New DJ Technologies

by TR Editor

Many new technologies have emerged in the disk jockey world recently. Among these technologies is Vestax's final scratch.

The Final Scratch set up, is a USB device that will read the pitch/tempo of a record from your decks and link it to an mp3 that you have loaded on your computer. This invention has opened up many possibilities for DJ's that live double lives as producers. Enabling them to drop their latest tracks in a vinyl club setting, without the expense of dub plates.

This also opens the opportunity of getting crowd feedback/response of a track and having the ability to edit the track before going into any final production of a lot of albums.

Serato Scratch SE is a similar tool to the final scratch unit but uses the computer instead of a USB device to track the speed of a record, and it uses Protools as an interface for loading your cued tracks.

Laptops and miniaturized technology has allowed producers to bring their studios with them to gig on the road, and have integrated these setups with decks for original/remixing performances. Over the recent years I have seen music evolve gradually to limitless possibilities.

Some other futuristic technologies that are starting to emerge are turntables that have laser cartridges enabling the record to be read without touching or wearing out the record.

Vinyl has survived over the years and always will, it has integrated its hypnotic spin into the clubs, and will forever be a symbol of club culture. You will see variations to these musical instruments though with the new digital technologies hitting the market.