![]() The pitch fader is a small 60mm piece, with a solid detente. The texture on the platter top provides a little grip but I found myself putting a bit more pressure down to keep my grip. It’s capacative, which is really nice since I generally hate button action platters. The platter is small, but just loose enough to get some motion. They are also the only buttons with the function printed on them, which I wish we saw more. There’s good grip for my fingers, and they respond pretty evenly around the entire button. But as I used them more I found myself liking them more. They just feel so out of place in comparison to the rest of the controller. At first I didn’t like them, and I’m not sure why. The transport buttons are well lit, but they are all rubber and have no click at all. My problem with the small plastic buttons on the Slate 4 is the action is just so sudden that it’s easy to either double click them or miss them completely and not really know. I figure that’s okay, since you’ll know when you’re pressing those commands and there’s no real toggle. They are mostly backlit, with the function printed on the body, except the Shift and Back buttons, which are solid black. The rest of the buttons are a mixed bag for me. The performance pads are just smaller versions of the G2/4V pads, and while I wish they clicked like they did on the pre-production model I used, they still have a noticeable strike point, so you know when they’ve been hit. You may not be doing any mind-crushing scratch techniques on the Slate 4, but you’ll still be able to at least get the basics done. The crossfader feels surprisingly smooth in comparison to other entry-level controllers I’ve got my hands on, which is always a pleasant experience. The volume faders feel just a little stiff out of the box, but I’m sure they will loosen up with time. The knobs all feel consistent, and while there is a little wobble if I shake them they feel pretty secure. There are a ton of controls packed onto this little piece of kit. I also wish it was a USB Micro, instead of Mini, since I have so many of those cables floating around. I’m sure this was done for space considerations, but I really wish the headphone jack was closer to the front of the unit instead of toward the middle. The audio interface and USB Mini connection are on the left side of the controller instead of the front/back. My first fear was that it would be sliding all around my desk as I tried to hit it as hard as possible, but the four small, textured rubber feet keep it in place pretty well. It doesn’t feel flimsy or anything, and the entire body is made of the same aluminum that the G4V was. Needless to say, this is a small controller. To move to a controller the size of the Slate 4 is really jarring, but hey, that’s what makes this gig so awesome. BUILD AND CONTROLSįor context, I’ve spent the last few weeks staring at the behemoth of the Kontrol S8. Gemini seems to be building on the quality of the G2/4V with the Slates. The offerings for inexpensive smaller controllers have always been there, but they generally feel like either pandering to brand-new DJs who don’t know how to use any of the tools available, or they are tightly crammed full of so much stuff and made so poorly that it’s hard to recommend them to anyone. We have been talking about the movement in DJ controllers for a few years now, as they have been just getting bigger and bigger and bigger, to almost comical sizes. We saw them briefly at NAMM last year, but they were very much prototypes and did not look nearly as nice as the controller that arrived at my front door just a few weeks ago. They come in a 2 channel (Slate 2) and 4 channel (Slate 4) variety, and all include Serato DJ Intro, with a full, robust mapping for the full version of Serato DJ if you decide to upgrade. ![]() Gemini has stepped up their offerings with the miniature version of the G4V and G2V, the Slates. The big weakness of the G4V at the time was it only included VDJ LE, and while it came stock with a Traktor TSI file, you needed to provide your own software. Starting with the G4V, which we gave a pretty positive review, Gemini has slowly begun redefining their place in the the DJ market with a new industrial look, and a good price point. Link: Gemini | Price: $250/€295/£225 | Manual: PDF INTRODUCTION
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |