It is about to leaving behind another era in the techno music universe and thus encounter many innovations to set sail for new adventures. Here are a few of them among the equipment that will make DJs pleased. Let’s see those new monstrous machines.
ROLAND
First up is the Roland TR-909, an online drum machine. This program, which can be run entirely through the browser, can be used free of charge. All of the drums are synthesized using the WebAudio API. The hi-hats, crash, and ride cymbals are produced from sampled audio. Also, the program is a reference to: “a famous Japanese drum machine from the 1980s.” You can access the emulator here and also read detailed information below.
The program that you can use on Cieplak‘s Extralife Instruments webpage has many features. The 16 buttons at the bottom show the sequence for each instrument. Click once to activate a step, and click again to add an accent (indicated by a brighter light). The emphasis of the accented notes is controlled by the ‘Accent’ knob, 64-step sequences can also be made using the BARS buttons in the centre. You can store Sequences and Sound Presets using the menus above. These are stored in your browser’s memory and will be recalled the next time you visit (on this computer). Though the machine’s drum sounds are synthesised using WebAudio API, everything else is sample-based. Cieplak also notes that WebMIDI tends to add a latency of ‘70-100 milliseconds’ to receive played music.
PIONEER DJ
Pioneer DJ has released new series of mixers for the scratch DJs, the DJM-S5, S7 and S11. All sets are designed to be useful and appealing to all types of DJs.
For the DJM-S5; this new scratch-style 2-channel DJ mixer for Serato DJ Pro is ideal if you’ve experimented with battle mixing and scratching and want to expand your skills, or if you’re completely new to the scene and want to dive straight in.
Pioneer DJ‘s DJM-S11 is another fairly new addition to the S Series landing in late 2020 as the top of the range. Marked at £1,809/$1,999, this mixer is a little pricier than its S Series counterparts but packs a punch when in action. Made for the more practised scratch DJ, the S-11 comes with a range of never-before-seen features including a 4.3-inch customisable touch screen with a high frame rate, perfect for the frantic scratchers and open format DJs. The touch screen also allows for waveform and playback position viewing.
Finally here it comes the DJM-S7. It is built on precision and masterful turntablism. Landing just a year after the S11, this scratch-focused mixer, much like the S5 and S11, flaunts the Magvel Fader Pro, built-in USB hub, and Scratch Bank. This time, the DJM-S7 is scaled back to simplicity if you’re looking for something with fewer bells and whistles.
KORG
Korg‘s most expected drum machine, Drumlogue, which also functions as a sytnhesizer, is finally introduced. This device, which has a completely new analog circuit, turns into a hybrid that performs digital transitions to touches such as bass and snare.
“In addition to Variable Phase Modulation (VPM) and Noise generator engines, the Multi Engine in Drumlogue features a new user slot able to play fully-fledged synth voices – providing vast sonic possibilities never before heard on a drum machine,”
explained in the description of the product.
The machine will be on the shelf at the fee of £529 around the new year. You can listen to the first touches and demo sounds of the device below.
