THE BEST Dj

Available 5/2010: Korg’s Monotron is a pocketable Analogue Ribbon Synth that runs on two AAA batteries yet is a fully featured with VCO, VCF, and LFO controls and a ribbon keyboard.

Pioneer’s DJM-2000 is a professional mixer with an industry-first 5.8″ color multi-touch screen which allows for virtual assignable triggers and faders; it’ll be available for $3k June 2010.

Available late 2010, Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 is a synth, sampler, and controller all-in-one with FM radio, accelerometer, AMOLED display, scissor switch keys, and aluminum unibody.

Workwear maker Carhartt teams up with Vestax for a special edition Handy Trax; the portable turntable includes a dynamic balanced tone arm, built-in speaker, and tough plastic casing.

The Beat Thang Machine is a fully mobile music production system, able to go 6 hours on a charge; it features a 3.5″ LC, 3,000+ sounds, onboard sampling/resampling, and USB in/out.

Minimalist but by no means musically impaired, Thomas Mascall’s Touchtable concept is 1/8 the size of a DJ setup; the turntable can create sample loops, cue points, and wireless battles.

Designed for MP3 mixing, the Touch DJ is a serious DJ app that features visual mixing and split mode; it won’t work with iTunes, but a free desktop app is included to load tracks.

Shure’s first cans for professional DJs, their SRH750DJ headphones boast a closed back design, padded ear cups that swivel 90 degrees, 50mm drivers, and a 10 ft. coiled cable.

Let the fur-lined hunting caps fly: this intro video for DJ Hero takes the classic DJ battle to epic heights, with collapsing overpasses, out of control semis and hordes of breakdancers.

Available 11/09, Pioneer’s CDJ-2000 is a multi-format digital turntable that can be linked with up to 4 other units; it also packs a 6.1″ LCD, needle search pad and jog dial.

Available in Diesel retail stores, this Turntable Bedding lets DJs mix it up in the bedroom with record player shams and a wicked blanket plastered with knobs, sliders and cables.

It looks plain outside, but QWSTION’s DJ Pack is packed like a Matryoshka doll with two sleeves for a 17″ laptop and mixer, space for 50 records, a 160 CD wallet and a headphone bag.

DJ Hero Renegade Edition is pricey, but intriguing: you’ll get a black/gold premium controller, a case that turns into a DJ stand, and a 2-CD pack with unreleased Jay-Z/Eminem tracks.

Numark’s new NDX400 CD turntable is portable and rugged, with skip protection tech, a slot-loading CD/MP3 CD drive, USB flash drive access and vinyl-style startup and stopping.

Bomb-proof claims for Mono’s 365 DJ Pack sound like marketing hype gone wild, but it does sport a military-spec and waterproof case, steel riveted handles and room for a 17″ laptop.

Adidas and Def Jam celebrate their respective birthdays (60 for the triple stripes, 25 for the recording studio) with this special edition DJ Bag decked out with logos; it’ll hold up to 30 LPs.

Livid’s Ohm64 Controller takes an open approach to mixing, with an open source editor and patches; made in Austin, TX, it’ll work over USB or MIDI and sports a 64 button clip bank.

Renowned for their real DJ accessories, Numark’s Scratch Deck targets gamers with both PS3 and Xbox 360 flavors; it sports a touch sensitive turntable and 5 Akai-style drum pads.

With three LCD monitors, four subwoofers, three tweeters and an 1100W amplifier crammed into a piano, Gardner Post’s Baby Grand Master may be a bastard, but it’s a sexy bastard.

Best known for their graphic tablets, Wacom’s Nextbeat is packed with touch sensors and designed for DJs; it features a detachable wireless control unit, letting performers roam free.

Eks’ Otus DJ Controller emphasizes usability, with features such as a 7.5″ high res jog wheel, user assignable controls, two swappable virtual decks, four jog wheels and a touchpad.