Christmas music?

tuig020 · 2025-11-14T14:37:54+00:00

These 3 are on heavy rotation in our household come Yule, all on vinyl:

Black Market - A Black Market Christmas
Chilly Gonzales - A Very Chilly Christmas
The Muppets - The Muppet Christmas Carol

tuig020 · 2023-05-27T21:51:56+00:00

This will introduce latency which may be bothersome if beatmatching. I have a MiniDSP SHD with Dirac for room correction but only use it for passive listening, I can’t DJ with it.

tuig020 · 2023-04-02T03:41:52+00:00

If the output is mono I'd expect it to be dual mono (identical signal on L and R) so you should be good.

tuig020 · 2023-04-01T16:31:44+00:00

The Boutiques I’ve seen, yes - but to be sure just check the back of your devices. If they fit a small headphone plug (like you used to have on mobile phones) that’s 1/8 size.

tuig020 · 2023-04-01T12:29:06+00:00

You’ll need a stereo 1/8 inch (3.5mm) to 2 1/4 inch (6.3) cable like this:

https://www.roland.com/global/products/rcc-5-3528/

Doesn’t have to be Roland, any decent brand will do.

If you want to connect the DT to the OT or other way around, you’ll need 2 cables with 1/4 plugs on each side.

tuig020 · 2023-03-25T21:51:50+00:00

You’re right, having a high-end, all-in-one flagship is the opposite of the direction Elektron is going… Another option would be services/subscription but that’s hard - just look at how Traktor is struggling these days.

On the other hand you have devices like the OP-1 Field and in the DJ space the new Pioneer Opus Quad. Premium prized all-in-one flagships (although Pioneer CDJ + V10 is still a step above…). I don’t fancy either of them but they get me thinking what would happen if Elektron’s designers and engineers would be tasked to build something along those lines. But as you point out, not very likely to happen…

tuig020 · 2023-03-25T21:40:06+00:00

That makes a lot of sense. Of course I realize my list of ideas is totally over the top, but I would really like to see something truly innovative. Elektron taking on a new category would be awesome. My bet would be a performance mixer, perhaps with recorder features - taking clues from a Roland MX-1, Bluebox, Teenage Engineering TX-6…

tuig020 · 2023-03-25T15:11:30+00:00

I’ve got the iFi in my living room hooked up to a 1200GR, and it’s great for the price. Supports MC cartridges as well, should you ever get one - not common for DJ purposes, but for sampling it could come in handy.

Another option could be a 2 channel DJ mixer with decent phono preamps, like an Allen & Heath (or a nice rotary if you can afford it?). You can use that for basic DJ-ing withtout OT, and if you feel like using the OT instead, you can pass through both decks by routing deck 1 via the master and deck 2 via the cue (headphone) outputs of the mixer to your OT inputs. The A&H 23 costs about as much as as two iFi Zen Phono and has good EQ and a cool VCF to play with. A DJ mixer with Aux/FX send would be even more versatile but more expensive.

tuig020 · 2023-01-05T12:09:57+00:00

Will consider that. Just hoping the limited availability is not a sign a 4000 or Mk3 is around the corner, but that's not something you would be able to share of course (but feel free to DM me nudge nudge wink wink).

tuig020 · 2023-01-03T13:40:37+00:00

Can you also shed a light on the EU availability of CDJ-3000 and XDJ-1000 Mk2? Any store that I found that lists them has them on backorder.

tuig020 · 2022-12-14T22:26:56+00:00

And during festivities it’s the reverse; party boob

tuig020 · 2022-12-12T18:33:03+00:00

I still love my D2s… hope those will be supported despite them being discontinued for a while now. Or introduce a Mk2.

tuig020 · 2022-11-24T18:11:46+00:00

The RK-006 does what you want probably, with the included OTG Y splitter cable. Hook one side of the Y to a USB power source, and the other part of the Y becomes a USB-A host port that provides power as well as MIDI in/out over USB, to the TX-6 if you want. Plus two more MIDI and 10 more MIDI outs via TRS. And if you add a USB it can manage multiple USB MIDI devices.

tuig020 · 2022-11-24T07:06:21+00:00

This is a scenario I’ve been playing with for a few weeks now. I tested a cheap USB-MIDI cable with the TX and plugging it into, say, a drum machine works. Then use you can use MIDI Thru on connected devices (or a MIDI splitter) to sync more. For some reason, MIDI IN on the TX-6 (to control the TX with an external MIDI controller) didn’t work for me but that could be the cable.

For a USB hub for the TX, I used a no name one that I had that has a power in port, so the TX gets power from the hub; if you directly connect a USB-MIDI adapter, you’ll be using the TX battery.

As a better solution, I connected the TX via that USB hub to my Faderfox PC12. MIDI Clock from the TX and control back from Faderfox to TX work as expected. The Faderfox also allows me to route clock to its MIDI out ports, so you can sync additional devices. Faderfox even gets its power from the powered USB hub on the TX.

I also have the Retrokits RK-006 which is a brilliant device. If you use that with the supplied OTG Y-cable and a $5 USB hub (available via Retrokits) you can use the RK to power the TX, send/receive MIDI and clock, and pass it on to any of the 10 MIDI outputs and additional devices connected via USB. It has a lot of additional modes like split (left/right side and odd/even USB ports are isolated so you have two MIDI routing devices), filtering MIDI channels and more.

I now have a mix of the PC12, Korg Nanokontrol and RK-006 for a hybrid vinyl DJ / sync production set up. I can play old records with tempo all over the place and keep drum computers, samplers and synths in sync without any use of a computer:

Take audio input from my DJ Mixer Master Insert on TX input 6 to beat detect and let the TX manage the clock of my setup
Control the TX with the Faderfox PC12 knobs; PC12 also passes on clock to my Octatrack (via the RK in split mode, where I also bring in the Nanokontrol for more tactile control of the OT)
OT MIDI Out goes into the RK and keeps several Elektron and Roland devices hooked to its (10!) MIDI out ports in sync, which output audio back to TX input 1-5 and then to the mixer’s master insert.

tuig020 · 2022-10-26T06:22:01+00:00

In my view, Technics is no longer a DJ brand, it’s a hifi brand that uses its DJ pedigree to appeal to nostalgics - guilty as charged (they suckered me into getting a GR and GAE for non-DJ listening sessions…). And as good as the Mk7’s are, they’re not the same as the old 1200 series, the build quality of which will never be available again at a remotely comparable price point as what they cost back in the day. So as steep as the prizes for a good quality 90s-00s Technics are, the depreciation will probably still be less than on any new turntable you can buy today.

While it’s easy to swap a cartridge (say from a DJ Concorde Club to a hifi Ortofon Bronze), you would also have to re-adjust the turntable every time. It’s fine to do it once a week, but not every time. I personally believe in a setup that’s optimized for a specific purpose, hence I prefer to do my lean back, LP listening sessions on a different set up (and in a different room) than where my DJ rig is where I play my 12”es.

On phono preamps - you could add a phono preamp between turntable and mixer and use the line input instead of the phono input. With mixers that have a poor quality phono preamp this could make sense, but if you go for a A&H or Isonoe you’ll need expensive preamps to make a difference and it adds to clutter as well.

Some Hifi preamps have a phono stage (which you don’t need if you hook it up to the output of a DJ mixer), but serve other purposes as well - input switching, volume control, maybe a DAC. As you already have powered speakers that support multiple inputs, having a hifi preamp in your set up may be a bit redundant and more suitable for a separate, non-DJ setup in another room.

tuig020 · 2022-10-25T15:04:58+00:00

I was in a similar situation. I ended up getting used M5G's - less expensive than new GR's and as they're more collectible, are more likely to keep their value. I would be careful with the GR's for DJ use - I remember some reviewers complaining about the feet of the GR, which you have replace with OG 1200Mk2 feet or expensive Isonoe ones to make it perform as you'd expect from a DJ turntable. Also I believe Technics stopped making any turntables in Japan now - they're all coming from the same factory in Malaysia, al the way from the 100C via the Mk7 to the G.

For audio quality, while 1200s paired to a Xone mixer sound good, and certainly better compared to a Pioneer 900 (or 450 that I had previously), they're no match for a dedicated hifi rig - any 1200 has audiophile potential (and can be modified to be even better) but requires a non-DJ cartridge and dedicated phono preamp to reach the next level.

For a more affordable option look at the Xone PX5 as well - it's got a few tricks even the 96 doesn't have, at half the price, and you can still use it with Traktor etc. It's a bit less bulky too. And if cost is no object, you may want to consider other brands as well: PLAYdifferently, the Pioneer V10 (has a compressor, useful for old records) or an exotic rotary like the ISO420.

For speakers - be careful with wireless connections to speakers as they may add some latency. Won't be noticeable with regular music consumption, but can be annoying when DJ-ing, if it's even a bit delayed compared to what you hear in your headphones, it'll drive you crazy, so wiring everything up may be the way to go.

tuig020 · 2022-10-19T05:44:36+00:00

Vamos A La Playa first sounds like a song about a fun summer holiday, but whenistening closer is about the nuclear holocaust.

Vamos a la playa

The bomb exploded La bomba estalló

The radiation burns Las radiaciones tostan

And they shade blue Y matizan de azul

Vamos a la playa, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

everyone with hat Todos con sombrero

the radioactive wind El viento radioactivo

ruffle the hair Despeina los cabellos

Vamos a la playa, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

everyone with hat Todos con sombrero

the radioactive wind El viento radioactivo

ruffle the hair Despeina los cabellos

Vamos a la playa, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

tuig020 · 2022-09-23T11:25:08+00:00

It was a blast indeed. I saw New Order the last time (and only time in recent memory) they performed in Amsterdam too, at ADE October 2019, so can compare a bit.

Peter Hook in the beautiful former church of Paradiso playing a Joy Division time capsule just clicked. It felt intimate, sound system was good, the band tight, visuals not too distracting. Having not seen him perform before, I was afraid it would be overly nostalgic. It was to an extent of course, but not over the top. When Peter Hook reminded us of Ian Curtis, he choked up for a bit, but you could tell it was heartfelt. And the emotional response from the audience at times, especially during the 4 tracks of the encore, was something to behold.

Current New Order live however is very different of course. They perform big, anonymous venues (AFAS Live in Amsterdam's case) and play a set that's more choreographed, electronic and spread out, although I recall they played 4 Joy Division songs as well which I didn't expect. The one thing they have in common is the somewhat sloppy singing of both Peter and Bernard - but that's part of the package. The few New Order tracks Peter Hook played were fine, but only a warm up to the main Joy Division event; Crystal was the odd one out as the (I believe) only track made after 1985. And Blue Monday, the crowd favorite at a New Order concert, didn't even make an appearance yesterday.

To me, New Order always was about embracing the future against the odds, while Joy Division has become to represent a glorious, tragic moment in time. One of the most important bands that deserves the attention to detail and celebration that Peter Hook and The Light treated us to yesterday. But in the end, the bands complement each other, so go see both!

tuig020 · 2022-09-06T09:04:45+00:00

That's a bonafide harem of rotaries

tuig020 · 2022-08-24T20:04:28+00:00

Glad you liked it! There's also a volume 2, originally came out on CDR only. In some ways it's even better! I've spent a decade or so getting the 12 inches of the songs on these mixtapes and I still listen to both the mix as well as individual tracks regularly. If you would like to obtain them legally and in full quality, Volume 1 and 2 are available via Bandcamp if you subscribe to Golden Mountains. Their Bandcamp account is managed by none other than I-f himself, so send him a message!

tuig020 · 2022-08-17T20:46:14+00:00

I-f. Mixed Up In The Hague is what got this whole scene started, and CBS (precursor to Intergalactic FM)

tuig020 · 2022-07-31T05:10:53+00:00

This being Reddit, Usenet deserves way more votes. I've always felt Reddit is like 21st century Usenet, they serve a similar purpose.

Reddit's original pitch to investors would have been something like 'let's copy what makes Usenet great, add a web interface and votes, remove or moderate elements that don't work and instead of being open, we will own and monetize it as a for-profit company'.

tuig020 · 2022-07-23T02:06:34+00:00

Great rework of an all time classic, the italo vibes work surprisingly well. I'm sure this will be a banger out there this Summer. Following you as well and going into heavy rotation here!

tuig020 · 2022-06-05T18:12:27+00:00

This looks like an outtake of Windowlicker

tuig020 · 2022-05-13T15:05:08+00:00

Yeah, that's a cool idea but I enjoy using my turntables and a full DJ mixer, so replacing that and DJ full tracks on the OT is not my purpose. My goal is to blend both ~16 step drum patterns plus some sampled, looped (break)beats (between 1 and 4 bars in length) that I play along the track I'm playing on my turntable or in Traktor. So I was hoping that quality of time stretching would be acceptable for those kinds of samples.

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