UPDATE: DJ Tech Tools are hosting a Producer “Speed Dating” Meetup at their SF pop up store tonight, Thursday September 25th, where we will have a number of SUBPACs in the mix for you to test out your tracks. More details on the event and RSVP here. DJ Tech Tools are also offering a free Chroma Cable with any SUBPAC purchase, only at this event!
‘Are you a DJ?’ This is a question many of us who show more than a passing interest in music and its creation and performance are asked from time to time, although a rather more pertinent question would be ‘What is a DJ’?
With the advent of controller technology, a myriad of intuitive and innovative hardware and software have infused the DJ’ing experience with a wealth of new possibilities and more creative freedom that allows DJ’s to transcend the traditional constraints of playing vinyl or CD’s. Remixes are spontaneously created, grooves morphed and extended and samples layered seamlessly, but it wasn’t always this way.
DJ Tech Tools was started in 2007 by prolific DJ, promoter and designer Ean Golden, after years of pioneering and popularizing digital DJ’ing through his DJ sets, writing for the sadly now-defunct Remix Magazine, designing products and showing off the power of this new technology by creating a number of well-received remixes and mash-ups. The fledgling website was now the voice for a new movement in DJ’ing, and fast became the number one destination for this tech-savvy group utilizing controllers to blur the line between DJ’ing and performance.
Golden calls this new movement Controllerism: “Controllerism is using modern DJ controllers and software to remix or mashup songs on the fly. It’s the non-linear equivalent to turntablism but on different tech.” With this in mind, he went on to create a number of well-received products for companies such as Vestax, Native Instruments and Novation, including the infamous Midi Fighter.
So what next? It seems accessibility is the buzzword when it comes to controller design today, from the huge range of iPhone and tablet interfaces, to DJ’ing directly from Spotify. How does Ean see the direction of controllerism going in the next five years? “Less computers, more screens. hopefully a focus on creativity, but don’t hold your breath.”
But regardless of what direction the market goes rest assured that you’ll be able to feel everything with the SUBPAC. We are proud to be able to say that we stock our wares at DJTT, for Ean “it fills the bass gap left by in-ear monitors” and allows him to focus more on the mix. He has been using the M1 to great effect at his residency at Richie Hawtin’s ENTER night at Space in Ibiza this year.
So whether you’re just starting out in the world of DJ’ing, a dab hand that needs some tips or a seasoned pro looking for a new set up, DJ Tech Tools is your one stop shop.