DanceCast Episode 53
Mike Charles in the mix, with some interesting house music on tap.
Enjoy!
Duration: 52:00
1. Sycamore Feeling [Gui Boratto Mix] / Trentemoller
2. Bad Seed (D-Nox and Beckers Remix) / Erphun Featuring Cari Golden
3. Stay Down [Popof Remix] / Moby
4. Fuckingham Palace [Nerk and Dirk Leyers Remix] / Alter Ego
5. Teaser [Deadmau5 remix version 2] / Cirez D
6. Responding To Dynamic / Umek
7. Circles Of Hell (Original Mix) / Umek
8. 32bits (Original Mix) / Tek DiLuxe
9. Pan Pan / Koen Groeneveld
This is a day I’ve been both looking forward to and dreading for a long time but knew would eventually come when I decided to set out on making my own music. Looks like today is the day. Below you’ll find two tracks I’ve decided to finally release out into the wild. I think you’ll find they might not exactly be what you would expect from me. Its not what i was expecting either, but its what ended up coming out and I went with.
Please give them a listen when you have a chance. Feedback and comments are welcome. If anyone is interested in a free promo copy of either track, email me and I’ll send you a high quality mp3 version.
Enjoy.
-Mike Charles
Equilibrium Concept by Mike_Charles
DanceCast Episode 52
In a departure from the usualy craziness that is Hindle, our DanceCast UK brings us “outside” a mix you might here at a festival on the other side of the pond. Be on the look out for “inside” next month., which I believe wil be the musical equivilent of an Alien Moose takeover. Do they have moose in England?
Duration: 54:51
1. Huskey Rescue – The Are Coming (Warrior One Remix)
2. Foals – Spanish Sahara (George Lenton Remix)
3. Totla T – Sky Surfing (Douster Remix)
4. Thunderheist – Drive In (Drop The Lime’s B-Live Remix)
5. Nas and Damian Marly – As We Enter (Foamo Remix)
6. Leni Ward – Opening Doors (Warrior One Remix)
7. RadioKillaZ – Forever
8. Rip Groove / Bang (Mike Hindle’s ‘Who Ate All The Bananas’ Edit)
9. Baobinga and I.D – Man Down
10. SHM – One (Pete Jordan Remix)
11. Dirty Super Car – Get A Grip (Maximillan Remix)
12. Teki Latex – Dinosaurs With Guns (Tambour Battant Remix)
13. Shazalakazoo – Riddle Of The Fiddle
14. Mark Ronson feat Q Tip and MNDR – Bang Bang Bang (SBTRKT Remix)
15. BYOB Vs J Majik and Wickaman – Save My Life (Linton Brown Dubstep Remix)
16. Kastle – Better Off Alone
Allen & Heath Xone 2D Review
This is an article I wrote 9 or 10 months ago, but was never used for its intended purpose. I’ve decided rather than let it go to waste, I’m going to post it here on my personal website.
About a year and a half ago I decided to switch from Scratch Live to an “all MIDI” setup based around Traktor. I had had enough of running wires all over the place, unplugging turntables during someone else’s set while holding my breath, and trying to tie into the mixers in the clubs and raves I was playing at. I wanted to simplify. This is when the Allen & Heath Xone 2D entered my life, and while this is technically a review of it, after using it in nightclubs all over the NorthEastern US for a year, you can file this one under “road tested.”
The Choice
When I made the leap from DVS to a computer based setup, I searched everywhere for a controller that would fit my needs. A big requirement of mine was fewer wires, and by extension, and easier way to tie into a club’s mixer and sound system. I also wanted something that didn’t have a large footprint and would easily fit into a DJ booth.
The A&H Xone 2D was a natural fit. Not only is it a MIDI controller from a company with a reputation for building rock-solid mixers, but it also had a built in soundcard. I immediately found my DJ set up simplified. One plug for power, a USB cable and then RCA cables to go to the channels on the mixer. It was also built to the same dimensions as a standard DJ mixer, so it sat very nicely next to it.
The Specs
The Xone 2D has 12 regular buttons, 4 ring lit buttons, 8 knobs, 4 sliders, 5 push button continuous rotary encoders, a cross fader, and a jog wheel. The jog wheel can be “clicked” up, down, left or right making the jog wheel a five-in-one controller assignable to five different parameters. The regular buttons are little on the small side and feel very basic. The ring lit buttons, on the other hand, are large and feel great. They are practically begging to be mashed. If your software supports MIDI output back to the Xone, you can use the ring lights as status indicators or whatever you decide needs lighting. The sliders have the A&H’s patented coverings that have an indented center for your finger. These are great for slow and precise slider movements, but if you are looking for sliders to grab and bang, you will be somewhat disappointed. However, they grow on you the more you use them. The knobs are very tight, and it might throw you off at first, but they too will grow on you. The encoders are smooth and pressing down on them feels natural. The knobs, encoders, and jog wheel are rubberized, so getting a decent grip will not be a problem.
There is a BPM section with a BPM counter. The only thing of note in this section is the push/pull lever. Its designed to send a temporary slow down or speed up of tempo message to your software. Its supposed to be used to sync your software to an external source, similar to how you would pinch the nub of a turntable platter to temporarily slow the tempo of a record. I’ve never found any use for it, and I wish that it was reassignable to another MIDI parameter, but unfortunately it is not.
There is also a monitoring section where you can plug in your headphones and monitor any of the 4 outputs. It works just like you would expect any mixer should. I use an external mixer with my 2D so i don’t use this very often, but it has come in handy from time to time.
At the time I purchased it, Traktor Pro was still in beta and I was using Traktor 3. A&H supplied a MIDI mapping for Traktor 3 and Ableton Live, but the company assumed you would only use two decks, and I wanted control over all four. Most of the 2D is set up in four rows of buttons, knobs, pots, and sliders, so I created a custom map using each row to control each of the four decks. No special considerations were necessary and midi mapping a Xone 2D is as easy as the software you are using makes it.
One thing I almost forgot to put in this review because it works so seamlessly is the soundcard portion of the Xone 2D. Its really as simple as selecting your audio outputs in your program of choice and pressing play. The 2D is capable of 96khz 24 bit audio, and sound quality has never been an issue for me. There are also digital and analog inputs [with a ground wire connection] for hooking up your CDJs or turntables.
On the road
For the last year, I’ve been using the Xone 2D as my primary controller at all my gigs. Since making the switch, I have found the amount time and energy I spend on setting up to play greatly reduced. All it takes is a power cord and a USB cable to connect to the laptop. Tying into a club’s mixer is as easy as running an RCA cable from one of its four outputs into the mixer’s line inputs.
As you’ve heard me talk about in my quest for headphones, durability is highly regarded in the book of Charles, and the Xone 2D does not disappoint. The casing is all metal and very sturdy. Its very clear that A&H built this controller to the same specifications as its mixers. It’s a rare and welcome addition in a market flooded with flimsy plastic. I feel pretty comfortable that if I were ever attacked by a rabid bear on the way to a gig, I could use the Xone 2D as a weapon, and still put on a good show later that night.
Because of its build to mixer-type specifications, the Xone:2D is on the large end of what is considered portable. It fits very nicely in my oversized DJ backpack, but don’t expect to put this unit along with cables, headphones and a laptop in a little knapsack.
The Xone:2D also has that intangible trust factor. When you are on the road, preforming in front crowds, having equipment that you know won’t let you down is worth its weight in gold. Every time I plug the 2D in, I know it is going to work exactly the way I expect it to.
Walter the Dog approves of the Xone 2D
There are a few draw backs, all of which are relatively minor. Before Traktor Pro 1.2 added additional effect slots to the fold, I felt that the Xone 2D had too many knobs. I have since found use for them all, using them to control TP’s 4 FX slots. I could definitely make use of a few more buttons, but that would have added to the size. My biggest complaint is that the BPM clock section can not be repurposed as midi controllers. The unit is also not bus powered, but hey, you can’t have everything.
Notes:
The Xone 2D pictured above is my personal one which is over a year old. Newer 2Ds come in back, as A&H has changed the color scheme of all Xone MIDI controllers to match the flagship Xone 4D. Also the 2D pictured has some custom stickers I created in Photoshop to display the parameters.
Do not, under any circumstances, leave your Xone:2D on top of a piece of a VJs lighting equipment while you tear down after a set and talk to girls. If this happens, your 2D could become blisteringly hot to the touch when you go to grab it. Of course, the Charles would never do such a thing, but rest assured that if this hypothetically were to occur, your Xone:2D would continue to work just fine despite the heat.
No bears were harmed by a Xone:2D in the making of this review.
If you tie your 2D into a club’s mixer before your set, be sure to inform the other DJs that it is not an extension of the mixer. Because the 2D looks so much like a mixer, on many occasions, I have seen DJs that shall remain nameless trying to use it during their sets.
Conclusions
If you are looking for a portable and durable all-in-one MIDI controller/soundcard you should seriously consider the Allen & Heath Xone:2D. It is built to last and with quality in mind. If you want to MIDI-fy your DJ set up, but love your traditional club mixer, this is what you’ve been looking for.
DanceCast Episode 51
Back on the lighter side of dance music, resident DJ Airty brings us his latest.
Duration: 77:33
Zoo Brazil – Late At Night (Tocadisco Remix-NoStop)
Armand Van Helden and A-Trak Presets Duck Sauce – Anyway (DJ DLG Remix)
Chocolate Puma – Back Home (feat. Colonel Red)
Stefan Gruenwald vs. Jerry Ripero feat Ela Wardi – Dont Go (Merlin Milles Remix)
Tommie Sunshine – 5am (A Girl Like You) (Black Noise Remix)
Housequake – People Are People (Nicky Romero Remix)
Adam K – Complicated (Vocal Mix)
Betty Bizarre – Emergency (Lissat and Voltaxx Remix)
Kelly Rowland feat David Guetta – Commander (Ralphi Rosario Club Remix)
Alex Barattini feat Wendy Lewis – Love Me (Outwave Project Remix)
Brew Ramson – Disco and Stilettos (Club Mix)
Pirupa and Pigi – Sweet Devil (Original Mix)
Paul Harris vs Eurythmics – I Want You (Max Sanna and Steve Pitron Mix)
Paul Van Dyk Feat Johnny Mcdaid – Home (Kaskade Remix)
D.O.N.S. feat Jerique – Groove On (D.O.N.S. Club Mix)
Vertical Smile – Just Hold On (Consoul Trainin Remix)
This is one of the saddest stories I’ve seen in a while, especially being a big dog lover. Apparently, several weeks ago, a Pompano Beach, FL family’s Pit Bull mutt slipped through the fence and got loose. Now I’m tired of all the stigma about Pit Bulls being dangerous. In fact, Pits are one of the best family dogs you can have. Any dog can be trained to be mean, but that’s not the point of this story…
After four days of searching the family dog, Chopper, turned up in an animal control online listing. The owners had not been contacted because the dog was not wearing a collar, nor was he microchipped. The mother immediately called animal control and was initially told the dog was in Ft. Lauderdale, too far of a drive to make it there before the shelter closed for the day. Confused as to why a Pompano dog was take to Ft. Lauderdale, she called back and was told the dog was actually at the Pompano shelter. That shelter was closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday morning she called the shelter to tell them she would pick up the dog later that day and after 5 minutes on hold she was the dog had already been euthanized.
Apparently, the county’s animal control was already under fire for euthanizing a microchipped cat, and only contacting the owners after putting the cat down. Animal control blamed the operator who the mother initially talked to for not contacting the Pompano shelter. They also blamed the mother for not explicitly stating she wanted the dog kept alive! Then they state the operator won’t even be reprimanded. Did the operating think the dog’s owner was just calling for the heck of it?
Should the dog have been wearing a collar with tags? Yes. Or at the very least it should have been chipped. However the family searched the dog out and made the effort to correct their mistake. Animal control, on the other hand, appears to be at the very least apathetic about killing a family pet despite the owners calling twice.
Click here for the original story.
DanceCast Episode 50
50 Episodes later and still going strong. For this episode, Mike Charles decided to just have some fun and see where it goes.
Enjoy!
Duration: 50:18
1. Purple [Freestylers Remix] / Crustation With Bronagh Slevin
2. I Need Your Lovin [Breaks Mix] / The Slag Brothers
3. Chain Reaction / DJ Icey
4. Spread Love [Massive Lust Mix] / Fight Club
5. No More Conversations [Mylo Remix] / Freeform Five
6. Unknown [Ricksick Mix] / Eric Laville and J.M. Sicky
7. Bomb the Blocks [Magik Johnson Mix] / Bassnectar
8. Have Natural / Phunk Investigation
9. Two Of Us / Supermayer
DanceCast Episode 49
DanceCast UK resident Mike Hindle open up summer with a new bass fest.
1. Style Of Eye – We Got You (King Unique Remix)
2. Udachi and Jubilee – Smoke Rings (Mike Hindle’s ‘UK’ Remix)
3. Dreadzone – Gangster (Trolly Snatcha Remix)
4. Radiokillaz and Mc Cobra – Killa Ouse
5. Jeuce – Flavour (Kanji Kinetic Remix)
6. Sonotech – Congo 96
7. Screama and Jay Robinson – Down (Rico Tubbs Remix)
8. Mele – Bombay (Heavyfeet Remix) (Mike Hindle’s ‘Lovebox’ Edit)
9. Perfect Looser – Bandit (The Unik and Tambour Battant Remix)
10. Sonotech – Bass Tropicali
11. Phraktol – Not Strictly Dubstep (Mike Hindle’s ‘Cali-Rise’ Remix)
12. Tribe Steppaz – Thug Sex (B.Ultra and Basic Remix)
13. A Dominant Species – Musical Bliss Kiss (Mike Hindle’s ‘Red Light’ Remix)
14. Reso and Vent – Ruble
15. Junkyard Productions – Sister Let Him Go (High Rankin Jungle Remix)
16. Sleigh Bells – Run The Heart (Bassnectar Remix)
17. 92 Eternal – The Feeling (Udachi Remix)
18. Proper Villains – Music Takes Me Up (Emynd Remix)
19. Yeah! Woho! – I Wanna Love u (Mike Hindle Remix)
20. Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip – Great Britain (Mumdance Remix)
DanceCast Episode 48
One of Long Island’s finest returns and even changes this up a little bit for us.
Duration: 78:50
Tracklisting currently unavailable
DanceCast Episode 47
Alex Misura, an old friend from up North, makes his first appearance on the DanceCast with his new mix Wet and Wild.
Duration: 47:56
DARREN BAILIE – SILENCE (MARC LIME and K BASTIAN CLUB EDIT)
MASON – EXCEEDER (FELGUK REMIX)
FATBOY SLIM – WEAPON OF CHOICE (LAZY RICH REMIX)
MARK TROPHY – A DEEPER LOVE PRIDE 2010
BREAKDOWN and DJ REZA – DROP IT
PARADISO GIRLS and LIL JON – PATRON TEQUILA (SOUND ACCESS REMIX)
TAIO CRUZ – NO OTHER ONE (IAN CAREY REMIX)
STEVE SMOOTH – SO HIGH (INPHINITY and KALENDR REMIX)
BENNY BENASSI – SATISFACTION (FUNK D REMIX)