NAMM DAY 2: Behringer Blasts OFF!

DJ controllers are hot, no, scorching right now. Every year the tech improves; their features, capabilities, and tricks improving by leaps and bounds. Yet, already one can notice a lot of similarity among the different manufactures; similar form factors, same standard button offerings, and all utilizing more or less the same software. Understandable, of course, the form factor and buttons are standard for a reason, it’s what a DJ needs. And the software, well, it aint easy creating great software, so utilizing the best ones is key. Still, there has to be something new out there right?

What if you broke everything up, abolished the form factor we’ve quickly grown accustomed to and let the DJ put together a set up based on his or her own style and needs? Well, it seems Behringer, the relatively young German audio company (they were founded in 1989), has been thinking the same thing and I think this is what they are doing with their new family of controllers. And it’s just the right amount of different needed!

Behringer has in it’s short history more than established itself as a great company with great products. We love their console mixers, and they have plenty of other great gear such as guitars, amps, USB/Midi controllers, speakers, and more, but their DJ offerings at this years NAMM is what we are particularly interested in the most, and telling from what they have unveiled, it seems we have a lot to be excited about!

Behringer’s new CMD controller series is a module based system consisting of seven different controllers, each offering different features, and many which you can use as stand alone devices or add to your own system, or mix and match to create an all-Behringer super set up!Let me introduce you!

BEHRINGER’S 2012 ALL-STAR LINE-UP

The CMD MM-1 is a standard 4 channel mixer, nothing that will make your knees weak here, unless you find a way to utilize the built in multi TT 4-port 2.0 USB hub! I for one never have enough USB hubs, so this is a big deal, and yet, it’s just the beginning.

The PL-1 is a single platter controller with a 4 inch touch sensitive platter, 8 encoders and cue points, full control over multiple effects, and more. But get this, this small one platter deck, is really 4 decks! Yes, with the click of a switch you have four virtual decks at your disposal in a box the size of a shoe box!

Next, there is the LC-1 a clip based controller with 32 trigger buttons and 4-color LED backlighting among a host of other goodies that you can map for use with Ableton Live or many, probably any other production software!

Next up is the DV-1 a DVS-Based MIDI module. The bells and whistles here are sick: hotcues and effects, looping and samplings, dual effects, deck focus, transport control, and more.

The DC-1 is a drum pad module which you can use for launching cue points or as a drum machine for making beats! Backlit pads, 8 encoders and more, and of course, you can use it with your software of choice!

The CMD Studio 4A is a MIDI controller with all the bells and whistles you’d expect and more. This small and lightweight monster holds two 6” touch platters, 8 cue point buttons, 3-band EQ, EQ kill, FX assign, and a multitude of other goodies. Before you think there’s nothing new here, get this, it’s a 4 deck controller, not just two, and you can map it to work with Serato, Traktor, or any other DJ controller software; and when this small beast finally hits stores, it will be snatched up quick because they’re only going for $199!

Finally, there is the CMD Micro. This is the most compact, serious all-in-one controller yet. It doesn’t have an audio interface, but you can use your laptop or your iPhone or iPad! Of course, it comes with some decent features such as touch-sensitive platters, 45mm channel crossfader, pitch faders, and looks great with its backlit buttons!

None of these devices are on sale yet, but it looks like these offerings will really allow DJs to take full advantage of their DJ software of choice in ways many of the controllers out there don’t allow you to, unless you buy more expansive equipment. Behringer is changing all that. You can do just as much or more using just one device, such as the DV1 for example, or you could match it with a PL-1 and now you have more decks, more cue buttons to smash, more control over your effects, and who but the wizards at Behringer know what else, cuz like I said, these haven’t hit the market yet.

When these bad boys do hit the stores, expect them to move fast. Like mentioned earlier, the CMD Studio 4A is gong to go for $199, the CMD-MM-1, the CMD-PL-1, and the CMD-LC-1 will go for $149 and the CMD-DC-1 for $99 and the Micro for a mere $69! If you purchased one of each you’re still coming in way under what some of the top tier controllers go for and you’re getting so many features you’re going to have buttons left over to play with and map to your hearts content! Yeah, I think Behringer just changed the game!

Get more info on the CMD family of controllers direct from Behringer right here!

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