Episode 147: Summer Hardware & Industry

The Passionate DJ Podcast

Today, David talks about happenings in the DJ industry, and the latest hardware to come out during the summer so far. We kept this one brief, as we didn't want to drag out the news stories out too much. But there's a lot going on, and you should know about it!

Here are some of the news stories we talk about in Episode 147:

Hardware & Software Updates Xone:96 Announced

Allen & Heath has announced its first flagship mixer in over a decade. A modern evolution of the iconic Xone:92, the silver-faced kit features the analog architecture that made its predecessor popular. However, it adds some great modern features, such as a dual sound-card and onboard Traktor Scratch support.

It's also a great mixer for multiple-DJ sets (due to its dual-cueing setup), or any setups that require complex routing.

Pioneer DDJ-SX3 Launched

This third iteration of the original DDJ-SX follows the trend of dual-USB, while also adding another mic input, Color FX made popular on other Pioneer gear, and improved jog wheel latency.

It's interesting to see that Pioneer is still creating hardware dedicated for use with Serato, where they've spent much more time lately developing Rekordbox-centric controllers.

The SX3 is advertised at about $1000 and is available now.

Release of Virtual DJ 2018

With a heavy emphasis on video and visuals, the new Virtual DJ is sure to be a hit amongst its huge fanbase. The software includes built-in support for streaming to all the important platforms, including the ability to overlay waveforms, track info, logos, etc.

Check out all the new features of Virtual DJ here.

Denon to add Traktor Collection support

According to some teaser pics on social media, and statements made both by Denon DJ and Native Instruments, it seems likely that we'll soon be able to import Traktor libraries into Engine Prime (much like you can currently do with Serato).

Theoretically, you should be able to take your playlists, beat grids, cue points, etc. and play them on Denon Prime players from a USB key (instead of using a laptop).

This may be the closest thing we've seen to a "standalone" Traktor experience.

FL Studio Finally Launches for Mac

Image-Line's latest version of its DAW, FL Studio 20, comes with native Mac support for the first time in two decades.

Apparently, the reason in the long delay for porting the software to Mac had to do with the programming language used to write it (Delphi)... which is much better suited to writing software for Windows.

FL Studio 20 comes with loads of other updates, including support for time signatures, freezing for clips (to save CPU - finally!!), and the ability to have multiple arrangements so users can work with different versions of the same project.

Has the Electronic Music Industry "Peaked"?

According to the recent IMS (International Music Summit) Report, the overall value of the electronic music industry has fallen 2% to $7.3 billion. However, there may be an explanation: the fact that many "EDM" songs are actually being classified as Pop.

The full 29-page IMS Report is available in PDF format, here.

Girl (A documentary on Female DJs) Released

From the website, GirlTheMovie.com:

What started as a lark became an obsession after meeting the notorious DJ Sandra Collins.

Kandeyce Jorden's exploration of a blossoming subculture of the electronic music scene slams her face to face with a connection that can only be found by getting completely lost.

Detroit House Pioneer Dwayne Jensen Passes Away

R.I.P. to influential house producer Dwayne Jensen, who passed away on May 28. As a tribute, we send the episode out with this track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGKBYm12MGQ

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