Stik-y mixes
So you want to be the next superstar DJ? Being paid ludicrous amount of money to fly all over the world, playing records in uber-trendy nightclubs and footballers' weddings. It sure beats the 9-5 – and if you believe the hype you don’t even need decks these days ... just a joystick.
The Ministry of Sound's latest gadget takes the term 'bedroom DJ' literally. You just need £89.99 for the brand-spanking new StikAx, a PC and a little-bit of computer know-how to mix and create music in real-time from the comfort of your own boudoir.
To use the USB plug-and-play StikAx, you simply have to assign music content to one of the 10 buttons on the hand-held machine – this can be from MP3s already saved on your PC or from one of the hundreds of music samples on the TrakAx software provided. Then away you go - add a bit of drums here, a guitar riff there, with a touch of 1980s-esque keyboards and you’ll have a chart-topping re-mix on your hands in no time at all. Or if you’re feeling more adventurous, record your own album from scratch – using your own voice as lead and backing, and playing every instrument you can find – just imagining how many more demos Simon Cowell is going to receive is enough to make you smile and part with the 90 quid gladly.
What's more you can also mix videos to accompany your new single, or even edit disastrous home movies for the pleasure of You’ve Been Framed viewers nationwide.
The manufacturers claim that the Stikax can be used by anyone from beginner to expert, and admittedly getting started was a slice of Mr Kipling’s finest. Taking advantage of the more advanced features will take time and more than a little fiddling, but surely that's a good thing to delay the boredom factor.
While the Chemical Brothers aren't going to be rushing out of their basements to their nearest PC World store to snap these up, composing a musical masterpiece has been made a little more accessible to the masses. More importantly, the StikAx provides hours and hours of endless fun - and will appeal to teenagers especially.
Most younger kids' pocketmoney won't stretch to £89.99, but once they've have had a go on their mate's Stikax, they are sure to rank highly on the birthday present lists.