Fun dance pop. That’s the best way to describe the new single “Every Little Piece of Me.” The beatless intro sounds like it is going to launch into a remix of the “Let It Go” song from Frozen, but when the energy builds it goes full-on Kylie-esque eurodance pop. What’s weird is that it sounds so familiar but it is also instantly memorable, kind of like that song you hear in the background and start singing along to without even realizing. It’s also kind of addictive because there’s no burnout when you listen to it on repeat. Lovers of dance pop will definitely enjoy “every little piece” of this galactic goodness.
DJ have readily embraced technology over the past 20 years as the music medium has gone from vinyl to CD to to SD cards/laptop. The next step for DJing is a tablet, or even a phone, but the major barrier has been sound quality. The DJ Connect from Griffin Technology will change that.
What is it?
The DJ Connect is a USB-based sound card which provides two separate stereo sound outputs. A headphone output for cueing (or PFL preview for listening) is located on the front. A standard stereo RCA output and a mini-USB port are located on the back. On the top is a large metal rotary wheel to control the headphone volume. The silicone bottom keeps the device from sliding.
Basic testing
The DJ Connect is made to work with Algoriddim DJay software. As soon as the unit is plugged into an iPad, the Djay software sees it and configures itself to channel the sound output. Hooking it up to my home stereo, the RCA stereo output was solid and free of static. The headphone volume was loud and could be turned up to completely blaring levels (perfect for all of the deaf DJs out there). Since I am used to Virtual DJ, it took a few minutes to get used to the DJay software but within 5 minutes, I was comfortable mixing back and forth between tracks.
In-depth testing
Connecting the DJ Connect to a club system on a line of the Pioneer mixer gave a quality stereo signal that was comfortable loud but not clipping. A small bit of gain control made it match the CD player and laptop setup that was in place. The sound quality was full and comparable to the other inputs.
To test further, I connected it to my Mac Book Pro running Virtual DJ, which also saw the dual channels and was easily configurable in the Headphone mode. Sound quality was about the same.
Critiques
There are only two critiques I could find. For testing, I connected to the iPad first, then to the laptop and then back to the iPad. When connecting to the iPad the second time, there was a slight hum in the sound. Rebooting the iPad cleared up the hiss.
A second issue, purely for my own aesthetics, is that the shiny metal headphone knob will require regular buffing as finger prints show instantly.
Conclusion
The Griffin DJ Connect is a game-changing device bringing the iPad and iPhone DJ setups up to the calibre of laptop DJ setups. Previously, the only solution for cueing was a cable from the headphone jack which would split the stereo output to two mono outputs, one for cue and one for live out. Mono signals sound like crap in real world applications, and this has held back DJs from using an iPad. At $99, it is well-priced for DJs who want to use iPads, newbie DJs wanting to get started, and as a backup sound card for laptop DJs. Combined with the minimal cost of DJay software (1.99 for iPhone, 9.99 for iPad, and 19.99 for laptop), the startup cost for a beginning DJ is very reasonable.
Bullet points
* What is it: a sound card giving two stereo outputs for DJay software on iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers.
* Who is it for: DJs who want to cue and mix in stereo on portable devices.
* How long does it take to set up: less than 5 minutes
* What is required for its use: an iPad, an iPhone or a Mac laptop, and DJay software
* Difficulty level: 2/5 (1 is easy, 5 is difficult)
From the ’50s to the ’30s, Mayra Veronica has found a niche and is brilliantly updating iconic music with current styles. As the face for ’50s pinup model Bettie Page’s fashion line, she topped the chart last year with “Mama Mia,” a Latin-flavored jam that started as a club dub and became a pop hit thanks to a topline co-written by Luciana and a sexy video that went viral. For “Mama Yo,” she channels Carmen Miranda and updates her 1939 movie classic “Mam?e Eu Quero” by teaming with ’30s swing revivalists Sweet Life Society and again with Miss Luciana. The results are playful and funky with a modern swing vibe not dissimilar to what Yolanda Be Cool did with “Americano” a few years back. So it comes as little surprise that Mayra reached out to the funky Aussie for a remix and the result is just as fun as the original. The effects and pumped-up energy make “Mama Yo” transcend the swing-house genre to become an instantly memorable pop/dance record that could cross over to mainstream radio all over the world, just like “Americano” did. Don’t worry DJs, if swing isn’t your thing, there are also aggressive electro mixes by the Dutch brothers Ruben and Jente Bootsman, better known as the Boots Men. The bang it out in the traditional Dirty Dutch style while keeping enough of the vocals in place so you know its Mayra in the mix. As Major Lazer says in his track “Buma Ye,” “Watch out for this!”
