Tracked
Welcome to the Tracked Newsletter #
Between manufacturer-adjacent blogs pushing launch hype and the endless scroll of socials, finding the signal in the noise takes time.
Tracked is a curated, tight, and scannable brief of noteworthy tech updates for those wanting to stay in the loop - filtered by a working DJ.
Every edition opens with the general news, then maps the rest of the ecosystem into three areas:
- Hardware: Pioneer/AlphaTheta, Denon, Numark, Rane, Allen & Heath etc.
- Software: Rekordbox, Serato, Traktor, Djay Pro, and indie tools worth knowing about.
- Open-Source: Mixxx, right-to-repair, and discourse mainstream blogs tend to skip.
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Author
Steven Peter
Exploring the deep end of DJ tech.
The Archive #
Tracked #11 - Open Hardware, Behringer's ANIMA, Firmware Mods
Tracked - the latest in DJ tech and culture. Behringer’s open-hardware DJ prototype ‘ANIMA’. Seven community firmware projects across Pioneer and Denon gear, plus the usual run of headphones, software and Mixxx forum builds and mappings.
Tracked #10 - Custom Firmware for Older CDJs and XDJs
Tracked - the latest in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. A new Latest DJ Mods section on the community firmware scene for older CDJs and XDJs, plus the usual run of headphones, software and Mixxx forum builds and mappings.
Tracked #9 - Pioneer firmware mods explode onto the scene
Tracked - the latest in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. A full Pioneer / AlphaTheta section on community firmware mods for older CDJs and XDJs, a look at DJs writing their own software, and the usual run of Mixxx forum builds and mappings.
Tracked #8 - Serato's Beatgrids, and OneLibrary Adoption
Tracked - the latest in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. Serato rebuilds its beatgrid engine, VirtualDJ falls in line behind AlphaTheta’s OneLibrary format, and the RANE SYSTEM ONE lineup keeps growing its OmniSource support.
Tracked #7 - DJ Life Simulator's Sequel, and Denon's Prime 4 G2
Tracked - the latest in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. Our Part Two follow-up on DJ Life Simulator with developer responses in hand, Denon’s Prime 4 G2 goes hands-on, and a DIY Traktor rig picks up a ChatGPT-coded brain.
Tracked #6 - A look at the EP-136, and a DDJ-1000 standalone
Tracked - the latest in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. Our take on Teenage Engineering’s EP-136 K.O.-Sidekick, a DDJ-1000 reverse-engineered onto a Raspberry Pi 4, and Stembox’s commercial answer to the same standalone problem.
Tracked #5 - PRO DJ LINK's open door, and the XDJ-AN reviewed
Tracked - the last two weeks in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. The latest: AlphaTheta’s PRO DJ LINK vulnerability and what it actually exposes, XDJ-AN reviewed, three new Mixxx mappings, and the DVS story told by people who were there.
Tracked #4 - New Mixxx Mappings, and DJCU2 frees your beatgrids
Tracked - the last two weeks in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. The latest: New controller mapping for Mixxx, Numark Party Mix III review, DJCU2 carries beatgrids between apps, and a new game that teaches real mixing.
Tracked #3 - CDJ-1500X backlash and Numark's $99 stems
Welcome back to Tracked - the fortnight in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. This week: we sort the CDJ-1500X and XDJ-AN backlash from the specs, Numark quietly ships stems on a $99 controller, Mixxx becomes a nonprofit, and more.
Tracked #2 - The DJM-A7 leak and a $199 Mixxx machine
Welcome back to Tracked - the latest in DJ tech and culture, curated from inside the booth. This week: an unannounced AlphaTheta club mixer leaks at the FCC, a $199 tablet turns any controller into a laptop-free standalone, and more.