DJ Times Magazine - GEAR REVIEWS

Gear Reviews
Published in the May 2003 issue of DJ Times Magazine

	Shure Incorporated 222 Hartrey Avenue Evanston, IL 60202 (847) 866-2200 www.shure.com The new Whitelabel cartridge from Shure features sonic characteristics such as solid drop bass, flat mids and accented highs, all tailored for the club environment. It also includes an adjustable stylus overhang, reliable electrical contact and improved stylus visibility. The forward mass design focuses on a center of gravity, which is displaced closer to the cantilever for optimal performance; forward mass routinely produces higher trackability, lower tone arm resonance, better skip resistance and requires lower tracking forces. The adjustable overhang retains the forward and backward adjustment of a standard mount headshell, providing flexible adjustment between S arm and straight-arm turntables. The cartridges are named for the “white label” reference often used by jocks to describe pre-release, promotional, or limited edition music.
	Behringer USA 190 West Dayton Avenue, Suite 201 Edmonds, WA 98020 (425) 672-0816 www.behringer.com Behringer has introduced three new headphone models—the HPM1000, the HPX2000 and the HPS3000; the HPX2000 being specifically for DJ mixing applications. All three models share a wide frequency response, high definition bass, transparent highs and a wide dynamic range. High-efficiency capsules provide dynamic sound reproduction and clarity. Optimally shaped ear cups and rugged headband construction provide for fit and comfort, while single-sided cords with oxygen-free copper wires offer quality sound and ease of use in every situation.
	Mackie Designs Inc. 16220 Wood-Red Road NE Woodinville, WA 98072 (425) 487-4333 www.mackie.com Mackie Designs Inc. announced the implementation of HUI Mode for the Mackie Control, allowing it to interface with the popular Pro Tools platform. Pro Tools joins a growing family of popular DAW (digital audio workstations) platforms that are currently compatible with the Mackie Control including: Cakewalk SONAR, Magix Samplitude, MOTU Digital Performer, Steinberg Cubase SX, Cubase SL and Nuendo, as well as the Mackie Broadcast Professional Soundscape 32. Mackie will also provide a Pro Tools specific Lexan overlay. At the same time, a HUI firmware upgrade will be made available for all existing Mackie Control owners.
	QSC Audio Products 1675 MacArthur Blvd. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (800) 854-4079 www.qscaudio.com QSC Audio’s RMX 4050HD is one of two RMX “Heavy Duty” amp models designed to work hard into 2-ohm loads. The amplifier delivers 850 watts per channel at 8 ohms, 1,400 watts per channel at 4 ohms and 2,000 watts per channel at 2 ohms (EIA rated). The RMX 4050HD is capable of driving up to four 8-ohm subwoofers per channel—translating to 4000 watts of power in a 3RU chassis 16-inches deep. With a three-tier, Class H design, the RMX 4050HD accomplishes all this with a standard 15-Amp plug—enabling users to take full advantage of conventional AC outlets. Like all RMX amps, the RMX 4050HD features balanced ¼-inch TRS, XLR and barrier strip inputs, binding posts and Neutrik Speakon outputs, front-mounted gain controls, plus signal and clip LED indicators to monitor performance. The amplifier also provides selectable low-frequency filters (30 Hz or 50 Hz) to protect speakers and increase headroom along with high current toroidal transformers for greater 2-ohm power and low noise. Unique to the 4050HD is a dual mono, high current power supply designed to increase performance characteristics and reliability.
	Peavey Electronics Meridian, MS 39301 (601) 483-5365 www.peavey.com The Pro-Lite Series enclosures utilize advanced materials, such as a lightweight, road-worthy molded polypropylene exterior. A 2-inch voice coil woofer and 1.4-inch 14XT titanium diaphragm with 1-inch exit allows for tweeter protection for those moments when too loud isn’t loud enough. Pro-Lite Series enclosures also feature a heavy-duty crossover for operation at higher power levels, and a constant directivity horn with even sound distribution. Model lineup is as follows: The PR 115, featuring a two-way sound reinforcement/molded polypropylene enclosure, 400/800 watt power handling and one 15-inch woofer with 2-inch voice coil; the PR 112, featuring a two-way sound reinforcement/molded polypropylene enclosure, 400/800 watt power handling and one 12-inch woofer with 2-inch voice coil; the PR 110, featuring a two-way sound reinforcement/molded polypropylene enclosure; 400/800 watt power handling and one 10-inch woofer with 2-inch voice coil; and the PR Sub, featuring a subwoofer sound reinforcement/molded polypropylene enclosure, 400/800 watt power handling, one 15-inch woofer with 2.5-inch voice coil, molded-in pole mount system and heavy duty metal grille.
	Roland Corporation 5100 S. Eastern Avenue P.O. Box 910921 Los Angeles, CA 90091-0921 (323) 890-3700 www.RolandUS.com Roland has announced a new type of workstation for modern dance music production—the MC-909 Sampling Groovebox. Combining an expandable synthesizer with a professional sampler and sequencer, this studio offers power, flexibility and ease of use. A USB port makes it possible to exchange samples and Standard MIDI Files with a PC, while onboard effects and mastering tools give producers the ability to create “finished” tracks. The MC-909 is a full-featured sampling workstation. Samples can be recorded from the analog or digital inputs, or imported via the USB port (.WAV/AIFF formats only). Once inside, they can be processed via Chop, Timestretch and Normalize functions, resampled, and even used as synth waveforms. The synthesizer section boasts specs on par with Roland’s flagship modules. This professional, stereo 4-Tone synthesis engine also comes with 800 new Patches and 72 Rhythm Sets, based on a new 32MB-equivalent wave ROM. New sounds can be added via an optional SRX-Series Wave Expansion Board. As a music production tool, the MC-909 integrates audio and MIDI. Samples can be sequenced and played back alongside MIDI tracks, and even synchronized automatically. The sequencer’s timing has also been upped to 480 TPQN and pattern length can now be a whopping 998 measures. You can even import/export Standard MIDI Files via USB. The MC-909 also comes with hundreds of all-new patterns in the latest dance styles. For effects, the MC-909 includes a 24-bit reverb processor, a dedicated compressor, and two multi-effects processors with 38 and 47 algorithms respectively. A new Mastering processor with three-band compression makes it easy to create “finalized” tracks. And with the MC-909’s large LCD screen, navigation is easy. Nearly all major parameters can be directly accessed via dedicated knobs, sliders and buttons. Performance controllers include a Turntable Emulation slider for independent manipulation of pitch and tempo (even with audio phrases) and Twin D Beam Controllers.
	Stanton Magnetics 3000 SW 42nd Street Hollywood, FL 33312 (954) 689-8833 www.stantondj.com Stanton’s Final Scratch CD Adaptor Kit system converts any CD deck into a Final Scratch-compatible player, opening up a new approach to hard-disk based mixing and scratching to CD jocks. The Final Scratch CD Adaptor Kit works via a special switch box and two time-coded CDs that are over 60 minutes in length. Once a DJ places the special CDs into his CD players and connects the switch box, you can mix and scratch various types of audio files from a connected Mac or PC, completely eliminating the need to carry CDs to gigs. The FS CD Adaptor Kit also allows for scratching, seamless loops and hot starts. The Final Scratch CD Adaptor Kit gives CD jocks the exact same power as their vinyl Final Scratch brethren, including the retrieval of any and all standard audio files from a computer hard drive, such as MP3, WAV and AIFF. It allows easy searching and assigning of music to either (or both) CD decks, and provides a visual representation of the music with exact markers. Virtual Record Boxes with an improved Search function allow for easy arrangement and sorting of music. Integrated track mixing and track organization further enhance the package.
	Gemini Sound Products 120 Clover Place Edison, NJ 08837 (732) 738-9003 www.geminidj.com Gemini brings DJs the MP-3000X, the world’s first dual transport compact disc player that also reads and plays MP3 CD-ROMs—designed just for jocks. The MP-3000X is comprised of a two-rack space dual transport unit and a three-rack space remote controller. The large jog wheels on the remote offer the user quick and accurate access to all the music on his or her discs. Using these, the DJ can easily reach any of possibly hundreds of tracks on his or her discs in a matter of seconds. The same wheels can be used to search through a particular track at varying speed, providing frame accurate access to all MP3 tracks. Key features include all functions available to mix with MP3 discs: cue, pitch, loop, and bend; anti-shock buffer with selectable +/- four, eight and 16 percent range; pitch bend buttons; search mode selector for music search or track search; Robo-Start; high visibility blue LED display; loop with real time loop editing and ADCS Automatic Disc Calibration System.
	Yamaha Professional Audio P.O. Box 6600 Buena Park, CA 90622 (714) 522-9011 www.yamaha.com Yamaha Professional Audio’s AS312 comes as a three-way acoustic suspension design requiring no additional low-end support. The compact (22 9/16- H by 15 3/8- W by 16 5/8-inch D, 44 pound) AS312 features a single 12-inch long-throw woofer with butyl rubber surround, a sub-enclosed high-compliance 4 ¼-inch cone midrange and a 1-inch compression driver coupled to a 60- by 40-degree horn. Cabinets are finished in an ACX textured coating—ideal for rough handling or outdoor use—and a full-faced steel grille. An integrated socket allows the AS312 to be pole mounted. The AS312s are sold separately, or may be purchased as part of a bundle with the EMX66M powered mixer.
	Denon Electronics 19 Chapin Road, Building C Pine Brook, NJ 07058-9777 (973) 396-0810 www.usa.denon.com Denon’s DN-S5000 is a professional tabletop single-disc CD player with a new feature: an active analog turntable platter with real-time user interaction. The live motor-driven “active platter,” seven inches across, can be used to scratch, backspin, brake, search and otherwise manipulate as if the compact disc is a vinyl turntable. To complete the authentic vinyl feel of analog scratching, Denon adds a real vinyl record on top of the included slip mat and slip sheet, so the vinyl jock is right at home. In addition to vinyl feel, the DN-S5000 includes the newly-developed Alpha Track capability (perfected for Denon’s recently released DN-D9000), enabling independent playback of two tracks from the same disc at the same time, with the ability to manually mix with a single drive, just as a jock would with two discs. Additionally, with the revolutionary “Mirror Mix” function, a DJ can also select the same track in both main and Alpha and play the Alpha track after a specified time delay at 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1/1, or 2/1. The effect is as if the jock had two copies of the same record. Additional highlights include the new “Hot Disc” 35-second memory feature, three-way scratching capability, A-B splice function for seamless removal of unwanted track sections, CD Text support and the ability to select a platter effect (Drag-S, Brake/Echo, Dump/Reverse), 16 second anti-shock memory on both main and Alpha tracks, playback of CD-R/RW discs, removable slot-in drive technology, independent S/PDIF coaxial digital outputs for the main and Alpha track, 44.1kHz, 16-bit output and future support for DN-S5000 users with downloadable plug-ins.
	American DJ 4295 Charter Street Los Angeles, CA 90058 (800) 322-6337 www.americandj.com American DJ’s Auto Spot 150 is a six-channel intelligent DMX moving head fixture. Total head rotation produces lighting effects that span out over a broader area, and have a more “layered” three-dimensional appearance. Including stepper motors and a 150-watt discharge lamp for brightness, the fixture has a pan movement of 540 (full movement in 2.8 seconds) and a tilt movement 270 (full movement in 1.6 seconds). Featuring independent wheels for colors and gobos, it comes equipped with seven variable-speed rotating gobos plus a spot. There are nine dichroic colors plus white, and two-tone split colors can be produced. The Auto Spot 150 also includes a variable strobe with a dimmer and shutter. It comes equipped with its own built-in programs and can be operated in three modes: with a DMX controller: Sound Activation Mode, or Master/Slave Mode linked to other units. The Auto Spot 150 includes a Smart Sense feature that automatically recognizes if the unit is in DMX or Master/Slave Mode, eliminating the need for the operator to manually select a setting.
	Cerwin-Vega! Inc. 555 E. Easy Street Simi Valley, CA 93065 (805) 584-9332 www.cerwin-vega.com Cerwin-Vega! has launched the next generation of their classic Folded Horn Bass cabinets. The AB-36 “Afterburner” subwoofer is an 18-inch monster, boasting features such as a heat sink design which provides increased thermal power handling with decreased power compression, 108 dB sensitivity, usage with any Cerwin-Vega! Full-range systems to optimize bass response, universal pole mount, new cabinet and caster design for easy mobility and availability in gray carpet or black textured paint finish. Frequency response is 30 to 300 Hz, with a 750 watt continuous and 1500 watt peak power handling. The AB-36 also features a 4-inch voice coil, 8 ohm nominal impedance, ¼-inch Neutrik phone jack, and a 36 H by 24 W by 36-inch D dimension rating.
	Mach Systems 700 Sawgrass Corp. Parkway Sunrise, FL 33325 (954) 858-1800 www.mach.dk Designed to work in long-throw applications together with high output top-boxes such as line arrays or large traditional arrays, Mach’s Ballister is a broadband horn-loaded subwoofer that combines high output with a low-Q design. A special symmetrical loading design has been made to ensure that air pressure is uniform throughout the cone area. For extra stability, the drive unit is mounted in a 1.5-inch (36mm) thick mounting board. The Ballister Sub is built around a special 18-inch woofer; the design enables the 4-inch coil to handle the same amount of power as a large 5-inch coil while maintaining advantages of a lightweight design. Power handling is a solid 1,000 watts. In combination with a large cone area of 0.128 square meters, the driver is capable of delivering 137 dB in the horn loaded Ballister cabinet. Ballister is an easy two-man lift and can be stacked four-high without the use of lifting equipment. Wheels are integrated in the back for easy transport and a special skid-lock system ensures easy and safe stacking. The Ballister Sub is designed as a half horn; when paired with a second Ballister Sub, it forms a double-sided horn with extended sub frequency response and improved throw.
	Vestax/Korg USA 316 South Service Road Melville, NY 11747 (516) 333-9100 www.vestax.com Now distributed by Korg USA, Vestax has added three new turntables to its line of DJ products. Handytrax is a portable turntable with integral case and carrying handle, and features a balanced tone arm that will play back at almost any angle. The innovative Handytrax allows DJs and vinyl enthusiasts to enjoy their music anywhere, any time. DJs shopping for new vinyl can now bring their own listening system to audition records prior to purchase. Durable enough for heavy professional use, the Handytrax features a belt-driven three-speed platter (33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM), pitch and tone control, and a built-in 4-watt power amp and speaker. The turntable includes line in, line out, and headphone out for maximum flexibility. It can be battery-powered or run on a 12V adaptor (included). The unit measures 14.57- by 10.24- by 3.74-inches and weighs 5.51 pounds. The PDX-01 offers a sleek, compact circular design and features the Anti-Skip Tone arm System (ASTS) with height adjustment up to 0.35-inches, a unique anti-vibration mount to minimize howl, as well as +/-10 percent pitch control. The unit measures 17.87- (W) by 6.378- (H) by 14.37-inches (D). The new PDX-2300 turntable represents the next generation in development of the PDX-2000, and is aimed at both the modern DJ and the vinyl connoisseur. A digital readout allows precision pitch adjustment with +/-50 percent pitch control on a fader plus an additional +/10 percent with a fine pitch control. One, two, three and 6 percent momentary pitch-bend is also provided. The PDX-2300 includes all the other features of its predecessor, including the advanced motor design and innovative tone arm, and an upgrade kit is available for existing PDX-2000 owners.
	Community Professional Loudspeakers 333 East Fifth Street Chester, PA 19013 (610) 876-3400 www.loudspeakers.net DJs building a Tandem Drive system can top off either of two subwoofers (the TD2115 and TD2118) with one of two full range enclosures (the TD2212 and TD2215) using steel mounting poles. Each Tandem Drive loudspeaker enclosure features ErgoGrip handles and is painted with TufCoat. Inside each box, proprietary low-frequency drivers feature Community’s patented Cool-Coil technology. Additionally, every model is internally safeguarded with IntelliSense, a protective circuit promising maximum output without risking speaker damage. The full range TD2212 is the lightest and most compact loudspeaker in the lineup; employing a two-way design housing dual 12-inch Cool-Coil woofers and Community’s UC1 high frequency driver, the device is suited for smaller systems. For high SPL environments, the TD2215 houses dual 15-inch subs and the same horn loaded 90 by 40 UC1 high frequency section as the 2212. Outfitted with a non-metallic diaphragm to increase internal damping, reduce ringing and provide more accurate response as well as low distortion, the low mass UC1 high frequency driver is Ferro fluid cooled to dissipate heat. The largest of the Tandem Drive subwoofers, the TD2118, is based around a design which packs dual 18-inch Cool-Coil drivers into a vented cabinet available with four optional heavy duty casters. Dual 15-inch Cool-Coil drivers are installed in the TD2115.
	B-52 Pro Audio 3383 Gage Avenue Huntington Park, CA 90255 (323) 277-4100 www.B-52PRO.com The LX-18A folded horn subwoofer is powered by B-52’s 1,200-watt digital amplifier. The 6-pound amplifier draws less than 12 amps of electricity (at full volume) and has the ability to power a secondary passive subwoofer—the LX-18. The LX-18A includes all the features needed in an active subwoofer: 24 dB/octave electronic crossover, a compressor/ limiter, subsonic filter, phase switch and both full-range and high-pass outputs. The LX-18A cabinet houses a compression chamber that minimizes the excursion of the driver while maximizing the subwoofer’s output. The optimally sized acoustic aperture of the compression chamber forms the throat of the horn and helps force air at an increased velocity and pressure. The 18-200L 18-inch subwoofer features a cast-aluminum frame, 200 oz magnet structure, a bumped back plate for greater excursion and a 4-inch dual-layered tempered-aluminum voice coil. The voice coil is wound with four layers of 26-gauge copper wire, optimally sized for this motor. The aluminum front panel heat sink dissipates heat in the subwoofer compression chamber. Each enclosure is constructed with ¾-inch plywood and includes metal carrying handles, protective metal corners and 4-inch casters. A lifetime cabinet construction warranty is provided.