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#73521 - 11/17/01 06:38 PM The DJX-II Box - Hell Freezes Over again!
Anonymous
Unregistered


The Yamaha DJX-IIb (Box)

Once again I found my self pausing over this timid box with two CD's mounted to the top of it. I have heard over and over again from musicians that they would use the Yamaha DJX-IIb when "Hell freezes over"; well it did!


The DJX-II Box is the badest little baby for under $200.00. There has not been one time that I have been in the local Guitar Center Music Store that this little baby wasn't being tweeked and twirled for hours. People waiting in line to have a shot at scratching up a storm.

In my opinion, musician is going to find a better tool to add some excellent scratches into their overall mix.

Yes, there are some great audio tools for the computers and even keyboards that attempt to produce scratches, but the problem is they have become to common. I can't count how many times I have heard computer dj's use the same acid or other loops in their mix. It simply get's boring, no matter how great the rest of the mix is.

The DJX-II box on the other hand, has lots of loops for scratching, and allows you to control all the variables, such as length, speed (bpm), style, effects, etc. of the scratch; all through it's mini turntable set-up.

During my most recent visit, I once again found myself spending more time on the DJX-II box over the Korg, Roland, or Yamaha rythym stations. Yes they are higher end, have more options and modifications, etc. But at the same time, they also require studying the manual to effectively use them, and they cost double or tripple the cost of the DJX-IIb.

The DJX-II B is simply a blast to play with. It's one of the most user friendly instruments on the market. Anyone can jam up a tune!

So where does it fit into the professional musicians set-up? It depends! I think it would fit nicely on a stand directly to the right of a keyboard set-up where it is easily accessible. Perhaps midi'ed to another keyboard, but not necessary. This box has a lot of potential even if you simply use it for it's internal patterns.

I don't have one yet, though I have worked out on them numerous times, evaluated them, and reviewed them. It's on my list of gear for next year.

Those musicians who think that the price tag determines the quality of the instrument should probably avoid it. Heck, if you have tons of cash to spend, buy the most expensive gear on the market! But, those of you who are into music, sound, and creativity simply to produce quality, new, and original music should check it out!

If your an experimental musican from the 1980's world, like myself then get one. Remember the days of Thomas Dolby, Devo, and Herbie Hancock type musicians who used to place pezzo buzzers and triggers under trash cans and trash can lids in order to get original experimental sounds and styles? I bet they would love it!


I look forward to any pro or con feedback, experiences, or user advice that anyone wants to add!



Sincerely,
dj_white_rice
Official DJX Users Group http://www.geocities.com/dj_white_rice/

[This message has been edited by dj_white_rice (edited 11-17-2001).]

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#73522 - 11/18/01 06:05 AM Re: The DJX-II Box - Hell Freezes Over again!
splatastic Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 11/10/01
Posts: 17
Hey White_Rice, check out my reply to the "Dead Dog" thread to see what I think of 'the box'!
As a DJXII-B owner, I can say it rocks. I've just gotten to the point where I can make my own patterns in MIDI, export them to the II-B, and play them back. That is a great feature. Unlike alot of cheaper (or sometimes more expensive) keyboards, you CAN make your own patterns (or rythyms, whatever you want to call them), and play them back. It also works as a MIDI tone module. Although it's not truely 'GM', it does have alot of great sounds.
How I use it in my setup:
Computer
DJXII-B
Roland S-10
Yamaha SU200 (soon to be replaced by BOSS SP-303).
I make patterns on the computer, send'em to the DJXII-B. Then, I fire up Cakewalk and record the DJXII-B as audio tracks. I use the SU200 right now to trigger samples (some of which I lifted from the II-B). I also use the S-10 (via MIDI) to play thru the II-B and record that as audio into Cakewalk.
You're right on with the scratch pad. True, there are some 'canned' WAV's you could drop in your mix, but the DJXII-B lets you do it live. It's really cool when your band's playing a cover tune that needs a scratch, and BAM! your right there with the DJXII-B, alot cheaper than getting a real DJ setup (DJ's no offense, believe me, one day I'd like to have the bucks to get 2 SL1200's & a coffin).
The effects are really nice, I think. And they are controllable via MIDI. So, get a DJXII-B, a $199 controller and viola! A pretty nice sounding setup, with more potential than most inexpensive keyboards.

Like white_rice said, "those of you who are into music, sound, and creativity simply to produce quality, new, and original music should check it out!" And I agree.
The only downside: I think the DJXII 'keyboard' is giving 'the box' a bad rap (no pun intended).

Luckly, there are alot of great sites like www.geocities.com/dj_white_rice , some Yahoo groups, and this place that have info on the DJX. I think I'll start hanging around those places in case people are looking for info on the DJXII-B.
The Yamaha DJXII-B. The "original" X Box!!

Later,
DJ Billabong

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