Trance "act" Above & Beyond DJed in the Mojave desert yesterday for Branson's SpaceShipTwo event, and are so desperate to see space, they've asked if they can join the ride. Hailing from the UK, Above & Beyond certainly sound space-nutty, sampling Buzz Aldrin in one of their tracks.

Boasting to NME, one of the trancers, Jono Grant, said:

"We're big fans of all things space-related and so in terms of dream gigs, this is up there alongside our performance in Rio to one million people"

Branson, how about forgetting the whole 'space passenger fights' thing and turning SpaceShipTwo into an intergalactic anti-Noah's Ark? [Above & Beyond NME via TechRadar]

Designed by Thomas Mascall, the Touchtable features a large controller wheel that lets you mix records on the fly or scratch samples over what you're listening to. I especially love that you can link up two of these bad boys wirelessly for the full (well, miniature) DJ experience. Hooked up to a computer, it also functions as a MIDI device. It's just a concept for now, but if it ever gets built this little guy will put you just a smoke machine and glowsticks away from turning your cramped studio into a cramped SuperClub9000. [Yanko Design via Engadget]

Sometimes we find stories that are just barely not interesting enough to become a full post, so they end up here in remainders. But sometimes we find stories that have a bizarre enough angle that we don't feel right about ignoring them—like this one here, an Xbox 360 autographed by, of all people, Sarah Palin. Why did the former Alaskan governor and Vice-Presidential candidate autograph an Xbox 360 instead of, say, a piece of paper or a photo? We'll likely never know. Is it worth the $1 million asking price? That's really up to you guys to decide. Us, we're waiting on a Barry Goldwater-autographed Colecovision. [eBay]

This fully-automated kitchen is actually really cool—you control it with a universal remote and the opening/closing motions are very slick and well-designed (check out the video here). On the other hand, there are definitely some downsides. It costs $2,000 per lineal feet, so you could easily be looking at a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar investment here. The other downside, of course, is that the Anvil system is almost guaranteed to revolt and lock you in a cabinet once you've hit open and close thirty times because it's just so pretty. [Crunchgear]

One of my favorite perks of this job is being able to work from anywhere. I like going to a local cafe and draining their poor internet connection for eight hours straight (thanks, The Coffee Den in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn!). For some reason, some New York City cafe owners don't like me and my ilk paying $1.75 for eight hours of internet and one medium coffee, and they've started tossing out long-term laptop users. We're not really sure this is a huge trend, but coffeeshops are one of the best places to do your browsing while still feeling like you're "out," and we'd hate to see it become a real problem. Still, best do your coffeeshop internetting while you can. [Wall Street Journal via Crunchgear]

Hey look, it's a DJ mixer for two iPhones! That must be worth a post, right? Well, maybe, if it wasn't an exact copy of an iPod-specific mixer we wrote about literally years ago. It's not like it's a lousy product or anything, but come on, would it really hurt to update the design or something? At least they lowered the price...20 bucks. [Likecool]

In this clip, the Numark Scratch Deck looks fun enough to use, but maybe more importantly, Numark promises that their toy turntable can teach you skills that are "transferable to any DJ setup." (We doubt that, but given that our own knowledge of mixing is pretty limited, any real DJs in the audience are invited to run that comment through their BS filter in the comments.) Maybe the game will offer some passing entertainment, but we still can't help but recall our Beatmania controller whenever we look at the thing. [Kotaku]

It's grown up a bit since the initial reveal sprouting a glossy black panel that docks on either side of the main turntable. It holds the mixer, effects dial, euphoria button and hides the usual Xbox buttons behind a small panel up top.









Here's how you play the game, with someone much better at spinning tracks than I will ever be showing us how a DJ Hero kills it: We didn't get to use the controller to play the game, but we handled it after the demo, and it felt remarkably solid—weighty without being heavy, the plastic adequately resilient, and not too cheap feeling. The spin action itself is super smooth and effortless, with a light wrist flick sending into a fairly zoomy spin. The Xbox buttons are hidden up top in the dockable half, to reduce the complexity of the controls as much as possible. Yes, it is wireless. Interesting trivia bit: All of the DJs in the game wear Monster's Dr. Dre Beats headphones.

Guitar Hero already destroys my hand-eye coordination past medium—with buttons, spinning things, effects dials, mixers, I already know there's no effin' way I can handle this game. But I'm going to try because it looks like it makes you even more like a DJ king than Guitar Hero makes you feel like a rock god.

Compared to the previous version, this year's Pacemaker brings a "completely reworked" UI that promises to be more user-friendly, along with some nice beat-matching features to make it easier to keep the flow going. A one-click "auto beat match" function and a visual beat graph takes the guesswork out of matching BPI, and the new version will also let you bend pitch without changing tempo, and vice versa.

The solid file support is still there, and the Pacemaker comes in 60GB as well as the standard 120GB versions, and the 60GB is available now for $500. We're sure it won't be a substitution for a full DJ system, and experts will no doubt look down their noses at it, but for an experienced beginner who wants to be able to fit his rig in his pocket, it's probably a solid choice. [Product Page]

The Urban DJ portable cross fader has been ultimate retro hipster designed into a cassette shape. It has three inputs up top, two for connecting to anything from an iPhone to a cellphone (with the appropriate jack) and one for connecting into... well, I'm not sure what that middle one is for. The bottom has a separate input for connecting into a speaker set or headphones.

Move the slider to mix and crossfade between your two chosen music players. Alas, because all I had on me at the time was one measly iPod, the man sneered and approached the person standing next to me and that guy went on to become one of the most famous DJs in the world. True story.

Available for roughly $48. From Japan. [Gizmodo JP]

Seriously. Short of the DJ/rave scene these cans might have trouble finding a home. The price isn't too bad at $80 for the Tank model, $50 for the Matador, but I go blind just thinking about them. The Tank includes an extra cable with a microphone for answering calls, so there's that to consider on your way to that abandoned meat packing warehouse on the city limits.

The looks you'll get because you're wearing these for attention are priceless, however. [Aerial7 via Chip Chick via Coolest Gadgets]

DaScratch not only uses the USB port for MIDI control, but also for power via USB bus. It's meant to scratch and scrub like most real and cd-based turntables, plus it has the capability cue, loop and adjust pitch on samples. Its roughly 8" by 5" by 1.5" in size and weighs under 3 pounds and is available for $300. To get a better idea of how this thing works, be sure to check out the video. [Stanton]

Stanton Introduces DaScratch® Controller

New DaScratch a.k.a. SCS.3d features advanced touch-sensitive control for digital DJs

HOLLYWOOD, FL September 19, 2008 Stanton DJ, an industry leader in the design and manufacture of professional audio products for DJs, introduces the DaScratch, the company’s newest addition to the SC System controller line. DaScratch is a USB-MIDI controller that combines fast response, easy customization, and a compact form factor to create an ideal instrument for any digital DJ looking for total control over their software. Small and portable, DaScratch makes a space-friendly addition to any existing DJ gear set-up or can stand on its own as a complete controller solution.

DaScratch marks the introduction of Stanton’s StanTouch® technology, which allows DJs to use traditional performance motions and gestures on a touch-pad style surface. "With SCS.3d, we stepped back from the playing field and created something unique using emerging touch technology,” states Jim Mazur, Stanton’s Director of Product Development. “DJs are constantly looking for new ways to interact with their music. By studying their actions and creating a control surface analogy, we are able to bring some fresh ideas to fruition without being held back by traditional ways of interfacing with equipment."

The StanTouch® interface is highly responsive to popular functions such as scratching, scrubbing, and navigating through digital audio files. In addition, tactile buttons, triggers, and virtual faders are able to control samples, pitch, effects, cue and loop points, and other mappable functions. Multiple finger touches can also prompt quick kills on EQ's or transform effects on volume.

Another notable feature of the SCS.3d is the implementation of DaRouter® software. DaRouter allows customized support and control over most DJ, DAW, and audio applications. DaRouter also enables DaScratch to provide two-way user feedback by illuminating LEDs to indicate the status of buttons, triggers, virtual faders, and transport controls. A preset library is also available on the Stanton website that supports popular applications such as Traktor™, Traktor Scratch™, Ableton Live™, and Serato Scratch Live™. A complete list of supported current applications is available at www.StantonDJ.com.

According to Timothy Dorwart, CEO of the Stanton Group, "DaScratch reflects our commitment to deliver products based on technology, innovation and differentiation. The flexibility and affordability of DaScratch will attract new users to digital DJing while at the same time providing professional DJ's with a useful tool to augment their current rigs."

For simple connectivity into any set-up or environment, DaScratch features USB connection, allowing easy plug and play connection to your software. The unit is class compliant with Windows XP, Vista and Mac OSX to ensure that drivers are never needed, and is bus powered by design to ensure that no external power or batteries need to be used.

Additionally, the DaScratch employs the Magnect® connection system, allowing multiple SCS.3d units to securely snap together magnetically, creating a larger control surface with increased performance options. MSRP: $299

Technical Details:
5 Touch sensitive sliders (3 switchable via presets)
1 Touch sensitive continuous rotary control (switchable via preset)
4 Backlit (red, blue) buttons
10 Back lit (red, blue, purple) touch sensitive buttons
9 Backlit touch sensitive buttons (switchable via preset)
USB 1.1 and 2.0 class compliant MIDI controller
USB bus-powered*
System Requirements:
Mac: Power PC G5 or multicore Intel® processor Mac OSX (v10.4 or later)
Windows: PC running Windows XP or Vista
Dimensions (H x W x D): 8.52 in x 4.72 in x 1.38 in 216.5 mm x 120 mm x 35.25 mm
Shipping Weight: 2.64 lbs (1.2 Kg)
*USB hub / port must meet USB power specification
Package includes: DaScratch® Unit, USB cable, and Quickstart guide

FedEx says they are delivering it this monday. Oh. Yes. [Think Geek]

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21, 2008 – Sony today introduced a DJ-style shelf system with a dual dock for iPod® devices called XROSS FADE™. Perfect for mixing and playing music from iPod players, CDs and other music sources, XROSS FADE helps create the ultimate party soundtrack.

Part of the Muteki™ series of stereo systems, the XROSS FADE (model LBT-DJ2i) has an imposing presence and massive output that can fill nearly any room with sound, whether it's in a home, a dorm, or even powering a block party.

This music system has 450 watts of total power output, so aspiring DJs can crank up the volume while still maintaining high quality sound. As its name implies, the XROSS FADE system comes with DJ-style features, including a cross-fader with monitor cue and a built-in two-channel mixer. With this feature, an upcoming track can be checked through headphones to be sure it’s cued properly before playing it aloud. DJs can mix two songs or fade into the next song without missing a beat.

With an interface and two scroll wheel mechanisms that allow for easy menu navigation similar to that of iPod players, users never need to touch their iPod players while scanning for the next track. The XROSS FADE system even has a USB recording function that saves mixing sessions to a USB device in the MP3 format without a PC.

For MP3 files, the system’s MP3 Booster+ feature improves audio quality by restoring sound that is lost during compression. For extra thump, the beat blend feature adds a layer of pre-programmed percussion, drum sounds and drum loops over the mix.

The XROSS FADE system includes traditional shelf system features, such as a CD player, an AM/FM tuner, and a line-in jack for listening to MP3 players. Users can mix music from these sources as well as their iPod players. The system converts CDs and AM/FM radio to MP3 files as well.

With its matte black and chrome finish and appearance similar to a DJ mixing board, the XROSS FADE system is designed to be a statement piece for the bedroom, dorm room or living room. It produces a booming, high-impact sound through a pair of two-way bass reflex speakers and a dual 7-inch subwoofer enclosure.

Each of the four ropes you see controls a different looped sample: drums on my left hand, keys on my right, with electronic bass and some kind of FX thing rounding it out. As you see, when I rock it solo—my giddy look notwithstanding—it just sounds damn good, but when the inventor himself joins in, it's better still. Pedals on the floor restart each loop, so that you can tap it into place.

This is just one component of Michael's Lost/Found project—in the video you can see another pulley contraption he uses to draw circles, creating literal "feedback loops" of sound. Chladil's goal is not to make the next Soloflex, but to help non musicians access music making in a more natural, gestural way. For better or worse, that's also the goal of the inventors of the Beamz laser lute. Fortunately for Chladil, not all appendages can be used to tug ropes (last we checked). [Ropeandpulley.com]

A built-in remix feature allows 265 variations for each pattern and song, which gives more than 65,000 possible overall patterns. Further, the sound engine uses true analog synthesis throughout and the PC board has a new RAM chip, which extends the battery life from 1.5 years to a complete decade. Impressive. Unfortunately, $750 is a little too much for us to pay for a novelty Death Star control panel, but the way synthesizers go, it's not bad at all. [Bornrich]

Kevin Eustice and Peter Reiher have built and tested a version that works perfectly using playlists stored inside laptops running their software, but since very few (sober) people stroll into a party with one of those tucked under their arm, they're aiming it at Wi-Fi-enabled MP3 players. Since Smart Party can triangulate people's position, it can also deduct their votes when they leave the party, making everything all fair and square. The one stumbling block is DRM, since copying the tracks into the system even temporarily isn't exactly RIAA-friendly activity.

It's a good idea, and it sure would make for a pretty eclectic set to groove away to, but for that one fatal DRM flaw. They're pinning their hopes on a temporary porting of the license, otherwise it would be limited to DRM-free tracks shame. We imagine it wouldn't go down too well at foam parties, either, but you wouldn't be able to hear your fave track from your soaked MP3 player with all that foam in your ear anyway, would you? [New Scientist]

It's probably more suited to a house party than a club, but at $140 it's a fun piece of kit. It's available in isilver on white or red on black, to match your iPods. [iLounge]

As for support, you can play back MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA, and FLAC. Not sure if this includes protected AAC from the iTunes store, however. Available this fall. Which means you can finally say there's party in your pants and everyone's invited—and mean it.

– Jason Chen

Product Page [Tonium]

Packing some serious hardware—Dual Pioneer DVJ-X1 DVD Players, Edirol V-4 Video Mixer, 3 Marshal LCD Monitors, 5 subwoofers, 3 tweeters, 1100 Watt Power Amplifier and an Allen and Heath Xone 92 Audio Mixer—the company still claims "there's not an ounce of excess."

The Baby Grand Masters are for sale, but the amount is disclosed by inquiry only. In other words, it might just make you baroque.

– Mark Wilson

Product Page [via therawfeed]

What makes them appealing to disc spinners are the DJ-friendly 180-degree vertical swivel earcups, each with a rubber grip that lets you quickly pick the cans up and monitor that music mix post haste. DJs will also like their comfy closed-back design, which Creative says gives you excellent noise isolation.

Sure, there are better headphones, but few that look this good. They're now available in Singapore, and they should be around $112 by the time they hit Stateside sometime soon. – Charlie White

Product Page [Creative Technology, via I4U]

The next deck comes to us from Vestax and is given the highly intuitive name of the VCI-100. Here, all mixing is handled by software—Traktor 3 LE—and there's enough on-board MIDI controls to satisfy just about everybody, save for that prima donna Tiesto. Now who wants to go see Paul van Dyk next month in New York with me? – Nicholas Deleon

NAMM 2007 - DJ Interfaces Hands On [DJ Scott Paradis]

Other than the cool scratching and fading effects, you can actually hit a software "SYNC" button when mixing tracks and the computer will sync up both the beat and frequency. This all looks real good when you consider that the price is only $149.

The other item, the IMX05, is a DJ gadget for people who don't want to DJ. Consisting of just a few knobs and a slider, the software suite lets you set up a timeline for fading in and out, syncing, all for the purpose of making one long seamless track from different tunes.

Once you're done, you can export the mixed "track" to a file or burn it to CD—cool for making workout tunes. You can even set the volume controls, say, for a five minute rest period, in the track, which will then get exported or burned.

We don't have the price for the IMX05 (it's cheaper than the iCUE), but both are expected for release mid-year.

– Jason Chen

Product Site [Ion Audio]

No word on how much this complete DJ kit will run you, but you can safely assume that it's aimed at DJ wannabes rather than seasoned pros. These devices have always been somewhat clunky in the past, but by the looks of it, M-Audio has made it pretty bulletproof. – Nicholas Deleon

Update: I've just been informed by an M-Audio mole that the Torq MixLab will hit the streets at $99, which is only about double the price of the entrance fee to most dance clubs 'round here.

Product Page [M-Audio via CrunchGear]

Zune review: Yo DJ! Spin that Zune..but not so fast! [Cliczune]

Splice [via CNET Alpha]

M-Audio X-Session Pro [via Create Digital Music]

Fujitsu Laptop Turntable [mobilewhack]

Remote Vjs control [WMMNA]

The beats-per-minute counter is a neat bonus and the numerous pitch alterations you can make will make you the hippest kid in town. You can grab it online for around $450. Throw on some Luminary then start your world tour. – Nicholas Deleon

Product Page [Ministry of Sound via Tech Digest]

The MiKo is a 64-bit Dual Core processor-powered media hub based on Windows XP. Open Labs basically went on a shopping spree, and included the top of the line everything into the MiKo, including its graphics card and the components that make up its rather beefy, 7.1-channel sound system. A 1TB hard drive includes enough space for plenty of multimedia files, and the built-in dual layer DVD burner assists with video authoring. Of course, it's got all the important network connections as well, with an Ethernet port and built-in Wi-Fi. For the more specialized parts, Open Labs says they've created the drivers from scratch, thereby improving reliability.

The 15-inch LCD touchscreen makes perfect sense for the MiKo. There's a customized GUI available, but the familiar Windows XP interface is only a click away should you prefer Fisher-Price. Since the MiKo is designed with an eye toward DJs, the touchscreen makes using all that crazy DJ mixing software all the more easy. Throw in the built-in, fully functioning musical keyboard (or any other MIDI instrument you plug in for that matter) and you're all set to create the next great Euro chart topper.

The MiKo's support of HD content is also impressive, as its able to handle multiple HD streams simultaneously (while mixing a song, editing sound loops, etc.).

In essence, the Open Labs MiKo is just really fun. I suppose it's nearly powerful enough to model the weather, but odds are you'll be too busy pretending to be Gabriel & Dresden (the current "it" guys in trance music) to do any of that. It's on sale now on Open Labs' Web site for $2,499. – Nicholas Deleon

Product Page [Open Labs]

This sucker has a USB port on the front, two on the back, and an LCD screen so you can view waveforms. Waveforms! Is this a night club or a freakin' EE class? The Director supports iPods, memory sticks, USB hard drives or USB keyboards to play music off of/interface with. There's even the capability to record songs back onto a hard drive to save for later—like for using at the damn Bar Mitzvah you're only getting paid $45 for because the kid's old man is a friend of your old man. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Numark via Music Thing]

This is the latest in Stanton's arsenal of next-gen DJ equipment. No longer will crates of vinyl be needed at DJ gigs, just pop the C.314 in and go to town. Stanton claims this device is user friendly, I just think it looks pretty. The large touch-sensitive jog wheel in the middle allows for scratching and beat juggling—whatever the hell that mean—to be done with ease and finesse. Also included is a memory that can store cue points and loops for up to 500 CDs. The C.314 also has high quality DSP effects and other block rockin' features. Did I mention it looks pretty? Oooh, shiny! – Travis Hudson

Stanton C.314 Tabletop CD/MP3 Player [BIOS]

We've reported on some of the equipment before–the DVJ-X1, for example. Other featured models were the DJM-400 two-channel mixer, the CDJ-1000MK3 and MK2 CD turntables, the DJM-800 mixer and the CDJ-200. When their powers combined, the room was officially bopping.

As you might know, the DVJ-X1 is a video remixer of sorts, letting DJs or DJ wannabees scratch, rewind and fast-forward DVD video as techno music fills the room. Seeing the European-sounding house DJ scratch live was a quite a sight.

Pioneer is trying to straddle the market between the pros and the amateurs, with the high-end pro equipment, like the aforementioned DVJ-X1, costing in the thousands of dollars, while equipment like the DJM-400 running only into the hundreds.

Should your rave get busted, however, don't blame us for any fines you incur. – Nicholas Deleon

Pioneer

The DJ is a cradle and speaker system that looks like a robotic DJ. Not an animatronic version of Candace Cameron from Full House—an actual DJ. This thing also shines lights and pretends to scratch the wheels of steel while interrupting your music with phrases like "Drop the Beat!" and "Here's another FUNKit exclusive".

Available this fall for $99. – Jason Chen

Too Cool For Old Skool [Popular Mechanics]

MOTU Shipping FireWire UltraLite: Tons of Audio I/O, Tiny Package [Create Digital Music]

Product Page [Faderfox] (Thanks, Blip!)