iTunes

Mixr for the iPad DJ

by Anthony Zeoli on May 11, 2010 · 2 comments

in Apps, Slider

The tool of the DJ trade are constantly in flux. From turntables (Technics 1200 MKII’s) and CD players (Pioneer CDJ’s) to digital hardware (Pacemaker DJ), DJ hardware and software, devices are getting smaller, while packing in more features than anyone ever thought possible. Today’s digital DJ has at their fingertips the ability to mix beats, set cue points, create loops and apply a myriad of effects that 20-years ago would take up half the rack space in a recording studio. Walk into any club or lounge today and the laptop with DJ software from companies like Rane (Serato), Native Instruments (Traktor Scratch Pro), Atomix (Virutal DJ), and M-Audio (Torq) reigns supreme.

Just when we thought the laptop, which disrupted CD decks that disengaged the turntable market, would be here to stay, along comes the Apple iPad. Weighing in at under a pound, it’s much lighter and more compact than a laptop. The iPad’s multi-touch capability brings vinyl emulation directly to the screen.

Until the recent appearance of touch-screen technology, digital DJs emulated the old school way of spinning records by employing the turntable to control the playback of an MP3.  Using special digitally encoded vinyl plates and a MIDI hardware interface connected to a laptop running DJ software, information about the location of the turntable’s needle is sent to the software, which then plays back the MP3 based on the needle location.  Since most laptops do not have touch screen technology, the screens face you, and are not flat, it was improbable to create an effective vinyl emulator without resorting to hardware controllers.

That is all about to change with the advent of Mixr, a new vinyl DJ emulator from Noe Ruiz & Ben Stahlhood II at iPadMixr.com. The ipadmixr.com web site states that they hope the Mixr app will become the first iPad DJ application in the iPad app store.

You can see from the screen shots below, Mixr features two turntables, cue, play, pitch, and volume controls. There is a cross-fader and switches to reverse the direction of the fader and controls for effects processing. We’re anxiously awaiting release of this application to see it for ourselves. There are a few DJs who are using two iPads to control currently available loop and beat creation software, but this is the first vinyl emulator we’ve seen so far.

iPad Mixr Turntables

 

Mixr for iPad

iPad Mixr playlist

iPad Mixr efx

 

iPad Mixr cover art

iPad Mixr Cover Art

 


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Music Video: Ariel Aparicio – Pretty In Pink (remixed by Pocketknife)

by Anthony Zeoli on December 10, 2009 · 0 comments

in Music, Video

YouTube Preview Image

I received an email reminder today about this video from Brooklyn indie-rock artist, Ariel Aparicio; it’s a cover of the Psychedlic Furs punk classic Pretty In Pink. The original rock number featured on his latest album, All These Brillian Things, is a beautiful ode to a friend stricken with cancer. Pocketknife turned that sweet, melodic version into a synthetic house number with a noticeably darker, tougher,  yet resonant flavor. Ariel’s guitarist from his back up band provided a few licks over Pocketknife’s sublime, moody electronic instrumentation.

Funny, I was thinking, Ariel, hmmmm? Do I know this guy? I dug a little deeper and found out that yes, I do know Ariel! He and his partner co-own two of the hottest Thai restaurants in Brooklyn, JOYA and SONG.

When I lived around the corner from the JOYA in Carrol Gardens, I was a regular. The food…fantastic! The atmosphere is modern and industrial with exposed brick that is softened with local artwork and floral arrangements. Both restaurants feature DJs on the weekends. In fact, I loved the place so much, I even had my wedding reception there. The marriage didn’t last, but the memories of all my great friends from Brooklyn and others who came in from around the country to celebrate, as well as the inspirational sounds of DJ Ray Velasquez, will live with me forever.

That being said, Ariel is one of the sweetest, most genuine human beings I’ve ever hard the pleasure to meet. Although his first album didn’t catch my fancy so many years ago, it’s great to see that he’s kept at it and is hitting his stride. Like that spicy thai cooking emanating from the kitchens at JOYA and SONG, this one is just is as spicy.

The video is currently being spun on MTV’s LOGO channel. It held the number one spot on the channel’s The Click List program, and has since been nominated to The Click List Top 10 of 2009.

Download the House Mix of Pretty In Pink from Ariel Aparicio - Pretty In Pink (House Mix) - Pretty In Pink (house Mix)


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Netmix Hot 100 Classic Rave Tracks

by Anthony Zeoli on July 23, 2008

in Music

From big, block rocking beats to a marathon of lush strings, synth stabs, speedy beats and beautiful vocals, the Netmix Hot 100 Class Rave Tracks iMix brings back the energy of the 90′s through the 2000 and beyond. Break Beat, House, Techno, Drum N Bass and Trance are all represented here. You can either page through the widget featured here, or click this link to go to the iTunes store to purchase the list. icon

We’ve also added links to iTunes for each individual track below:

  1. Love U More (Original Mix) – Sunscreem
  2. Lift – 808 State
  3. Chime (New Version) – Orbital
  4. Papua New Guinea (12″ Original) – The Future Sound of London
  5. Brutal-8-E – Altern 8
  6. Go – Moby
  7. Energy Flash – Joey Beltram
  8. LFO (Leeds Warehouse Mix) – LFO
  9. Charly (Alley Cat Mix) – Prodigy
  10. Feeling So Real (Main Mix) – Moby
  11. Everybody In the Place (Original) – Prodigy
  12. Next Is the e (I Feel It) – Moby
  13. James Brown Is Dead - Housebeat
  14. Dominator (Original Mix) – Human Resource
  15. Anasthasia (Out of History Mix) – T99
  16. Get Ready for This - 2 Unlimited
  17. I Like to Move It (Erick More Club Mix) – Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman
  18. Can You Feel It - Todd Terry
  19. Witch Doktor - Armand Van Helden
  20. Take Me Away (Little Louie Vega and Aldo AIM Marin) – 2 In A Room
  21. Feeling for You – Cassius
  22. Born Slippy (Nuxx) – Underworld
  23. Radio Babylon – Meat Beat Manifesto
  24. More Beats and Pieces (Daddy Rips It Up) – Coldcut
  25. Where’s Your Head At – Basement Jaxx
  26. I See You Baby – Groove Armada
  27. Block Rockin’ Beats – The Chemical Brothers
  28. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Dub – Apollo 440
  29. On a Ragga Tip ’97 (Original Mix) – SL2
  30. Thunder (DJ Die and Clipse Remix) – Photek
  31. Pacific (808:98) – 808 State
  32. Caterpillar (Original) – Keoki
  33. Krupa – Apollo 440
  34. Days Go By – Dirty Vegas
  35. 3 A.M. Eternal – The KLF
  36. Give It Up – The Good Men
  37. The Climax (PCP version) – Paperclip People
  38. Lifetimes (Silicon soul mix) - Slam
  39. Around the World / Harder Better Faster Stronger – Daft Punk
  40. Big Time Sensuality (The Fluke Minimix) РBj̦rk
  41. Rock 2 House (Plastikman’s Acid House Remix) – X-Press 2
  42. Submarine – Felix da Housecat
  43. Jealousy (Original) – Keoki
  44. On and On (Featuring Stamina MC) – Roni Size
  45. Ready, Steady, Go – Oakenfold
  46. Castles In the Sky (Extended Mix) – Ian Van Dahl featuring Marsha
  47. Adagio for Strings – Tiësto
  48. Where Are You Now? (Extended) – Ian Van Dahl
  49. Sandstorm – Darude
  50. Are You Ready (The Phone Call Mix) – ADRENALINE
  51. He Never Lost His Hardcore (N.R.G. Original Mix) – N.R.G.
  52. Ease the Beat Back Up (Club Mix) – DJ Icey
  53. Hardfloor Will Survive (Club Mix) – Hardfloor featuring Phuture 303
  54. The One – DJ Icey
  55. Move Your Body (Elevation) – Basement Beatmix
  56. I’m Not In Love – Olive
  57. Set You Free (TTF Remix) – N-Trance
  58. Everyday It’s 1989 – Moby
  59. Outlaw – Olive, Ruth-Ann & Tony Foster
  60. Falling Up – Theo Parrish
  61. Darkness – Carl Craig
  62. The Lost Souls – Hardfloor
  63. Body Movin’ – DJ Baby Anne
  64. Helikopter – Plastikman
  65. Beauty Never Fades (12 Inch Cut) – Junkie XL & Tom Holkenborg
  66. Dim the Sky – DJ Icey
  67. Harder Better Faster Stronger (Radio Edit) [Live] – Daft Punk
  68. Vicious Games (Art of Trance Remix) – Hardfloor & Yello
  69. Positive Education (Carl Cox In Tec Mix) – Slam
  70. Silver Screen Shower Scene – Felix da Housecat
  71. 3.1.98 (Bedrock Remix) – Humate
  72. Better Off Alone – Alice Deejay
  73. Ecstasy (Clubb Mix) – ATB
  74. Toca’s Miracle (Inpetto Remix) – Fragma
  75. Take Me Away (Into the Night) [Original Vocal Mix] – 4 Strings
  76. Northern Lights – Way Out West
  77. Cafe Del Mar (Nalin & Kane Remix) – Energy 52
  78. God Is a DJ – Faithless
  79. Beachball (Extended Version) – Nalin & Kane
  80. Apollo – Way Out West
  81. Rhythm Is a Dancer – Snap!
  82. Set You Free (Original 12″) – N-Trance
  83. Strings of Life – Derrick May
  84. Killa – Way Out West
  85. Toca Me (Inpetto 2008 Mix) – Fragma
  86. Children (Full Length) – Robert Miles
  87. Saltwater (Original Mix) – Chicane
  88. Greece 2000 – Three Drives
  89. Right In the Night (Fall In Love With Music) – Jam & Spoon
  90. Love Comes Again (Original 12″ Version) – Tiësto
  91. For an Angel – Paul van Dyk
  92. 9 PM (Till I Come) [Club Mix] – ATB
  93. Flash In the Night (1998 Club Mix) – Calderone Inc.
  94. Masters of the Universe (Eternal Basement Remix Version) – Juno Reactor
  95. Harleqin the Beauty and the Beast – Sven Väth
  96. Welcome to the Factory (Featuring Sally Cortes) [Angel's Journey Mix] – Angel Moraes featuring Sally Cortes
  97. Are You There? (Size 9 Remix) – Josh Wink
  98. Good to Be Alive (DJ Rap & Tyler Revata Remix) – DJ Rap
  99. Angel – Goldie
  100. Rainbows of Colour – Grooverider

 


Recording Labels to Offer New Online Music Options

by Anthony Zeoli on January 6, 2008 · 2 comments

in Business

I recently “dug” an Associated Press story from Wired.com, which spotlights a few digital models the major record labels are pursuing in 2008. Although MP3′s have been around for quite some time now, in the coming months, you’ll see all four major labels groups participating in the direct sale of MP3 in varying degrees. Recently, talk of Sony/BMG dropping DRM restrictions in the first quarter, has led the discussion around digital downloads and what effect DRM-free music sales will have on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, eMusic and other services.

Read the AP story @ Wired.com or on Digg.com.


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