USB Control surfaces are one of the hottest products on the market this year - and there are a couple of very good entry level products available that can turn your computer into a fully fledged MP3 DJ set-up.

We have had quite a few people asking about the differences between the Hercules RMX and the Numark Omni. Both are essentially the different manufacturers takes on the same thing with very similar builds and layouts and almost identical pricing. Both are complete solutions - a USB controller with a built-in soundcard, and software, and both work with PC (XP/Vista) or Mac (Tiger/Leopard).

So which one should you go for? To help you out, here’s the key differences between the two;

Hercules RMX

- Supplied with Virtual DJ LE software. Remember that Virtual DJ is basically the same as Numark Cue.

- Has 2 inputs to connect two turntables or CD players allowing you to use the Hercules as a traditional mixer.

- Comes with a carry case to keep it safe gig-to-gig.

- Main volume is controlled with an upfader.

- Hercules has a suite of 6 assignable buttons but nothing specifically dedicated to effects (and no rotary controls for effects without mapping from somewhere else).

Numark Omni

- Designed for Traktor DJ 3 LE software, arguably the most popular DJ software available.

- Slightly better crossfader and upfaders than the Hercules.

- Dedicated effects buttons with rotary controls.

- Single button track search.

- Clickable kills on each of the EQs.

Overall, it really is hard to call between these two fantastic units. I recommend downloading the Virtual DJ and Traktor DJ demos and having a play with them both because I think it is the key factor between the two. Which ever software you feel more comfortable with should probably be the one you add to your basket.

Whichever you choose, you are going to end up with a superb addition to your DJ setup.

After a long wait, the American DJ SDJ2 is now in stock. This revolutionary unit is the first to have two SD card readers and a mixer all in one self-contained 3U unit. All the features you expect in a traditional rack CD player / mixer setup are covered on the SDJ2 including seamless looping, auto BPM and fader cue start.

American DJ SDJ2

This is going to prove to be the perfect unit for any DJ working this Christmas. The SDJ2 allows you to play out with one small 3U unit and a couple of SD cards barely bigger than a stamp yet capable of storing thousands and thousands of tracks.

American DJ are really impressing us so far this year with great, innovative DJing products and great looking lighting. We can’t wait to see what they come up with in 2009.

Numark Omni USB Controller/Soundcard

After months of rumours, speculation and waiting, djstore.com has the Numark Omni now in stock and in our hands. Having had a play with the unit I can tell you that it more than meets up to the impressive specifications and claims that Numark made before hitting shelves.

Housed in a solid metal chassis, everything about the Omni screams ‘well-built’. Faders all feel correct - not to tight and not too loose - and all buttons give a solid click when pressed. Dials feel well placed and proprtioned and the addition of push kills on each of the EQs is ingenious. Also, having the unit ship with Traktor was a great call.

Stock is now in and numbers are limited so we recommending ordering as soon as possible if you are planning for one under a Christmas tree.

For time immemorial, or at least a good 6 or 7 years, Sennheiser’s amazing HD25s have been as good as it gets for the modern DJ. I have had my pair for well over 5 years even though they are beginning to look a bit shabby, they still sound as good as when I first got them.

A lot of noise has been made about Pioneer’s new entry into the high-end headphone market. When at the DJ Store / Apple Store event at Glasgow last weekend, Rik Parkinson offered me the chance to borrow a sample pair for a week to road test them. I was a little bit apprehensive about using them given how much I love the Sennys but then again, how often do you get the chance to play around with new Pioneer kit before release date?

I used them for my three regular gigs at a local nightclub as well as for general music listening on my iPhone. First thing I noticed is that the build quality is unbelieveable. A big problem with the HDJ1000s was that they just couldn’t withstand the normal abuse a DJ gives his headphones - they definitely didn’t live up to Pioneer’s normal build quality. The HDJ2000s feel solid as a rock with beautifully finished metal joints, a good headband and sturdy cups. Obviously, within the course of a week, you can’t really determine how they will last in the long term but I would be confident that they would be in your bag for years to come.

The cups themselves sit comfortably on the ear, the memory foam ensuring they never feel uncomfortable. They don’t sit quite as tightly on your head as the HD25s which could be a good or a bad thing depending on your viewpoint. Personally I like using my headphones with the band around the back of my head and the HDJ2000s didn’t work quite as well in that position as the Sennys but then that is a purely personal observation.

Whilst hardly the most important thing, it is worth pointing out that they really do look the part. HD25s were never bought for their looks and neither should the HDJ2000s but I know which pair I would rather be seen on my head with by the dancing masses.

Last and most importantly is the sound quality. I personally never thought the HD25s would be beaten in that regard. I was wrong. There isn’t a lot in it but the HDJ2000s definitely edge the Sennys. They have an amazing crispness in the both the treble and the bass whilst still delivering warm mid. They are perfect for just listening to some music on the couch and sound phenomenal in a gig.

In summary, yes the HDJ2000s cost a lot of money but they are definitely worth it. If you have to have the absolute best kit out there then you need to own the Pioneer HDJ2000s.

On Saturday 1st November, djstore.com hosted a rather special event at the Apple Store in Glasgow. Digital DJing is something which is getting more and more interest amongst our customers as they realise that they can begin the path to being a DJ with just their Mac and a relatively small sum of money. There can be, however, a big knowledge gap for new digital DJs who don’t know how do get started in terms of equipment and software.

It is long-established that Macs are a better DJing platform than PCs purely because of their inherent stability. So when Apple approached us to host a digital DJing event to try and spread the word about how easy, accessable and affordable it has become, we jumped at the chance.

The event was a huge success with members of DJ Store including myself attending alongside Rik Parkinson from Pioneer and Jonathan Burrows from Numark. Equipment was set up for customers to have a play with including the Numark iDJ2, Pioneer CDJ400 and Serato Scratch all connected to Apple equipment including iPods and the gorgeous new MacBooks. The equipment attracted a massive range of people from young to old, experienced DJs to people who had never touched a deck in their lives. It was also great to see so many loyal DJ Store customers taking the chance to have a chat and try out the latest DJ equipment.

Rik had the following to say about the event;

The day was a great success for both Pioneer Pro DJ and djstore.com. Its refreshing to see Pioneer retailers being reactive to current market trends and getting involved with other market leading lifestyle brands such as Apple. Customers entering the Apple Store in the heart of Glasgow City Centre easily adapted to and embraced the ease of use and versatility of the Pioneer CDJ-400 in conjunction with Apple’s synonymous iPod range.

BPM didn’t unleash a lot of new equipment to the DJing masses but one big announcement was the soon-to-be-released Pioneer HDJ2000s. A new set of cans wouldn’t normally be enough to cause much excitement but then Pioneer’s new cans aren’t exactly normal. Pioneer are aiming straight for the top end of the market with a feature set to match.

A couple of our guys headed down to BPM, had a play with them and were very impressed. £199 gets you a comfortable pair of headphones which look great and feel solid as a rock. The guys specifically pointed out the superb joint quality - all metal construction - and little things like the mini-XLR connection into the can.

We’ve always been of the impression here at DJ Store that the Sennheiser HD25s hadn’t been surpassed and were unlikely to be. The HDJ2000s look a lot better than the HD25s but then the Sennheiser’s were never bought for their looks. Personally, I think we are looking at the first real contenders to the crown and I can’t wait to get my hands on them early December.

Everyone here at djstore.com has an iPhone. They have become omni-present in the office as we find new ways to integrate them into our everyday lives. Unfortunately we haven’t seen the iPhone leap into digital DJing as we had hoped it would by now. There are a few decent programs out there such as Beatmaker but nothing that makes you want to whip your shiny Apple toy out in the middle of a set and actually use it.

Thankfully, a solution appears to have been found by DJ Mei Lwun, long-time cohort of Ean Golden, the famed VCI100 customiser. He has come together with a company called ITM (iTouch Matrix) to create a fully-configurable MIDI app called The Matrix. There are a few different control interfaces but this one has a scalable matrix of buttons which can be labeled and coloured according to function. We have already heard rumours of this being used with Ableton Live.

There’s a rather nice little video of the app in action here.

One of the more interesting bits of news kicking around last week was the official announcement that Serato and Ableton would be working together on a project of some description in the near future. We had hoped for more clarification as to what exactly this relationship would result in at the BPM Trade Show at Donnington over the weekend. Unfortunately, all we could hear were educated guesses and rumours. Each company had the following to say;

“Ableton and Serato take different approaches to modern musical performance,” says Ableton CEO Gerhard Behles, “But both companies live by the philosophy that software should be straightforward, easy to use, and most importantly, reliable and stable onstage and in the studio. Ableton has never had an answer for the DJ who wants vinyl control, and rather than try to emulate what Serato do so well, we simply make sure that our products work well together.”

Serato Audio Research CEO Steve West agrees. “After years of talking together, we’re thrilled to be working with Ableton. It’s exciting to think about what we can offer to DJs and producers: the ability to go beyond just spinning records and add a personal stamp to the music they play.”

So basically, a lot of fawning over one another without actually saying anything. That said, it is an aggressive response to the Native Instruments announcement of Traktor Pro and Traktor Scratch Pro last week. It will be interesting to see if Ableton Live and Serato Scratch Live are somehow integrated or if we are witnessing the birth of something completely new.

For the last couple of years Serato Scratch has been the best way to bridge the gap between digital and traditional DJing. That may all be about to change with Native Instrument’s announcement of Traktor PRO and Traktor Scratch PRO.

The software now supports four decks while the interface has been tweaked to be a bit more accessable and easier to use. Other new functionality includes full MIDI support, syncing and key control as well as a full suite of effects and filters. Traktor PRO and Scratch PRO will replace  the existing Traktor 3 and Traktor Scratch and, in a great move, prices will remain the same - £449 for Traktor Scratch PRO. Also, Traktor are offering free or discounted upgrades depending on which Native Instruments software and hardware you already have. We are expecting Traktor Pro and Traktor Scratch Pro to be in stock before the end of the week (around 6th or 7th Novemeber).