While the portablist world was defined by a steady stream of wired faders in little boxes, the Mixfader came along and banished the wires in preference to hooking up with mobile devices to deliver wireless fader performance. But in a strange retrogressive move, the new Mixfader ProLink essentially returns wires to the wireless fader. Trust me — it makes sense.
This will help you make sense of this seemingly backward step:
MWM announces the release of its new Mixfader add-on: Mixfader ProLink, the latest portable scratching innovation to offer a level of scratching performance never reached before.
MWM offers fresh possibilities to Mixfader with its new product: ProLink, available for pre-order from November 6th, on shop.themixfader.com.
Thursday, November 2, 2017 — MWM, the world’s number 8 mobile music app publisher and creator of Mixfader – the first connected portable crossfader – continues to innovate in the scratching field, announcing today, the official release of Mixfader ProLink.
ProLink: a unique way to scratch with Mixfader.
With Mixfader, MWM made the wager to create the first wireless connected crossfader. Two years after its first release, Mixfader has found its place in the scratching world, and has helped democratize the practice. Today, with ProLink, MWM offers a new scratching solution for portablists, more effective than ever.Mixfader ProLink possesses two analog inputs to which you can connect two audio sources (turntables, smartphones…) and a headphones output. The product allows to connect Mixfader to one or two analog turntables, without having to use a mobile app. It works as an independent sound card, plugged to the turntable’s analog connectors and communicating with Mixfader thanks to a unique wireless technology. This way, ProLink offers an easy-to-use setup, totally optimized for performance.
An innovative technology built for scratching performance.
Mixfader ProLink is also made up of a first-of-a-kind software technology, developed in order to enhance scratching performances with Mixfader. This technology lets ProLink process the information sent by Mixfader faster than any smartphone or tablet. The main technical stake has been to focus on optimizing the crossfader movements. The outcome is an ultra precise cut-in point, sharpest cuts and a lossless audio output quality worthy of high-end mixing tables. Using Mixfader with Mixfader ProLink breaks the latest portablism boundaries letting DJs enjoy the freedom of a wireless connection while achieving, more technical scratching performances than ever, thanks to the ProLink technological abilities.This new technology strengthens MWM expertise in the wireless and audio processing fields, and has already received the support of several renowned artists, such as the 4 times DMC World Champion, DJ Netik – or the turntablism legend, DJ Excess:
DJ Excess
“Prolink definitely changes the way you scratch on portable turntables. It feels like I’m scratching on a regular mixer !“
Jean-Baptiste Hironde, MWM cofounder and CEO
“With Mixfader ProLink we pursued our will to improve the sensations of Mixfader scratching performances. The unique technology we developed, grants a level of accuracy worthy of the best turntables’ crossfaders, with a setup that is way simpler!”
Prices and availability:
Mixfader ProLink will be available on November 6th 2017 for pre-order on the official Mixfader website, and will be officially listed for sale in limited edition from November 20th.
Pre-order
ProLink: $39
Bundle: Mixfader + ProLink: $129
Key Features:
Tech Specs
Controls and connection
- 2 audio inputs
- 1 audio output
- 1 on/off button
- 1 adhesive band on the bottom surface of the ProLink for better stability
- 1 micro-USB port for charging the ProLink
Power and Battery
- 20 hours autonomy
- 1 hour charging
- Lithium-ion battery
Make sense now?
It absolutely does to me. I’ve had a Mixfader for ages, but never really had a great deal of success with it. It had to connect to an app on my iPhone that would routinely decide not to bother. Or it would connect one app but not another, and I basically lost interest in fighting with it. Others have clearly had better success though.
But this approach with the ProLink is considerably more interesting and almost certainly more reliable. Instead of depending on an app, the Mixfader connects directly to the ProLink, which pretty much acts as a hub between your turntable, music playing device, and output. You could have a pair of PT01-Scratches bridged by the ProLink and a single Mixfader. And this optimised routing means improved latency which means better performance.
This doesn’t effect the placement of the Mixfader as being wireless means completely standalone. As long as the ProLink is plugged into your other devices then you’re all good. I know it’s adding cables back into the mix, but it just feels like a better solution than going wirelessly through a phone.
We’ve got our name down on one of the first production units and will gleefully report back on performance with the Mixfader and our PT01-Scratch. And you’ll be able to find out more and preorder the Mixfader Prolink for $39.99 from 6th November right here.
GALLERY
I had some success with my Mixfader but also had a few times when it refused to connect.
Really like it when it works so this will be a good addition, price is pretty cheap too.
I don’t really understand why you would choose this over a regular portable fader?
The app is pretty good, you can scratch dvs if you have USB sound card in your turntable, it also works as a midi fader but yeah it is ultimately a bit of a gimmick.
I got mine for a good price when the kickstarter launched, I doubt I would pay the store price for one now but it is a nice little fader.
It allows you to place the fader wherever you want and not have cables trailing everywhere. I’m really looking forward to trying this out.
i had an innofader and returned it and got a mixfader cause i thought it would be more versatile and being able to change the curve and cut-in was a huge plus, i returned the mixfader after a few hours, i didn’t like that i had to have it connected to my phone. i knew that up front, but i didn’t realize how annoying it was going to be. after i returned it i reordered the innofader.
if this was little thing was out at the time i would have kept it, it’s built solid, and it’s action was buttery.
i had the opportunity to try it during a Portablist Meet at the Mixfader HQ few months ago and I believe this new addon will be the next level of the Portablist game.
The software (or whatever it is) they put inside the ProLink seems to hugely improve the scratch feeling you have with your Mixfader. It totally cuts down the latency and bring a new cutting point sharp as hell, way better I think than most of the standard scratch mixer available in the market.
i’m pretty excited to see what people we will think about it when it comes out!
Soo the wording is a bit odd for a non-native english speaker? Does this extra gizmo make the mixfader work as a standalone xfader for two turntables, without the need to being tethered to some ”smart” device?
If not, I’ll pass thx. Besides I love the Jesse Dean PT01 replacement fader, best dam fader I ever used IMO, even beats my Innofader Pro!
i remember talking about ios devices on skratchworx, maybe on my review of the idj live, not sure, and how there would come a time when guys were running around everywhere with scratch devices in their backpacks. scratching at school, or the beach, or the bus stop. I was out doing mobile scratching in about 2008, i guess.
I also remember the many comments about how dumb an idea that was. in theory, the idea of being mobile turned out to be correct. people do enjoy mobility in scratching. i was just stuck in the old mindset that only direct drive could scratch.
I’ve placed many here and skratchworx, and seen them inspire people to go and make them a reality; the orbit, the crossfader button, the switch fader from the pt 01 scratch, to name a few. all ideas take directly from this site(danke mark for running it) and directly from my mind. I believe mr. settle called me a “visionary”
Now, what am I getting at? just boasting? NO.
I’m saying that those products would have been MUCH MORE successful had my insights been included in the production and promotion.
Soooo, here is another product I see. I talked about adding an external fader to mixers before, with a cable, but this bluetooth is much better.
Maybe these folks at edjing (guys, please stop saying “edge-ing) who, if they remember, I was very impressed by and complimentary of their initial app.
Maybe they are already planning a mixer that connects to the mixfader wirelessly, who knows. That “idea” isn’t as important as the implementation. So, I humbly offer my assistance in testing and developing, because I already have several mixers outfitted with external faders, that I’ve been using and testing for over a year. (Mine are wired)
My particular favorite is the epsilon innomix, because I run it with a power pack. (thanks to the guys over at digital vertigo uk for spotting that one)
Another interesting take on this device is much simpler. Maybe you have a nice “mixing” mixer that you want to add a bit of scratch ability to. For instance, I have a Smac first, that i love, but it ain’t a scratch mixer, and I’ve been reluctant to modify it, because it’s so nice, I just don’t want to change it from stock form. If this new device had “2 ins and 2 outs” and could be a crossfader pass-through, then i could make this mixer into a “scratch mixer” with no internal changes.
We could test this new device, initially, with a Pioneer DJM-Mk2. It runs on 12dc. I’ve been itching to put a battery in one.
here’s something else that could be done with the mixfader.
I call it the “Cut-Ops” (idea stealers scurry scurry), because it’s “opposite” to a normal fader, and a play on ‘Cut Operations’
the sound is “on” on the two sides, and “off” in the middle. i’ve talked about this for years, and shown a couple protos. it does a really neat flare-style scratch.
https://vimeo.com/36259718
and YES, i know it’s not stealing, if I post it here for anyone to see. I’m just trying to make the point that we have enough crappy products out there that weren’t well thought out comprehensively. So let’s get the people who really love this stuff, and spend massive amounts of their own money and time figuring out what really works, back in the mix designing and testing.
and , besides, Mark paid me the $500, so I try to post and interact, so he’ll feel like he got his money’s worth #foreal