's the DJTECHTOOLS video walkthrough - AWESOME!!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Cosmic Gate : Back to The future 1999 - 2003 REMIXED!!!

 
 Back2TheFuture Tracklist:

CD 1
01. Exploration Of Space (Cosmic Gate’s Back 2 The Future Remix)
02. Fire Wire (Cosmic Gate’s Back 2 The Future Remix)
03. Raging feat. Jan Johnston (Duderstadt Remix)
04. Back To Earth (Jochen Miller Remix)
05. Human Beings (Estiva Remix)
06. The Truth (Cold Blue Remix)
07. Fire Wire (Rank 1 Remix)
08. The Drums (Markus Schulz Remix)
09. Melt To The Ocean (John O’Callaghan’s Main Room Remix)


CD 2
01. Back To Earth (Arty Remix)
02. Fire Wire (Wippenberg Remix)
03. Raging feat. Jan Johnston (Alexander Popov Remix)
04. Exploration Of Space (Spencer & Hill Remix)
05. The Drums (Robbie Rivera Juicy Mofo Remix)
06. Fire Wire (DJ Delicious ReWire Fire Mix)
07. Human Beings (Daniel Kandi’s Human Society Remix)
08. Exploration Of Space (Dirty Herz Rave-O-Lution Remix)
09. Fire Wire (Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike Remix)
10. Human Beings (Arnej Remix)


I Bought this last week and I've been listening to it... O M G!!!! NEW Remixes of our old skool favourites!!!!

The uber-epic remix of Exploration of Space is just E.P.I.C.! And new remixes of anthems like Raging Human Beings, Fire Wire, from artists such as Arty, Arnej, Markus Schulz , Rank1 , Cold Blue???
AWESOME!

Must-Have for old skool cosmic gate fans (like me!) and any trance fans

Quiztones : Awesome Site for Ear Training!



Check this out :  CLICK HERE

What was that? That's Quiztone, a website in which you play a quiz identifying different frequencies, a skill that is really important among audio engineers

Ever wondered how good you are at identifying certain frequencies? Try it out! Its free and its fun

Btw, good monitor speakers recommended for maximum experience!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

UFO over Jerusalem?? LoL



Okay this one is pretty RANDOM...

Have you seen this new viral video?? Looks pretty legit...  It would be pretty hard to fake all 5 videos!!

Friday, February 4, 2011

More Leaked Traktor Scratch Pro 2 Info!

Some interesting stuff HERE !

Most of the images have been removed but here are some awesome info!

Hmm.... 30 effects??? AWESOME!  I Hope we get the update soon!!



Digital Heart. Vinyl Soul.

TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 features an intuitive software interface, as well as TruWave frequency-specific colored waveforms for a new experience in mixing. Auto Detection and configuration of your interface let you set up in moments, while TRAKTOR AUDIO 10’s Direct Thru function makes switching DJs in the club a breeze. The SoftSync feature adds a new level of tempo-awareness to TRAKTOR SCRATCH that expands your mixing options when using vinyl control.

Raw Power

Powering this premium system is the ultimate DJ audio interface. TRAKTOR AUDIO 10 features ten inputs and ten outputs for ultimate connectivity, Cirrus Logic® converters for supreme audio quality, and low latency drivers. Its robust build, punchy outputs, clubreadable LEDs and slim profile make it the interface of choice for the world’s biggest DJs. Connect up to four turntables via the four stereo phono preamps, and spin super-precise 2kHz control signal on 120g vinyl – It feels just like your digital track was cut to a 12-inch.

Creative Tools

TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 offers an incredible range of creative options to define your individual sound. The intuitive looping and cueing functions have been enhanced with the addition of Sample Decks, making live remixing and re-editing a cinch. Grab and layer your own loops, use the library of included loop content or fire off one-shot samples such as the included scratch sounds. Record from any channel via the Loop Recorder and add dynamic layers to dramatically heighten your mix. Use the expanded effects section like an external effects unit and even sync up with gear such as MASCHINE to create powerful set ups for stage and studio.

Traktor Scratch Pro 2 Features

Premium 4-deck digital vinyl system – control digital music files using any combination of turntables, CD decks and DJ controllers
Super-tight vinyl response thanks to high-resolution 2kHz timecode signal and lowlatency hardware audio performance
Innovative Sample Decks and Loop Recorder for full creative control over tracks, loops and one-shot samples – create remixes and edits on the fly
TruWave waveforms show frequency-specific colors for visual mixing support with highly detailed zoom for super-precise cue points
Automatic tempo detection and SoftSync for intuitive beat matching, and over 30 outstanding DJ performance effects to craft your trademark sound
Crate Flick cover art browsing and full iTunes® integration to find tracks quickly
Plug & play and ultimate ease-of-use straight out of the box with included loop content and exclusive scratch sounds
TRAKTOR AUDIO 10 interface with 10 inputs and 10 outputs, four stereo phono preamps for turntables and pristine audio quality with extra-loud levels
Hardware Auto Detection and Direct Thru allows seamless transitions with other DJs in the booth
Software features internal mixer to spin at the after-party without timecode control
Traktor Scratch Pro 2 Specification

SUPPORTED FORMATS AND INTERFACES

MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audio-CD, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, non-DRM WMA, non-DRM AAC
ASIO®, Core Audio, DirectSound®, WASAPI
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Windows® XP (latest Service Pack, 32 Bit), Windows Vista®/Windows® 7 (latest Service Pack, 32/64 Bit), Intel® Pentium 4® 2.4 GHz or Intel® Core™ Duo or AMD Athlon™ 64, 2 GB RAM

Mac OS® X 10.5 or 10.6 (latest update), Intel® Core™ Duo, 2 GB RAM

500 MB free disk space required (minimum), DVD drive

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Traktor Update? Native Instruments Audio 6 DJ & Audio 10 DJ interfaces


Lookie lookie! I found this circulating around the net (and also from a local Traktor dealer), im pretty sure Native Instruments are gonna make an official announcement soon regarding these two Next-Gen Traktor Interfaces, Successor of the old Audio4/8/ DJ, seems like they have included extra inputs and outputs for the loop recorder / sample decks etc,  but to be honest i dont care much bout this soundcard, We WANT the NEW TRAKTOR Software UPDATE! :D

EDIT: This seems to be Tha Real Thang! I posted this photo in Native Instruments forum and the post got deleted in a few minutes... I suspect they will do the announcement of the new Hardware + new Traktor Update very soon?