General
Pioneer/Alphatheta (what the public thinks of these names remains to be seen) is, of course, world-famous for its DJ equipment. And in fact, you can view all that DJ equipment as a kind of futuristic record player. That's the origin: the old vibe of vinyl players. Elsewhere in the world, manufacturers also invented new DJ methods, which are much more rooted in modern jargon: controllers (pad/MPC style). It's much more about making beats yourself! And AlphaTheta is now focusing on the latter, with the AlphaTheta SLAB controller for the Serato DJ software.
Features of the AlphaTheta SLAB
The SLAB is a sleek, business-like controller whose color scheme is reminiscent of the previously released ChordCat. So it seems that this will be AlphaTheta's look for this type of studio product. We feel that DJ's will know the Serato software by now, so we'll skip over that. This controller connects to your computer or laptop running Serato, giving you a convenient hands-on system at your fingertips, with backlit pads, encoders, a small display, and even a touch strip. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for a computer keyboard and mouse; with this SLAB, the actual beat-making is essentially done with this dedicated "instrument", which the SLAB essentially is.
A Versatile Controller with Expression
The pads are velocity-sensitive and offer aftertouch, which is great for expressiveness! It's also worth noting that the SLAB is essentially a USB/MIDI device, and could therefore work with other software as well - MIDI learn works wonders! In the upper left corner is a knob, a "dial," so to speak. This is used for things like scrubbing, browsing through libraries, and Focus Control. Focus Control allows you to adjust a Serato parameter while it has focus, without needing MIDI learn/mapping. Finally, it's clear that this is a beautiful and professional-looking device for beat-makers in Serato. Let the low-frequency thumping commence, get your groove on!
Tips or comments about this product
Notice: you'll receive the Serato Studio software for free, see the download-instructions in the QuickStart guide for details. This SLAB functions as a kind of unlocking dongle for that software.
