It’s safe to say that the line between DJ and producer has long since been swept onto the dancefloor.
The DJ booth is now a live creative control studio, where the DJ has the ability to not just mix and manipulate tracks, but also to create totally new remixes on the fly. Of course, this all depends on the ability of the DJ, and more so, on the equipment that is available to them. Well, AlphaTheta have put a lot of focus into this concept with their new DJ controller, allowing the DJ to become the musician, producer and the drummer. Yes, the drummer. Those of you obsessed with beats and grooves, will be keen to get your hands on this. The DDJ-GRV6 is their latest controller, which smashes together the DJ console, drum machine and recording system all into one exciting unit.
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So, let’s take a quick look at the layout of the unit, before we get stuck into the real fun stuff. On the surface, the DDJ-GRV6 looks to be a fairly well appointed, professional DJ console. And that’s because it is! There’s two full sized jog wheels that offer LED display of track position, a four-channel mixer offering 3-band EQ on each channel, and a host of performance pads above each wheel. This creates a solid foundation for building a mix, in a layout that is based on the latest club-standard DJ gear.
Rekordbox
The DDJ-GRV6 also comes with the inclusion of Beat FX, taken from the DJM-A9, and conveniently located down the side of the mixer section, like an additional channel strip. You get easy track browsing with the Smart Rotary Selector and the fast load buttons. Further to that, AlphaTheta have included a Discover button that calls up the Track Suggestion feature in Rekordbox software to bring up related and favourite tracks.
The key feature that is going to get a lot of DJs wanting to drive the DDJ-GRV6, however, is found at the top section of the panel, above the performance pads for each deck. This is where you find the Groove Circuit controls which turn your DJ console into a live production rig for on-the-fly replacement and creation of drum parts. In a way, this reminds me of the groove boxes that took live electronic music to new levels in the late 90s, and is set to change the way in which DJs interact with their choice of tracks. The four parts to this Groove Circuit offer a host of opportunities with the drum parts in your tracks, so let’s look at each individually.
Serato DJ Pro
Firstly, the Drum Swap feature allows you to replace the drum loop in a track at the press of a button. Yes, you read that correctly. You now have the ability to swap out the drum loop with another of your choice, with two banks per deck and a Single or Multi option to create a breakdown or fill in a track. AlphaTheta offer 40 drum loops that can be downloaded right away to get you started, but you can create your own in the studio and load them into Rekordbox or Serato DJ Pro to be added into the track of your choice.
Next is the Drum Roll section that allows you to add drum rolls and Trans effects to drum parts at the press of a button. You can work across the four Trans buttons to build up the effect and create atmosphere at any point in a track. This works side by side with the Drum Swap, enabling you to change the sound and structure of a track on the fly. As you move across the Trans buttons, the number of beats is doubled with each step, allowing you to go back and forth to create your own beats.
The Drum Release feature is controlled by a toggle that allows you to create breakdown effects, pulling the drums out and dropping them back in depending on the timing and length of the action on the toggle. Think of it like a Mute switch, which engages an effect as it transitions into the muted stage, which can be played much like a crossfader would be to make the effects dance in time with the track.
Then there is the Drum Capture feature that will be popular with those who like to chop up their track like one would with a sample and hold function. However, it only captures the drum section of a track. Engaging the Drum Capture for the desired section of a track allows you to load that drum part into one of the banks in the Drum Swap section to be recalled as you please. So, you don’t even need to worry about loading up drum loops for a performance, when you can pull them directly from one track, and drop them into another. I know this would have been a gamechanger when I was DJing in the drum and bass clubs of the 90s. Imagine, how many times you could replace an Amen break with a different Amen break. The possibilities would have been endless!
But wait, it gets even better when you’re using Serato DJ Pro and making use of the Stems FX feature. All these Groove Circuit controls can be switched over to allow you greater freedom with separate Stems in a track. You can drop on and out with Vocal, Melody, Bass, and Drums. There’s an overlay sheet included with the DDJ-GRV6 that relabels this section, so you know exactly what’s going on in this mode.
The long and the short of it is, the DJ is no longer expected to just mix one track into another. With the tools at hand, they can mix, remix and create new tracks on the fly. With that, AlphaTheta have delivered a seriously powerful piece of kit in the DDJ-GRV6. If you want to take your DJ set to the next level, this is going to get you there.
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