Digital Home Thoughts: M-Audio's MixLab Tutors Aspiring Digital DJs

"Wanna learn how to make music like Mix Master Mike? M-Audio's MixLab, which includes an X-Session Pro USB mixing desk and Torq LE software, is what you need to get your (virtual) DJ-ing fingertips hot. But it only shines when you hook it up to your own favorite software for use in more complex compositions. Torq LE slurps up your music (including what's stashed in an iTunes library) and lets you drag and drop tracks into two virtual on-screen decks. From there, you can take the tunes and run with them -- at least so long as you're sticking to the basic techniques it offers. Each side of the deck mirrors the other, allowing you to match and mix each song independently, with three EQ knobs, three mixer knobs, headphone cuing, and pitch and volume sliders. At the bottom, a nice slack cross-fader executes the magic you've lined up with the rest of the board, and it's easy to build loops, apply special effects and save your work live to disk in WAV format."

I have used many a mixer before though never one that I could connect to my computer directly via USB. For a mere $130 (and if you know music equipment, you know that is cheap) you get a solidly constructed mixer that is very fast and a great tool for beginners. Although what makes it good (beginner friendly) is also its downside. For those of you that want more from a mixer, you'll have to keep looking.