Seems the picture isn't quite representative of the product. Pulled until updated info arrives. Sorry but there's plenty of other one handed DJ reading material to look at.

---

A short time ago, I spent a couple of days with MixMeister for PC. Coming from a traditional and linear mixtape creation approach, I was deeply impressed with how easy it was to easily create a mix in a matter of minutes. But this was on a damned Windows machine, so I politely informed Numark that unless they brought out a version for OS X, I'd cast journalistic integrity to the wind and never ever post anything about Numark again, no matter how life changing it was. Obviously shaken by my threat, they had their code monkeys work 36 hour days to create the Mac version so everyone can now get a taste of MixMeister for themselves.

---



Numark appear to be on a one company mission to own vinyl converting for dummies. Not happy with just addingg a USB port for easy connection to any computer, they've taken it one step further and added an iPod dock right into the deck itself.

---

The days of turning up with one case and rocking a crowd are here. Numark's all in one crowd rocking digital masterpiece the iDJ2 now has a dedicated case - one that comfortably houses the iDJ2 and also the keyboard on one snug unit.

---

And the Dj pr0n just keeps coming. For those of you who like me have wondered when Pioneer were going to play catchup and get on the digital controller bandwagon, you need wait no more for Pioneer have jumped aboard with knobs on. Seems they've patiently watched the likes of Numark, Denon and Cortex to see what they had to offer and after distilling the user feedback and no doubt pulling the competitive product apart down to component level, today Pioneer bring you the MEP-7000, and Sweet Jesus does it look nice.

---

With NAMM comes new products, as well as updates. What we have here is an update of one of Ecler's product lines - NUO. Undergoing a slight name change, the NUO2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 are announced today with some needed upgrades as well as some downgrades. But I think there's good reason. Bear with me...

---

Some time ago, I predicted that the future of DJing was taking the function away from the hardware and making it all software based, with dumb controllers working the software on laptops. It's always seemed wasteful and not really in the consumers' interests to have to splash out on all new decks and mixers when much of the improvement should really just be a software tweak. So bugger me if that's exactly what Stanton have gone and done. Enter the SC System.

---

While you all patiently wait for the deluge of NAMM hotness to hit your screen, Stanton are slipping out some PR so that it won't be lost in the rest of the Stanton news (trust me, it would be). Stanton have given the C.314 a small reworking and improved a few things that needed work.

---

At this year's MacWorld Expo, Real Steve Jobs not only pushed the envelope but opened it at the same and presented the teeniest weeniest full sized laptop known to mankind in the shape of the MacBook Air. Lacking a CD drive and pretty much any other extra usually taken for granted in a laptop, the MacBook Air is the size zero of computer technology. But I wonder if this is the ultimate in DJ laptops or do you guys prefer something a bit meatier?

---

Spread across my screen are windows full of genuine nextlevelness i.e. PR from many manufacturers showing me what they're going to be unleashing upon you this year (well hopefully). Some of it is logical updates, some new products but there's also a fair lump of real pants dampening DJ pr0n. No clues from me until I post it all on Thursday morning. Following that though will be the news from the floor, provided by skratchworx USA aka Phillip Le and Peter Mapanao, who will be hassling every manufacturer until they give up the real news on what's happening at NAMM.

---

In the time honoured tradition, I let you guys pick a number to match a randomised list of email addresses to give me the winner of whatever competition happens to be running - in the case the hand customised Magma Switchbox. So like the picture says, pick me a number between 1 and 203. Just one number - post it up below. Obviously, if you see that someone has posted a number, there's no point posting another - so don't.

---

The other day, I told you about the new Mac version of Image-Line's Deckadance DVS. This info was kind of sort of gathered from sources but the real PR has arrived. So for the sake of completeness of info, here it is.

---

We love exclusives round here, and what I have to share right here is likely to have some serious DJ technology repercussions in years to come. We're all aware of Ebsel and their Pro X Fade brick shit house cross fader. We're also aware (and I'm one very happy user) of Infinium's faders found in the Mackie d.pro series and Rodec's Scratchbox that use non-contact optical technology. So bringing together these 2 powerhouses of fader technology can only be good for us all right? Yes indeedy - Ebsel and Infinium are holding hands and will be bringing forth joint products.

---

Trade show tease time - Stanton look set to return to the DJ world with a big bloody bang this year with something huge. When I say huge, they've set up a teaser site so I guess they feel it's worthy of some speculation and hype. I have no idea what it is yet, but knowing the techy geek at Stanton, it's likely to be special.

---

Denon's new wonder deck the DN-HS5500 edges ever closer to retailers shelves and in the true spirit of hype and tease, Denon have made a short demo movie to show just how dandy the platter is and a few extra features for good measure. Geeks can switch off now as it doesn't show USB at all, just how well the platter performs and sounds.

---

Image-Line's hot new DVS Deckadance reaches a milestone with the release of v1.2 - yes, it's now running natively on Mac. So finally, this technologically challenged hack can finally see what all the damned fuss is about. Having got quite a few DVS interfaces and vinyls (not to mention a Zero4 and d.2 Pro) lying around, it'll be interesting to see how it performs as a first Mac release.

---

If DJs were to buy products just by looks alone then these new headphones from Monster Cable and Dr Dre would probably clean up. But thankfully you guys are a little more discerning that being swayed by a brand name or celeb endorsement right? Oh you're not? Just as long as it has the right label and looks hella cool you're sold? Then these "Beats By Dr Dre" cans are for you.

---

With NAMM just around the corner, the press releases will be coming in thick and fast soon, detailing the next NEXT big thing to grace your DJ playpen. But here's some fresh PR for something we broke ages ago, so sorry if it feels like old news but Tonium's Pacemaker is getting closer to release so they've gone and hired themselves a pukka PR agency especially for the event. And if they're nice enough to send me this stuff, it's only polite to post it up.

---

Only the weak let Christmas stop the march of technology and Adion at www.djdecks.be took the holiday to knock out another release of his djdecks DVS app. But despite the relatively minor version number upgrade, adding 4 deck support isn't to be sniffed at.

---

After a little more digging and checking out the train lines, I've managed to find a 4 star gaff just one short train trip away from the main Mess hall. And the rate expedia.com is just too good to keep quiet - well at least now that I have a room with guaranteed wifi access instead of eating into Lil Miss Giz's university fund with the T-Mobile bill.

---

When we kick the old year's wrinkly old arse out of the door and gently powder the new year baby's bottom, its customary to take a look at what happened in the last year. But that's a bit clichéd and boring so instead, I've responded to the sackloads of email begging for some skratchworx awards. So here they are - the trophy-free purely for a giggle maybe annual Golden Gizmos.

---

Like anyone else, I do like to get a small but needed pat on the back from time to time and a little recognition for the work that I and the small rabble of skratchworkers do. So seeing as you bunch of freeloading bastards simply drop by to see what free stuff you can blag from me, how about you show the blogging world just how much your very life depends on a daily fix of the worx by nominating my little blog in the 2008 Bloggie Awards.

---

First seen at MuskMesse, Magma's Switchbox aims to solve a digital DJ dilemma - switching from set to set with the minimum of fuss. Well now it's out there and the truly wonderful guys at Magma have sent me 2 hand crafted customised Switchboxes - one of which will end up in somebody's lucky hands. Yes - I'm giving the blue one away!

---

With NAMM but days away and Musik Messe happening in MId March, my mind and bank balance turn to organising my annual trip to Frankfurt. This will be my fifth trip and as ever, I'm looking for a great deal on a room. But it seems that great deals and Frankfurt hotels have become mutually exclusive terms.

---

So here I am, sat before my ageing Powerbook (which is considerably older than me in computer years), pondering what has been, what is and what has yet to come. From what I can remember of what has been, it's had its fair share of ups and downs but has at least delivered me to this point almost in one piece - and happy too. What is changes all the damned time. I think I've got a plan - a route map laid out in front of me and then something comes long, picks up my plan, scoffs and uses it to wipe its arse. What is yet to come is the most interesting and pant wettingly exciting. If my life keeps unfolding the way it has been in the last 2 years (and more specifically the last 3 months), I'm going to be one happy DJ hack.

If you haven't figured it out yet, today is my birthday. And life sure is good.

---

Right people - time to wind down for Christmas. Chez , everything is wrapped and under the not inconsiderable tree and we're getting ready for a day of food, drink and probably much argument around the xbox. I'm having a few well deserved days away from the keyboard and will no doubt be indulging in some pretty dire TV instead of posting news and reviewing the d.2 Pro and Korg Zero4 that currently sit in the lab lighting the room up more than the Christmas tree I've installed for the first time.

I'll be sitting down before the end of the year for a customary review of what's happened this year and maybe even what we can look forward to in 2008. One last thing - screw political correctness and the word "winterval". Santa comes to our house whether the PC police like it or not. The team really do wish you a Merry Christmas and send Seasons Greetings to everyone, whatever corner of the universe you find yourself in.

---

Purveyors of analog effects mixer magic Audio Innovate are at it again. Not content with simply flipping the script a little on analog effects laden scratch mixers, they've been pondering and pouring over the idea of a new type of capacitance based crossfader technology. And after a few sleepless months deep in the AI labs, owner Elliot Marx has cracked the technology and brings you the InnoFader. But you need to read the PR to full understand just what's on offer here.

---

More Pre-NAMM blurb, this time from GCI Technologies (that's Cortex, iKey and Gemini to you). As ever, they'll have some new stuff to show you as well as the much anticipated HDTT-500 that is now "99.9% like a CDJ" in terms of feel. Oh really?

---

We've been oh so patient haven't we? The Pro X Fade has been on the market for a good while with the promise of the more compatible PXF2 tantalisingly just out of reach on the horizon. We it seems that the wait will be over very soon with the PXF2 being officially launched at NAMM 2008. No really...

---

Having just pissed off SL1 users with news of the imminent release of the TTM57SL only Video-SL plugin, it seems that Serato are happy for those lucky enough to own the 57 can now give the software a blast and for free but only in a teeny weeny window.

---