Stanton DJ to introduce SC System of digital controllers

At prolight + sound show 2008 in Frankfurt, Stanton DJ announced the launch of the SC System, an innovative set of digital controllers for the professional DJ. The Stanton SC System is comprised of the SCS.1d deck and the SCS.1m mixer; both advanced control surfaces that give the digital DJ a new level of performance ability and functionality, while preserving the familiar feel and layout of more traditional equipment. Due to increased portability of laptops, processing power, massive song storage, and rapid advances in DJ software, digital djs are becoming more prevalent than ever, and require dedicated, practical control surfaces that give them total control over their music and performance. Each component of the high- end system (mixer and deck) can be used standalone or together, allowing for multiple configurations, with clean lines drawn between the functions of each unit. This system boasts a premium feature set including built-in FireWire connections, a high-torque motorized platter with vinyl control disc, motorized faders, rotary encoders, and integration into DJ software with advanced two-way feedback. Stanton’s Product Director Jim Mazur commented, “In creating the SC system, we took a clean approach toward not designing a piece of equipment, but rather creating a physical palette of familiar and comfortable controls with expandability to allow the end user and software to grow as technology advances. While most musical instruments have been well defined and morphed throughout time, DJ gear is still evolving and we are all still searching for the culmination of functionality and interface to allow the artist to not feel confined by how others want them to use their gear. Computers have opened the door of creative opportunity for the artist, and at Stanton we want to continue to create the right gear to facilitate artistic expression through music.” The SC System was developed with an open software strategy in mind, and is compliant with any MIDI compatible DJ software on the market. In order to maximize the advanced performance capabilities provided by the controllers, Stanton is working closely with the developers of software programs toward enhanced control features and increased compatibility within the programs. Beginning with the 2008 Musikmesse in Frankfurt, and continuing through other international and regional events, Stanton showcases the controllers’ compatibility MixVibes, Ableton Live, Traktor, and Deckadance. Features include high-torque adjustable motorized platter with real vinyl, motorized pitch fader, velocity sensitive pads, LCD “scribble strips” for two-way communication with selected DJ software and LED backlit buttons, class-compliant MIDI and Audio. The SCS.1d Deck offers a tight grip over the DJ’s music through a high-torque 10” motorized platter, transport controls, navigation keys, rotary encoders, a motorized pitch slider, and a trigger section. Unlike the SCS.1m, the SCS.1d Deck does not offer any direct audio connectivity; all audio I/O remains at the mixer or external soundcard to reduce cabling. What the SCS.1d does offer is top of the line tracking and intuitive ergonomics, accented by a real 10” disc of vinyl for authentic feel. The SCS.1d features four virtual encoders each with LED rings and an alphanumeric display. The LED rings provide visual feedback for the current position of the knob providing instant positional feedback in low light environments and when switching between multiple presets. The alphanumeric displays indicate the name of the current function mapped to the encoder. All functions on the encoder can be instantly mapped to the motorized platter by using the “JOG” button below the encoder. SCS.1d features six control presets for the encoder rings allowing for a total of 24 knobs to be mapped to the deck control surface alone. Presets allow for multiple functions to be mapped to a set of controls. Each preset maintains its state so the controls are never “reset”. The pitch slider on the SCS.1d is not only 100mm long for smooth pitch adjustment. It is also motorized so the deck can remember several virtual decks’ fader positions. The motorized pitch slider can be automatically brought to perfect sync position when working with software that is able to communicate with the interface when doing a sync function. The trigger pads on the SCS1.d are velocity sensitive so they not only provide button press information but also velocity strength when the trigger is pressed. In this way samples can be triggered at different volumes based upon how hard the buttons are pressed with pressure sensitive interface messages. The SCS.1m Mixer Controller is an analogy in design to a traditional four channel dj mixer. It features channel strips equipped with Gain, Hi, Mid, Low, and Pan controls as well as up faders and a cross fader. The SCS.1m controller also has four encoders exactly like the SCS.1d. On the rear panel the SCS.1m has full audio connectivity for Dj software. The unit can connect to the mains via balanced connectors and has a microphone input and aux input that is phono / line switchable. Monitoring is achieved through the headphone outputs on the front panel. The SCS.1m also includes a footswitch input which allows the user to free up their hands while performing. The mixer acts as an audio interface for the SC System, and multiple channels of audio can be used with it. By utilizing the Firewire protocol the SCS.1m ensures low latency audio to and from the PC (1.5ms) and high sampling rates (up to 96KHz). The encoder strip is designed to match the similar encoder strip on the SCS.1d. In this way, there is a common user interface between performing with control presets on the mixer and the deck. With 4 presets per encoder knob, the SCS.1m allows for up to 12 knobs of control into the software. The SCS.1m allows for an auxiliary input to be run into the computer. This input is phono / line switchable so either a CD player or turntable can be run into the PC. The Stanton SC System will be available from summer 2008.