Novation Twitch
Digital DJ Controller with Touchstrip

Novation's Twitch is a DJ controller for performers that are looking for new ways to manipulate music.  Instead of simply mixing tracks together with "decks in a box", Twitch re-focuses on cutting up beats, glitch-esque looping, firing off cue points and getting a different level of control over FX.

Twitch has been co-developed with Serato and comes with Itch DJ software, which is stable and includes some powerful performance features, including the ability to beat-match your tracks so you can do some incredible remixing in real-time without falling out of sync.

Performance Modes let you get hands-on with Itch's most powerful tools.

The Slicer Mode on Twitch uses Itch's Beatgrids system to chop sections of your track into 8 equal slices.  You can then re-arrange these on the fly without falling out of time, creating totally new grooves.

In Hot Cues mode you can set 8 cue-points and re-start the track at any of those points, allowing you to jump around your track at the touch of a button.

The 8-button grid can also be used to trigger loops of different lengths using Autoloop & Loop Roll modes.  Autoloops can be saved with the track so you can rehearse routines and load them on stage.

Itch can beat sync two tracks so they are in perfect time.  Or, you can beat match them manually with the Touchstrips, swiping the track backwards and forwards – just like grabbing and moving it on a touchscreen.  You can also use them to speed-up or slow down the track as if you were nudging forwards or backwards.

Twitch operates in a similar way to a conventional DJ mixer.  Its layout includes typical DJ mixer controls: channel faders, tone controls, trim, and a cross-fader.  Twitch also gives you total control of Itch's on-board FX.  However, you can also assign FX to both Decks' faders, as well as rotary knobs in the FX section.  This enables the kind of quick-fingered FX trickery that can only be pulled off with fader movements.

Twitch comes with Serato's Itch DJ software, but it is also a standard MIDI controller and audio interface that works with all major DJ software including Traktor and Ableton Live.

Powerful 2 and 4 deck mappings for Traktor PRO can be downloaded here: http://www.novationmusic.com/uk/support/twitch.  All the controls you need to perform have been mapped to the Touchstrips, knobs, faders and buttons on Twitch.  A free Traktor Pro overlay is included in the Twitch box which labels what each control does.  Simply place it on Twitch to transform it into a Traktor controller with a difference.

As a MIDI controller, Twitch will currently map to Ableton Live so you can launch clips, control devices, channel levels, crossfader and more.  It also has a built in audio interface making it the perfect compact Ableton DJ controller.  Download the Twitch Traktor mapping at the URL link shown above. 

Comprehensive Ableton Live control will be coming soon from Novation.

Specifications:

Mixer section

• 8x pots: EQ and trim
• 2x channel faders
• 1x replaceable crossfader
• 2x Continuous rotary encoders
• 2x headphone assign buttons - enables respective deck in the cue mix
• 2x Fader FX assign buttons

Master section

• 4x pots, Headphone level
• Master/cue mix
• Booth level
• Master output

Controls per deck

• Touchstrip with swipe and drop modes
• Continuous rotary encoder for pitch +/-
• Cue button
• Play/Pause button
• 8x Large Triggerpads
• 4x performance mode selector buttons
• 2x Beatgrid buttons
• 2x sync/keylock buttons

Master FX section

• 1x Pot
• 2x continuous rotary encoders - right hand is also tap tempo/left hand is pressing makes for secondary parameter control
• 6x FX select buttons

Mic/Aux input section

• 1x pot
• 1x on/off button
• 1x assign to headphones button

Audio Interface - 24bit at 44.1/48KHz

• 2x master outs (L/R) on balanced TRS jacks
• 2x booth outs (L/R) on phono jacks
• 2x aux input (L/R) on phono jacks
• 1x aux gain pot
• 1x direct monitoring switch
• 1x mic input on TRS jack
• 1x mic gain pot
• 2x headphone outputs (1x TRS jack & 1x 3.5mm jack) both can be used simultaneously)
• 1x Master/cue switch to change signal going out of Booth outputs between cue & main
• 1x direct monitoring output - bypasses the software and passes mic/aux input straight to the main outs