The DJ Toolbox - DJ Equipment Reviews and News

Sorry, couldn’t resist that one. Anyway, those clever Fins at EKS have finally released the eagerly awaited next gen MIDI controller Otus.

With 10 control knobs, 17 low travel buttons and 6 touch sensitive buttons (including a laptop style touchpad), you can leave your mouse at home when performing with this baby. And all the controls are freely assignable to whatever parameter you choose in your DJ/VJ/MIDI software of choice.

The controls are dual layer, meaning that at the touch of button you can flip between two virtual decks. So, if it suits your style, you’ll only need one Otus connected to two mixer channels in order to weave your magic. (Of course, you might want to get two and start playing with three or four decks!) Another great feature is the controller’s lack of power cable - it draws its juice from the USB connection to your laptop, meaning there’s one less wire to trip over.

If there isn’t any room on the desk when you’re setting up at a club or party, no problem, because Otus fits snuggly on top of a 1200, balancing neatly on its vibration reducing feet.
In similar fashion to a CDJ 1000, the Otus Jog Wheel doesn’t actually rotate. Instead the top surface allows you to cue and scratch, while the outer rim functions as a pitch bender.

As you can probably tell, I’m keen on this product. Personally I think it’s smartly styled, and I love the reflective black finish. This will obviously end up with sticky finger prints all over it though, so if you’d prefer a matt version, the good news is that EKS announced the release of one on Tuesday. Also, if the interface is just that little bit too futuristic for your tastes, a slightly more traditional version of the controller, called Otus RAW, is scheduled for release next year. This will, for example, have a pitch control with a fader rather than relying on touch sensitivity.

Otus has been out for about a week and a half now, so you should be able to pick one up from a local supplier soon. But, if you can’t find it and you can’t wait - grab one from EKS’s own online store! The price is €649 plus delivery and any tax you’re liable for in your country.

You can see a demonstration of OTUS in this video:

For the full set of Otus videos, and to get the product spec etc. visit the Otus site.