And NAMM Begins

After the general, and expected, frustrations of just getting into the door, DJWORX entered the time warp that is NAMM, ready to rock. On the floor coverage this weekend is going to include a lot of hands on with the controllers you’ve already been shown in our exclusive coverage, but we will also be digging deeper into the depths of the NAMM experience to show you what you won’t find anywhere else, just like you’ve come to expect.

To start off your exciting gear lust, we stopped by our old friends at Behringer to get an update on the much-anticipated modular controller line, and got another absolute exclusive, which we’ll show you below.

Finally Blowing Out The Door

Last year we gave you a ton of coverage on the new modular controller line coming from Behringer, and it was definitely the talk of NAMM.  But while we got new updates here and there it was largely silent from their end.  Well, we have good news.  They are shipping out in a few weeks and will be in stores, ready for your greedy little hands, by the end of February.  All the modular controllers will be priced at $129.99 across the board, the Studio 4A is $199, and the Micro is $79.99.

They will all be packaged with the first run of Deckadance 2 LE (not the full version as you may have read elsewhere – Ed). The exact functionality of the LE  version isn’t yet known, but the full version allows for 4 deck control, including Image Line’s Gross Beat, and Smart Knob functionality, which allows you to develop and design super knobs. Obviously the controllers will be fully compatible with Traktor, and can be mapped to any software that has MIDI capability. The LEDs are bright and crisp, as you can see, and they really feel solid. Definitely an improvement from the controllers we saw last year that barely survived the show.

Midi Fighter Classic TSI ready

The good news for Behringer is the ability to use the original DJ TechTools MIDI Fighter Classic TSI files directly with the DC1 controller. They’re capable of some pretty complex tricks, so you can get clever with effects and suchlike right away.

The DC1 also has built-in combos, allowing for button and chord combinations. The controller allows for up to 8 combos, one on each row and one on each column, allowing for more advanced control and cooler mapping capabilities beyond almost any other drum controller, and definitely any other controller in that price range.

Building Your Own Controller

The nicest advantage of the modular controllers is that they all… connect.  You can lock them side by side to create your own custom workflow.  The most exciting feature of these controllers as a whole for me is that I can buy any two, three, four or however many I want, and connect them to be my own personal controller, all running into one of the controllers that have their own hub.

So finally, after all this hype and all of the information we’ve been trying to get to you, these are real, and will be in our hands for review soon as well.  This is definitely not the last you’ll hear about these controllers.

Posts related to NAMM 2013: Behringer CMDs — Midi Fighter Classic Ready

NAMM 2013: Behringer CMD controllers with Deckadance v2

NAMM 2013: The One edges nearer

PUBLIC BETA: Deckadance 2 — a first look

Midi Fighter 3D - not a game