DM2 (Digital Mix Master)

 

While I've never enjoy listening to this new whipper-snapper music, this rip-hopped re-mixed musical menagerie of neo-disco DJ hipstuff, I just realized that's it's actually fun to make. With Apzu's new Digital Mix Master (DM2) plugged into my PC, I'm a veritable dance party music machine (with no dancers to be found).

The DM2 not only enables users to create real-time "club music," it allows them to store these personalized mixes on the hard drive, share them, upload, download or publish them if desired. And though I wouldn't know the difference, it seems to emulate "professionally" ripped and re-mixed music rather well – bearing in mind that I have no idea what real talent or real cost is associated with such production. As it is, the hotplate sized unit is fairly simple to use, a clean, button-laden interface complete with a cross-fader slider thingy, an analogue "warp" stick plus two essential spin dials invoking those melodious squawks and synchronous hiccups. Jacked into the PC via USB, the DM2 uses Beatnik's apparently famous "Mixman" software. The suite also includes some 30 songs which are benevolently broken into key audio elements (keyboard, bass, vocals, etc) but it's also compatible various other digital audio files from other sources. All told, the DM2 is sure to please home-spun connoisseurs of the thump-thump-art as well as hacks like me, for as it happens, the Mixman software also has an auto-beat/tempo-matching feature which locks the spin-inept into a genuine pocket of groove – a place otherwise difficult to attain.

Details
Reviewed: Sep. 24, 2001
Type: Dance, Digital Audio, Gear, Party
From: Apzu


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