DJ Mag Top 100 DJ’s

Our friends at DJmag are once again compiling the Top 100 DJ’s list.  So, who’s been rocking you iPod over the last 12 months? Who’s kept you raving ‘til 9am? Who’s dazzled you with their technical skills??

Your favourite DJs NEED your support! Head over to www.top100djs.net to cast your votes and you could see your musical hero crowned World’s Number One for 2010!  Every voter receives a free track download from Trackitdown.net, check your voter confirmation email for full details.  PLUS don’t forget to head down to DJmag Top 100 DJs party on October 27th where you can find out who’s stolen the show this year and hear the winner smash the dance floor apart.  This fun hype filled event was covered by 2 SEDA members last year, so put it in you diary and we’ll see you there.

Traktor Kontrol X1

Traktor, who are probably best known for their DJ software of the same name, have recently announced their first fully fledge software controller for the DJ market.

Designed for use with any DJ software, although it comes with Traktor LE. Whether you are a DVS timecode or software DJ, you can connect the TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 to a computer and gain instant control of your decks and effect parameters. Robust rotary knobs with a heavy-duty feel and backlit buttons provide precise visual and tactile status feedback- letting you delve deep inside TRAKTOR without having to touch your computer.

The TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 features a total of 30 buttons, 4 push encoders and 8 knobs. Optimised for use with the Traktor software they are arranged in the following sections:

1. EFFECTS SECTION
8 high resolution potentiometers and 8 buttons make up the effect section of TRAKTOR KONTROL X1. This section allows control of all the parameters of 2 TRAKTOR effect units simultaneously. In Chained mode, this means simultaneous control over 3 effects per deck. The effects section buttons are programmed to give direct access to 3 of your favorite effect presets.

2. BROWSE SECTION
One push encoder per deck is dedicated to browsing through play lists and loading tracks. Simply turn the push encoder to find the track you want, and push it to load it into the corresponding deck. Once the track is loaded the same encoders seek through the track, using tempo sync’d beat jumps to remain in time.

3. LOOP SECTION
This section allows for intuitive control of TRAKTOR’s loop function, giving clear visual feedback about the loop status via LEDs. The section offers first level access to auto loops and manual loops as well as loop editing functions such as loop size and loop position, both coarse and fine.

4. TRANSPORT SECTION
This section provides direct access to basic playback controls as well as shifted access to 8 secondary functions for each deck. All buttons for industry standard workflows (Play, Sync, Cue + Cup) are located here. Switch to hotcue mode and you get another 16 buttons for controlling the 8 hot cues or hot loops per track. Plus, the CUP button flashes in time with the deck’s BPM as an added visual mix aid.

You can find more information on their website here