eks "otus"...
eks "otus"... Posted on: 02.08.2008 by Matt Kane anyone tried it/knows how it feels? i could | |
| Gavin le Roux 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by djcl.ear
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| Paul Baron 30.04.2009 | Hahaha All that bla bla and didn't get to answer your question |
| Gavin le Roux 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by djcl.ear
|
| Paul Baron 30.04.2009 | Hahaha All that bla bla and didn't get to answer your question |
| Paul Baron 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by PIGLET
Digital Djs have the additional advantage to get up there -just before the power amps- without a single DAC conversion.
Originally Posted by PIGLET
Nowadays musicians playing live plug their lappies with their own soundcard and good DACs (RME is a very good brand actually) and it sounds much better than regular CDs, vinyl or files on the dancefloor. This is today. Tomorrow? First Djs and audiophiles, then consumers in general will have to switch their music files to a higher level... 'cause homes, clubs and parties' sound systems will begin to SHOW a big difference. Many Djs will have to buy their music all over again... guess who'll benefit from this. Smallish speakers like in headphones, PCs and common cars wont change that much... because being small they couldn't -ever actually- handle the whole freq range of CDs and therefore benefited big from MP3. But DJs??? we dont need to wait for tomorrow to be there, just do the switch and get a listen from most good sounding dancefloors. So high quality, hi def controllers like Otus are going to be needed Just my take threading these loose ends. |
| Gavin le Roux 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by djcl.ear
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| Gavin le Roux 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by Stumpy
It just looks so conventient dumping the Otus on a 1210 and pluging into the mixer and the laptop... |
| Ernie Stieglitz 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by PIGLET
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| Paul Baron 30.04.2009 | Hahaha All that bla bla and didn't get to answer your question |
| Paul Baron 30.04.2009 | About your points: 1- Yes Otus' Dacs are superb, everyday DACs keep coming better. Soon at the best Discos sound engineers will be very attentive to what you plug into the sound path, just because systems are getting to be (some already are |
| Gavin le Roux 30.04.2009 |
Originally Posted by djcl.ear
Yeah the digital outs are an interesting option. Personally my understanding is that there is little to no / even negative benefit from using digital outputs on the Otus...if you do: 1. Can we assume that the mixer digital to analogue conversion is any better than the Otus? I doubt it... 2. You miss out on the extra headroom gained (he he more puns) from using an analogue mixer. 3. Analogue EQs generally sound sweeter than digital EQs...and might impose some warmth on the overall digitally generated output of the digital Traktor/OTUS set-up....as well as the analogue signal path in an analogue mixer... I believe there are only advantages in running analogue outputs at the moment if you are using high quality converters in your soundcard...unless I am missing something...maybe what you say about the 'crossover stage'...? |
| Dj LsEx 25.06.2009 | i just picked one of these up... pretty much the best decision i've made. ever. it takes takes a lot of getting used to coming from a two deck controller; it literally gave me a headache after the first go 'round with it. but after i shifted my workflow and finally caught up to the machine, it's become the most fun and resourceful piece of gear i've ever used. i believe in another week i'll be comfortable enough to play it at the club. has anyone else using one of these been able to wrap their head around mapping it, particularly the LED feedback? it hasn't been difficult, but it hasn't really been easy either. i'm curious about how some other people have altered the factory mapping. i'm really big on loop triggering, moving, sizing, and visual LED feedback of such things, so pretty much all of my alterations were in these areas. i don't believe i can emphasize enough how happy i am with the otus. i really hope more companies have the charlies to step up to the plate against this thing. after using one for instant doubles, i can tell someone could be very dangerous with two of them. |
| Shay Wyche 13.06.2009 | Has anyone had any problems setting up the EKS Otus? I have bought a second hand one and I am only getting the left channel coming from one of the audio outputs. The other channel is working fine. I've tried just about all I can believe and I'm beginning to believe the unit may be faulty. I'm using Traktor 3 with it and I've been through the EKS site, followed all the instructions, but alas I can't get an output from the right hand speaker on the second deck output. Grrr. |
| Branden Kern 09.06.2009 | any news on the Otus Raw and if it will ever be released?? |
| Paul Baron 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by PIGLET
Digital Djs have the additional advantage to get up there -just before the power amps- without a single DAC conversion.
Originally Posted by PIGLET
Nowadays musicians playing live plug their lappies with their own soundcard and good DACs (RME is a very good brand actually) and it sounds much better than regular CDs, vinyl or files on the dancefloor. This is today. Tomorrow? First Djs and audiophiles, then consumers in general will have to switch their music files to a higher level... 'cause homes, clubs and parties' sound systems will begin to SHOW a big difference. Many Djs will have to buy their music all over again... guess who'll benefit from this. Smallish speakers like in headphones, PCs and common cars wont change that much... because being small they couldn't -ever actually- handle the whole freq range of CDs and therefore benefited big from MP3. But DJs??? we dont need to wait for tomorrow to be there, just do the switch and get a listen from most good sounding dancefloors. So high quality, hi def controllers like Otus are going to be needed Just my take threading these loose ends. |
| Gavin le Roux 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by djcl.ear
|
| Gavin le Roux 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by Stumpy
It just looks so conventient dumping the Otus on a 1210 and pluging into the mixer and the laptop... |
| Random X 01.05.2009 | Yeah, can't wait for that one to turn up! |
| Ernie Stieglitz 01.05.2009 |
Originally Posted by PIGLET
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| Paul Baron 30.04.2009 | Hahaha All that bla bla and didn't get to answer your question |
| Paul Baron 30.04.2009 | Piglet, Nice to talk this subject with some knowledge. Lets talk about best quality analogue. Do you remember Allen & Heat's audiophile V6 DJ mixer? Well it has superb good specs and sound, but done at the price of virtually no features, just 2 pots per channel, nothing else. The reason is that each switch, pot, filter, connector, cable, e-v-e-r-y-l-i-t-t-l-e-thingy inside, accumulatively smears the sound and adds distortion. Analogue hifi is achieved either the minimal way with just a few components made of gold ooor with an art of ear-selection of those required components that sound sweet and nice, and that also permits the gear to perform the task required. Digital, on the contrary, can be transported and mixed as many times as you like without degradation. The processes (DSP) like EQ, effects, etc can be done with good quality...or not. As you mention there is a big difference between badly implemented digital and good one. Fortunately each year, dig gets better and better. Initially digital was very arrogant and took decades for the techs to acknowledge the problems and to finally address them. Now we know that the final stage, the DACs (when dig is transformed to analogue), has been the main culprit. Every studio or quality sound system uses dedicated DACs costing thousands of dollars, but at 2009 middle ones are not expensive and very good sounding. That was about distortion. In terms of signal to noise ratio, which means the amount of noise each piece of gear adds. Just see the phono S/N specs everywhere, those go from 72 to 85 dB max, whereas in good digital gear , it stays above 100 dB. This dB number is the audio level from which the noise starts to be audible. In simple words; If a party runs around 120 dB, analoge gear will have 40 to 50 dB of noise coming together with the music whilst digital only 20 dB... Distortion and noise are not the whole picture. Many musicians, Djs dont want accuracy in their gear , they want euphony (call it musicality) and so add this and that in the amplification to obtain it or to filter out problems done at the recording, mastering or cause of bad quality files... I'd rather get musical sound at the actual music making level and get transparency on the DJ rig and sound system if possible. Off-topic yes, but too scarcely known |
| Gavin le Roux 30.04.2009 | ah thats interesting - I dont have much knowledge on club sound systems. It was my understanding that you have the analogue mixer that outputs a line level signal to the amplifier (which may contain EQ and limiter). Are you suggesting that the mixer outputs digital to the amplifiers? I can see how that would make a big impact if there was 30db less hum...but is that hum coming from the analogue DJ mixer or the turntables and amplifier? What I do have some experience is is in production, and despite many promises - it seems only the highest spec digital EQs and saturation algorithms produce anything actually pleasing. EG something Like the $150 URS Saturation plugin IMO is pretty average and doesnt really add that much compared against something high-end like the $3000 Cranesong HEDD. Similarly its true that analogue EQs have saturation that make the sound musical - but also musical filter curves and as a package it tends to produce a nicer result. Lesser digital EQs just sound unmusical - and thats what we are dealing with here - music. Its important - whilst easy to shrug off with the theory of digital process... I dont know enough about the aspects of club soundsystems to make a call whether the benefits of analogue components outweigh the negatives of things like hum...but I do know that unless you incorporate seriously high spec digital processing - the lesser digital EQs will sound unmusical. Ive DJed and cut my teeth on Digital EQs long enough to feel fairly strongly about it! |
| Paul Baron 30.04.2009 | About your points: 1- Yes Otus' Dacs are superb, everyday DACs keep coming better. Soon at the best Discos sound engineers will be very attentive to what you plug into the sound path, just because systems are getting to be (some already are |
| Gavin le Roux 30.04.2009 | oh dear really? Well the problem is with the Otus Raw is that its much more difficult to use in 2 deck mode because the physical slider can only be set for one deck at one time.... |
| WrthKDs . 30.04.2009 | Oops, caught the topic quite late I had a chance to play with the original Otus and the touch pitch-slider just didn't feel right. I hope I can get my hands on a Raw soon to test it out, it really seems like a nice piece of kit =) |
| Gavin le Roux 30.04.2009 |
Originally Posted by djcl.ear
Yeah the digital outs are an interesting option. Personally my understanding is that there is little to no / even negative benefit from using digital outputs on the Otus...if you do: 1. Can we assume that the mixer digital to analogue conversion is any better than the Otus? I doubt it... 2. You miss out on the extra headroom gained (he he more puns) from using an analogue mixer. 3. Analogue EQs generally sound sweeter than digital EQs...and might impose some warmth on the overall digitally generated output of the digital Traktor/OTUS set-up....as well as the analogue signal path in an analogue mixer... I believe there are only advantages in running analogue outputs at the moment if you are using high quality converters in your soundcard...unless I am missing something...maybe what you say about the 'crossover stage'...? |
| Paul Baron 30.04.2009 | Piglet, I agree with the use of Otus as a deck, just for the feel and control that one gets by using a good external DJ mixer. In this case Otus allows you to go either thru the good-quality Burr-Brown DAC for the analogue route using the RCAs outs... Ooor personally I'll like to team Otus with a Digital Dj mixer -connected digitally inputs+outputs- in order to push farther the Digital-to-Analogue sound conversion into the last stages, namely just before amplification at the Crossover level. Going this Digital route with Otus will require to use its SPDIF outs to get into the DJ mixer, if you want your audio signal go 100% unconverted clean digital... but then there are few Digital DJ mixers in existence that offer SPDIF channel inputs to plug the Otus to. Pioneer DJM-800 does have, but its -26 dB EQ limit, means no real EQ freq killing and so, disqualifies it for many of us DJs who choose Eq Kills. Only a couple of real 100% Digital DJ mixers have SPDIF inputs. I am believeing on Vestax PC-580 that fills the bill, but at US$2000 is very expensive and more so as an addition to Otus and a fast Laptop. Besides nowadays Digital DJ mixers tend to sport One or Double Firewire for digital input like EVO5 by Ecler and Korg Zeros. Not so expensive as PCM-580 but a dream as DJ mixers together with a Controller like Otus and a Lappy... Sadly Otus -used as double deck-, remains incompatible with these two... the 100% digital way. An incompatibility that would change if EKS adds Firewire as (optional?) output. |
| Gavin le Roux 29.04.2009 | back from the dead! One thing thats slightly turning me off about the Otus is not the pitch slider - I believe thats a good call for the 2 deck flip - but the 'touch' buttons. We all know the importance of a good feel of the platter/wheel so why suddenly put completely unresponsive buttons on the unit? I believe for the sake of being 'modern/hi tech'...I believe its good to have some feedback thru touch when at the club...a nice 'clunk' so you know you have started the track... One thing I particularly like about the OTUS (apart from good looks and allegedly good soundcard) is the fact that it fits on a deck. Often booths can be cramped and if you want to use a digital system you are relegated to a corner or less than optimal position...In this case IMO it would be best to use the OTUS on a deck and use the hardware mixer for the mixing - so you could free up the OTUS knobs for FX and other tasks...also means you have the advantage of extra hardware headroom on the levels and a proper set of faders... Hopefully they might install proper buttons instead of touch... |
| Ernie Stieglitz 03.04.2009 | A really, really crappy video about the OTUS RAW by Skratchworx. I'm not surprised that you can't see this video on their website. Doubt if it'll ever be there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4beVNRrYvw I'm not liking the pitch fader idea too much. They seem to have taken off some of the knobs too... :/ EDIT: It did get to the Skratchworx site with a little more information too: http://www.skratchworx.com/news3/comments.php?id=1193 Second row of knobs is missing, which I find really bothersome. As well as talking about releasing it in the fall 2009! I hope the price will be cheaper. |
| Amada Brierley 27.02.2009 | New review at musicradar here too: http://bit.ly/eksotus |
| Dotty Fadeley 26.02.2009 | Sorry if this was posted already but: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27nR9wvXGrQ DJ Mag review |
| Ernie Stieglitz 25.02.2009 | Based on what I've read it seems that the new version could have Ableton-based something as a third deck. |
| Natalie Ahlbrandt 24.02.2009 |
Originally Posted by Stumpy
1-use the SL1 box witch is a very bad audio soudcard. 2-open SSL to other soundcard but SSL is a free software so they gonna work for free!!!! i still using SSL for mixing but since i've bought a OTUS, i try different software and i decide to switch to Traktor pro. I really like SSL but if i want to use it ,i must use it with a big dongle (the SL1 box!!!) and i can use the audio output of the OTUS. For this case the situation is weird. |
| Random X 24.02.2009 |
Originally Posted by Stumpy
1.) Girlfriend and our daughter need to agree/ 2.) What type of business are you into. |
| Ernie Stieglitz 24.02.2009 | Nope. I'm working for a Finnish multinational (no, it's not Nokia). I might be interested in trading spots for a year or so if you are? EDIT: To make this less of a OT - update for MACs was published today |
| Random X 24.02.2009 | Hey Stumpy, you aren't working for a Japanese multinational by any chance? But RAW preview in April? WOW! Finally! |
| Ernie Stieglitz 24.02.2009 | Hump! EKS representative mentioned on a Finnish DJ community that the prototype for RAW is presented at Frankfurt Musikmesse in April, and that it comes with a sound card. What is more important is that I should receive my bonus the same month! This might help me make the decision whether to keep using Serato (which should have the update concerning Ableton in March), or to make the leap back to Traktor. |
| Ernie Stieglitz 19.02.2009 | EKS mentioned somewhere that they would first see the feedback on Otus and make possible changes if necessary before releasing the raw. No idea on the date, haven't heard anything so it's better for me not to guess anything. |
| Amada Brierley 19.02.2009 | any word on the release for the EKS Otus Raw? |
| Random X 15.02.2009 | I have played with it today, and it is a nice controller. Though in my eyes, it has a few flimsey points: - On the top of the controller you have the small jogdials, if you press and rub on the baseplate just beneath the jogdials, you will feel that there's no real base beneath the surface. (Probably has to deal with the fact that the prototype had pots there too?) Rub it hard enough and pots will even start to turn? - The Jogwheels that can become to insensitive (or you have to redo a mapping) - Paint rubs off too easily on LED lid buttons. One of the biggest moments was the following: Reind, owner of the AboutDJ community, decided to redo a control setting in the preset on spot. By doing this, he indeed change the original preset setting for that control, but completely whiped out the rest of the preset. (This was on a white macbook, OSX) Have made a small vid, just showing it in some looping action: [YOUTUBE=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuCmEgnQvgs]EKS Otus in action on the Music Alive Event 2009, Rotterdam[/YOUTUBE] Not the greatest quality vid, but hey it gets the job done. Thanks, cam in my phone. Also I was able to play a little with the Jazzmutant Lemur and Dexter, and I was not that impressed. To be honest, it has a cool multitouch screen and all, but to pay 2569 euros for that..? Not my thing. |
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