I love how Blogger...

Looks so fresh and so clean! :-)

Anywho, my main (and original) blog is over at Xanga, but I might start using this once I get my DJ identity up and running (which will hopefully be sooner than later)!

I recently bought the M-Audio Torq Xponent, but I'm running XP Media Center Edition on my laptop (which is like THE ONLY OS it doesn't work for), so I haven't been able to use it yet. I should be getting a lil 13.3" Macbook for the sole purpose of spinning.

I just hope that it works flawlessly, and not buggy like people have been complaining about in the Torq DJ forums... (>_<)
Well, I'll keep you guys posted here, I suppose!

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I wonder if there's any way for me to make my blogspot blog look exactly like my Xanga (of course without all of the extra widgets, blogrings and other clutter)...

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Oh, and I decided to paste old posts from my Xanga blog in here that are relevant to my DJing (and eventually design). Luckily, you can specify the date and time when posting, so everything should stay in chronological order. :-)

James.

random thoughts and happenings

I should be ordering a Macbook pretty soon, initially for the sole purpose of hooking my M-Audio Torq Xponent and FINALLY BEGINNING TO DJ. The hardware is compatible with just about everything BUT Windows XP Media Center Edition. Any guesses as to what OS my laptop came installed with? Because of that, it's just been sitting there in the original packaging sitting next to my bed (with exception to the times that I take it out and silently pretend like I'm DJing in front of a massive arena of fans).

I'm kinda scared that the Xponent will act kinda buggy... Lately, that's all I've been reading people post about over at the Torq DJ forums. But maybe that just means that the people who are all satisifed with the unit (hopefully the majority) are just not posting and complaining, but instead spinning in front of a massive arena of fans! Right? Right?

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I just heard the track Goodnight Lover by Fluke on Pandora and assumed that it was a new track (it has a bit of that Hybrid/James Bond feel). It turns out that it was from their album, Risotto, which was released TEN YEARS AGO! What rock have I been living under?
It also turns out that The Designers' Republic designed the artwork for the album. I'm definitely ordering that one.

finally got some turntables (sort of)

Yesterday, when I got back from Fairfield, I saw that the package I had ordered from the Guitar Center in Gilroy on Monday had arrived!

Aaaaaaaw yeaaaaaah!
It's the M-Audio Torq Xponent that I wrote about about a month back!







I can't wait til I can finally get it all hooked up! It unfortunately doesn't support Windows XP Media Center Edition, so I'm gonna have to partition my laptop and install XP Pro on half of it temporarily. I'll probably just get a little 13.3 inch Macbook later to use for it. Now I'm just trying to think of where online I should host mixsets or podcasts once I get started. I really oughta learn how to make a podcast before I jump ahead of myself. And what would I call it? The Tokyo Overground (my old radio show at CSUMB)? I was thinking that The Fresh Sessions would be kinda cool, too. :-P

a too perfect solution for wannabe laptop djs (i.e. me)?

For years, I'd been meaning to eventually pick up a pair of turntables and a mixer, and more recently, I'd been looking into picking up a pair of the Pioneer CDJ-200 decks and the DJM-400 mixer. They're all the entry level models of Pioneer's Pro DJ equipment. I've noticed that Amazon seemed to have the most affordable (and legit) means of purchase, and with the CDJ-200s being $350 each, and the mixer at $400, that would be $1100 before tax for ENTRY LEVEL. Don't get me started on the CDJ-1000s. (>_<)

Keep in mind that I can pick up a pair of actual vinyl decks and a decent mixer for a fraction of the above mentioned prices, but I don't think that I'm ready to devote myself to a collecting vinyl (especially since the closest decent record shop is in Santa Cruz, which is about a 40 minute drive from Marina).

This morning (during my usual hours-long check-my-mail-for-a-minute session), I stumbled upon M-Audio's Torq Xponent Advanced DJ Performance/Production System (wOoOo, fancy terminology for a turntable-shaped midi controller). I initially passed it off as another crappy laptop controller like that Mixman DM2 that I suckered myself into buying a few years back, but after reading some reviews and watching a some videos of it in action on youtube, I realized that this is actually something that I NEED RIGHT NOW.

What I appeals to me about the unit is that it takes just about everything that I need to get started (minus the laptop and a pair of headphones) and stuffs it into one piece of equipment. It has the two touch-sensitive jog platters, mixer/crossfader, EQs, various effects, a touchpad (which doubles as a mouse pointer and a Kaoss Pad-like FX thingy) and it even has its own soundcard built in so I'll be able to properly cue tracks in my headphones while still pumping out music over loudspeakers.

The original MSRP is $750, but it's available on Amazon for $600! By the way, everyone, my birthday is August the 23rd. Heh.

Anyway, this looks perfect for me. I'd love to rant on more about it, but I gotta run... For now, enjoy this demo/review that DJ Mag TV did!

Here are some other videos of the Xponent in action!