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Denon has hit another home run with their DN-HD2500. This media controller is the command center for your DJ console. Armed with a 40GB Hard Drive, this device may not have enough storage for your entire music collection, but it certainly can holster your main tunes. If that 40GB simply is not enough for you, connect an external hard drive of your choice via USB and the HD2500 is ready to rock and roll. Connect an iPod, external hard drive, flash drive, etc., and the HD2500 will play from them. Scrolling through 40GB’s of music could get monotonous, so Denon intelligently provided usb keyboard support. Simply type in your search by artist, title, album, year, or bpm, and boom – there it is. Personally, I use the built in hard drive as a backup. I connect the HD-2500 to my laptop via midi. I don’t trust computers or anything computer based so the built in hard drive could come in very handy in the event of a computer crash. The midi functionality – for me – has been the heart and soul of this machine. It is natively supported by Virtual DJ as well as a host of other DJ software platforms.

The unit will play pretty much whatever you throw at it – provided it is encoded properly to Denon standards. Before play music on the unit you have to run your library through Denon’s proprietary desktop software. This software is very picky and will support only audio files that it deems worthy. Again, this is another reason why I choose to run my unit in Midi mode. My software will pick up and play essentially any audio file in my library.

There are a ton of features and effects on the unit. Flangers, echo’s, cue points, and loops are in no short supply. If you’re looking to pick up a rocksolid all-in-one unit that carry’s a brand name synonymous with quality and durability, I would certainly recommend the Denon DN-HD2500.

Conclusion:

What’s Great:
*Midi Control
*Features and Effects
*Ability to play off of any external hard drive
*Ability to control a dual CD player (sold separately)
*Price

What’s Not:
*Built-In Hard Drive could be larger
*Switching between modes could be quicker/easier
*Denon Media Manager Software could be improved

by Anthony DeStefano (Premium Entertainment DJ’s)
http://www.PremiumDJ.com

The Denon DN-HD2500 is available at Audiolines.com for only $295.00

Popularity: 30% [?]

Akai is holding a contest for all European APC40 owners!

Here’s the scoop from Akai:

The Akai Pro APC40 is the perfect controller for Ableton Live. Combining the APC40 with Ableton Live transforms your experience from constructing tracks on a computer to fluid, musical creation.

We at Akai Professional want to know, how you produce with your APC40 and how LIVE has changed for you. Thats why Akai Professional announces the European APC40 video contest, starting November, 1st and ending December, 31st 2009. Capture your APC40/Live performance with a camcoder and upload your video to the Akai Pro Youtube Group.

Heres what to do:

1.Go to http://www.youtube.com/group/apc40contest
2.Register to YouTube and become a member of the APC40 Video Contest Group
3.Tag your video with „APC40 and add it to the APC40 Video Contest Group
4.These performances will be judged by a top panel of artist who are also APC40 users themeselves,, like Sébastian Légere, Pascal FEOS and others to find the best video.
5.With a little luck you are one of the winners of this contest.

To honour the best performance we are offering a total of 20 prizes:

1st Prize: Any product from our current Akai Professional product range for free
2nd – 20th prize: Choice of either Akai Pro LPK25 or LPD8

Popularity: 1% [?]

Berlin, November 3rd, 2009 – Native Instruments today announced TRAKTOR KONTROL X1, a highly functional performance controller that gives DJs immediate hands-on control over vital aspects of their performance. Designed by the team behind the groundbreaking TRAKTOR DJ platform, the compact KONTROL X1 offers an unprecedented level of integration with the latest TRAKTOR generation for maximum performance and ease-of-use, and can also efficiently control any MIDI-compatible DJ software on the market.

TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 provides DJs of all styles and genres with a highly efficient and intuitive way to control loop, cue, effect, track selection and transport functions of their system. The unit accommodates the two most common digital DJing paradigms – it ideally complements a typical timecode-controlled TRAKTOR SCRATCH setup consisting of a hardware mixer, turntables or CD decks, and also excels as a selfcontained controller for DJs who play beat-gridded tracks with the
TRAKTOR software and mix externally. Two X1 units can also easily be combined into a four-deck setup that controls all decks and effect units of TRAKTOR PRO or TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO simultaneously.

The functionality and layout of TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 was carefully engineered and fine-tuned based on extensive artist feedback and usability testing in order to combine a versatile feature set with maximum ease of use. The unit is equipped with precise and durable high-quality buttons, knobs and encoders, complemented by dynamic colored backlighting for additional visual feedback. The X1 integrates with the TRAKTOR software through a dedicated high-resolution protocol, resulting in a level of precision and responsiveness beyond what regular MIDI-based controllers can provide, and allowing for true plug-and-play operation with no setup or specific configuration required.

TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 has been specifically designed for heavy-duty usage in performance environments. Its compact casing is both robust and lightweight for high portability, and the special vertical form factor makes the unit fit seamlessly within a typical club setup. The optional high-quality carrying bag for the X1 doubles as a versatile stand that conveniently raises the controller surface to match the height of typical DJ mixers.

Beyond TRAKTOR, the KONTROL X1 can be used to efficiently control any MIDI-compatible DVS, DJ software or music performance application. The optional MIDI mode of the controller can be engaged on the fly via a dedicated button on the unit. The X1 also comes with a carefully designed set of parameter assignments for the Serato Scratch Live™ system, matching the relevant features of the software to the controller in an ideal way without any individual setup effort. A special Serato Scratch Live™ overlay for the X1 is also available.

TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 also ships with TRAKTOR LE, a basic version of the TRAKTOR PRO software that provides two decks with essential looping, effects and mixing features, turning X1 into a complete entry level solution for digital DJing. Owners of TRAKTOR LE can upgrade to the full-featured TRAKTOR PRO software for a special discounted price at any time.

Pricing and availability

TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 will be available in February 2010 for a suggested price of $229 / 199 €. The carrying bag / stand for TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 will be available for $49 / 39 €.

Further product information and press material

Popularity: 1% [?]