mac.iLounge

Pioneer’s DDJ-ERGO ($699) isn’t the first DJ controller we’ve seen for the Mac, but it is one of the coolest—and serious DJs will likely see the asking price as money well spent. This board is built from the bottom up to complement your Mac in everything from its physical design to the integration with Algoriddim’s Djay 4; it features a dock to hold a MacBook inside. And of course, it has all the other features you’d expect from a good DJ controller, including MIDI compatibility and a straightforward USB-to-Mac connection for power.

For those that don’t want to use Djay, DDJ-ERGO comes packed with a copy of Virtual DJ LE, and the MIDI compatibility allows for integration with plenty of other hardware and software. While the two-channel mixer is loaded with the standard array of inputs and outputs, the coolest feature of the rig is the Pulse Control. Four different illuminations appear on the buttons and platters: Mix Pulse shows the difference in pitch between the two songs playing, Beat Pulse lights up the channel faders to the beat, Launch Pulse signifies a press of the track load button, and FX Pulse shows the effect currently being applied via movements on the jog wheel. After all, there are never enough pulsating lights at a good party, are there?