Friday, August 25, 2017

DENON DJ MCX8000



Imagine the situation — I’ve spent the weekend banging in A LOT of words about Denon DJ’s new MCX8000 über controller. The next day, WordPress gets an update which butts heads with scheduled database maintenance, and throws away every draft we have. No worries, back to the last backup because my host backs up every day right? Not the database it seems… bugger.
So I’ve been tied up with prior commitments up until this week, and I figure it’s time to revisit the review. It’s always quicker second time around, but I’ve decided to run an experiment. Allow me to explain.
Our reviews are full of opinion glued together with a hefty amount of prosaic verbiage. And as I started to hammer the key facts back into my keyboard, it struck me that what you gear hungry DJs want is the fluff-free bullet points. So this time around, that’s exactly what I’m going to give you, essentially a list of things I feel that are important to point out, free from excessive words that just get to the heart of the matter.
With this in mind, I urge you to acquaint yourself with the Denon product page, the manual, and any videos you can find. A review is our opinion, not a demo or walkthrough.

INTRODUCTION

Denon DJ is back. Well it never really went away, but inMusic has decided to put the brand firmly at the forefront of your mind again. They’re doing this by making Denon DJ their premium offering and putting out products that sit comfortably in that slot, and reflect the intended quality.
As an established Serato DJ partner, it makes sense to stick with tried and trusted option. But wait… there’s something different about this one… the word standalone is being bandied around, and Denon DJ’s old Engine software is being pitched as the way to do it. Intriguing and worrying at the same time, Engine 1.5 is an update that has stepped outside of the desktop and lets the MCX8000 run without a computer, reminiscent of Stanton’s SCS.4DJ.
So less of the words and straight into the aforementioned details.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE MCX8000

  • It’s a DNA blend of Serato, Denon DJ, Numark, and Pioneer DJ as well.
  • The random “drop controls where there is a space” design ethos of old Denon has gone. My finely tuned design principle approves of everything logically lining up.
  • It’s big, bigger than the Pioneer DJ DDJ-SX2 it’s pitched at. Actually it’s bigger than almost everything, but probably feels significantly so because it’s not deep.
  • The build is solid. Mostly metal, with bolted-on metal pots, and withstands a good shake and twist without rattle or creak. It doesn’t feel artificially heavy either, but I’m not about to pull this apart to see if “quality enhancement plates” are included.
  • I like the fully symmetrical layout. Pioneer’s pesky pitch in the middle of the controller bothers me. Symmetry pleases my hands as well as my aesthetic sense too.
  • All pads are rubber, all buttons are hard plastic, and the vast majority of knobs are rubberised.
  • The obvious comparison is with the Numark NV. But side by side, they’re chalk and cheese, that cheese most probably being a particularly fine vintage cheddar.
Summing up: The MCX8000 is a massive slab of controller that is a good reflection of the premium image it is aiming for. Despite my abject boredom with the Serato cookie cutter ID (they’re all looking the same despite coming from a range of companies), it feels great and sits well within its peers. And by well I mean slightly looking down upon them.

THE MIXER

  • 45mm faders, with line faders having stiffer tension. If the lines could have just stretched to 60mm…
  • Cross fader feels good and can (allegedly) be swapped for a mini Innofader.
  • No direct crossfader reverse, but crossfader assign does the same thing.
  • Hardware crossfader control for Engine, and software too for Serato DJ.
  • Channel faders get software reverse in Serato DJ.
  • Yay for headphone split cue.
  • Yay for channel meters.
  • EQ is odd — kill to 10dB on high and mid, but only to 6dB on bass. No wonder I found it lacking when trying to crank it. Otherwise sounds great.
  • Acts as a full analogue mixer, with only channels 3 and 4 having line/phono switch. Not a complaint, just worth mentioning. Who would ever run this with 4 turntables anyway?
  • The hardware effects work with all inputs.
  • Having booth out is cool enough, and two band EQ on it is even cooler.
  • Denon’s mobile massive will be happy with dual microphones, each with EQ and echo too, all independent of Engine and Serato DJ.
  • Cue button on/off light difference needs to be greater.
  • Yes, it sounds good. It’s Denon.
Summing up: Denon DJ has made enough mixers now to nail this section. And bar a few quirks, they do.

THE DECKS

  • Feels the same as every other Serato based deck out there. Serato’s grip is firm in this area.
  • The 5 inch touchable area jogs feel good, and spin backs feel fairly natural. But performance in Serato DJ is better than Engine — feels more accurate.
  • I like the LED light ring, and prefer the single LED being on rather than a fully illuminated ring with one LED off. This is a hardware feature so works for Engine or Serato DJ.
  • No amount of scribbles, spin backs, or endless fast cueing would make it drift in Engine or Serato DJ.
  • Why oh why is there only one shift button per deck? We don’t have fingers like ET so some shift operations are two handed.
  • The touch strip is handy, and it turns out what I thought to be a bug (can’t scrub in standalone but can in Serato DJ) is actually a feature.
Summing up: The Serato DJ experience is consistent across all of their controllers. The addition of the screen just means less laptop interaction.

WITH SERATO

  • Serato controllers are like PCs — same OS, but different hardware. It’s just that all the hardware is becoming very similar. It means you can walk up to any Serato DJ controller and dig in.
  • Screens aside (which are very Numark NV like), this is a classic Serato DJ controller experience. It’s even got a Flips button. But we’ve been here many times before — not covering it all again.
  • You get the pitch play feature, which is very cool indeed if you’re creatively minded. It needs the Pitch N Time expansion pack, but that comes with the MCX8000.
Summing up: If Serato DJ is your thing, the MCX8000 delivers a class leading experience. Everything is there, plus the Pitch Play feature too. Double thumbs up.

WITH ENGINE 1.5

  • Engine is a library manager, and not full DJ software. It makes plugging USBs into the MCX8000 much easier, but you can wing it with just a drive full of un-Engined music.
  • I had issues trying to get Engine to work with iTunes. Once we’d worked out that you must have the “Share iTunes Library XML with other applications” box checked, I ended up having to trash the libraries on my iMac and MBP and remake them to get it to read them. On one machine I can understand, but on both… I hope it’s teething troubles and not a theme.
    NOTE: Denon DJ assures me that this is an isolated incident — no other reports.
  • You can’t do any Engine magic directly to iTunes tracks. You must create playlists and import them first. The Engine magic happens only to tracks loaded into Engine directly.
  • Engine 1.5 can’t handle Stems files. Just an observation — not much else can either.
  • Because of the lack of beat grids in engine, Slicer is hit and miss. The BPM must be correct, and you have to hit the slice bang on beat.
  • Serato DJ import is supported and includes hot cues. It’s limited, and only works by dragging Serato DJ tracks into an Engine crate. It’s not a sync thing though. But it does work well on a basic level.
Summing up: As a library manager, Engine has the basics, enough for you to throw a USB device at the MCX8000 and work efficiently. It’s cool that it can also use your pre-hotcued Serato tracks too. And while it’s not without its problems, it’s a good first stab for managing your standalone MCX8000 experience.

ENGINE 1.5 VS SERATO DJ

One thing I’m not going to bullet point is that Engine only runs standalone mode for two channels only. For those looking to the MCX8000 as a way to leave the laptop at home, this is a big slab of controller to only get two channels. I can only hope that future updates of Engine change this, and that the PC switch can be used for Engine to make four channels, otherwise this is doomed to be a two channel standalone unit only.
Denon DJ did point out that there isn’t another 4 channel standalone unit on the market right now (which is correct), but it looks like a four channel controller, and the marketing doesn’t go out of its way to point out two channel only for standalone.
Other differences:
  • Engine only has one effect in play per deck from a choice of three in total.
  • Engine’s effects are pre-crossfader and post line fader, so echo gets shut off when you close the crossfader. Serato is all post fader on every fader.
  • On the plus side, Engine is much smoother on the screens than Serato.
Summing up: The DENON DJ MCX8000 is first a foremost an excellent Serato DJ controller. Engine is along for the ride, but certainly isn’t driving.

IN USE

  • While possible, running Serato DJ and Engine at the same time seems totally pointless (switchovers maybe). But should your laptop crash, it’s handy to know that Engine and a USB drive will bail you out. Denon DJ pointed out more traditional use of running turntables or CDJs into 3 and 4 and using digital decks on 1 and 2.
  • Pretty much any style of DJ can walk up to the MCX8000, plug their assorted DJ stuff into it (if there’s room left), and make noise. It really is a swiss army knife.
  • Using decks of any sort with the MCX8000 is weird. They’re just so far apart.
  • In Engine standalone mode, you only get an awkward one letter via a shift function search that only works on the first letter of the title, and there’s no sort either. So those with disorganised or large libraries might struggle with this. But we’ve always said that preparation is key.
  • If you’re buying this for the standalone performance, you’ll probably be disappointed.
  • But if you’re getting it as a Serato DJ controller, you really won’t disappointed at all. Not one bit.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

MIGHTY MULE MM360



1-piece single gate opener kit. Ideal for agricultural, farm, ranch, and residential applications. For single swing gates up to 16' long or 550 lb. Solar capable 1-piece low voltage system with the addition of a Mighty Mule solar panel. No electrician or welding required. Works on all types of gates: chain link, tube, ornamental, panel, wood, and vinyl. Features UL (Underwriter's Laboratories) approved exclusive dual sense technology which enhances gate operation safety. Provides additional safety and precaution without the need of secondary entrapment device, such as photo eye sensors. Requires (1) 12 volt 250 cold cranking amps deep cycle marine battery and weatherproof case (not included). Provides a maximum of 175 cycles per day. Provides up to 1500 battery back-up cycles in a fully charged battery. For gates that open into or away from the property. Rapid recovery charging system. Solar panel not included. Manufacturer recommends (1) 10W solar panel, Model No. FM123. Kit includes: MM360 gate operator, battery box with control board, single button remote, AC transformer, all required hardware, installation manual with interactive DVD. 12 month limited warranty.

MIGHTY MULE MM360 Includes:

One opener for single gate installations
D-I-Y Installation with Installation DVD
One entry transmitter
Installation hardware
10 ft. battery harness
Receiver
Installation manual
Plug-in transformer (included) additional Low-Voltage wire required # rb509 (not included)
2 Warning signs
12 Month Limited Warranty

Features + Benefits


Exclusive Dual Sense Technology meets UL325 6th edition standards for additional protection and safety
Opens single swing gates up to 16ft.L and up to 550 lbs.
Pushbutton remote allows you to open the gate without leaving the safety of your vehicle
Includes detailed instructions and installation DVD for easy do-it-yourself installation
Unlimited access to 24-hour technical support
Solar capable with the addition of optional Mighty Mule 5-watt (Item# 3467) or 10-watt (Item# 510726) solar panels (each sold separately)

Monday, March 6, 2017

Use These 8 Marketing Tools to Grow Your Startup 🚀


Oh, startup growth. It seems so many of us are looking for an ever-elusive formula for growing our user base cheaper, better, and faster. In the end, there’s no substitute for putting in the time each day to build your community and customer base meaningfully and sustainably. But, there are products that make the process easier (thank goodness). Here are eight that we love—created to help you scale your startup more quickly (and on a limited budget). We’ll take one of each, please!

1. Upcall

Create outbound call campaigns in less than 5 minutes.


Making outbound calls are perhaps one of the most time-consuming marketing/sales efforts you could possibly engage in. With Upcall, now it doesn’t have to be (woot!). All you have to do is choose the list of people you want to reach, and add any custom scripts/questions. Then, select from thousands of “Upcallers,” who are matched to suit the exact needs of your call campaign using factors like: language, geography, expertise, and more.

You can collaborate with and coach your callers directly, as well as analyze the results of your campaign in real-time. This is a highly scalable solution if outbound calls are part of your growth plan; you can call 100 or 1,000,000 people in just a few hours on a pay-per-use plan.

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Guest Post: Seiko Watches - Leading the Way With Seiko Coutura Watches and Seiko Sportura Watches



Nothing says elegance and style more than a Seiko watch. For years Seiko Watches have been known for crafting some of the finest watches in different themes and styles. Seiko watches can be found dominating the headlines in print ads, television commercials and magazines. Although there are quite a few Seiko watch series to consider, the top two series for used Seiko watches are undeniably the Seiko Coutura watches and Seiko Sportura series watches. Within these collections lies the best Seiko Watches has to offer.

The Seiko Coutura watches collection starts with an elegant base design and then goes from there. Some top models in the Seiko Coutura series display the traits of a great used Seiko watch. The Seiko Men's Brown Dial Two-Tone Bracelet watch is a big seller featuring a stainless steel two-tone band, brown face and gold-tone accents and crown. Although visually a beautiful watch the SGEB76 also features sapphire crystal, which is most scratch-resistant for longevity, a date calendar and a water resistance of 100 meters. Another top watch from the Seiko Coutura series is the Seiko Men's Coutura Alarm Chronograph watch. The SNA694 is highlighted by a gold-tone band and casing, with a charcoal dial to give a wonderful look to this well-crafted timepiece. Three subdials are also featured on the display making this watch another best-seller.

Seiko Sportura series gets it's inspiration from the Honda Racing Formula One Team and this fact can be obviously seen in the design of these watches. The Seiko Sportura Chronograph Honda Racing Team Limited Edition watch has subdials on the display mirrored after race car gauges and a black and red rubber strap. A true sports watch, the SNA749 has a chronograph that can measure up to sixty minutes in increments of 1/5 seconds. But the best of the best is certainly the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph Limited Edition timepiece. This very special watch comes with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by the CEO of Honda and used Seiko and features the most precise of movements. Using Seiko's Kinetic technology the SLQ023 is powered by the movement of your wrist and never requires a battery. Only 750 of these watches have been crafted.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

If I Was In Charge Of Marketing “Star Wars”


As a proven expert on marketing films that feature cute, highly merchandisable critters, I’m disappointed that no one from Disney asked me to do the same for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and its adorable droids.

Because for all the marketing surrounding the movie, I can still identify NUMEROUS opportunities for branding and promotion that have gone overlooked, probably to the detriment of box office revenues.


Now, I’ll give Disney’s marketing team credit for arranging a sparse handful of partnerships with Fiat Chrysler, General Mills, Campbell’s Soup, Kraft, Walmart, HP, Toys R Us, Duracell, Sphero, Lego, Unicef, Air Hogs, Monopoly, Coffee-Mate, Duck Tape, Cornhole sets, Covergirl, Subway, Verizon, Google, Target, EA Games, the NBA, Playstation 4, Ample Hills ice cream, ESPN, gummy vitamins, Kay Jewelers, a $28,500 Devon watch, Nerf, Furby, Pottery Barn Kids, American Tourister luggage, Waze navigation, and a number of books.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Selecting a Social Media Marketing Strategy Is Easy — Here’s How

I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately from people who are trying build their brands online via social media platforms.

By far, one of the most recurring questions is this:

“There are so many social media platforms out there, but which ones are the best for my particular business?”
If I were one of the thousand “guru’s” out there trying to take away your time and money, then I’d probably answer with something like, “There are a billion factors that go into this question, so I won’t be able to answer it adequately.”

Or maybe, “Well, I’d have to dig a little deeper into your business to truly see which social media platforms are the best for you.”

I’m here to tell you that that’s bullshit. 101% bullshit.