Ion's Discover DJ: Monetary Factors For Getting Into DJ-ing No Longer Exist!
Monday, November 30, 2009 at 10:29PM 
Four or five years ago, when CD’s and MP3’s were just starting to wrangle the vast majority of DJ’s away from their precious vinyl, many would have shuttered at the idea of a fully functional DJ interface and music management system for less than a hundred dollars. Since then, I have not only been amazed at the emergence of technology such as Ion’s Discover DJ which has made this possible, but am equally impressed with the changes in attitudes from many DJ’s who have come to embrace them.
Now I’m not saying for a second that something like the Discover DJ system, released last month with a low price tag of $99, will necessarily be well suited to a standard club setting. With only a 2-band EQ on the mixer, very basic effects, and sound quality output that has yet to be proven, most professional DJ’s aren’t going to turn a cheek at this.
However for someone who is looking to getting into DJ-ing now is a better time than ever before to get into hobby or even wedding DJ-ing without breaking the bank. The software package will allow DJ’s to manage their digital assets, along with a sleek tactile interface (I mean, who doesn’t like spinning the wheels of plastic?) For $99 there ARE some nice features on this, such as a looper, pitch bend, the software GUI looks solid, and the ability to record your mixes.
I think it’s great that this technology has made it easier than ever before to become a DJ based on the price of entry point. Yes, it makes the competition far more intense due to the quantity of jocks, however this should encourage creativity and force those that want to be serious about it to invest time in looking for good music. Those who change their mind? Well, at least they didn’t spend a fortune like they would’ve 10 or even 5 years ago.
Like it or not, there is no longer an “industry standard” interface when it comes to DJ-ing. Obviously this has made things a little more difficult for promoters and sound technicians as many DJ’s will demand something a bit different than the next man/woman. However as all these different interfaces are starting to peacefully co-exist with one another, it has allowed people to focus on what is most important: the MUSIC.
What’s your take on this? Do you think it makes more sense for an entry level DJ to start out with a less expensive system like the Discover and use the leftover cash for MP3’s, or should they invest straightaway on a higher end system like a Pioneer CDJ-1000 or Technics 1200 setup, as these are what you will still see most often set up in clubs?
Reader Comments (4)
I totally agree that lowering the cost of entry in terms of not only dollars, but time (learning the technical skills necessary to operate turntables/cdjs) should allow novice djs to focus more quickly on track selection and learning how to blend tracks together smoothly. Some may disagree with me, but when I'm listening to a recorded dj set on my headphones or a live dj set in the club, it doesn't really matter to me what kind of gear the dj is using as long as they know how to use it and the sound quality is good. Beat matching ability won't get me moving if the tracks aren't hot.
Also, it seem to me that the use of higher end digital dj equipment (a.k.a. laptops in conjunction with audio interfaces) shouldn't really put that much extra burden on sound technicians. The cables are all the same. I might be missing something though.
Good points. No form of dj technology, no matter how affordable or advanced it has become, is going to substitute for knowledge of the music and all the other expectations that patrons expect out of a performing artist. Like you, I also think it's allowed people to focus less on having to save up to buy the more expensive gear, that way they have far more time to focus on building a library, how to build a set, beatmatching, mixing in key, etc.
A bad DJ is probably going to be bad no matter what medium they use- much like someone who isn't an artist is probably going to be a bad painter no matter what technology the use as well. (The first thing I think of when I look at a bad painting isn't "boy what a shitty quality paintbrush he used to make this!")
I probably went a little off tangent on the promoter-laptop box thing; for the most part things generally run smooth with different laptop setups- nowadays it seems like they will have just one serato box & laptop set up, and the DJ's bring in their tracks on a jump drive. Horror stories are told on the message boards both from the promoters and DJ's perspectives...however that's kind of a mute point as I've seen turntables, needles, and CDJ's go postal plenty of times at parties!
hi
this looks fun i use to dj and am traverling and want to mix still. does this system have an head phone option so you can mix by ear the o.g way ?? some tell please .i have been looking and cannot seem to find anything on this.. any suggestions on any other systems with a similar sized jog wheel
thanks
Good question Luke. It looks like the Discover DJ does NOT have an audio interface, it's only a control surface. To be able to switch between listening to the channels you have cued and the master output you will need an external sound card such as Native Instrument's Audio 2. You can use the Audio 2 as a headphone monitor for the Ion/Mixvibes software running on your laptop.
Without an external card it I think you would only be able to monitor the master channel- although if there are DJ's out there who aren't mixing are only playing one song after the next, they might not even need a cueing system if they're certain that the volume levels of the music in their library are pretty consistent.
The good thing about getting the Audio 2 is that if you wanted to get serious about DJ-ing you could easily upgrade to Traktor, which also requires the Audio 2 and uses it as it's standard audio interface.