FXUniqueSquared Pro Audio Blog

PRO AUDIO

Zack Rocket
May 22, 2012

Native Instruments Kontrol F1 – First Look

We were expecting the Kontrol F1 sometime in the next week so it was completely unexpected that someone with one would show up unannounced. By the time I had arrived in the office, I found the team frantically skirting around the room setting up the set. I had been planning on doing an F1 demo when the unit was released and had only began to plan something out in the days prior to our unexpected visit and was unprepared to demo the unit on a whim. I made a call to one of my friends that produces tracks with me and asked if he would send the stems from our latest track for a demo.

At about 11 o’Clock the artist made his way back to the video room carrying with him a suitcase full of just about any piece of NI gear you can imagine. His name was Phillip and …

PRO AUDIO

Zack Rocket
April 11, 2012

Hercules DJ Control AIR Review

A few days ago Hercules stopped by the office to drop off a 4-MX and DJ Control AIR for us to review. The Hercules DJ Control AIR is a two deck DJ controller which stands for “Adjustment by InfraRed”. It retails for under $200, so aspiring DJs can pick one up and try it out without breaking the bank. At first, the AIR struck me as a DJ’s toy but I got to put my hands on it for a few days and dive in deep. When I came out on the other side, what I found was a controller that was actually quite delightful to play (with) and a knowledge of a DJ software that, until doing this review, I had no idea even existed.

Our resident DJ specialist, DJ MadfFlip, wrote up a summary of its performance to present to us at a pre-production meeting. Scott came with pretty …

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DJ Scott Mad Flip
April 5, 2012

Stanton DJC.4 Virtual DJ Controller Announced

Stanton recently announced the new DJC.4 Virtual DJ controller to add to their arsenal of impeccable DJ products. This controller joins a plethora of solid Virtual DJ controllers in the market, mostly due in part to the software’s growing popularity among beginner and part time DJs. The DJC.4 provides a solid foundation not only to learn the craft, but also become a professional DJ, due to it’s additional features not found on entry level controllers.

It comes equipped with an LE version of Virtual DJ, specific to the DJC.4, that allows for 4 deck control and all of the basic features. Keep in mind that drivers are included to make it compatible with the latest, full version of Virtual DJ as well. The DJC.4 does have some really unique features along with a truly clean and functional layout that separate it from some of the other major players out there. …

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DJ Scott Mad Flip
August 24, 2011

Novation Makes Me “TWITCH” Review

As we learned months ago Novation was releasing a highly anticipated “controllerism” inspired Serato Itch controller. Many of us saw the initial video and marveled at it’s unique layout and advanced functionality. We finally got one in which magically coincided with Serato’s release of Itch 2.0. We agreed that the Twitch merited some additional footage and documented it’s arrival and first impressions before we really got into the nitty gritty. Here is what transpired.

First Impressions

The Twitch is a smaller controller compared to the usual suspects that occupy the market which I see as an advantage considering this is a niche product that probably won’t become standard in every nightclub or venue. The layout is a little different, too. The “juicy” area consists of 8 small pads on the lower left and right of the controller that trigger 4 performance modes. Above those is the Performance Mode selector …

PRO AUDIO

DJ Scott Mad Flip
June 23, 2011

Allen & Heath Xone DB4 Review: Witness The Strength

Every once in while a new product is introduced to the world that redirects the path of existing trends. In the DJ world that product is the Xone DB4 by Allen & Heath. The DB4 comes equipped with a built-in 24bit/96kHz, multichannel, fully patchable USB2 sound card and it is also MIDI compatible. It also boasts a Quad FX Core DSP effects engine borrowed from to the Allen & Heath iLive pro touring console with the effects tweaked just a bit to be more relevant to electronic and dance music for a DJ performance. The layout and design is state of the art but you will find some semblance to Allen & Heath’s vastly popular Xone:92 mixer in terms of the stellar filters on the lower left and right of the channel faders. Where it differs most is the inclusion of a a multi-function 3 band EQ (isolater, LP/HP filter, …