The Spank! Records Blog

Turning The Tide: Murphy Interviews Tortoiseshell

Sydney band Tortoiseshell describe its sound as a "big warm hug".

And who am I to disagree after listening to the band's debut single 'This Girl' on the Canyons label, Hole In The Sky. It certainly conjures up images of sun-drenched good times and lazy days of acid love. Its swirling guitars and laid back vocals may hint at the past but also gives total reference and relevance to what's happening now with bands like Tame Impala.

And, interestingly, they are one of the few rock bands still releasing on the beloved vinyl format ("We love vinyl") thanks to the Canyons. Influences range from Talking Heads to Happy Mondays and the band are now getting a lot of interest from the industry and insiders are beginning to chatter. Before they get swallowed up with deals and tours, I thought I'd sit down with them and see what's actually under the shell and where these tortoise trails began.

Are you all from Sydney? How did the band come together?

Four of us are from Sydney. Dom, our guitarist, was run out of his home town of Tamworth for playing 'The Pub With No Beer' with a fuzz pedal. The band was forged in the womb with the two brothers Rick and Will Mansfield who collided with a separate blood line of cousins Dom Kirkwood and Dom Broadhurst and an unattached Patrick Dagg at art school a few years back.

Tell us about the name?

Tortoiseshell was whittled down from a long list of names. We were looking for a name that let the music be the product and not the name.

I heard your name was Tennis, why the change?

That's correct. I think we were all a bit tired of all the inevitable tennis puns and interview questions (feel the fury...ha ha). It was originally meant to be abstract and unusual, but at times it detracted from the music we were making which is why we changed.

Are you all into tennis because we should have a match. It’s my fave sport.

We have had a few epic battles on the court. If you can handle it getting a little competitive, then why not.

Was there a specific sound that everyone was into?

Bands like Interpol, The Rapture, Joy Division, Bit by Bats were floating our mutual boats when we first came together. The urgency and emotion of the post-Punk sound was certainly a strong influence for us in the beginning, but in saying that, this wasn't necessarily the sound that hogged our stereos when we were growing up. Rick and Will had a leaning to a more conventional classic Rock/Pop sound through groups like Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater and The Beatles. Paddy was more comfortable with bands such as the Velvet Underground and The Doors. The two Doms were definitely products of the 90s. Dom B was all about distortion, so bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement and Smashing Pumpkins made it to his Walkman, whereas Dom K was walking to the beat of the Beastie Boys, Tupac Shakur, Sepultura, and Joni Mitchell of course. 

And what about influences on the single? Have you been trawling through your parents' record collections?

'This Girl' spawned out of the influence from bands like Roxy Music, Talking Heads, ESG, A Certain Ratio, Vincent Gallo, The Embassy, Happy Mondays, The Ruby Suns et al. It is based around our parents' collections but also more recently our insatiable desire to discover new music and reconnect with old.

Describing your sound is always a bit of a ‘wanky’ question so can you describe your sound for me?

Well in honour of your question our sound is like a big warm hug; a euphoric high; a lingering look or as one blogger aptly put it, a summery post-coital beer. I guess it is a blend of harmonious Pop, 80s Rock, and dark Dub. 

How did the Hole In The Sky connection come into things?

We played a few gigs with Ryan and Leo a few years back, when I think they first arrived in Sydney. They were getting chauffeured around by our then manager. We all really dug what they were doing on the dance scene and collaboratively with Tame Impala. We started sending them tracks that we were demoing to get feedback and a friendship grew out of that.

So you obviously knew about the Tame Impala connection with the label?

Yeah we were well aware that they had discovered and released Tame Impala. It's great to be part of the same stable.

Have you been compared to them and what are thoughts on media and comparisons?

I don't believe we have been compared to them. We are a different kettle of fish. But I guess it would be a compliment if so as they are a killer band.

The Canyons have done a beautiful simplified dub of the track. What are your thoughts on the dance music scene?

That is their talent in stripping a song back to its pure core. The dance music scene is thriving at the moment, with Canyons at the forefront forever pushing the envelope.

The ‘This Girl’ sound harks back to the 60s, I think. Tell us about how the track came about?

It came about after we listened back to a series of out-takes from a writing session last year on an uncle's farm in Orange. There was a scintillating 30 second grab of the drum beat with a hint of synth. So then Rick took it away and came back with the expanded synth idea and vocal melody. Quite naturally the song fell into place thereafter. It wasn't a conscious decision to reference the 60s but I guess that is just our musical upbringing seeping through the cracks.

Who produced the single and where was it done?

'This Girl' in its original form was recorded with a bunch of other tracks that were to form a Tennis EP at 301 studio with Tim Carr. We then gave a preview of the track to Ryan and Leo of Canyons, who immediately heard something in it. So we reworked it with them producing, replacing live drums for programmed ones, adding an acoustic and simplifying the instrumentation.  

Is there a writing process involved or is it a free-for-all?

With the first incarnation of the band the writing process was a bit of a free-for-all. We were writing songs in rehearsal with all five of us playing simultaneously that we would then perform that weekend live. We never gave the song a chance to grow or breathe. At this stage we have certainly learnt to respect the writing process. We are now set up with Pro Tools, which allows us to scrutinize a song and play around with structure and different ideas. Working with the boys from Canyons has taught us also to not over-complicate things and to let the core idea to ring through.

Would you say you’re a studio band or do you prefer live?

It has been a long time between drinks for us live because at this point we are focused on writing new material. But I don't think you could classify us a studio band. We're very keen to start performing live again, particularly now that we have a song released that hopefully people will know.

Is there an LP or new material on the horizon?

We are currently working on tracks for an EP that will hopefully be out by the end of the year.

Will HITS be releasing all new material or has there been any major label courting?

We've had a fair bit of interest since the single landed but we will be hopefully putting out the EP with HITS.

What do you love about being a band?

The freedom of expression and being creative with your best mates.

Tell us about the artwork, especially on the vinyl, it looks amazing. You guys do it yourself? Any inspiration here?

Will, our drummer, did the artwork with the help of Dom B. The artwork depicts 'This Girl', a serene Muse modelled on the idealised female form of Venus. We wanted to reflect the dreamy jubilant mood of the song so we opted for pastel colour with a hazy Pop Art spin, giving a nod in the direction of Howard Arkley, Toulouse Lautrec, Mucha, Hiroshige, Roy Lichtenstein and of course Warhol.

What are your thoughts on vinyl?

We love wax! Nothing beats it! The sound quality is amazing and the sleeve art gives a further insight into the idea of the song.

Where can we see you next?

We will be doing a string of launch/Hole in the Sky parties come august. Keep your ear to the ground.

Murphy.

Architeq's 'Gold + Green' LP... Let's Get Down

Gold + Green is the new fourteen-track LP from London based Scottish producer Architeq. It's in the title people...GOLD! Early last year he released his debut 'Birds Of Prey' EP on Tirk, of which three tracks made it onto the LP, and since then he has been busy in the studio knob-twiddling with tiny Scottish fingers.

Twiddle me this Architeq? How do you pull such amazing synth sounds?! This guy is an analogue genius. His sounds are thick, warm and delicately rich. He can work a wobble and slap you in the funkin' face with a bass line so god-damn cool you'll think he's jesus. This album sits in a nexus between Electro-Funk, Disco-Boogie and pure dubby production. It sounds like he had the space echo out on every track! Yeah Boi! The whole affair was recorded using lovely analogue synths such as the ARP, Moog, Roland and Sequential Circuits names.

One definitive aspect of the album is Architeq's (AKA Sam Annand) high level of production prowess. The guy creates so much movement and feel in between the synth and drums - it's visceral and this can be quite tricky to achieve with electronic music. Everything sits beautifully in the mix and has balls whilst not being tiring to the ears. In some tracks, tape effects swirl around and glitch out giving us the dubby textures whilst in others he lays down nothing but solid funky bass that slaps us into a Disco frenzy.

Watch this space people. Architeq has released the album of the year so far. You want to buy this... now!

Love always,

Rich.

Which Digital DJ controller is for me? Allen & Heath Xone 1D, Faderfox DX2 and NI Kontrol X1 compared.

We’ve had the Native Instruments X1 for a little under a week now and our first shipment has already flown out the door. I thought I would take this opportunity to write up a bit of comparison on the range of different MIDI controllers now available for time-code based DJ softwares and outline the features and advantages of various controllers. It’s important to think about your specific needs when choosing a controller, the diverse range of possible digital set-ups mean that different controller feature sets will set them apart as stronger options for different DJs. The three main contenders (all in fact excellent controllers) are the Allen & Heath Xone 1D, the Faderfox DX2 and of course the newbie, the Native Instruments Kontrol X1.

Starting with the Xone 1D the first thing that strikes you is that the 1D substantially bigger than the other two controllers. Roughly the same length and depth as most professional mixers (Allen & Heath Xone 92, Pioneer DJM800) the 1D certainly has an ‘installation’ feel, sitting flush in a rig next to the mixer. The faceplate is a solid metal affair and the Xone 1D feels like it can take the kind of beating you normally expect an audio mixer to face as opposed to a MIDI controller. The two standout features of the one 1D in terms of functionally are the multi-purpose jogwheel and four 60mm linear MIDI faders. Modifier assignments make it surprisingly easy & intuitive to use the one jog-wheel to control up to four virtual decks and the click button options mean you can handle track selection, assignment and cueing using the one component. Out of the controllers listed, the faders are unique to the 1D and are great for mixing with the virual mixer included in softwares like Traktor Pro/Ableton or for controlling FX wet/dry functions. Control laminate overlays for the 1D are readily available and a comprehensive range of MIDI editors and MIDI channels make the 1D an extremely customizable beast, especially good for the technically minded. Richie Hawtin uses these babies for good reason.

The Faderfox DX2 is a tiny but mighty controller. Custom made in Germany the Faderfox DX2 shows a real attention to detail. Click button encoders are extremely accurate and offer multiple switchable functions. One of the biggest pros with the Faderfox DX2’s is that they will run off a standard 9 volt battery (and it will run for days, not minutes) and sends conventional MIDI, making it an excellent choice in a setup where USB connections/device powering issues are a concern. System mode selection allows you to quickly switch the MIDI channel that the controller operates on, effectively meaning you can quickly swap between two DX2s that can control decks A/B and C/D. Faderfox controllers are fully modular, so any additional Faderfox controller can be daisy chained into the DX2 to add extra control functions using standard MIDI connections. The Faderfox is certainly to my mind the thinking DJs choice, ideal for those unafraid to get a little inventive with setups and cross platform controls.

Finally we come to the new kid, the Native Instruments Kontrol X1. Obviously for Traktor users the ‘designed by Native Instruments’ factor is a big plus here. The Kontrol X1 connects via USB and is plug and play ready to run with the newest Traktor Pro patch 1.2.4. The X1 offers the most directly laid out controls, with clearly labelled and dedicated buttons and faders for two FX units and cue/loop/browse functions over two decks. The control four decks with the X1 you will need to chain two X1s and there are no conventional MIDI connections. Those on other platforms will be pleased to know the X1 does feature a comprehensive MIDI editor and can be adjusted to fit usages other than Traktor. The Kontrol X1 definitely suits the DJ who just wants to get hands on quickly without messing around and getting too complex all at once.

Hopefully this comparison will help people make the right controller decisions and shed some light on the variations between the controllers.

Thanks,

Matt

Korg Kaossilator Pro First Impressions

The Korg Kaossilator was a simple machine with a profound philosophy. By removing the keyboard and replacing it with an X/Y pad, the Kaossilator encouraged the users to make music with (shock horror) their ears, rather than conventional theory or advanced technical prowess. This simple premise, coupled with a surprisingly rich sound engine, made the Kaossilator a surprise hit; truly the easiest way to add extra texture or riffage to a production and a great way to ‘change the gear’ of your thought process while composing.

Riding on the back of this successful ‘gadget’, Korg has used the Winter NAMM seminar to announce the upcoming release of the Kaossilator Pro. The Kaossilator Pro is a serious refinement on the foundation set by its bite-sized predecessor, adding a range of features borrowed from the long standing Kaoss Pad 3 to open the door to better integration of the Kaossilator's features with other studio and live gear.

The upgrades that come with the Kaossilator Pro cover a wide palette of technical desires. The sound bank has been doubled to include 200 programs; the addition of PCM samples mean that the drum sounds in this unit should be more realistic and varied than the synthesizer-based drums in the original. Up to eight of your favourite patterns can be stored to hot keys on the Kaossilator Pro’s faceplate and called up/swapped between instantly.

In addition to its program library, the Kaossilator Pro is able to record live audio samples from external audio sources as real-time overdubs or original gated takes (those familiar with the Kaoss Pad 3 will recognize this system). Sample-length and gating functionality allow quick edits to recorded samples to fit your composition quickly and in line with standard sampling practice. Microphone ¼ TRS and RCA inputs allow the Kaossilator's programs to be used as a vocoder effect on the input audio source.

The program and sampled sounds can be combined within the Kaossilator Pro, real-time, in four pattern banks (up to four bars). The addition of these pattern banks is a serious tick on my personal wish-list from the original Kaossilator, making it possible to step forward/backwards, adjust volume and mute/un-mute sections of your patterns in real time, making long varied performances based on managing your loops easy and intuitive.

Connectivity has obviously been a serious area of attention for Korg when designing the Kaossilator Pro. While the original Kaossilator has a fairly workable arp/tap tempo feature, it really existed on something of an island, unable to communicate with other gear. The opposite can be said about the Kaossilator Pro. The addition of conventional MIDI in/out connectors, MIDI over USB, SD card sample storage and its own dedicated editor software means that not only does the Kaossilator Pro talk to pretty much every other piece of gear you could desire; it does so easily and intelligently. Huzzah.

In summation, the Kaossilator Pro has all the goodness of the original with double the sounds, better storage, MIDI in/outs, sampling, improved arp/gate and a vocoder. My ultimate dream aspiration for this product probably had the Kaoss Pad 3's effects unit combined with all of these features, but I can acknowledge when I am existing in a land of pure fantasy. With the Kaoss Pad Mini readily available, I’m sure this is an addition I can take care of myself if I find it truly necessary. The real world Kaossilator Pro that Korg have served up is certainly a tasty enough morsel by itself.

Videos of the NAMM demonstration can be viewed below,

We are currently taking pre-orders for the Korg Kaossilator Pro with a $100 deposit online or in store. We are expecting the unit to arrive late March and retail for around $749.00. Pricing will be updated according to domestic market price upon the arrival of the products.

Thanks,

Matt

Spank! Records

Pioneer CDJ2000 and CDJ900 in Stock.

Pioneer has delivered two outstanding products that will undoubtedly become the new standard in modern electronic performances. They continually evolve their technology to meet the standards and practices of the day and with the ability to assign MIDI data to most buttons and controls via usb, the software domain will bow down before you.

Your mastery shall know no limits with these cross platform beasts, the ability to play all your music from the built-in usb port, MP3, AAC, WAV and AIFF cds, files from your Pacemaker and control software such as Serato and Traktor, makes for an exciting development in the world of DJing.

CDJ2000 and CDJ900 Key Features

• Besides regular audio CDs the CDJs can play music files that have been copied to SD memory cards and USB storage devices, such as flash memory and hard disk drives. Compatible file formats are MP3, AAC, WAV and AIFF (16/24-bit).
• Rekordbox™ database management software for DJs. DJs can prepare cue points, loops and Hot Cues in advance of their show. They can manage music files by editing tag information and artwork, while rekordbox™ analyses such track information as BPM and wave data. DJs can also edit beat grids, which utilise the new Quantize performance features, so, as an option, all cue points and loops can be set perfectly on-beat every time.  
• Industry-first Pro DJ Link. For the very first time, DJs can connect up to four CDJs and Rekordbox™ by LAN connection and instantly share music and data between the players. 
• Advanced connectivity with 24-bit/48 kHz sound card, HID and MIDI control via USB.
• Quantized beat loop for perfectly synced cue points, loops and Hot Cues.
• Improved quality audio output circuit with Wolfson DAC processor. A high-performance Wolfson DAC processor allows audio to be reproduced with a lush analogue feel. Great news for audiophiles is the better signal-to-noise ratio, giving a massive improvement on the CDJ1000MK3 processor, and a new hybrid operation amplifier circuitry that also minimises noise. 

 CDJ2000 Exclusives 

• Industry-first Needle Search™/Needle Drop for speedy searches and previews.
  This industry first reproduces digitally the action of needle dropping on vinyl. Needle Search™ lets you instantaneously preview music at any chosen point with pinpoint accuracy. Simply slide a finger along the Needle Drop pad while listening to the stuttered preview and checking the wave display to locate peaks and troughs. This tactile ribbon controller can also be used to conduct keyword searches.

• Huge full-colour display screen leads the market. A bright, elevated 6.1-inch LCD enables DJs to acquire all information at a glance in the dark. And it’s not just about browsing directly though text, because artwork can also be displayed.

• The CDJ2000 can play MP3 data CDs and DVDs

• An extra three Hot Cue Banks, available via the Rekordbox™ play list. Aside from the three Hot Cue buttons on the CDJ2000 player itself, there are also three Hot Cue Banks to be found in the rekordbox™ play list. This provides users with an abundance of Hot Cues to further extend the editing opportunities.

• Advanced new Jog for smooth operability and greater feeling adjustment. The all-new club conscious Jog dial is illuminated in four different places. It’s also much quieter and smoother in operation, and has a far wider tension range when compared to the CDJ1000MK3.

CDJ900 Exclusives

• Slip mode that fully maintains groove accuracy. The new Slip button lets DJs perform such tricks as looping, reversing or scratching of music without ever losing the flow or even a beat. The music continues to play, muted, as DJs perform, for example, a looped segment and so always returns – bang on beat – when the looping is complete.
• Quick Return scratch enables the slickest tricks. By turning on the Quick Return scratch feature, DJs can make the CDJ900 jump back to a set cue point as soon as they touch the Jog to perform a scratch. This makes it easy to perform beat juggling tricks without having to find the beat perfectly every time.

• Advanced Auto Beat Loop for improved performance. When a 1, 2, 4 or 8 Auto Beat Loop button is pressed the Auto Beat Loop function automatically finds the beat segments from that point in time, making it simple to play a precisely timed loop. To expand the creative looping options available to DJs, the CDJ900 is capable of 10 different variations of loop right down to 1/16th of a beat.

The CDJ2000 and CDJ900 are currently in stock and are going for $2599 and $1899 respectively. See you soon...

Warm Regards,

Rich.

Akai Favourites!

With only three days remaining on our Akai Sale, I thought I might do a quick run-through of some of my personal favourite Akai gear.

MPC500/MPC1000

Where to begin! MPC’s are amongst the most powerful & versatile analogue sample-based production tools ever! The sound quality is high, the swing and feel is distinctive and the pad response is super dynamic. The MPC drives you to make beats and sample-based music in that distinctive house/hip hop style that can only really come out of an authentic groove-box. For the home producer looking to add some feel to their percussion or DJ’s looking to add samples and beats to their live rig you can’t go past the MPC. A truly classic piece of equipment.

Akai APC40

Ableton sets the benchmark for live performance computer software. Whether used as a sequencer for outboard gear or a trigger for samples/soft synths in the DAW, Ableton allows a flexibility that can really make the mixing experience closer to live production. The APC40 is perfectly designed to control Ableton with Clip Launch/Session View Pads, instant mapping to modular components and enough faders/knobs to mix and send 8 tracks simultaneously, the APC40 makes using live easy and fun. The way it should be.

Akai MPK25/49

In my opinion the Akai MPKs are probably the best USB MIDI controllers on the market. The editor software is simple and logical, the quality and resolution of the parts is as good as you can ask for in a MIDI controller and the combination of faders/Q-link knobs and keyboard offer all the controls you could ask for in a home studio controller.

There are plenty more Akai bargains on our sale page so if you’re looking for a new toy or a great Christmas present, pop on over to the specials page.

Thanks

Matt

Spank! Records.

Allen & Heath Xone 42 in stock at Spank! Records

Just in time for Christmas, we at Spank! Records are pleased to announce our first shipment of Allen & Heath Xone 42 mixers.

The Xone 42 offers 4 dual stereo channels for mixing; two phono/line channels and two dual line channels for running mixed platform setups utilizing Allen & Heath's world-renowned audio quality. Each channel includes three-band EQ for mixing with full EQ kills and 6db boost on each frequency.

All four channels on the Xone 42 can be routed through the Allen & Heath Xone VCF filter with individual wet/dry controls on each channel. The filter on the Xone 42 includes High-Pass, Low-Pass and Band Pass settings with resonance and frequency controls.  External FX in/outs can be combined with the VCF filter or assigned individually through the X-FX assignment channel.

The Xone 42 includes a microphone input channel with XLR connection and two-band EQ control. The microphone channel can also be switched over to USB input allowing an extra channel to play audio signal directly from a laptop using the mixers built-in soundcard and a standard USB connection.

The Xone 42 includes two fader curve assignments alternating between a sharp scratching response and smooth house mixing curve. Two headphone inputs allow for the connection using both ¼” and 3.5mm input.

Allen & Heath mixers have a reputation for high quality sound and robust build. The Xone 42 is no exception and makes a great affordable addition to the Xone range.

Thanks,

Matt

Spank! Records.

Native Instruments Traktor Scratch X1 Controller Announcement

It’s been a long time coming but the team at Native Instruments has finally announced tits first official control surface for Traktor Scratch – the Traktor Kontrol X1. The X1 gives Traktor DJs hands-on control over the most desirable (dare I say necessary) features of Traktor Scratch & Traktor Scratch Pro. As the X1 has been designed in-house by Native Instruments, users can take comfort in the knowledge that the X1 includes a raft of features tailored specifically with advanced Traktor usages in mind.

The controls provided by the X1 can be loosely divided into four sections for effects, browsing, looping and transport controls.

The effects' section provides 8 knobs and 8 buttons matched to the virtual knobs on Traktor Pro’s two DSP effects units. The buttons are backlit with feedback and labeled in accordance with the two Traktor virtual effects units making control easy and obvious.

The browser section gives you two push button encoders assigned to decks A & B (C & D if you add a second X1) that allow you to browse your track-list and select desired tracks for play on the relevant decks. The shift button allows you to swap the function of the encoders over to seek/scroll so you can quickly navigate through your digital .wav display using the X1.

The loop control section features buttons from dropping loop points in & out and a further two encoders for adjusting the quantize length of auto-cue drops. The Hot-cue buttons allow these rotaries to launch and navigate the hot cue selections. The shift key allows you to use the encoders to shift the loop position throughout the track.

The transport controls include beat-jump forward and back, cue and cup buttons, track play and track sync buttons. You can shift swap these buttons into alternate functions, which include tempo bend, jump to track start, jump to next cue, tap tempo and key-lock on/off.

We are inviting customers to place a $50 deposit to be one of the first to receive the new Native Instruments Kontrol X1. We expect the product will sell for $299 however at the time of delivery we will charge you the lowest advertised price.

Traktor Kontrol X1 will be available February 1st, 2010.

Thanks

Matt

Clash of the Titans!

Today we will be exploring some of the ins-and-outs of the two major players in the world of digital mixing - Traktor Scratch Pro and Serato Scratch Live. There have been recent updates to both programs that have raised the bar significantly in terms of creative possibilities.

Now to me, in the world of audio, quality is key. So it is important to consider what kind of quality you will get from the hardware interfaces with each of these packages. The Audio 8 boasts a very sweet 24 Bit/96Khz signal output whilst the Rane SL3 produces 24 Bit/48Khz output - the audio difference, therefore, is minimal. What turns me towards the Audio 8 in this comparison is not, however, the superior sample rate but the mic input option. This can come in handy in so many ways, from producing and recording to patching into a channel at your next top 40 gig and lamely announcing the next track to a crowd of nonchalant forty-somethings mingling mindlessly to the Black Eyed Peas... or something.

The user interface of both these programs are reasonably simple and straight forward. Serato has mastered simplicity in this area with everything clearly laid out in front of you. Waveforms can be easily seen and recognized with bars running down the center of the screen giving visual feedback to kick phase. Whilst Traktor has an excellent waveform analysis and the kick phase meter on each of the decks is very helpful, especially when one track is set to master so the other simply relates to it instead of both trying to relate to each other. Serato's design of laying the waveforms vertically next to each other is genius.

So let's get down to brass tax man... four decks (Traktor) that can be sync-ed to an external/internal master clock or to each other; or eight decks (Serato), i.e. six sample players, two main decks, that can not be sync-ed but all have pitch control allowing you to mix in the conventional way. The only problem with Serato here is that there is no cue for the six sample players. I'm hoping that this is remedied soon as it will make for a very impressive tool. What I also dig about the Serato sample player is that you can trigger your samples automatically from any saved cue point in the track that is currently playing. Add a MIDI controller such as the Faderfox into the fray and you've got some instant sample fun times.

Unfortunately for Serato, Traktor has dominated effects integration, which these days are a must for any creative professional... or DJ Hero. With 28 sweet effects patches to play with, sonic mayhem is not only possible, it is practically a no-brainer. Looping functions are also a major incentive for today’s market and how could we pass on this important feature. Serato has 9 loops and 5 cue-points that can be saved to each track. The loops cannot, however, be called up with a click. You can have them stored and activate them when the track reaches that section but they cannot be jumped to. While Traktor has only 8 spaces for cue-points and loops to be stored, the loops can be punched in with a single click whenever you so desire. Yum!

While I feel I have only touched the surface today, I hope I have provided some food for thought and if you are having trouble making your mind up between the two perhaps we have clarified some things. If you're close to the store, we can demo both for you.

Until next time...

Love

Rich

Xone 1D & 2D controllers at Spank! Records.

In the Xone 1D & Xone 2D Allen & Heath have created two of the most highly regard, professional level controllers for new format digital DJing. Famously used by Richie Hawtin in his touring rig for Traktor Scratch Pro, the Xone 1D & 2D are seriously professional controllers for DJs looking to embrace the laptop as the next stage in electronic music performance.

The Xone 1D is a dedicated MIDI controller that connects to your laptop via USB or conventional MIDI cable.  The Xone 1D can send 43 separate MIDI messages. It includes 4x 60mm Allen & Heath Faders, 8 dented rotary pots, 19 push buttons, 5 rotary encoders with push button and a multi-function jog wheel that can be used for both controlling track play and navigation.  The Xone 1D comes with a pre-mapped templates for Traktor Scratch Pro & Ableton and is designed to fit nicely in existing setups with height dimensions similar to most major professional grade mixers, including the Xone:92.

The Xone 2D is the big brother to the 1D, offering all the MIDI control mentioned in the 1D with an added built-in 96khz 24bit USB 2.0 soundcard. The Xone 2D includes four separated soundcard output channels, 9 stereo channels – 5 (4 analogue and one digital) inputs from a PC and 4 (3 analogue and one digital) returns. The Xone 2D can handle all the audio routing required to use all four decks in Traktor Scratch Pro. Coupled with a Xone 1D and your favourite mixer, the 2D holds its head high as one of the most powerful solutions for new-age mixing.

Both of these units are available in store or online now.

More Allen & Heath units, including the Xone 4D setup, coming very soon.

Thanks,

Matt