Going through some images from NAMM, I came across these couple of images from the GCI stand. I haven't really got too much to tell you about this - even Gemini can't tell me very much right now as this new Groove software is still Alpha and subject to change, but they just felt the need to put it out there for the passing NAMM punters . Despite this, 2 online retailers managed to list it with a price. Let that be a lesson to those of you who assume that because a retailer lists it on their site, it doesn't mean it's available or in some cases even exists.

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Here's an interesting movie from NAMM that I wish my guys had taken. This clip shows Numark's Chris Roman and Serato's Sam Gribben pawing at Numark's NS7 ITCH controller. The biggest revelation for me is that while Vestax's VCI-300 is staying exclusive to Serato's ITCH foundation, The NS7 will work with seemingly any MIDI software.

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It's no great stretch of the imagination to work out that Native Instruments might possibly at some point have kicked around the idea of a hardware controller for its scene owning Traktor software. But despite what you may have read on other sites, now is not that time.

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Out of all the digital controller madness that was spewed up at NAMM, Serato's ITCH based alliance with Numark and in particular Vestax garnered the most interest from the technology hungry masses. But detail has been painfully thin on the ground, but being the news hungry reporter that I am, I actually found out just a few more details for myself.

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DJ gear is largely uninspiring to look at. No matter how many Christmas light-esque LEDS manufacturers add to successive releases, they're usually sharp edged and crushingly dull with their not at all interesting Black, Grey or Silver stylings. Some efforts have been made to add different faceplates with fixed designs to CD decks and mixers (ironically Black to replace Silver etc). But now Styleflip offers almost unlimited creative freedom via a pretty spiffy on-screen Flash designer to do all manners of graphic nastiness to your gear. But don't worry - it's not permanent so the Hello Kitty phase you went through needn't be with you forever.

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Plugging a narrow gap in the review schedule is the newly painted Vestax PMC-06 Pro VCA. Having been iconic for scratch DJs for years now, Vestax thought it might be a good idea to make it look like the rest of the current range thus endowing it with a coat of paint and some go-faster checkerboard stripes. But it doesn't go any faster or perform any better, but does look like it belongs in the range again.

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You know how I toss around the term nextlevelness and talk of DJ pr0n all the time? Well Finnish company EKS saw the technology and aesthetics lines drawn in the sand by the likes of Numark's NS7 and Stanton's SC system and jumped right over it, laughing and mocking their now old fashioned efforts. Behold the power of EKS's Otus.

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Part 1 - part 2 after the jump...

In the last of the product demos shot by the skratchworx USA street squad, the guys got invited to view the demo of M-Audio's new version of Torq, now at v1.5. And while some of you are bellyaching at the nerve of M-Audio in charging a nominal fee for an upgrade, watch the videos and then see what's on offer is worth the upgrade, because for 50 bucks you get a whole lot of extra functionality.

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Not sure how useful this post is considering that the ITCH interface is likely to change in the coming months, but here's a better screenshot of the current ITCH interface. Well... more of a point a camera at a demo TV than a screenshot but you get the idea.

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I've learned a few lessons in my 42 years on this planet such as If you want something, you have to work hard for it. Another is make sure to pack your bullshit goggles when going to trade shows. But another is that it's OK to pat yourself on the back from time to time - and this is one such time. But it's not just me - it's Peter and Phillip aka skratchworx USA's ground team at NAMM, for the Innofader and ITCH system videos they shot have only gone and hit the number 1 and 2 positions in Youtube's most linked music videos in the UK today. Yes - the top 2 positions. And that's not all - the Stanton SC system video takes 10th place as well - so that's 3 in the top 10.

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Time for one more product demo - this time from Ecler USA's Jon Ghoddoussi who gives us a brief skim over the magic hiding inside the colour screen of the deeply desirable Ecler EVO5.

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While not being the most in-depth balls out exposé on Stanton's new SC System, Stanton's product specialist B-Side gives us (well when I say us, the skratchworx US guys just filmed somebody else's demo - sorry) a quick overview of what's what.

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A few more snaps, this time from the Denon stand. While they had their flagship doeseverythingwithknobson DN-HS5500 deck, their other new products garnered plenty of attention and greasy nose marks on the glass case they were in. The new DN-S1200 seems to be causing quite a stir on tha intarwebs. Shame nobody could actually play with it.

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Just before NAMM, we gave you the exclusive on Audio Innovate's new non-contact crossfader technology. You all seemed like kids in a sweetshop with your noses pressed against the virtual glass wanting more. We'll here's a little more from the man himself - Elliot Marx, owner of Audio Innovate, extolling the greatness of his new wonder fader.

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Words, pictures and now a movie. Not a blockbuster but Sam Gribben gives us a little more info about Serato's ITCH and Vestax's ITCH based controller the VCI-300 than we had before. Tension adjusting platters... hmmm yummy.

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While not being quite as ooooh and aaaah as some of the other offerings at this year's NAMM, Ecler's updated NUO range needs some of your love as well. Getting some much needed updates, the NUOs should hopefully make it's way into your hearts, DJ setups - and who knows, perhaps even skratchworx reviews.

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Henry Ford (the guy who invented the car), when asked about the Model T Ford allegedly said "the public can get it in any color they want as long as its black". And for so much DJ gear this is so true. But Vestax clearly aren't having any of that where their VCI-100 controller is concerned. It was only a matter of time before different colours and different configs for the various MIDI softwares would pop up. Note to Vestax - a black case would also be cool.

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There's nothing quite like real hands on tampering with real gear rather than passing judgement based on a few renders. So take a quick shufty at this handful of snaps of Stanton's new SC System directly from the NAMM show floor. They're not all in focus but you still get the idea.

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Last up from Vestax is another new MIDI controller. Again, I saw this as a drawing at PLASA but the reality looks a whole lot better. Obviously not aimed right at the DJ fold, hence the lack of jog wheel, this knob and button fest is primarily aimed at Ableton users, although being MIDI means you can plumb all manner of software into it.

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Well actually I do have a little insight into this, having seen not much more than an idea of this unit in Vestax's secret room at PLASA. But it seems that everyone is getting hip to the fact that MIDI is cool and all, but we - the ones having to pay for and use this stuff - want real vinyl feel from our controllers. Hence Stanton, Numark and now Vestax are putting out units that do just that. Enter the Vestax VCI-1B.

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I do my best to keep up with everything that comes out of NAMM but when certain companies don't actually send out official PR, it's a tad hard. So through the grapevine via some bloke down the pub who's cousin's best mate's mum's dentist heard something, news reaches me of a Serato ITCH powered very VCI-100 looking unit called logically the VCI-300.

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Hercules have entered the Pro MIDI controller market with their new Hercules DJ Console Rmx box of MIDI tricks. Normally known for the more budget end of the market, this is aimed firmly at the pro DJ looking to ditch conventional media, white van and coffin cases in favour of a laptop bag instead. Is it just me or does it look like the bastard lovechild of a Mac Pro and a VCI-100?

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We've seen the renders - we've seen the shopchops - now see the real thing. A short gallery of Numark's neew Serato ITCH based all in one system. Looks perdy fo shizzle.

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Coming dangerously close to running out of witty wordplay headlines, M-Audio have announced details on the next major upgrade to their Torq software package. Addressing some of the concerns of users and also coming up with a load of digital goodness all on their own, M-Audio's bargain priced DVS system will be available for a $50 upgrade fee, which I'm sure many of you will be cursing about, but I'll get to that later.

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Having posted and retracted a story and image from these pages, I've now got the full lowdown on just what Numark and Serato have been cooking up while snuggling together in their respective gear labs. Check here for exactly what Serato's new ITCH things is all about for that's what drives Numark's new NS7 system.

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While not being a regular D-Day, the Denon guys have a few new bits and bobs to show at NAMM. Essentially, they've got a serious update to their miniscule CD deck and mixer as well as a simple rack mount mixer and finally a set of cans.

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So it seems that the Numark NS7 story posted earlier wasn't quite factually accurate. Rather than use Serato Scratch Live as the software blood pumping through the hardware veins, there is in fact a new Serato product. Imagine sat brainstorming a name for this product - I think it went like this: "I'll say a word and you say the first word that comes into your head". Indeed people for Serato's new super slimline size zero SSL is called ITCH.
UPDATED: Added spec list.
UPDATED 2: Some comment from Serato

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Many years ago, when I had pretensions of making music, I invested in a 4 track. Quite literally weeks later, I sold it when I realised that while I could knock out a beat (I had a SpecDrum and a Korg KPR-77), layering audio to create actual music was just out of my sphere of skill. But I got me a hankering to knock out some beats again and this new XR20 Beat Production Centre (why wasn't called a BPC?) looks to be right up my street.

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As we know, it's all about MIDI control these days and getting to grips with software and this new Akai MPD32 aims to expand on it's MPD16 and 24 heritage to give you even more flexibility - more knobs and faders to assign.

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In recent times, Akai have attempted to gain some ground in the lower end of the music production market with the MPC-1000 and baby 500 models. For beat makers on the move (in the back of the stretch Hummer between showbiz party and the studio), these diminutive MPCs have provided beats on the go. But the really serious studio dwelling hardcore MPC heads have craved something new to get their pad thumping hands on, having been stuck with ye olde worlde MPC4000 stylings. Well finally it's here - the MPC5000.

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