I'd thought about this for a while, but didn't really expect it to happen. Vestax have finally filled the gap that existed in my head but possibly not in anyone elses with Spin. It seems to be designed specifically for algoriddim's wonderful Mac only djay software and will be an Apple Store exclusive from Monday. How much? Well read on...
UPDATE: Short juggling and scratching demo added.
I'd like to say that this is the VCI-50 (if it isn't, it should be), but unlike the VCI-100 it has a built-in sound card so you can hook up a mic, headphones and plug straight into a sound system. Size wise, it sits beautifully in front of a Macbook so it's a tad smaller than the existing VCIs. There are compromises of course - you don't get hot cue buttons, but you could easily grab a Korg Nano or Akai pad controller to give you a few more controls.
But the great thing is the very tight integration with djay. Vestax and algoriddim have been working together for some time with native support for the VCI-100 and VCM-100, but this ties in very closely with djay's feature set, and indeed extends them in at least one way. I asked a question about platter performance and if Spin was scratchable. A resounding yes was the response, so I for one look forward to test driving this bite sized marvel for a spin (hahahahahahahaha) but it seems that Apple have all the units right now. Bastards. As ever, I'm all over this to get a demo unit in once they can be prised from the tight grip of Apple HQ. I wonder if Steve Jobs will be doing at Beat Junkie style set at the next Apple keynote?
And yes - it's a regular MIDI controller (hence me thinking it's actually a VCI-50), so it should work with other apps as well. Nice.
So to price… how does $250 sound for a controller, audio interface and dedicated software sound? Pretty sweet in my opinion. It'll be available exclusively from the Apple Store from Monday.
38 comments to this story
On November 6, 2009, Mike commented...
I'm liking it. Plain and simple controller for a plain and simple program.
On November 6, 2009, Thaknar commented...
I like the eq FADERS. havent seen it before (or I just didnt realize it). and 250$ for it seems very fair!
On November 6, 2009, TeLLy commented...
Now I don't feel so bad having sold my VCI-100 for $400...I can pick this up on the cheap and get back to jog wheel fun for my MIDI-capable DVS proggies. The design is a little funkier too. I wonder if it'll get the various limited-edition colours like the VCI-100 did.
@Yorick - djay doesn't run in Windows, but as a MIDI controller it should work in WIndows just fine. It would be crazy if it didn't really.
On November 6, 2009, Yorick commented...
@Gizmo: Yeah, the MIDI bit I'm not worried about. It's almost certainly class compliant. It's the sound card I'd be questioning, whether or not it has drivers available.
Bet it's still got 7-bit upfaders, unfortunately. : At that price though, not that much of a problem!
On November 6, 2009, bedouin commented...
A good score for Apple.
On November 6, 2009, Darku J commented...
Is that a Nintendo Controller there in the middle? lol Seems like a good controller but the Program Djay is a bit ehhh
On November 6, 2009, Souliton commented...
Finally a text & FAIRED PRICE DJ PRODUCt.
On November 6, 2009, DJ NemVitzh commented...
I thought it had a 4-band EQ for a second.... that would have sold me.
On November 7, 2009, Professorbx commented...
Want.
On November 7, 2009, TonyNakedNanton commented...
Giz, once again you've made me a happy man!! I log onto the site to see great news, and this is one of the best pieces in ages. I use TSPro, and adore it, so I was overjoyed with the new controller, but as a tax paying semi-professional jock, I play a variety of gigs, from House, RnB, 80s Soul, Electro, in various style venues, hence different setups.
One of my venues is one of The Living Room bars, and I use Traktor 3 with the Reloop Digital Jockey Mk1. I'm still mad that the Reloop won't work sweetly with TSP, so I was looking to the Reloop Mk2, and then saw the Spin!! I've been digital for 6 years now, and I love Traktor, but I've sneakily admired DJ, but wasn't sure, because like you I craved a controller for it. Spin looks perfect, and amazing value for money. Serato must be kicking themselves!!!
Thanks for all the work you put into this site. I'm sure there are many people like me who totally appreciate your dedication, and to all platforms. It annoys me when people knock some of the equipment you present on here. Some things may not be 'pro', but if they do the job, that's all that matters. Keep up the good work fella.!
Awwww shucks thanks Tony. It's the little pats on the back that keep me going.
I feel it's important to cover all levels of DJ gear. For a long time, I've had a focus of the newer hotter stuff, but the new technology has now filtered down to fit into all wallets. And there was always been a huge market for cheaper entry level gear too.
Just because they lack expensive extras, it doesn't mean you can't rock a crowd on them. When I look at what I used to play out with, Spin and djay have way more to offer that 2 turntables and a 2 channel mixer for a lot less cash. Granted, you won't be busting DMC style moves or applying A&H sweeping filters, but if a DJ thinks they can't please a crowd with this then they need to examine their skills first.
On November 7, 2009, pone commented...
Most crowds don't care about the dj playing anyway,they just wanna hear dance pop rnb beats and be noticed by the other sex. Especially the girls,when i saw craze & klever doing tricks they were totally oblivious.
So even if you can't do shit and just play the usual clubby nu-electro tunes you can call yourself a dj nowadays with this vc150 thingy,the only skill you need is not falling asleep at 4 AM. But it won't ever put you on the map by any means,especially in the world of scratch.
On November 7, 2009, BMNKY commented...
what's with the "For The People" tag line under the vestax name? start of a new line of budget gear from vestax??
cool little unit this, at a nice price too, perfect for rocking a house party, or having a little mix on the couch!
On November 7, 2009, TonyNakedNanton commented...
Well Giz, I'm 42, been a fully paid from day one DJ for 24 years, and like a said earlier, 6 years of digital. Everytime I see new stuff from Pioneer at some ridiculous price, i simply laugh, because as you've noted, the features will trickle down, and eventually we'll all benefit. This SPIN unit has got me buzzing, in and out of the bar real quick, and I can have fun at the same time. I won't use it at Carnival, or in my bigger gigs, it'll still be time control CDs and Traktor, but I'm glad Vestax have seen the light.
As for the DJ / chasing women angle.... Man, I wouldn't like to say. The wife will only give me a hiding!! Thanks again, and lets hope that other manufacturers get on a similar vein. By the way, been playing with DJay 3 for ages today. Just love the whole 'Open & Play' simplicity!! I can scratch, not too badly, but at the end of the day it's about the tunes you play how and how you present them. That's what makes a DJ. I still get work every weekend, so I must be doing something right! Cheers guys!
On November 7, 2009, NO_PIO_PETER commented...
@TonyNakedNanton Props for tellin' it like it IS! This unit will do well for all levels of DJ's new and old. And, because Apple is involved, Vestax has definately scored with this one. For as long as I've been DJing, Vestax have always pushed the boundaries in introducing new ideas to the DJing world and perhaps "for the people" proves that they are open and accepting of everyone, unlike some companies who over-price, over-hype, and over-indulge themselves! @Giz, THANK YOU! Your reviews absolutely ROCK! And just think of all the "people" who will be playing with this unit if it lands in a local MAC store around christmas time! Brilliant, Absolutely brilliant!
On November 8, 2009, z commented...
this looks like it could be pretty sweet... please let us know if you find out it's pc-compatible
On November 8, 2009, SpazzMatic commented...
Thanx Giz...
On November 9, 2009, TonyNakedNanton commented...
Just checked the UK Apple store..... Not on the site?????
Now I've seen that video clip, I sooooooo need to have one!!!!!!
This makes it harder to justify a VCI-300, considering I'm a hobbyist/student. Any update on that Discovery DJ setup yet Giz? It seems to hit the same market at a lower price but with a trade off in quality.
On November 11, 2009, polocorp commented...
very impressive unit, the price alone is worth a standing ovation
On November 11, 2009, NO_PIO_PETER commented...
@Matt Gnarly, After studying the video clip I can say that you're better off with this unit than a VCI-300. Go to PSSL.com and read some reviews on the VCI-300!! Mine is broken and for the price you pay, this seems much better suited especially if you're hobbyist.
On November 12, 2009, Matt Gnarly commented...
Thanks No Pio Peter, I figure as long as I can do some basic scratching and mixing I'll be set, plus I'm sure there will be a way to integrate it into Live when Serato and Ableton come out with something, Spin + Launchpad should do about all I need.
On November 13, 2009, mechno commented...
Ugh! It looks much better than what I'm currently using (a hacked dm2), but I wonder what the latency is for the integrated soundcard and how well it will get along with Traktor. Anyone tried it with traktor yet?
On November 19, 2009, teng boon commented...
Very nice and shiny, but until Vestax or someone else finds a way to take the laptop out of the equation, I'm sticking to my vinyl and CD's as I have for 20 years.
On November 24, 2009, Masta Hanksta commented...
I have been pushing for quality low cost DJ equipment for years. And Spin and djay software are a big step in the right direction. I'm glad they asked me for some advice when constructing these products. Dj technology is now moving forward
On November 26, 2009, bigbarca commented...
Can I use traktor or serato in order for this to work on windows?
On November 27, 2009, dj gee commented...
@ bigbarca: Yes, with the help of a friend who has WAY more knowledge of MIDI, we successfully mapped this to Traktor Scratch Pro!
On November 27, 2009, dj gee commented...
Correction to my last post: most (about 90%) of the functionality is there. The only left is tempo/pitch bend with the sides of the jog wheel.
On December 7, 2009, Jerome commented...
Got mine yesterday from the Apple store in Orlando. The rep had no clue what I was talking about, and luckily found it in the back. Sold it without knowing Monday's release date. I'm loving it so far! Definitely worth $250.
On December 7, 2009, Silviu commented...
do the jog wheels spin when the song is playing ? .... like the old fashioned turntables ? I was looking at the Vestax VCI-300 and i was wondering the same question : do the jog wheels spin when the song is playing, and if you were to scratch how would this compare with scratching done with serato scratch live on the old fashioned vinil records ? Thanks
On December 7, 2009, Jerome commented...
The wheels do not spin. It's taking a while to get used to it. Scratching is pretty comparable to vinyl, but the smaller diameter of the wheel is the main obstacle I have. Also, I had to adjust the crossfader's sensitivity to resemble mixers that I had previously used.
On December 24, 2009, Zach commented...
Can anyone post a mapping for Traktor Pro? I'm working on it now but not too good. We'll see how I do.
On March 15, 2010, lindsy commented...
just bought a spin thru ebay, have not recieved the unit yet, but im playing w DJ software. i cant seem to figure out a very simple thing: how do you get your song time to count DOWN rather than up? if you make your platters spin in reverse, the time counts down, but that is opposite of what i've worked w on almost every other mixer and software.... im using the 2.0 version.....
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On November 6, 2009, Mike commented...
lol
38 comments to this story