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The controller market is very young. When the CDJ hit and took off, it was clear that the turntable would soon be walking the green mile or at least sent off to the DJ retirement home. But technology is moving too quickly for the market to step back, take a breath and formulate a game plan. Manufacturers are being caught off guard and to a degree knee jerk reacting to the apparent needs of users.
I agree that the controller market is young. Or instead it could be seen as simply the end of the accidental standard (or transition to a new standard). A turntable is a 'controller' (just analog) thanks to DVS.
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The trend is indeed towards controllers that you can sling in your laptop bag. And that's fine and dandy for those who don't need the feel like a "real DJ" with heavy platters under their hands. Not every DJ needs real platters - hell not every DJ needs a controller at all. It's simply down to choice, but in reality no DJ needs full sized platters to rock a crowd.
this is true- If we had to, we could all rock crowds of tape till a controller was invented. But there are better forums, mechanisms and platforms then others. Some are good for no one, some are good for a few, and some are good for the most.
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When you think back say 8-10 years, DJs only span vinyl on turntables with mixers. Now in 2008, we have gear that spans across all kinds of technology from little handheld devices all the way up to monolithic video decks and mixers. So you can see how wide and diverse the market has become in an extremely short space of time. It must be hard for manufacturers to keep up. I know for a fact that Vestax deliberately stayed away from the digital market until they felt comfortable in their ability to produce a digital product, and clearly it has been worth the wait.
I agree. But I am a little puzzled, with such a wide variety of solutions being brought to market, why hasnt anyone tried a digital version of the 1200? It seems so obvious to me. CD controllers yes, I hope its just too early in the midi controller game and we need some experiments first (even tho I dont think we need any experiments).
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This pro standard you talk of - I don't think we'll see a standard again in the DJ scene. The market is changing and evolving too quickly to allow that. Pre NAMM, the VCI-100 looked like becoming a standard of sorts, but now we have ITCH and it's respective hardware plus the new Stanton SC system, both of which are shooting off in new directions. It'll only be a matter of time before something else comes along to take us on another road.
conspiratorily, perhaps it is by design, a well made standard will sale a hell of alot less then.... That aside, I think there can be a standard if it were stripped down to the basic elements and allow all the gadgetry to reside in the mixer, computer or effects box. We dont
need extra buttons on a turntable.
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I do have an issue with dismissing current hardware as toys. The CDJ is a very long way from a toy in my opinion. If it really was that bad, it wouldn't be the standard that it is today. Clearly it does the job it's supposed to do and does it very well. But I do hear what you say about controllers in that respect. Bar the VCI, they do appear to be throw away devices, hence me coining the phrase "disposable DJing" a while ago. But it's also understandable in such a young market. Manufacturers have assumed that the DJ who is in the market for a controller is wanting to travel light and is also cost conscious. It's a lot easier for manufacturers to chuck a load of cut price plastic controllers into the market without too much risk rather than paying for ultra expensive tooling and components to make a Hummertroller. And in a rapidly moving market, the current hotness is last months model, potentially leaving manufacturers with shelves full of unsold expensive product.
I didnt really mean to say the CDJ is toy (I dont think that it is a toy and I use them pro) But- the process of the CDJ becoming a standard could happen with a toy, if that toy meets a certain need and there is no other pro solution. Sort of the way some toy drum machines turn standard.
It makes perfect sense that DJs want an easy travel solution. I will probably cop one before the end of the year, I want to mix on the dinner table, on the plane, on the toilet (er maybe not)...
but
The lightest, easiest, pack and carry solution is in fact the standard that is already there when you arrive.
As far as junk being easy to put out there, and being afraid to jump into the heavy equipment- It seams to me that if there is a thirty year, tried and true standard, still installed, even after digital, that it shouldnt be too hard to back engineer what it does right, and leave what you know you dont need(strobe dots lol).
check, even the CDJ becomes standard = even in the digital age standards emerge and you can sale a shitload of them
DVS proves that we want at least a 1200 like solution to the point that we will do something as ridiculous as digitize an analog signal to control digital music. SSL is perfect as a transition technology- okay we are here, now what? jog wheels?
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As for Rane making the one true controller - perhaps. But it's not their core market, and just because they make great mixers, it doesn't mean they'll make a great controller. You'd think Technics would make a solid CD deck right? And the price people appear to be willing to pay for a controller doesn't necessarily fall into Rane's price structure.
Sure, nothing is guaranteed, but if Rane would apply the same standards and approach it should be fine. I doubt they are set up and tooled to make motors, perhaps they could buy them tho. It looks like an obvious move to me, every single mixer costumer would immediately consider the deck when switching to digital. In fact, Ranes line of mixers depends on 'someone' developing the solution or the 1200 never dying. It seams like any mixer company would want that position.
As far as Technics, I doubt they set out to make this type of standard, it was sort of an accident. Thats why there are the problems that the deck has, it just so happens that the problems where over shadowed and not necessary for the standardization to happen. And thats because its such a simple design. Turn wheel/ send signal - less complicated then a mixer or CD drive (I would guess). The only thing I trust Technics for is the 1200, and even then I really only trust the MK2s and suspect some inferiority was introduced into latter models. And as far as Panasonic, probably one of the worst purchases I made (except for Gemini) was a Panasonic product....
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Making a new controller is such a risky move right now. If ITCH can establish itself as a much needed rework of MIDI, then it's less risky for all manufacturers to jump on the ITCH train as it will emerge as a solid standard protocol and great revenue stream for Serato. I would have hoped that someone would have come up with an updated alternative for MIDI by now, but the new implementations seem to be the adrenalin injection that MIDI needs, extending its life just a little longer.
I just dont see attempting to make The New Standard deck as a risk. Unless its just impossible because of the economics of manufacturing the same shit thirty years after the standard. or whatever. Or you make the one that fails as the standard.
Even if the consumer who dont care about any standard vastly outnumbers the DJs who have grown up with this standard, there is still a huge market. And plenty of the consumer level guys will simply fallow suit anyway.
The want for portability looks like the only risk. 'Standard' is the ultimate portable solution. CDJs are a lot more portable the 1200, but you still see CDJs on everyones rider. Let one of these ITCH type devices make standard, its still going to wind up on everyones rider anyway.
As far as reworking 'midi' it looks like Rane/Serato are perfectly situated to do it. I would have thought that this relationship would be the perfect situation for establishing new protocols.
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We're in a whole new age of DJing. Forget Technics and vinyl and think about new ways to play music. It doesn't have to be full sized motorised platters anymore. Do you think that a kid who has never used vinyl is going to be unable to mix on a controller with tiny jog wheels? Of course not - it's simply the people who have grown up using vinyl want something familiar and well within their comfort zone. While I'm way happier mixing with decks and vinyl, I can still knock out a solid mix on a Numark Total control or simply with Traktor on a Powerbook. It's just a matter of learning new skills and becoming a better DJ. Don't blame the tools, just become a DJ with a wider skill set.
New kids can come up and do fine with new platforms this is true, CDJ. But that doesnt mean that new platforms are better just because they are new. CDJ solved some problems that the turntable didnt solve, the rotating plater was left off and DJ adapted or started without the moving plater. But that doesnt mean that the moving plater should be done away with. Should we do away with visual cues because some people dont need them? Or should we do a way with a cue system because some people can use visual cues only, no headphones?
breaking it down, there are three devices to interface with the music that represent 'the movement of time'
Audio- obviously you hear the music, the cue system. I doubt any system will ever get rid of it, but there are people who do without headphones.
Visual- DVS and CDJ use graphic displays which are fine, but it will be quite a while before gui match the precision of clock stickers on vinyl.
Physical- Nether CDJ or jog wheels address 'the movement of time' physically. Sure you can learn to do without. But why should we? If its a matter of price, fine.
The only system that will address all three of these is the rotating plater. Having all three devices can only mean more control over the music. You can certainly do without if you choose but for what reason?
I want all three controls, and not only because I am used to it, its because I know having all three controls give me more options and is more
precise
actually touching the music as it moves- I wont do without to save a couple dollars or carry it around
