Categories
Music

Drop the beat, not expensive equipment, with Openmix

From the mixtape maker to the part-time party planner, everyone has an inner DJ just begging to mix songs together to make people smile and dance. But DJ equipment is expensive, large, and difficult to set up, so it’s no good for the impromptu get-together.

Openmix is the world’s smallest audio mixer, roughly the size of an iPod Mini. It has microphone jack plugs to connect to phones or MP3 players and controlled via the small dial fader on the front of the device. Openmix also features a third port for input, allowing a tablet or simple synthesizer to be connected to provide sound effects or other audio options. This allows devices to be swapped in and out easily, allowing for an ever-changing library and selection of tracks to be at the fingertip of the Openmix user.

In terms of features, that’s where Openmix really stops. It’s not meant for professional grade mixing or complicated techniques, it’s just something that can take a party from the groundswells to the dance floor. Openmix is a device built around fun, and so it’s simple enough for anyone to use and flex their DJ skills with before passing it along. Invented by New Yorker Gabriel Danet, it’s going to take $65,000 to bring Openmix out of the functional prototype stage and into full production and availability. Party people can lay down tracks with Openmix in January 2015 for $34.

Does Openmix fill a need in the market, or revolutionize its industry? Certainly not, but with its presentation, price point, and feature set, it’s clear that Openmix is just about accessible fun and sharing music. When viewed in that light, there’s no reason not to have an Openmix on hand just in case.

Categories
Music Tablet Accessories

Tuna Knobs should be a big catch among DJs and producers with iPads

tunaknobsEvery truly legendary party needs an in-house DJ, but transporting all that equipment and setting it up, or even just learning how to use it properly can be a major hurdle. Tuna Knobs combines the accessible, portable world of digital applications on touch-screen devices like tablets with the tactile, precise knobs of a physical device. These knobs can be affixed to a screen and twisted like the real thing to offer a more realistic feel. Tuna Knobs will be a great pickup for the casual music enthusiast, but those who are serious will scoff at this stopgap in lieu of a real deck. Tuna Knobs are €9 and launch in November.