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Sony Turns PlayStation 2 Into DJbox

Posted by simoniker on from the scccratch dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Sony Japan has put some more info about its PlayStation 2 DJ mixing software DJbox onto the official site. Check out the three 'Movie' links at the bottom of the page for video of the software in action - there are a few screenshots on other Japanese sites. The software, which allows you to mix and scratch music on your PS2, is released on July 29th as both a standalone PS2 title, as well as a special Premium Kit version including the PlayStation 2 'BB Unit' (hard drive), which is required to save DJbox creations." There's no word on a Western release yet, but this looks like a neat piece of software.

14 comments

  1. Competition? by scumbucket · · Score: 1

    Will this give Garage Band some competition in the 'home music making/mixing' software department?

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    1. Re:Competition? by suyashs · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Unlikely, since they arn't really in the same genre. Garageband is more of a loop based software while this is a true mixer, garageband doesn't even accept CD audio natively and really isn't designed for this stuff...

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  2. Long Way From Displacing vinyl by szyzyg · · Score: 1
    The PS2 controller is a fantastic interface for controlling video games, the Turntable and mixer is the parfect interface for DJ'ing - this is nothing more than a novelty.


    But then again, novelty can make for interesting events. Someone always finds a way to make things more than what they were intended to be.

  3. Yeah by Pluvius · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This will probably be as awesome as Kris Kross Make My Video.

    Rob

    1. Re:Yeah by sH4RD · · Score: 1

      What are you kidding? Nothing can beat that game...hehe.

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  4. Doesn't exactly require the "BB Unit" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    DJ Box doesn't require the BB Unit aka the PS2 hard drive to play the game. It does require it to save the works that you make. Of course, if you have this game you probably want to save what you mix.

    1. Re:Doesn't exactly require the "BB Unit" by simoniker · · Score: 1

      Thanks, article amended to clarify that.

  5. Too bad by piznut · · Score: 3, Interesting
    It's a shame this wasn't designed as anything more than a toy. The features, from what I gather in the software seem to be pretty powerful. It appears to display the beat count graphically where each notch is a beat, and the distance between each notch is a nice heads up indicator of the tempo of the song. Pretty neat concept. It's not the first time it has been done, but it is definately a great way to "See" what you are hearing.

    If they could incorporate some sort of Final Scratch type interface, or even a custom controller (think mixer and 2 turntables) I could seriously consider buying it for use as rig for mixing mp3s. Pop the PS2, the nonexistant custom controller and a small LCD into a mobile rack and you could have a kick ass platform for mobile mixing of digital audio files.

  6. DJing for noobs by ALeavitt · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Maybe I'm an elitist, but I don't see this as that great a thing. Scratching with vinyl is hard and someone who is good at it is really impressive, especially live. I view turntables as an instrument, and DJs as musicians. I hope that I never have the misfortune of seeing a "DJ" use one of these live - to me, it would be akin to an orchestra sitting on stage and playing a CD (or, to use a less extreme example, a popular singer lip-synching... wait, that happens all the time.) Anyway, my point is that this may be an excellent game or toy, but it isn't the real thing, and won't turn the masses into DJs.

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    1. Re:DJing for noobs by bugbread · · Score: 1

      Yes, you are indeed an elitist.

      DJing blindfolded with DAT tapes is incredibly hard, and someone who is good at it is really impressive. So what?

      DJs don't DJ because it's hard. They DJ because they like music, they like mixing, they like creating flow, etc. They've been stuck with crappy tools, that make their jobs hard. That is not a merit, it is an unfortunate condition, and any rectification of it will result in DJs who are more concerned with quality results than just technical proficiency, and DJs who are not stymied by their own equipment.

      But that's the way it is with fields that invite elitism. Vinyl DJs made fun of CD DJs, CD DJs made fun of PC DJs, and now PC DJs will have someone else to kick.

    2. Re:DJing for noobs by bugbread · · Score: 1

      That said...

      As a Traktor user, I find it implausible/impossible that this DJing product will provide very good results, based on the fact that the standard PS2 controller doesn't have nearly enough inputs.

      With Traktor, the frequently used controls (not an exhaustive list) include (for left deck alone):

      Deck A start
      Deck A BPM synch
      Crossfader
      Deck cut left (switch crossfader immediately to left)
      Deck A monitor
      Deck A gain
      Loop in
      Loop out
      Skip forward X beats
      Kill high
      Kill middle
      Kill low
      Pitch up
      Pitch down

      Plus a slew of other controls (filters, eqs, etc.). Even if the PS2 controller uses a "switch deck control" button to allow control of deck A and deck B using the same buttons, you've got a dearth of buttons available. I just can't see deceont results coming out of the PS2 without a dedicated controller.

      Also, presumably, you'd have to use some sort of surround sound system in order to allow monitoring of a deck while the other deck is playing to the main sound-system.

      Altogether, it seems like you'd need quite a complex setup for everything to work well enough to provide "real" results. In that case, Traktor provides far superior results, with an accordingly large increase in cost.

      So while this PS2 solution allows more bedroom DJs and dabblers, I seriously don't think you'll have to worry about seeing your club invaded by DJs with a PS2 under their arm. You're far more likely to see someone bring in their laptop.

    3. Re:DJing for noobs by Sinistar2k · · Score: 1

      It's interesting that you would see this as some sort of threat to the art of the DJ.

      I see it as no more than a PS2 sample mixer with a few more bells and whistles than old titles like NewBeat Trancemission and Mixman Studio. Both had an emphasis on live play, since their initial releases didn't do much for the ability to save and edit creations. But both were toys.

      And so is DJBox.

      To me, it looks like a fun distraction for a while. I've always been envious of DJs, but I don't have the time or the money to invest in becoming good at it. So if I can spend $40 and be able to 'play DJ', then that's sufficient for me. Later on, I can go and listen to somebody who has some *real* talent and who knows what they're doing.

      It isn't as though DDR has driven me to try out for Stomp.

  7. I wonder... by sbszine · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I wouldn't be surprised if this thing does some sneaky quantising behind the scenes to make mixing easier for the average punter.

    The accepted wisdom is that it takes about nine months to learn the basics of mixing vinyl, and I would imagine even longer for CDs or mp3s as you don't have the record grooves to give you cues as to track structure.

    Learning to beatmix can be frustrating, and doesn't sit well with the pick-up-and-play ethos of console gaming. So my guess is that the Sony thingo does some spectrum analysis on the two sound files and nudges the beats into synch to make it easier. (Some CD players already do this, and some can even mix the tracks themselves in a rudimentary fashion... have a look at the Pioneer CMX-5000).

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