Introduction
Let me start by saying I'm not keen on the name and neither is my missus, who insists on calling it a 'hoovjah'. I'm assuming the OOs are used to imply this is the kind of high-tech, ultra-powerful device that James Bond might use if he wanted to secure a residency at Space in between shagging supermodels and murdering improbable villains. And I can't accept that.
I don't know about Jimmy B, but if Q handed me the OOVJ before I took the stage at Space I'd bitch-slap him back to Qinetiq in a body bag. If a cinematic comparison can be drawn it'd have to be with the monolith out of 2001, purely because of its size and shape. The monolith is a non-descript black lump that promotes creative, original thought in those that touch it and that describes the OOVJ perfectly. And in terms of coolness the monolith beats a narcissistic psychopath any day.
Perhaps referring to the OOVJ as a black, non-descript lump is unkind. The OOVJ is beautiful to behold and if I was the kind of person that read trendy design magazines instead of burning them I'd probably describe the styling as 'future industrial'. If the Space Jockey from Alien had a laptop it'd be this.
But enough waffle – I'm off to smack a chimp in the face with a Sony VAIO.
First Impressions
The OOVJ is ostensibly a laptop, but when boxed it could easily be mistaken for a flat-pack wardrobe such is the size of the packaging. And it isn't just padding either – the OOVJ itself is an absolute monster of a machine, being roughly the size of an SL1210 and just as heavy. This beast doesn't want to sit on your lap - it wants to break it.
Not only do you get the machine, you also receive quite a few goodies too in the form of various high-quality audio cables, VGA and HDMI adapters, an M-Audio Delta 1010lt breakout cable, 2 ground loop isolators and a screen-cleaning kit. All-in-all, this is an impressive package that leaves you in no doubt that you're getting a top-notch, premium product for your £3600.
As for the unit itself, at the top of the OOVJ (or the front?) is a tough carry handle and two spring-loaded clasps that allow the OOVJ to be carried like a briefcase. Portability is further aided by four large rubber feet at the base of the unit, allowing the OOVJ to stand upright steadily. The under-side of the OOVJ is also studded with rubber feet, whilst the top panel has a cylindrical indentation bearing the legend 'OOVJ' in pretty red lettering.
Opening the unit reveals a mini-keyboard, a 17" touch-screen and red lettering that borders the top panel to indicate the purpose of the I/O ports beneath it. Apparently, the keyboard is water-proof, but I didn't have the bottle to test that assertion, nor was I unlucky enough to spill something on it. I'll take Valeway's word for it, but even if the clumsy oaf that's given your OOVJ a cider bath has missed your waterproof keyboard there's a good chance his Diamond White will drip through the exhaust grilles just above it.
And that brings us on to another neat design trick.
Above the keyboard is the OOVJ logo, the two Os acting as grilles through which hot air is expelled. Above that is a chunky power button and a large, bright HDD activity light and both are in possession of a heavy industrial feel that is in keeping with the unit.
At the left hand side of the OOVJ (when viewed open and in use), to the right and at the back are a number of inputs and outputs, neatly recessed behind pretty red panels. Trivial, I know, but these little design flourishes elicit an excitement that the beholder will not have felt since they first laid eyes on the Millennium Falcon as a child.
Also present on the right-hand side is an optical drive that, unlike many consumer laptops, is slot-loading rather than drawer-loading. This prevents the disc drawer being confused with a novelty beer mat by mindless inebriates. The drive is, in fact, a Sony Optiarc AD-7670S and features read/write speeds of 8X for DVD-R/DVD+R/DVD+RW, 6X for DVD-RW/DVD-R DL, 5X for DVD-RAM and 24X for CD-R/CD-RW. In use the drive is silent and loads or ejects discs quickly, the latter being effected by an icon that appears on the Windows Taskbar. In use I encountered no problems when burning discs and if Sony made this drive in 5 ¼" form factor I'd buy one for my desktops without hesitation. Not because it's inherently better than any other drive, but because it's flasher than a Vivienne Westwood strobe light.
Unlike other laptops there are no speakers on the OOVJ. This is a professional unit that is expected to work in professional environments. The only concession to low fidelity is the headphone socket, which is fed by the motherboard audio, and even that sounds good. More often than not you'll be using the built-in M Audio Delta 1010lt.
The OOVJ is manufactured for portability and is fitted with a universal mains supply that allows the OOVJ to be used anywhere in the world on any mains supply. Valeway assure me that it can also be taken aboard aircraft as hand-luggage, citing their recent trip to the NAMM show as proof of this, but I'm sure some airlines will be more accommodating than others. And even though it's harder than Bruce Lee with a hand grenade, your OOVJ can also benefit from the added protection of a custom carry case.
In short, the OOVJ might be a beast, but it's also in possession of an industrial beauty that incites excitement like no other PC. The workmanship is first-class and the machine exhibits none of the dodgy finish typically characteristic of a largely bespoke device. The OOVJ looks and feels worthy of its £3600 price tag, but outward appearances mean little in computing. What matters is how it performs.
Customisation
As with all premium products, whether they be Rollers or an ocean-going yacht, the purchase of a OOVJ is an inherently personal experience. £3600 will buy you a base configuration, but from there you can modify the hardware and software to suit your circumstances. Indeed, if you have the money Valeway have the time and will try their best to accommodate your needs, wants and desires, whether that be a yellow vinyl covering for the body shell or diamond encrusted side panels. Although you might want to give that last suggestion a miss - you'll lose half of your fingers the first time you pick it up.
But I digress – Valeway will attempt to realise your artistic vision whatever that may be. There are certain standard options that they'll discuss with you at purchase, such as the option of a 3TB HD at £180 extra instead of the regular 2TB drive. If that sounds steep it's because you're also paying for a 32GB solid state hard drive to house Windows 7. This is needed because Windows 7 cannot ordinarily recognise the full capacity of a 3TB drive. Other options include increased RAM capacity and higher specification CPUs.
Sadly, you're limited to socket P CPUs, essentially Intel's Core 2 Duo Mobile series of CPUs. This is no bad thing, they're still capable of high performance, but if you were looking forward to dropping an i7 990X into a OOVJ then forget it. You can't. Not because of any aversion to the chip on Valeway's part, but because the motherboard needed to accommodate such a CPU must meet Valeway's strict operational standards.
Just because a motherboard is cutting edge it doesn't mean it will survive temperatures that would boil an egg or climates as humid as a tropical rainforest. The current mobo does. I can tell you, however, that an i7 version is in the pipeline. For much the same reason Valeway are reluctant to implant a 10000RPM Velociraptor in the OOVJ rather than a Caviar Green model. Whilst it's technically possible for them to fit a Velociraptor, they recommend WD's Caviar Green HDs because they perform well at high temperatures.
Hardware, however, is just one aspect of OOVJ ownership. Just as important is the software, which is an inherently personal choice, as can be seen on the Skratchworx forum. Just because DJ X thinks Traktor is the puppy's particulars it doesn't mean that DJ Y will.
When you purchase a OOVJ, Valeway will interview you to see what software you have in mind for install. This is especially important if you're new to digital DJing, as you might not have a clue what is available or if you'll like it. If possible, you should visit the Valeway showroom and see exactly what your options are. After all, you wouldn't spend £3600 on a car without seeing it, so why pay that much for a computer without checking it out first?
PC Configuration
When I first secured the OOVJ review I was understandably bouncing off all four of my living room walls, as that's what passes for entertainment in the Unsworth household. On receiving the OOVJ, unboxing it and basking in its 'future industrial' magnificence I was still overcome with excitement. Right up until the point where I noticed the specifications:-
Intel T7250 2GHz CPU
2GB DDR2 667 RAM
2GB WD20 Green HD
Integrated Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Display adapter
Oh dear. Hardly the stuff of dreams, is it? And then there's the start-up speed.
For some bizarre reason I'd assumed it would boot into Windows near instantly. Instead, the average time taken for the OOVJ to go from off to usable is 53.18 seconds. Not bad now I come to think about it, certainly better than the desktop on which this review was written, but not what you would call blisteringly fast. The initial disappointment lasted a few days until I'd found my way around the OOVJ and could compare it to my other computers in like-for-like tests.
And then my drooping lips were yanked into a rigid strychnine grin. My main audio/DJing PC is an off-the-shelf HP desktop packing a Core 2 Duo CPU running at a clock speed of 2.8GHz, a much higher speed than that plugged in to the OOVJ, yet the OOVJ proved to be the better performer. This is due in no small part to the optimisation of hardware and software undertaken by Valeway and the fruits of their R & D labour. Plus, the OOVJ is task specific whereas my desktop is unashamedly general purpose.
I found that I could run Traktor Scratch Pro at much lower latencies on the OOVJ than my own PC and whilst you might think that's exactly how it should be considering the 3 grand price difference, you can't escape the fact that on paper my 2.8GHz desktop with 4GBs of RAM should run rings around the OOVJ.
In use the OOVJ never used much more than 1GB of RAM and the CPU could handle whatever tasks I asked of it comfortably. Standard operating temperatures were 54° Celsius for the system and 62° for the CPU. When used in a hot club the temperature will rise, but don't sweat it. The motherboard is an industrial component that will operate at 130° Celsius.
As an example of how well the OOVJ copes with heat I closed the screen but left the computer running. After an hour I checked the BIOS and found that the OOVJ was maintaining a comfortable 61° system temperature and 70° CPU temperature. Fan speeds during typical use are 2200RPM for the system fan and 6750RPM for the CPU fan, which is fairly normal for this specification of PC. It has to be said, though, that the machine is far from silent. We're not talking hairdryer loud here, but there is a constant whir from the fans that is permanently conspicuous when used in normal environments. However, in the OOVJ's natural stomping ground of pubs and clubs nobody is going to notice it.
The OOVJ is a perfect example of the conflict between a machine's performance on paper and its performance in real life. As a purely artificial test I had both Ableton and Traktor Scratch Pro running on the OOVJ, with Ableton displayed on the OOVJ's touch-screen and Traktor displayed on a second monitor. Even though they were running simultaneously, both applications could be used comfortably. I can't see a reason why you'd want to do this in real life, but it does demonstrate the power and flexibility of the machine.
I'm sure a lot of people are understandably turned off the OOVJ because of its apparently lack-lustre specification and that's a shame. You must DJ with the machine to appreciate its performance.
The Old In-Out
The OOVJ is packed with inputs and outputs.Down the left-hand side of the unit you'll find 10 RCA sockets, 2 stereo pairs for input and 3 stereo pairs for output, all of which are connected to the Delta 1010lt audio interface. You'll also find a DVI socket to which you can attach (naturally) a DVI lead or one of the two adapters supplied with the unit that let you output video to VGA or HDMI enabled screens.
At the back of the unit are two low-res video outputs, one socket S-Video, and the other composite. Also situated at the back are a USB 2.0 socket, a 6-pin FireWire socket, an RJ-45 Ethernet Connection and the socket for the power cable.
To the right are two USB 2.0 sockets, the slot-loading optical drive and a D-15 connector to which a break-out cable is attached, allowing you many more inputs and outputs for the Delta 1010lt.
When you first get the machine the rear USB socket is occupied by a thumb-nail Bluetooth device, but if you have no need of Bluetooth you can remove it and make use of the spare port in other ways.
CPU
The CPU is an Intel Mobile T7250 running at 2GHz and sporting a 2MB cache that seems paltry in this day and age, but is fast enough to cope with the demands of both Windows 7 and various DJing applications without issue. Despite that, I would have preferred a more powerful CPU. There's a constant feeling that whilst the CPU can mostly cope with the tasks required of it, some extra horsepower is needed to quicken things up.
I think the problem is that I'm expecting lightning quick desktop response because it's a £3600 PC and the OOVJ doesn't deliver that. I must re-iterate that the OOVJ isn't sluggish by any means and the fact that I'm thinking like that means I've completely missed the point and the essentially bespoke nature of the OOVJ.
Let's just say that software becomes more complex, not less, so if I wanted to protect myself against the bloat that the latest Windows updates inevitably bring, I'd specify a more powerful CPU and 4GBs of RAM if I was lucky enough to afford one. Yes, it would increase the expense, but if you're paying £3600 for a computer in the first instance surely you want to protect that investment by extending its useful life-time?
Hard Drive
The Hard-Drive is a 3.5" Western Digital WD20EARS that boasts a massive 2TBs of storage. Sadly, the large capacity comes at the cost of performance, as the model installed hails from WD's 'eco-friendly' Caviar Green range and saves the planet by having the pedestrian RPM of 5400 rather than the sportier 7200RPM and 10000RPM speeds of the standard Caviar and Velociraptor ranges.
In use the WD20 is fast enough and during the test period I never had any audio or video drop-outs that were directly attributable to a slothful hard drive. Neither did buffers streams run unexpectedly dry during a protracted freestyle beat juggle because the hard drive couldn't cope with a few background tasks.
The chief benefits of the Caviar Green range are lower operating temperatures and power consumption, the former being more beneficial in a unit such as the OOVJ that must operate in hot, moist environments.That is why the WD20 is present. Not because it has the read/write speed of a T1000 but because it more easily survives the harsh environments in which the OOVJ will find itself.
Once again my prejudice against the OOVJ's specification proved unfounded and the point was missed a second time.
Touch-Screen
The Touch-screen is manufactured by Chinese firm TouchKit and works well enough for navigating your way through the Windows OS and applications, but don't expect iPad style dexterity as the touch-screen only recognizes one point of contact. It would be easy to assume that the touch-Screen is a needless gimmick, but that isn't the case. It's much easier to use the touch-screen than it is to use either the built-in mouse or an external one.
Unfortunately, you are limited to pressing on screen icons or dragging them. Manipulating rotary controls or sliders in an accurate, precise or consistent fashion is damn near impossible. As an example, trying to manipulate Traktor's KEY and FILTER rotary controls is a sonic accident begging to happen.
It's common for the verbally pedestrian to bleat on about practice making perfect, but this has more to do with their need to say something authoritative than actually submit meaningful advice or a bit of constructive criticism. I mean, let's face it - no matter how many times you practice bunny-hops, no matter how high you jump, you're never going to jump Everest and it's the same with the OOVJ. No matter how many times you practice twisting the rotary controls of your favourite DJing software you're never going to exert the degree of fine control needed to produce the same result time after time.
The movement of sliders also proves tricky, which means that I'll often press the SYNC button to beat-match when using the touch-screen as the primary controller rather engage in the fruitless attempt to match the beats myself, as it lacks the fine precision needed to position the on-screen slider exactly where I want it. Even when navigating my way through Windows 7 I sometimes find myself swearing at it.
Don't, however, walk away from this section under the illusion that the OOVJ's touch-screen is pointless. It isn't. Engaging with both Windows and my favourite applications felt much more natural and efficient when using it. Normally, I'd use my Dicers to select and load tracks in Traktor, but with the touch-screen I was able to drag and drop tracks from the browser onto a deck more quickly and without the risk of nudging a tone-arm. In fact, I've got so used to the touch-screen that I can no longer use ordinary laptops without putting my finger through the screen.
In order to use the touch-screen effectively you must calibrate it using the supplied utility. This involves jabbing the screen at four points so that the utility can tailor responses to your finger swipes. There's even a draw utility so you can test the calibration of the screen.
The touch-screen will be especially beneficial to mobile DJs, as they are more interested in keeping a dancefloor packed than exercising fine-control over an extended four-deck mash-up of some obscure Siberian techno. The touch-screen lets them do that. And considering Mobile DJs are the chief consumers of the OOVJ, you can easily argue that it's fit for purpose.
For the rest of us who enjoy a bit of knob-twiddling, there's Fader Fox.
Keyboard and Mouse
Like a lot of the components used in the OOVJ the keyboard and mouse are intended for industrial applications. Every key is illuminated with an almost demonic red glow, the intensity of which can be controlled using the keyboard itself. Unless the plug is pulled, the keyboard remains illuminated and active, even when the computer has been shut down.
Anyone familiar with the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K will relish the opportunity to get back in front of a rubber keyboard, but as this keyboard is intended for industrial use the feel of the buttons is far different to that of Uncle Clive's finest design. In fact, unless your days are spent taking your aggression out on insolent MPC pads you'll spend the first couple of minutes thinking the keyboard is goosed. You really have to hammer the keys to make sure your taps are registered by the computer and once you've accepted that the keyboard is made for punishment you'll have no problems interacting with it.
One thing that really annoys me about laptop keyboards is the absence of a number-pad and separate cursor keys so I was pleased to find that the OOVJ has them. The only keys that aren't instantly accessible are three function keys and the Scroll Lock, Print Screen, Insert and Break keys, which must be accessed via a '2nd Key' button that can be found to the left of the space bar.
The one thing that I'm not enamoured with is the Orbital Mouse. The mouse is a circular chunk of rubber, the outer edge of which is used to move the on-screen cursor. The problem, however, isn't the shape of it but the non-linear acceleration of the mouse. No matter how much pressure you apply to the outer ring of the Orbital Mouse, either hard or soft, the cursor will initially mope around in the general direction you want it go, like a sullen teenager asked to get his mum some more cigs from the corner shop, and then suddenly zip across the screen at warp speed. There doesn't seem to be a way of changing this as there's no set-up utility.
In use it isn't so much of an issue because of the touch-screen, but I would've preferred a regular track-pad or mini-joystick rather than the in-built Orbital Mouse.
Video Outputs
A brief search of the back panel will uncover two video outputs, one composite and one S-Video. Video is transmitted to your TV screen in glorious standard definition and the outputs are obviously used when mixing videos or hosting a karaoke night.
The video is output via the motherboard and whilst it is good enough for club and karaoke use, it's unlikely to become the audio-visual centrepiece of your home cinema. The video output looks great when output to CRT screens, but when output to one of those modern LCD screens it has a sort of strobing fuzziness to it that would prove irritating were you to look at it intently for a protracted period of time. Again, the output is perfectly adequate for pubs and clubs, as the display equipment is less likely to be state-of-the-art and the fruits of your VJing labour will be regarded as no more than moving wallpaper. On top of that your audience will probably be drunk and more interested in each other.
On the I/O panel to the left of the OOVJ is a DVI connector to which you can predictably connect a DVI enabled monitor or TV, but also included within the OOVJ package are two connectors that let you output the contents of your OOVJ's display via HDMI and VGA. As with any other computer, the OOVJ allows the full range of Windows video options to be exploited. You can extend your desktop, duplicate the display on both the OOVJ and a second monitor, or have your desktop displayed on an external monitor only. Screen resolutions can also be altered for each individual display.
There's no doubting that the OOVJ will meet the video needs of all but the most demanding DJ and for the few that it doesn't satisfy there is the Matrox TripleHead2Go.
M-Audio Delta 1010lt
Any computer designed to be an all-in-one music workstation must feature a task specific high-end audio interface, otherwise it's just a cleverly marketed consumer toy. Suitably, the OOVJ sports M-Audio's Delta 1010lt. You might think the choice odd, the 1010lt being a relatively old interface, but the benefit of that age is experience. The 1010lt is well understood which means that Valeway are better able to incorporate it into their hardware and anticipate problems. It's also an incredibly flexible and powerful interface that features an on-chip hardware mixer directly accessible through a bundled software utility.
Forget Ableton, the 1010lt's mixer lets you set balance, panning and volume levels on each input and output channel independent of any other application. The output of the hardware mixer can be routed through output channels 1 and 2 or the S/PDIF output. The control panel gives you remarkably fine control over your audio. Individual mono channels can be muted or soloed. Peak meters burst into life as soon as the audio hits the 1010lt, letting you adjust your settings accordingly and, once you've got the settings just right for your environment, you can save them for later recall should you enter that environment again.
The 1010lt's software utility also features a patchbay that lets you set the volume levels of input and output channels, as well as the audio source for each output channel. The audio to be output through a channel can either be fed from software, such as Traktor and Ableton, or from one of the input channels. This means that you can route audio from one of the input channels to an output channel using nothing but the 1010lt itself. You might, for instance, want to duplicate an input so that the audio can be sent to two different amps or audio recorders. The device itself can operate at sample rates up to 96 KHz at a depth of 24bits and accepts a wide variety of inputs, from the ubiquitous RCA to S/PDIF and MIDI.
As mentioned in the I/O section, there are two stereo pairs of RCA connectors for analogue input and three stereo pairs for output, which is adequate for most DJing applications. You can, for example, use the two inputs to route timecode or analogue audio into your DJing software and the three outputs to send audio to three channels of your favourite mixer.
But the I/O fest doesn't end there. The 1010lt also allows for a range of digital I/O options via a breakout cable. The options are single ins and outs for S/PDIF, MIDI and BNC, the latter being used for the transmission of word clock data to synchronise the 1010lt to external devices.
The digital audio works beautifully and I had no problems using MIDI gear alongside digital and analogue audio. Sadly, the biggest gripe I have with the 1010lt, or at least the OOVJ implementation of it, is the absence of an extra two RCA inputs and 2 XLR inputs. The RCAs are particularly missed because – if you're using time-code – you don't have a third input with which to record your set. Sure, there's an S/PDIF input, but there are a great many mixers that don't have an S/PDIF output, which means that if you have a standard analogue mixer you're screwed. The lack of XLR inputs also means you cannot route XLR microphones or your mixer's output into the 1010lt directly in order to record musical performances.
I sincerely hope that future generations of the OO series ship with the full complement of I/O options that their audio interfaces support. Not out of greed, but because DJs and producers will have a genuine need for them.
Everything considered, the 1010lt is an excellent choice for the OOVJ and provides options for every breed of DJ, whether they be mobile, club or a DJ/producer.
DVS Use with the 1010lt
Controllers are great, but for most DJs it's DVS or nothing. The question is, can the 1010lt provide low latency audio reliably? Can you use it in conjunction with a DVS without the irritating snap, pop and crackle of a poor quality audio interface pushed too far?
The answer is yes, it can. The 1010lt offers a usable buffer rate of 64 samples without descending into a cacophony of digital noise. This is, of course, dependent on the software you use and the configuration of your OOVJ. As use of timecode in Traktor Scratch Pro is impossible without a certified audio interface, the software used to test the 1010lt's fitness for DVS use was Image Line's Deckadance and Numark's Cue.
Both applications needed some investment of time to get the I/O right, but essentially each product outputted 3 stereo channels to a mixer and accepted two stereo inputs from either CDJs or Turntables. Timecode used with the products were a combination of Serato and Traktor CDs and vinyl, together with a specially created timecode CD for Deckadance. Neither application provided the near-instant scratch response of TS Pro and Deckadance felt especially laggy when scrubbing the likes of 'Aaw Yeah!' back and forth, but proved okay for general mixing.
An Audio 4 DJ was used as a reference soundcard and both Deckadance and Cue performed much the same with that device as the 1010lt a buffer size of 64 samples and a sample rate of 44.1 KHz. If anything, the Audio 4 gave slightly better performance when used with those two programs. Of course, the combination of TS Pro and the Audio 4 wiped the floor with Deckadance and Cue, but that is to be expected.
This leads me to believe that the less than perfect scratch performance is due to the programs themselves rather than any deficiency of the 1010lt. Certainly, Cue performed much better than Deckadance and the feeling you get from mixing and scratching video is as intense as it is euphoric, and most definitely addictive. Sure, the novelty will eventually wear off and you'll go back to TS Pro or Scratch Live, but every now and again you'll have no choice but to boot up your favourite VJing app and pretend you're DJ Woody.
If need be, the 1010lt can be used as the audio interface with Traktor Pro, but you won't be able to use time-code. You can, however, route regular vinyl into Traktor and apply Traktor's excellent effects to them. This is a good compromise if you want to use a combination of controller and regular vinyl/CDs.
DAW Use
Although ostensibly a device for mobile DJs, there's no reason why you can't use the OOVJ as your production workstation when not banging out a bit of Robbie Williams down the local boozer. During the test period the OOVJ happily ran stand-alone virtual instruments such as NI's excellent Alicia's Keys and Kore Electronic Experience, as well as Ableton Live 8 in conjunction with a MIDI keyboard and APC20.
Audio was output through the 1010lt and routed through a regular 3 channel DJ mixer. MIDI I/O was conducted through a regular 5 pin DIN MIDI cable and USB. The OOVJ and the 1010lt proved reliable and gave better performance than my regular music PC.
Karaoke Use
The software of choice for hosting impromptu Karaoke parties during the review period was Numark Cue. Karaoke tracks were dragged and duly dropped onto a deck and the video was output to a screen via the video outputs on the back. There were no problems and when using Cue you can easily cut out of a Karaoke performance, into a commercial track and then back into karaoke again.
As mentioned in the 1010lt section, the OOVJ misses out on Microphone inputs. This means that you must output the audio from your OOVJ via the 1010lt and mix vox and music using a regular mixer.
VJing with the OOVJ
Name often implies function and the OOVJ is no exception, although if you want to VJ you'll have to specify the software you'd like to use at purchase or buy your own. As an example set-up, the review unit came pre-loaded with Numark's Cue, which (as mentioned earlier) is essentially a rebranded Virtual DJ. Both applications let you load videos into a virtual deck and manipulate them via an attached controller or timecode discs. This means you can scratch, mix and add effects to your videos.
If you're using a MIDI controller to mix you can assign the crossfader for the video mixer to the audio crossfader or, if you want to get more creative, the audio and video crossfaders can be used independently.
Many transitions are available for you to use when mixing videos and they can be changed at any time. This means you can get funky with the visuals. Dissolving from one video into another, using heart shapes to segue between tracks or flipping between videos as if they were faces on a Rubik's Cube are just three examples of the transitions at your disposal.
Another 'gift' from Valeway comes in the form of a voucher that lets you claim 10 music videos as part of an offer run in conjunction with MIXMASH. Sadly, you don't get to choose the videos, you choose a compilation. You can choose to receive the videos as a collection of MPEG 2 or MPEG4 files, but please be aware that if you plan to use Ableton for VJing you'll need to use QuickTime files.
As with all DJing, what you do with your videos and how you mix them is up to you. You're the creative genius, not the PC. The OOVJ just lets you get on with it without argument.
Installed Software
The OOVJ ships with a sensible complement of installed software that includes a suite of readers for various Microsoft Office applications, an audio file convertor that sports more translators than the UN, and Microsoft Security Essentials, as well as the usual Microsoft goodies such as Media Player and DVD Maker. Having the MS Office and Acrobat Readers pre-installed saves you the hassle and inconvenience of downloading them and whilst Microsoft Security Essentials might not provide the all-encompassing protection of Symantec's Norton 360, it is less intrusive and won't hinder performance as much as fuller-featured anti-virus and firewall applications.
Conclusion
Unlike a lot of DJ gear the decision to buy the OOVJ rests not on whether it is any good but is it necessary? The chief benefit of owning a OOVJ is not blistering performance, exotic hardware or enhanced street cred, it's the protection afforded by the tough casing, the resilient, industrial components and a high performance soundcard. If you're a working DJ playing in sweaty, humid clubs or rough pubs that protection is worth every penny.
Indeed, if you're a mobile DJ the OOVJ will most likely become the cornerstone of your set-up. Assuming you're banging out party classics and indulging in only light mixing you won't need anything else. You'll be able to locate, load and play your tracks using only the keyboard and touch-screen. Even if you're a club jock using Serato, Traktor or a MIDI controller you may still need the performance and protection of the OOVJ.
There is, of course, no impediment to purchase if you're a hobbyist or bedroom DJ, but there'd be little point. For £3600 you could buy a true high performance workstation and still have a grand left to spend on powering the thing. The sheer size of the OOVJ will prevent it from gaining a foothold in all but the most spacious of home studios, especially given its awkward shape and weight. It'll either crush your laptop stand or fall off it.
And it isn't perfect by any means, just close. The touch-screen is great for basic dragging and selecting, but it lacks the sensitivity to manipulate stylised controls such as Traktor's rotary dials. Even moving sliders in a precise fashion proves difficult. As touch-screen technology improves I'm sure this issue will be addressed and you'll be able to control OOVJs with greater precision than an iPad, but until then you'll be using a controller or the SYNC button.
Also irritating is the red detailing that borders the keyboard panel of the OOVJ. Each detail tells you what type of I/O port is located beneath it, which is great. Except that the lettering is miniscule, indistinct and hard to read in bright natural light, never mind a night-club. What would've been great is the use of the UV sensitive paint used on modern A&H mixers or some other fluorescent material.
It also misses out on the full complement of I/O options offered by the retail version of the Delta 1010lt, but these are minor niggles and certainly no reason not to buy the unit. Something to consider is a more powerful CPU and more RAM. Not because it needs them at the present time, but for peace of mind. As DJing software develops it'll consume more RAM and place greater strain on the CPU. It's cheaper and less disruptive to specify a more powerful CPU now than to have one installed in a couple of years' time.
Also, I couldn't escape the feeling that half of the OOVJ was wasted when I used the unit with an Audio 4 DJ, but in reality that isn't the case, for the reasons stated above. There's no reason why you shouldn't use the OOVJ with other hardware and the Delta 1010lt never went unused, as when not DJing I used the Delta with Ableton and various virtual instruments. And this highlights the flexibility of the OOVJ. Whether a regular DJ, a producer or a mixture of the two, the OOVJ will support your needs.
With the OOVJ you can engage in a spot of DVS mixing, perform freestyle megamixes with Ableton and then let one of your regulars ruin I Fought the Law on the karaoke, all in one night.
If you're a working DJ, take a trip to Hull and try one.
Base Specification:
• Intel T7250 2GHz CPU
• 2GB DDR2 667 RAM
• 2GB WD20 Green HD
• Integrated Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Display adapter
• Integrated motherboard Audio
• Integrated Wi-Fi
• Touch-screen
• Slot-loading DVD-Writer
• M Audio Delta 1010lt audio interface – 24bit 96 KHz
• Illuminated waterproof keyboard
• RJ45 Ethernet connector
• 3 USB ports
• 1 1394 FireWire 400 port
• DVI video output
• S-video and composite TV output
• Windows 7 Professional 64 bit
Ratings
Build Quality
Tougher than a Kevlar jockstrap. The OOVJ is constructed from components that are designed to last – and they do. The OOVJ also keeps its cool in hot environments.
Sound Quality
The integrated M Audio Delta 1010lt is an excellent choice and offers studio quality sound, but the OOVJ also features a headphone socket that is fed by the motherboard.
Features and Implementation
The features and components are DJ specific and support the work of all types of DJs, whether you want to produce music, sing karaoke or juggle breaks.
If you're a mobile DJ the OOVJ will easily become the centrepiece of your set-up. There are some improvements that could be made, but these will take time or money to correct.
Value for Money
If your only reason for owning the OOVJ is to run Rekordbox in your home studio then it's an expensive waste of time. The OOVJ is designed and manufactured for the planet's pubs and clubs. Unless you're using it in those environments there's little point buying one.
Bottom Line
In short, buy the OOVJ if it can pay for itself through your DJing. It suits all digital DJs, but is particularly suitable for mobile DJs, especially if they play music videos and host karaoke nights. This PC is tough enough to survive the roughest clubs.
LIKES
Solid build quality
Tough body shell
Slot loading DVD drive
Touch-screen
High quality audio interface
Lots of I/O sockets
Video outputs
Works on any mains supply anywhere in the world
DISLIKES
Lack of fine control with the touch-screen
Red lettering on body shell is hard to read in less than perfect light
The 1010lt is missing two RCA sockets and two XLR sockets
Orbital Mouse
The fact I had to hand it back
Massive thanks to Paul Moss of Valeway Technology for loaning me the OOVJ and answering my many questions.
