This awesome multi-touch light table DJ system is Gregory Kaufman’s Senior Degree Project for the Kansas City Art Institute.
In the video, Kaufman explains how his design works and how gestures are translated into DJing.
Unfortunately, though, it’s a design concept, not a product.
What do you think of Kaufman’s multi-touch light table DJ system? Do you think it’s workable?
Workable? perhaps…. I think the concept would be 1000x better with tactile feedback. Dunno why everyone always focuses on DJ equipment with touch screens these days. DJ's need physical instruments just as much as any other musician needs them. So how come we never see anyone doing a guitar on a touchpad? Because those instruments require tactile feedback to play well? Oh wait…
That was actually just this side of physically painful to watch. I don't claim to be any kind of turntable-frenzy master DJ, in fact my skill level when it comes to active mixing can be best described as something you would need to look for with an electron microscope, but even I see the horrible, horrible lack of sensible interface design for almost any level of DJ embodied in that touchscreen. The above commentor just touches on the obvious when pointing out that there is a complete lack of tactile feedback; I don't go so far as to absolutely demand that an interface have tactile feedback to be useful (a whole pile of iPad-based software interfaces for musical tools suggest otherwise) but I do suggest that if you're doing something from which you might look up in the dark, you very well might want some sort of tactile feedback when you engage an operator. One of the basic DJ feedback elements that this particular interface lacks in a very pointed way is the ability to know where in a track you're actually moving forward or backwards to. It's all very well and good to make a gesture vaguely reminiscent of moving a platter but given the horrible level of zoom on all of those waveform tracks, good luck getting to where you want to be any but the most gross sense.
But let's leave all that aside. Let's consider the actual logistics of what this guy is suggesting: "Hey, DJs have to carry a lot of gear around with them and they're responsible for all of it, so let's convince the clubs to invest at least $10,000 in a big flatscreen that's incredibly fragile along with some underlying computer system so that we can implement a laggy DJ interface and DJs will still have to bring their own MIDI interfaces, synthesizers, and turntables — not to mention their own mixers, etc. if they want to integrate with technologies that they can actually practice with an experience at home."
Yeah, that's going to go over swimmingly.
Good points – but it's still kind of cool.
I'm glad to see people trying out new things with DJ interfaces. it seems like he's still mimicking turntables, though. Why base a cutting edge interface on 100 audio technology?
The first two comments are totally unfounded. especially the second. I'm sorry, but you must be somewhat disabled. Its products like these that are going to revolutionize the club scene. Tactile feedback is not necessary for DJ'ing. Feedback from crowd? Yes. Interaction with crowd? Yes. Able to read" crown while using? Yes, if anything more so than traditional turntables. Those three things are the most valuable assets of a DJ. Anybody can play good music. It requires an artist to make good music into something great
great!, wish it was available NOW
what about beat matching?
Well, I guess that the idea of previewing a track before playing it is out the window here. That was one thing I noticed that was lacking from this demo. To think that he spent all that time coming up with hand gestures and no time thinking about the ability to cue kind of baffles me. The reason DJs don't sound like iPods is because of the cue. Edit that video. Or else, you'll never get a single DJ on board.
probably it will be expensive and not affordable for DJs. Dont forget , that DJs need to practise at home