Saturday, December 31, 2011

Leaked Numark 4Trak Controller? The Traktor Version of the NS6?

Came across these pictures on the web...

I am pretty sure that this is the new "Numark 4Trak" - a New Traktor Controller that has a mapping already on Traktor 2 Pro 2.1.2 - It is listed as one of the controllers supported by Traktor

From these pictures it appears that the 'Numark 4Trak' is basically the NS6 repainted and some minor modifications for Traktor - This could be great news because I had an extensive play with the NS6 the other day and was really really impressed with everything, nice jogwheels, nice overall Tank build, except maybe the rather stiff buttons (could be just the demo unit) and many reporting of fragile power adapter brick, other than that the NS6 is a solid controller - if they can have the same kind of jogwheel response in Traktor as in Serato Itch then the 4Trak would be a killer controller!

Other than BAX.NL not many websites has these pictures (update: they have now been removed from the original website which was hosting the pics) so here they are, notice the weird mounting method of the FX unit? I dont quite understand the purpose of why they are detached, anyways here they are! (Click to Enlarge!)




Happy New Year!

Hi there people, just want to say Merry Xmas and Happy New Year 2012!!



If the maya predictions are correct then perhaps this could be our last year on this planet so live life like its 2012!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Audio Engineering Tips for Audio Engineering Students (And Hobbyists!)

So I just Got My Diploma in Audio Engineering...


Hey that wasnt so bad! I Finally got through with it! I went to SAE Institute Singapore (currently doing the degree for Bachelor of Arts - Audio Production). Looking bad I am thinking If I was to have a time machine and go back to before I started the diploma - what would I say to myself to prepare for the course ahead?

Of course I made some mistakes (and learnt along the way) but It was perhaps something we had to get through to be better, but anyhow I just want to share this to people who are thinking of studying Audio Engineering / Electronic Music / Audio Production / Or just like to have fun messing about with Audio (those with DJ background will have this in mind)


Have a Good set of reference speakers!
This is probably the most important - Do not skimp on this, you must have at least a proper reference monitors with a pretty accurate sound - yes those logitech or creative labs speakers with a sub wont do it!
My biggest mistake was to rely on headphones too much in the past, and never really cared for 'PROPER' monitoring - you should never get used to mixing on headphones (at least not for doing final mixing and tweaking - for rough sketches it is okay though)

You shouldnt worry too much about acoustic treatment at this stage (as you would probably be setting them up in your bedroom/livingroom etc) but just as long as you point the tweeters of the reference monitors to your ears and you are pretty much set - for the time being

Recommendations: Yamaha HS50M (I got these - nice speakers, pretty accurate and not too expensive!)

Build Yourself a Comfortable Working Space!
This is equally important - you are going to sit down for a LOOONG time in front of your computer, listening to stuff over and over and tweaking them to perfection, you would at least need a very comfy chair with a back support (ESSENTIAL!!!).
Your table should have sufficient space to lay out some basic equipment and if you can afford it (optional but helps a lot!) - a dual monitor setup (left side can be set to view the arrangement view and the other window can be set to mixer view). This will make sure you have maximum productivity compared to working on a laptop in starbucks (lol)

You will also need, in addition to a computer (a Mac preferably?) A very simple midi keyboard preferably with some knobs/encoders - these will come in handy when doing automations later on! Any will do, M-Audio, Korg, Akai, whichever you can get for the cheapest!

Master one - But Be Expert with Many
Be aware that most production companies will require you to work on the "INDUSTRY STANDARD" DAW software (ok that sounds lame but its kinda the truth). These would likely be Protools, Logic Studio, or Cubase. Believe it or not in most recording studios (at least the average ones) dont track with Ableton Live (Because yes you can do it, but they are not really made for it). Studios still equipped with PCs will likely to be setup on protools (most likely) or Cubase while on studios equipped with MAC computers it could be any of the three.

You should try to at least MASTER one - logic or cubase or protools, when I said master I mean you should know all the hotkeys, you should be able to pull out xxx number of new tracks and set them in a bus group in just a few key strokes instead of looking around the menu trying to find out where to go and what to click - being able to punch in a recording for retakes, stuff like that
mastering a particular DAW software goes a long way, especially when you have very limited time in the studio and you have a client waiting for you

But that doesnt mean you should stick to just one software!!! Different studios (and different people) use different things, so you should also be an EXPERT (or very very very familiar as in not only having to used it for the first time) with the others, they all do have the very same basic principle, they all work a lot like the analog mixers , so just as long as you fully understand the concept you shouldnt have much problem. PRactice practice practice!

I Personally use Cubase 6 and Ableton Live Suite 8 - But I also have Logic 9 and Protools 8 (which I am fortunate to have used quite a lot in my studies in SAE!)

Manage Your Audio Files and Samples!!!
This is also very very important, if you are like me then you probably have a huge library of sounds, drum one shots, loops, FX etc, its so easy to get distracted and let your collection be extremely messy, you need to organize your files so that whenever you need, for example, a kick drum, you can open up a specified location and it will all be sorted there ready for auditioning - all the different kicks that you have in many different flavours, instead of having to browse through some folders and not being able to find any!

Start with the basics!
Yes Waves plugins are cool but if you dont even know the principle of how a compressor works, how would a $10,000 worth of plugin benefit you? Do some research, start with the simple built-in plugins that come with your DAW Software - they go a long way! Once you have the basic principle right then you can experiment with other stuff. Adding an expensive plugin to your track without knowing how to does not necessarily make it sound better  - Trust me I learnt this the hard way!

Loading way too many plugins into your computer will often confuse you - you have so many compressors so many reverbs and when you are new how would you decide which one to use? Keep those for later , keep it simple for now :)


Thats It For Now?
That is all I have for now, as you can see they are pretty basic (and common sense) but believe it or not, it is easy to overlook them ( I DID!). Most important of all is make use of what you have, dont be too stressed on what you DONT have, and just mess around! Have fun and dont forget to watch your levels as Audio Engineers are very prone to hearing damage from the prolonged listening!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Vestax VCI-400 overview video!



Just saw the video above on digitaldjtips...

Damn the more I look at it the more I want it!!!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

RIP Steve Jobs



I wont bore you with this as I am sure your facebook / twitter / whatever is probably filled with news of Steve Jobs's passing away, just wanna share something quick

My typical day consists of waking up in the morning to the sound of my iPhone's alarm...

Checking my email on my iMac as I have my coffee...

Pack up my Macbook Pro into  my school back as I make my way to Uni...

On the Way to Uni, I pump up some tunes while browsing the web using my iPhone...

When I arrived at school, I would either be on my Macbook Pro or the school's own Desktop Mac Pro stations, or the Mac Pros in the school studios...

After school, make my way home, again my iPhone is always in my hand coz i would either listen to my playlists or just do some random browsing online...

At home I would use my iPad 2 to catch up on episodes of Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory, and other awesome TV Series that I follow

Plus when I get the time, I would hook up my DJ Gear to my Macbook Pro running Traktor Pro 2 and spend some time jamming!

Yes I am an iAddict, iFanboy, iWhore, whatever you call it!

The whole point of this post is that, I am sure I am not the only one with a similar pattern on their Daily Lives. Apple products have become a part of our lives so much!

Steve Jobs definitely has changed the world, and sadly now the world was left without him, as he passed away...


RIP Steve Jobs :(

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Vestax VCI-400! - The Potential Traktor S4 Killer!

Vestax VCI-400!





Ok now the Traktor Kontrol S4 (and everything else in that matter) has a serious competition - so good that I am considering to sell my Kontrol S4 off onces this comes out to purchase it - even pre-order it!

This is pretty much a hybrid successor of the VCI100/VCI300 series, its interesting because it comes with 4 deck Virtual DJ LE , and also supports the new software Serato DJ Intro. I am very sure that this will be very popular for Traktor Pro 2 users as well, as Ean Golden of DJTECHTOOLS will probably make their custom SE version with their own awesome mapping - this controller is gonna be huge!



User replaceable faders!
Ean Golden did say on the dj techtools video that the back panel is easily removable to allow access to the cross fader and line faders - this is really awesome news because in most controllers (even the Kontrol S4!) the crossfaders aren't really as accessible - requiring you to open up the whole unit (versus just opening the bottom panel specifically made to access the faders on the VCI-400).

This would definitely give the VCI-400 a much longer lifespan as the most common wear and tear is - the faders!

The only bad thing that i can think of is that it doesnt come with a full version of Traktor 2 - if you dont have it already you'd have to hell out $200 or so , unless you plan on using the included Virtual DJ Le (ha!) or Serato DJ Intro (which is not too bad at all, just kinda feature limited)



RRP: USD$999, available around the end of 2011 / early 2012 (To Be Confirmed!)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

New Software! Serato DJ Intro - It's like Serato... LE version??

From Serato Website:



Serato introduces their "LE" edition of Serato Scratch Live DJ Software - "Serato DJ Intro"


For now, Serato DJ Intro 1.0.1 supports the following controllers free of charge:
  • Numark MixDeck
  • Numark MixDeck Express
  • Numark MixTrack Pro
  • Vestax Typhoon
  • Vestax VCI-100 Mk II
  • And more
Which means if you own any of those controllers, you are able to use Serato DJ Intro FREE! (Which is pretty cool - serato used to be  'exclusive' and full functionality only unlocked by plugging the SL1/2/3 hardware which acted as a 'security dongle')

The software itself seems to use the above controllers as the new dongles to unlock the functionality of the Serato DJ Intro software. 

Previously people only have the option of using the very limited Traktor LE and the Virtual DJ Le - now if you really must use Serato  (for some reason)- You Can! 

Serato Scratch Live is a very very popular DJ software, personally in Singapore I have observed many of the local resident DJs using Serato as the majority, as Traktor Scratch starts to become more and more common, these two companies are really going head to head with each other!


More Info and FREE Download (for supported controllers) HERE

So there you go

Expect to see the lower end gear like Mixtrack Pro and Vestax Typhoon selling like hotcakes now that Serato can be used on them!!

Friday, September 23, 2011

New Steinberg Midi Controllers for Cubase!

Just saw this:



WOW! Looks Great! Priced at USD$149 - $199 each this could be an AWESOME investment for Cubase users!

Dont we all hate doing volume automations with the mouse? Yes it sucks! So depending on what you need, you can add one (or a few - or ALL) of these modular mini midi controllers and build up the  "Perfect Controller" - tailored to suit your needs!

This is a really really great IDEA from steinberg! Ableton has many controllers built just for it (The Akai APC series, the Novation Launchpad), now its time for Cubase to get some love as well!

Really excited about these products!

More Videos:





Monday, September 19, 2011

Macbook Pro 8GB Ram Upgrade Review!

RAM UPGRADE TIME!

Okay today I just decided that I'm going to max out my 2010 Macbook Pro's Ram - To 8GB!

So I went to the local electronics market (Sim Lim Square in Singapore!) And picked these up - just for SGD $70!!!


It's the Strontium MAC high-performance Memory - specially made for Apple Products!
I got 2 x 4GB DDR3 1066mhz for $35 a piece - so totals at SGD$70!!!

What A Bargain!!

So now my Macbook Pro's info page shows this:

2010 Macbook Pro 13 Inch

And Did I notice significant improvement in 8GB vs 4GB? 

Honestly,  and surprisingly, yes!

I was a bit skeptical about it because most of the programs I run are still pretty much running in 32 bit mode (Traktor Scratch 2, Ableton Live Suite 8) While some others support full 64bit mode (Cubase 6 , Logic 9)

Truth is - Even Traktor runs noticeable smoother now with 8GB ram - I really dont understand why, seeing that Traktor is supposedly a 32Bit native program that can only support 4GB Ram max?

The same with Ableton Live, I tried loading my final project session file (my Raise Your Weapon Remix I did for my school - previous post) which is very very resource heavy, The Ableton Live session file opened faster than before and I did not get as many spinning beach ball waiting icon as much as before!

So those of you who have always been thinking of upgrading your ram to 8GB - DO IT NOW! It is very well worth the price! Ram prices are lower than ever these days, just make sure you dont upgrade from Apple directly as you will get ripped off!

I would definitely recommend the Strontium MAC Memory!

Oh and...

What Did I do with the 4GB of Ram that was originally in the Macbook Pro...?

My iMac 2009 accepts the spare RAMs from MBP!! No wastage! :D

I put it on my iMac! So now both my iMac desktop and my Macbook Pro has 8GB of DDR3 Ram!!! All for one low price of $70 :D

Yes as long as the speed matches (and they use the same socket - check first! my iMac is 2009 make and my MBP is 2010)  - Macbook Pro rams are interchangable with iMac Rams!!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon (Ivan Zilch Remix) - My Cover!

Hey guys check out my cover/remix of Deadmau5 - Raise Your Weapon!
this is my final project for my audio engineering diploma at SAE Institute

and yes - I re-recorded the vocals with a vocalist here, the drums are also recorded/sampled on SAE Institute Singapore

 Raise Your Weapon Cover/Remix (V5 Mastered) by Ivan Zilch

Monday, September 5, 2011

Native Instruments MASCHINE Mikro - The mini maschine drum pads!!

Maschine now has a smaller version!
I dont know if i would buy this, as it seems to have much smaller screen and much less knobs - If i am going for a maschine I guess I would go for the full sized one?

But hey priced at just $399(USD) this is really a great deal!!
Comes with Komplete 7 elements as well!



Zelda : The Lost Woods Dubstep Rap version! This is so cool!

First of all, I LOVE THE LEGEND OF ZELDA!
So im pretty much a Zelda die-hard fan, i even named my daughter Zelda! (lol seriously)

Remember the lost woods theme in Ocarina of Time? Well you've never heard it like this!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Eh? Another Pioneer midi controller? (+Videos!)

DJ Gear companies have started to resolve to a new kind of marketing, teasing the consumers with well-hidden teaser videos while keeping most in secrecy (the S4, the twitch and the list goes on!)

This time its a new... Pioneer controller! And to make way for this Pioneer has dropped the prices of their DDJ-S1 and DDJ-T1 controllers, now the DDJ-S1 is priced at just $999 USD in the states! (Not sure about worldwide though)

Those who always wanted the DDJ-S1(Serato Itch Controller) and though it was too expensive should seek out the $999 lowered price in the stores! It sucks that in Singapore the price is not reduced at all ! Over here its still about SGD$1850 (around USD$1400 in US currency !). If the DDJ-S1 was priced $999 from the start I think it would have enjoyed a much bigger popularity and fanbase than they do now!

If you havent seen the videos... (Update! 2nd New Video showing it in action!)





Oh and some still photo captures!








Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Future Music: In The Studio With Marcel Woods (and WALT!)

I just found these videos on youtube, pretty much its the trance maestro Marcel Woods (and his studio sidekick Walt AKA Walt Janssen from SHOWTEK, yeah the Hardstyle producer!) doing their thang in the studio, explaining their workflow, how they process stuff when making hit trance tunes etc

I was a very big fan of Marcel Woods' productions in the past, and also some of Walt's hard-dance production were kick-ass! So this video is very informative and interesting, especially if you are into production and trance music!





Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Traktor Kontrol S2 - So It is True!

See? I Told you something was coming!
If you remember about two posts ago I kinda predicted (from years of owning Native Instruments products) that there will be a new product to fill in the gap between the Kontrol S4 and the Kontrol X1

Well this is it? Kinda dissapointed that it is pretty much an S4 put into a chopping block and made into 2 decks, was hoping at least larger jogwheels or something? I hope they also introduce a new X2 or something?

More news here from a dutch website!

UPDATE! Now We Have a Video!



More Info from Native Instruments' Official Site! Click HERE for all the juicy details!

Deadmau5 - ALL CAPS RAGE! Smashed a Kontrol X1 into pieces XD

What happens if a Kontrol X1 doesn't work? Well deadmau5 goes on an ALL CAPS RAAAAAGE

Wait till the end of the first video to see him pick up the controller and going crazy! LoL!



Sunday, August 21, 2011

KBCOVERS Traktor Pro 2 Overlay!

Holy Crap! Look at what I just won!
So I was checking out the all-new KBCovers Traktor Pro 2 Overlay online, and went to their facebook page, it must be my lucky day because i was the #2000 person to click "Like" (see screen cap below!!)


What did I win? The uber-awesome new Traktor Pro 2 OVERLAY!!


Review is coming up when I receive the item! This is so cool!

If you guys wanna check it out this is the link to KBCOVERS where you can buy the high-quality macbook pro overlay for Traktor Pro 2, pretty much useful because everything is NEATLY labelled with ALL the Traktor Pro 2 hotkeys!

KBCovers on Facebook

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Free Traktor Pro 2 Software with every Kontrol X1 purchases! New hardware coming?

As you may already heard, Native Instruments is giving away FREE Traktor Pro 2 software to those who purchase The X1 until September 30th...



The question is... Does it mean...

WILL THERE BE NEW TRAKTOR CONTROLLER Soon??? X2?

If you see the patterns of Native Instruments product release, they tend to do massive sales just before they discontinue a product or introduce a product that is superior to the older one, EXAMPLES:

  • Traktor Scratch Pro / Duo 50% off sale before discontinuing the Audio4/Audio8 DJ interfaces along with discontinuing the older Traktor Scratch Sets and then introducing the new Audio6/Audio10 soundcards?
  • Komplete 7 Upgrade 50% Off sales (VERY RECENTLY!) before they introduce the new KOMPLETE 8 sets
See the pattern here? Does this mean we will see a cool new Traktor controller? 
If my guess is right then pretty soon we will see some teaser videos (well edited and produced to show off just the right amount of hint but not enough to be totally clear - remember that Dubfire video with the S4? LOL!) and then they will introduce some new gear - Who knows? Maybe? 

Either way I can't say Im not excited to see new if there's any new NI Hardware, with the launch of Twitch 2.0 perhaps they feel the need to step their game up even further and introduce some cool new gadgets - perhaps a compact 2 deck controller to compete with the popular Novation Twitch?? 

Currently the Traktor S4 is their top-of-the-line, fully loaded 4 deck controller, and the X1 is a supplementary controller designed to be used with additional gear, not really to be used by itself, perhaps they would introduce a controller that fits between these two gaps? As I said before, maybe a fully featured 2-deck controller with a smaller size footprint with no jogwheels? Hey We are all speculating here hahaha


Sunday, August 7, 2011

Propellerheads REBIRTH for the iPad!



Has anyone seen this video? 

Damn, im gonna buy it now at the app shop!!!

Check out 8 minutes onwards on the video above for some cool filter automations lol!


Here's another cool video showcasing the classic 303 sound:

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

WD's new 9.5mm Scorpio Blue 1TB laptop hard drive

Western Digital Came out with the 1TB 9.5mm internal hard drive for laptops recently...



What's really surprising is, although it is a 5400RPM hard drive, benchmarks showed that despite its massive size it actually outperforms the smaller size 500GB Western Digital Scorpio BLACK which runs at a faster speed of 7200RPM!

WOW! 

With an RRP of USD$99 - this is a GRRRREAT upgrade for those who are still stuck with their stock 250GB/320GB hard drives, as it gives a substantial extra storage capacity and also speed boost at the same time - at a really great price! Of course you wont get the ultra-fast Solid-State-Drive speed, but for $99 everyone who needs the extra space should really upgrade now!

Source: Engadget
Benchmark Source: HotHardware

Monday, August 1, 2011

Native Instruments Komplete 8 Out Soon!!!





Holy Shit!!!

If you have ever dabbled in production chances are you have heard of or used the uber-awesome software synths/instruments by native instruments such as MASSIVE , Absynth, FM8 and Battery

Komplete 8 is a new and updated complete package of the whole lot - there is even a more premium bundle called KOMPLETE 8 ULTIMATE Which comes with its own external hard drive for self-storage! Considering the full installation takes up to 240GB - that's a great idea!!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Serato Itch 2.0 is Out!

Serato Itch Users! It's here!!



Itch 2.0 looks great! Can't wait to try it out with the Novation Twitch as soon as I get my hands on one!!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

UDG Traktor Bag - Review Soon!

Look! Something just arrived in the mailbox all the way from Germany!


It's the UDG Traktor Bag! 
I recently bought the MONO EFX Producer bag, it is a damn good, extremely well built bag, but it is a bit too big and bulky for me to take to uni everyday, so I decided to get another bag which is smaller and more lightweight for everyday uses

Review and comparison to the mono EFX PRoducer bag soon!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

"Prototype" - my school WOBBLE project

So i was asked to do an electronic music production for my EMP module in SAE Institute

this is what i did, this is just the shorter version as I didnt really like the intro part

Done on Ableton Live 8 + Sylenth1 + Massive + Alchemy + REFX nexus

First track I ever made - Ever! :)

Will definitely rework it as soon as i got the time!

PS : IT WOBBLEZZZ!

 The Prototype V3 (Short Version) by Ivan Zilch


Cant See the SoudCloud player above? Click HERE for the link

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Korg Monotribe!



Anyone else want one of these? Coz I do!! 
Looks like a fun piece of kit!

Friday, July 15, 2011

MONO EFX The Producer Bag Quick Review

Today I purchased this cool MONO EFX: The Producer bag
Mono is a San-Fransisco Based company that has been making Guitar, Bass and Cymbal bags/cases for quite sometime, quite recently they launched their EFX line of Gear Backpacks / Slingbags (For the whole range you can view them HERE)

I went to their local distributor in Singapore, CityMusic to check out the whole range and I decided on the Producer bag because I wanted a bag that can carry a lot of stuff (macbook pro, charger, cables, soundcard, headphones etc plus school textbooks)

First initial Impressions were : HOLY SHIT THIS BAG IS HUGE! - Yes they are much bigger in reality than in pictures! It is also very WIDE, making it stand out as perhaps one of the widest sling bag I have ever owned (and seen!)

It also has a very distinct look - unmistakably MONO! The bag looks so awesomely tough and bad-ass feel to it, by look, by feel , and by design. The whole exterior of the bag screams toughness , which also means it is pretty heavy even without anything inside it

Bag Dimensions

My 13 Inch Macbook Pro + Soft Sleeve Inside
Although they claimed that it can hold a 17 inch Macbook Pro nicely, in reality my 13 inch Macbook pro (with soft neoprene sleeve) fits in very snugly, I can see the 15 inch fitting well (without a softcase perhaps) but a 17 inch might be kinda too tight in the laptop compartment - So keep that in mind if you have a 17 inch MBP! There's really not much space!

On the other hand the laptop compartment is very very nicely padded and It will keep your precious Macbook secure, plus you easily can fit in a smaller controller like the VCI-100 or a Novation Twitch in the main compartment (MAYBE - according to the measurements the Twitch should fit in but I have not tested it yet!!),

I also saw a video of the VCI-300 fitting in so it should be fine as well! There are dividers included in case you want to fit Serato Boxes, Soundcards etc safely (The Compartments are Padded)

Underneath the outer shell
Front View

Inside the outer shell we have two pockets (one would be perfect for a macbook charger and the other would be good for a small-ish headphones, my Sennheiser HD25 fits just right in when squeezed in) which is nicely padded, waterproof, and has nice solid zippers.

On the sides we also have another two separate pockets for Cables, Cigarettes, or whatever you want to put in them, although accessing them could be a bit hard while you are wearing the bag on your shoulder!, in order to access them you would have to put the bag down and then you can access the side pockets - due to the shoulder straps getting in the way otherwise, it is rather annoying if you constantly open and close the side compartments

The Weakest Link??


One thing that bothered me (and made me think whether to decide on buying this bag or not) was the "Plastic" shoulder strap connections that connects the strap to the bag itself. No other reviews seemed to mention this?

Upon closer inspection I can see the label "UTX - DURAFLEX" on the hooks, after some research I did found out that these strap hooks are indeed the same ones being used in several military grade shoulder bags - which assured me to make the leap of faith and bought the bag as the "material  was in fact "high-impact, reinforced nylon" with proven record of durability over your average cheap plastic, I even saw some military bags used to carry weapons and artillery with these exact same UTX-Duraflex strap hooks!

I have had a bad experience with shoulder bags failing on me while my laptop is still inside, so I am really really OCD about straps and their construction...

I even emailed the guys at MONO, who further assured me that they have chosen the best material possible for the strap hooks and they are very confident about the rugged quality of their bags. Mono offers 3 years warranty on their products (1 year for Singapore - that sucks) - I will monitor this and see how long the Mono EFX producer bag lasts with normal usage so we shall see!

Overall I am quite pleased with the quality of the Mono EFX Producer bag, although I must advise you to try them on first and walk around the store to test them out, If you are not used to very large, wide, slingbags, they can feel really funny to walk around on due to their size and they way they hang off you

Construction Wise, yes they are bullet-proof (and water-proof!). Except for the shoulder strap - we will have to wait and see how long they last, It could be that I'm a little bit too paranoid (due to the small size of the strap hooks) but since these hooks are also used in many other heavy duty military purpose bags then I suppose they should also be very very durable

The Mono Producer bag is called "the producer bag" for one more reason - It DOES NOT hold vinyl records! You can probably try to stuff it in, but no It doesn't really fit right in there, all the other Mono EFX bags can easily fit vinyl records inside, but not the producer bag

The Mono EFX 365 Backpack is bigger, can contain more stuff, and seems to distribute the weight more evenly than the producer bag, but Im not so into backpacks which is why I chose the producer bag instead, but if you are more into backpacks and dont mind looking like you are about to fly on a jetpack then you can check out the EFX 365 backpack instead

The Mono EFX Kondensor Bag is another backpack, a lot bit smaller in size and profile but still packs quite a lot - although again I was leaning towards shoulder bags which was why I didn't choose this bag

Traktor S4 Owners : NO this bag does not fit the Traktor S4 :(



Summary!
If you walk around often with the bag fully loaded I  personally recommend the Mono backpacks instead of their sling bags - Backpacks distribute the weights more evenly and don't strain your shoulders as much as these, but if you are simply carrying your gear between your house and into the clubs and back, the Mono Producer bag is almost PERFECT - It  is huge, nicely constructed, and can fit a lot of your beloved audio gear safely

Pros

  • Exterior is well padded, tough-as-nails and waterproof - The contents of your bag are really safe!
  • A lot of separate compartments for all your goodies
  • Looks really GOOD
Cons
  • The shoulder strap feels like it can break anytime soon - I might be just paranoid on this but if you see the pictures above you will get what I mean
  • When the bag is fully loaded, the shoulder straps aren't very comfortable for long travels
  • Side compartments get a bit hard to access when you are wearing the bag


For more info on Mono Cases you can check out their website HERE



Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Pioneer DJM-T1



Cool Video?

What's not cool is THE PRICE - USD$1600 (That's nearly SGD$2000!!) for a 2-Channel mixer???

The All-In-One integration is really cool, the built-in controls mean you can even almost use it by itself without any extra soundcard or midi controller (it has deck controls for both decks, and has a built in soundcard) which is pretty cool, but for about the same price you can get:
s Rane TTM-56s (which have KILLA Xfaders)
a Traktor Scratch Duo 2 Box Set,
a Native Instruments Kontrol X1
The combo of all these three essentially do whatever the DJM-T1 Does, but has more versatility!

Plus if you paid that much for the DJM-T1 the least they could do is give you a FULL Traktor Scratch Pro 2 software instead of the limited DUO version no?

Just my Two Cents! :)

Oh by the way there's a really cool review of the DJM-T1 at DJTT HERE, really keen on the Skratchworx review on this mixer!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Propellerheads Reason 6!!!

Reason 6!!!



Oh LAWWWDDDDDDD! They finally integrated "Reason" and "Record" into one = Reason 6!

This means all previous limitations of Reason are obselete!! Previously inside Reason you are purely working with Midi and Samples, and we are unable to drag in wave files or loops unless they go through propellerheads' "Recycle" first , they sort of fixed that with "Record", a separate program that has Reason contained (if you also own Reason)

Now in Reason 6 everything is consolidated into one package!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

I happen to be a big time fan of Reason, I really like the workflow and how self-contained it is, theres's just so much to do and so many possibilities!

Want... One... Now!!!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Portable iPhone DJing : The Next Level!

iPhone users!

Remember the 99 cents DJay app for the  iPhone Sale back then? If you used the chance to purchase the pretty cool app, this is what the next software update offers:




The Numark iDJ Live controller  hooks up straight to your iPhone running the Djay software and integrates!

Yes it's not going to go head-to-head against the Traktor S4 or the Numark NS6 but you gotta admit its pretty cool for jamming on the road!

For $99! No laptops required - just your iPhone or your iPad!

Check out the platter response / latency for skratching!! 

Macbook Pro Bottom Case Makes Creaking Noise? My Solution!

I recently upgraded my 2010 13 inch macbook pro's hard drive from the stock 250GB Hitachi drive to a Western Digital Scorpio Blue 750GB

Everything works PERFECT, battery lasts just as long (if not more!) and the Macbook Pro does not heat up like some 7200 RPM drives

Anyways, one thing i noticed that the bottom part of my Macbook Pro makes a clicking / creaking noise when pressed down, on the area of the right side of the bottom case (where the hard drive is located, as illustrated below)

The marker shows the affected area with cliking/creaking

After some google search, I have found out that the problem is actually quite common among Macbook Pros, as shown by this thread / discussion HERE on MacRumors forum

At first I didnt mind at all, but sometimes when carrying the macbook pro and holding that particular side , I would always hear this creaking / clicking noise and it was driving me mad!!

After many many trial and error I might have found a solution!

Apple never really wrote this on their manual, but they did show you the diagram of the bottom case and which screws belong to where, but they never say that the order of the screws are equally important!

Bottom Case of unibody Macbook Pro, 13 inch version shown
If this clicking / creaking noise ever happened to you and you wonder what I did to resolve it , this is what I did:

#1 - Put the long screws in FIRST before the short ones!!


#2 - Dont force the screws in! 
If they are in the right groove it wouldn't take much effort to seal them in! And don't overtighten them! If you think it isn't going in correctly or it needs a lot of effort to slot it in, take it out and start again, with minimal force!

When I first opened my Macbook Pro and Installed the new hard drive, I started from the top left and went clockwise until I went thru all the screws and the bottom case firmly sealed, but even though it seemed firm, It was creaking on that particular side illustrated on the first image above

It wasnt until I re-opened my macbook pro, put it on top of a soft surface (your macbook pro neoprene sleeve or any soft sleeve will do if you have one) , press down firmly and put in the long screws first, and then still holding down firmly, screw in the shorter ones afterwards - After i did this my MBP's bottom case is as good as when I first got it - SOLID as  a tank and no noise whatsoever!

I have also read about people sealing the bottom case in a "star pattern" if that makes sense whatsoever, but I tried this method and it worked for me, so If you come across the same problem with me you can try my method and see if it works! Well it worked for me! After many times of re-opening and re-closing the bottom case (which might not be good for the mac!)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Traktor Pioneer DDJ-T1 Edition 2 Update



Pioneer has released a free upgrade for the DDJ-T1 owners into version 2 of Traktor!

This is essentially a feature-limited 4 deck version of Traktor Duo 2, with 6 effects (instead of almost 30 in the PRO 2) and some more limitations - but hey its free!

When they announced the DDJ-T1 back then I was seriously contemplating between selling my S4 and getting the T1 or just keeping the S4 altogether, after some serious consideration I decided to stay with the S4 due to the Timecode feature and also much more hardware/software integration in the S4, although If you havent already got the S4 the DDJ-T1 might be a good option!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Traktor kontrol S4 Updated Review - 7 months later

 
This is a follow up to my Native Instruments Kontrol S4 Mini Review I did quite sometime ago (7 months ago in fact!), I have since then spent quite a lot of time with it, and got to know a lot more about it inside out to be able to honestly say what I like about it and what I dont like about it - 100% honest, unbiased straight up!

With the new FREE Scratch Upgrade offer during July 2011, a lot of people who don't already own one will seriously think about getting one, if you are reading this you would probably one of those people :)

Would you like to hear about the pros and cons from an S4 who used it for about 7 months extensively? Well im about to share my opinion right now!

So did anything change from the initial review? Let's see!


What's Been Good So Far?
The Jogwheels
They are small but they are accurate, they are pressure sensitive rather than touch sensitive.
In the beginning I truly hated the jogwheel sensitivity for manual pitch bending / manual beatmatching, over the time i have gone used to it, and I must say they are really nice!

The Hardware/Software Integration
This is where the S4 truly shines, almost everything you need is mapped to the controller, making it almost unnecessary for you to touch your laptop during sets! This is why if the same company makes the software AND the hardware the result is sometimes better!  Oh and the hybrid timecode mode is great as well - a lot of great features in one package!

The Sample Decks /Loop Recorder - AWESOMENESS!
The sample decks are really really really GREAT! If you have a properly beatgridded track, when you have a nice section of your song looped in Deck A or deck B, hit one of the empty sample deck player slots to COPY that loop into the sample deck!! Yep its that easy! And everything will be beatgridded according to the original track, which means if the original track is gridded properly the recorded loop also will be a PERFECT loop which will never go out of time - Now you can build up your custom loop collection at home and play em out in gigs!

Another cool thing - the loop recorder. Example of usage, use the beatslicer effect on a properly gridded track, like what you hear? Turn on the loop recorded and start recording - everything will be recorded and on time, in sync, ready to be played again with the sample decks. Cool no?

As mentioned before, all these require properly beatgridded tracks. Sometimes we just miss the simplicity of Serato with the overlapping waveforms but in Traktor we can do so much more, at the expense of extra preparation time for beatgrids, setting hot cues etc

The whole unit lights up nicely
All the important buttons light up in the dark, making it really easy to use in PITCH-BLACK darkness. This is really a plus point!

The Layered Pitch Slider Concept (Relative Mode)
In my initial review I expressed that I did not like the shorter pitch slider without the centre click at 0% (For manual beatmatching). Coming from Vinyl and CDJ I was really used to the normal length pitch sliders with a click at the centre to tell me that it's 0%.

Over the time as I got to know the software I became familiar with the Relative/Absolute concept of the pitch sliders, which has made me understand why they have chosen such a shorter pitch slider without a centre click:

In Absolute Mode the Software reads whatever position the physical slider is in, meaning if you jump between layers (Deck A/C or B/D) you will most probably experience a sudden jump or decrease in pitch when you move the sliders due to their position not being in sync on each layer. I would recommend not use this setting (You can change the setting in the preferences menu under the S4 tab)

The option that I recommend is the Relative Mode, in this mode, the adjustments you make on each layer will be kept when going between layers, but any movement will be registered as well.
Sounds confusing?
Imagine this: Deck A is running at 0%, you increase the pitch by 2% so the pitch is now 2% (and physically also at 2%). You change the layer to deck C, the song (software) is at 0%, you increase the pitch by another 2% so now deck C is also at 2%, the physical slider is on 4% because you increased it by 2% twice.
The point here is they make the adjustment based on where the pitch slider was and where it was being moved next, so since it starts at 2% on Layer C and ends at 4% the only increase is by 2%

Did that make any sense whatsoever? I hope so! But what If you are at the maximum physical position of the pitch slider and you want to increase the pitch even more? This is the cool part, you hold SHIFT and then move the pitch slider to the centre a bit, and then release the shift. When you hold shift any movement to the pitch slider will be ignored, so now you can further increase the pitch since the fader has been moved to the centre but the software pitch remains intact as before you held shift and moved the fader. Still confused? Well you should try it out - its a lot easier hahaha, point is this is really really great for manual beatmatching once you get used to it, moving between deck layers suddenly becomes such a breeze!
So yeah the S4 is awesome for manual beatmaching! You dont really need to auto-sync!

The Improved Waveform and Beatgrid
The 2.0 waveforms are really great! It makes putting beatgrids to Traktor much more easier! Plus the TAP function in traktor has been improved so much that almost 99% of the time it would get an accurate reading of the BPM if you TAP along to the music! A quick adjustment in the Grid position would usually do the job and then your track is lock & loaded!




The Things I (still?) Dont Really Like

The Stiff Hot Cue Buttons
Yes up until now they are still very very stiff and not so responsive! if you think about it, this is the same company who created the ultra-responsive MASCHINE drum pads, too bad they cant do the same for the S4 hot cue buttons! Im not sure if this is an isolated thing (just my unit) or if they are all like this?
The hotcue buttons are fine for triggering hotcues but not for rapid-fire, machine gun hot cue juggles, perhaps i need to smash it even more so it loosens up?

No After-Fader Effects
Remember when you put the echo effect on an analog mixer and smashing the upfaders up to create that cool echo stab effect? Cant do it here, nupe, no way. The way the process effects if Pre-Fader, which means if you manipulate the upfaders it cuts the FX as well. Could be improved?

One of The Phono/Line Input Gets Loose Overtime
Okay this truly sucks! I did not even plug and unplug into the input channels for the channel C at the back, yet one of the RCA input jacks get a bit loose - Poor Build Quality?? This is purely cosmetic so far (it does not affect the sound - yet) but the fact that one of the input connectors get loose (wiggle a bit) while the others stay still is not a good sign, hopefully this is an isolated incident and not for all S4 units!
If you are buying yours second hand CHECK THE INPUT PLUGS AT THE BACK to make sure they are fine!

The shiny surface in the middle
Prone to scratches, finger prints etc, it might look nice and shiny when new, but just a few days of playing with the S4 it wont be shiny anymore - it will be covered in fingerprints , smudges and sometimes scratches! Why they did not choose a matte surface is really puzzling

The XFader is not user-replaceable
For all scratch addicts, the xfader is not really user replaceable easily, you can wait until the Innofader comes out but then again it wont be a plug-and-play proccess to replace the faders, plus it would probably void your warranty!

Traktor 2 is still in early stages
Now on version 2.0.3, they have ironed out a lot of the performance bugs, but still I cant help but to feel that the software is still in a relatively young state. It would normally take a lot of time before a software reaches a very stable state. Im not saying that Traktor Pro 2.0.3 is not stable, I have yet to have glitches or pops or crackles, but I do get the random occasional waveform freezes when I load songs, something that doesnt really affect the sound but affects us mentally as when visually we see something freezes we get the impression that audio freezes will follow - fortunately it didnt so this is really just a minor gripe




That's Just about all I can add, the Traktor S4 has the free Scratch Upgrade offer as of July 2011, all you need to do is purchase one from anywhere (provided its brand new) and activate the S4 during July 2011. You will get a free voucher email from Native Instruments to claim your FREE scratch upgrade!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

A Bunch of Awesome Stuff I Just Bought!

Cubase 6!!!



Cubase 6 is seriusly a contender for the best DAW software. It does not come with as many instruments and sounds as apple's own Logic Studio 9, but I really really like the workflow (and the interface!) of Cubase 6!

Im still learning and getting  used to Cubase 6 but I have been following tutorials (Finished all 4 Levels of AskVideo Cubase tutorials! Great tutorials by the way, highly recommended)  and I even read thru the whole 700 page+ manual (Yes I did!!) Just so that I would know it inside out! Power User incoming!!

As an Audio Engineering student I am able to use the educational pricing on Cubase 6, those of you who are wondering where to buy Cubase 6 Educational in Singapore you can check out:

Yamaha SG - $499 SGD (WTF???)
Resolution SG - $420 SGD (This is the standard rate)
Valentine Music Centre $410 + Free Delivery (Where I got it from! Great prices and great service!)

Yes everything is more expensive in Singapore! In USA, sweetwater.com sells Cubase 6 Edu for just $299USD!

Try Cubase 6 For Free (Trial)

By the way for those who are interested to try out Cubase 6, Steinberg is offering a free 30-day trial! Check out the details HERE



Yamaha HS50M Monitor Speakers

Finally Bought These!!! These monitors have a little bit of history behind it, google up Yamaha NS10 / NS10-M if you havent heard of them! I've been drooling to get this piece of history for a long long time but never been able to (Too many Gear I want to buy and money doesn't grow on Trees!!!)

There was this saying that "If you can make it sound good on these speakers, it will sound good anywhere", this is due to the Yamaha Hs-50m's flat and accurate sound, i find them to be really really flat and they are really good mixing speakers, perhaps one of the best in its price range, although for listening pleasure they kinda lack bass so those Dubstep wobbleZ wont do as much impact as, lets say the KRK RP5 Rokits which are very bassy and muddy (from my own personal experience with trying them out)

This goes out to replace my old battered M-Audio AV40 speakers which now will serve as the speakers for my Traktor S4 haha!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Native Instruments Kontrol S4 Offer : Free Scratch Upgrade July 2011!

In case you havent heard about it yet, those who purchase and activate their Traktor Kontrol S4 in July 2011 gets a free Scratch Upgrade bundle from Native Instruments - Lucky Bastards!! IMO us The early purchasers should at least get a free upgrade as well!!

More Info HERE

Anyways here's a cool video of the S4 Timecode mode to tempt you, in this video the two technics are plugged directly into the S4 for a hybrid setup, cool eh? Now all we need is an innofader in the S4 and we have a winner... :D

Oh and also... Traktor 2.0.3 Update has just been released TODAY and offers many bug fixes and improvements, so Traktor users check it out!


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Got an iPad? Try this awesome "iFighter" midi control for Traktor Pro 2!!





I just found out about this cool FREE mapping for iPad , Touch OSC, and Traktor Pro 2

This is basically an iPad version of the popular DJTECHTOOLS "Midi Fighter" Controller with a few extra features added on top! As soon as I seen the demo I knew I gotta at least try this out!!

In order to use this you need
- an iPad or iPad2 (obviously)
- Touch OSC software ($4.99USD from the app shop)
- Traktor Pro 2

More Info: Click HERE

Im about to install this on my iPad2, will post a review up soon!!!

In the meantime check out the epic videos above!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Novation Twitch! Want One NOW :)



Hmmm the twitch will be out soon!

So Tempting.... Hmmmmmmm.....

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Cheapest Sennheiser HD25 Replacement pads


I am a proud owner of an old, aged, sennheiser HD25 1-II headphones, a few years back (2007?) my Pioneer HDJ1000 headphones broke after a gig (those things are rubbish!!! The hinges broke within 3 months!)

So later on I received as a present from my wife,  - The Sennheiser HD25 1-II Headphones! And man they are very durable!

Over the last few years, these headphones never failed me, and apart from the peeling leather pads, and the slightly faded, worn out 1/4 inch jack, they look and sound just like brand new

So, other than being bullet proof, they do sound crystal clear, and they do look damn good!

Anyways I went to the local Sennheiser shop the other day here in Singapore to quote on replacing the aged pads, perhaps the same leather one or perhaps a velour one, after some research I have found the velour ones do last longer, while the leather ones WILL peel off in time and leaving black leather residues on your face (dont you just hate when that happens?)

So I decided on the velour ones! But the price they quoted me was CRAZY expensive , $50SGD for a piece of Velour? Hmm... Does Not Compute!

so I went to ebay, found a seller in the UK who is selling it at about half price, problem was the shipping cost somehow would cost about the same as the pads themselves, so in total it would be the same price as if I bought the official one from sennheiser!

And then I found out that JUNO sells them for just 9.99 pounds (about $20 SGD) plus the shipping is only 2 pounds for Royal Airmail Firstclass! What a bargain! It even comes with the headband pad as a bonus which costs about SGD$40 in the sennheiser retailer as well!

So if you guys are looking for Sennheiser HD25 replacement pads, you can try Juno (link here) they also have it in different other colors (like red or blue) but I wanna keep it looking as close to the classic one as possible which is why I chose the black velour!

Oh and yes I do recommend these headphones, these would probably be the last headphone you'll ever buy, as everything is replaceable from the Cords to the drivers, so essentially It's a headphone you can use for like.. forever!


UPDATE: 

Look what just arrived in the mailbox 3 days later!


They fit really really awesome, in case you are wondering on "How to Change Sennheiser HD25 replacement Pads" you simply pull of the old ones, invert the new ones (and stretch the side a bit so they can fit), put the inverted new pads over the headphone, and slowly peel the sides in, into the headphones

Are they any good? Hell yeah, my Sennheiser HD25's look brand new now!!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Harmonic Table Keyboard!

Check out this interesting gadget! 




This is a really weird (cheesy?) commercial but it pretty much sums up what the harmonic table keyboard really is


They  are basically a traditional piano keyboard with a re-designed layout, the notes vertically ascend by the musical interval of a perfect fifth while diagonally they ascend by four semitones, interesting no?




Sunday, May 22, 2011

Funny Japanese Korg nanoPAD2 review - LOL!!!



Watch it even if you dont speak Japanese!!! LMFAO!!

You may remember my Korg nanoPAD2 review (Here If you missed it)
It seems like some people are making good use of the XY Pads (which I admit is kinda cool, though i still think the 16 drum pads dont feel too great at all! BOO!)

Here is another cool video!




Oh and did you know you can hook up the nanoSeries2 to the iPad?



Before you run out to buy one... WAIT!! 
Before you run out to buy the nanoPAD2 - remember to TEST a unit first!! When they first announced the nanoPad2 i was hyped up and bought one straight away without even trying the display unit they had, so yeah it does have a great number of pads (16 pads + XY Pad over 4 banks) but if the FEEL of the pad is really important to you, DO test it out before purchasing!

As I discussed in my review, with the amount of controls they provide they are good for certain uses,
I bought it primarily to control KONG drum designer in Reason, in the end I ended up still using my old Akai LPD8 even though it has less buttons because it just feels better

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Propellerheads Reason Wallpapers - Just For Fun!

We Love Propellerheads' REASON!

I was browsing around the internet for some Reason wallpapers and I COULD NOT FIND ANY! So I did these quick ones in a few minutes, they are simple, minimalistic, yet fills the desktop real nice, I made two of them, one for my Macbook Pro 13 inch (1280 * 800) and one for my 21 inch iMac (full hd 1920 * 1080)

They are by no means extreme works of art but they look sweet and provide easy visibility of your desktop icons and dont tire your eyes so much~ I made them for me but i thought im sure some would be interested on them as well!

Here they are for your enjoyment!

Macbook Pro 13 inch size, 1280x800:

Propellerheads Reason Wallpaper 1280 x 800

And for the FULL HD size, 1920x1080:

Propellerheads Reason Wallpaper 1920 x 1080 Full HD


Edit: For some reason the full HD one is not uploaded in FULL HD when you click above! The original one is 1920x1080 but when i uploaded it here they shrunk it down to 1600 something...

Solution: If you want to download the HD one with no size loss, click here to go to the one I hosted in deviantart

The Innofader : Coming to the Kontrol S4!



I saw this on the native instruments forum : Innofader on the S4!

What does this mean? it means that the innofader may (or may not - still in testing phases) come to the Traktor Kontrol S4 soon!! While the stock S4 crossfader is not too bad, it is still an alpha fader, contact based so one day (depends on  how much you trash it, the more the sooner) it will die and start bleeding, as in it will send out signals when they are not supposed to

the innofader is an optical, contact-free crossfader that is built to last for a LONG LONG time! A bit like the Rane TTM-56S crossfader, imagine using the S4's timecode mode (hooked up to two turntables) with this fader : means you have a lean mean scratch machine with good xfaders!!