their game with a device that could tempt CDJ-worshipping jocks to the software partyEKS are a fairly new company from Finland who, in a short time, have made a name for themselves with their XP5 and XP10 controllers. Their latest offering, Otus, looks to be an altogether more serious affair, however...
Out of the box, Otus has the appearance of a very sexy CDJ unit, and it's especially alluring in low light, as a warm and dangerous-looking orange LED trim glows on almost every edge. The 7.5" jog wheel is the centrepiece of the device, and there are also looping, start, track skip and eject buttons (two of the latter), plus a touch-sensitive pitch control fader-strip with three settings.
Then come two sets of three-band EQ controls with gain pots for each, and another pair of assignable rotaries (ideal for controlling a headphone cue and mix control section).
And we're not done yet! It's perhaps not apparent at first glance, but in each of the four corners of the device are a large push button and a rotary controller. The XY pad with dual buttons can even do double duty as a trackpad mouse controller, and to the right of this section are six more touch-buttons that are subtly reminiscent of those found on 'futuristic' early-80s hi-fi systems.
Otus pocus, diplodocus!
Finally - and here's the most stunning touch -double-tapping the central A/B mode button causes the orange glow of the various lights to switch to green, remapping the controls to function as a second virtual deck. The sheer number of LEDs and trimmings means there's never any doubt as to which deck you're currently controlling. Holding the Switch button acts like a temporary Shift key, flicking over to the other mode only for as long as you hold it down. We can't say enough good things about this simple yet elegant way of doubling up the controls.
But is it all good? Well, the aluminium casing forms a sturdy raised platform that's designed to
"The sheer number of LEDs and trimmings means there's never any doubt as to which deck you're currently controlling"
sit comfortably on top of a turntable (if space in the booth is cramped), but the buttons and knobs feel a tad flimsy, as though they wouldn't stand up to repeated travelling and gigging.
Then there are some questionable design choices. Rotaries with a centre detente can be useful for EQ and panning, but in almost every other case, they're a nuisance. And then there's the touch-sensitive pitch control. Why not just a fader? No DJ we know of would fancy cueing up a track and controlling the pitch in this way. A filter cutoff control, maybe, but then the XY pad can be employed for such duties.
And speaking of the latter, as cool as having a mouse feature is, EKS need a simple button to switch this function between mouse and MIDI control. In the version we tried, both are enabled by default, and it wasn't easy to disable the mouse - hence we didn't dare use the MIDI pad functionality, lest we inadvertently caused havoc with the mouse! Just as we went to press, EKS announced a firmware update that improves on this function by enabling the user to activate each mode using a preset, though we hope that a dedicated hotkey will be forthcoming, too.
So, as a controller, it's a mixed bag - brilliant in some respects, but a letdown in others. However, it's much more than a controller. Alongside the USB port, there are two sets of analogue RCA outputs with a matching S/PDIF RCA output for each, and a %" headphone jack. Otus is also a portable interface designed for external mixing, through a mixer, with minimal fuss - this makes it much easier to set up in a busy club than a control vinyl system like Serato or Traktor Scratch.
Alternatively, you can go for an even simpler configuration and mix internally, using the headphone jack to cue your tracks, thus requiring only a stereo set of inputs on the club mixer. Also, and we reckon this is far more applicable to most potential users, it means that you technically don't need an external mixer, which could be ideal for playing at home, at some type of function, or perhaps in a pub/bar that doesn't have any proper DJ equipment.
Mixed blessings
So, what's the verdict? Well, as a versatile MIDI controller, we love the range of controls on offer, but they're slightly too DJ-oriented to be perfect for all occasions, which is understandable. Still, it is one of the coolest-looking MIDI controllers on the market, and it has a wide range of uses.
As a DJ controller, it would work very well in a pair, and enables very good control, though it simply isn't as sturdy to the touch as top-end CDJ units, which aren't much more costly than the Otus. Even the otherwise solid jogwheel doesn't offer anything approaching CDJ-1000-esque resistance.
As for being a single DJ unit for two decks, despite offering the best implementation we've ever seen on a single device - and a really useful audio interface to boot - performing anything other than basic mixing with one unit still isn't really practical.
If you need a versatile, fun and vaguely portable MIDI device for general software control purposes, though, you won't find much better. As a sexy controller with multiple stereo audio outs that's ideal for Ableton Live, it's especially appealing.
Finally, if you need MIDI and DJ control, and you're aware of Otus's shortcomings, then you almost certainly won't be disappointed.
Contact: office@eks.fi
Web: www.eks.fi
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Getting soft
Otus is primarily designed as a universally-compatible MIDI controller, but obviously it requires some software to control. Most modern DJing applications make it a fairly painless process to assign knobs and buttons to functions, but it's always easier when you already have a template. The one we tried out was for Traktor Pro, and eventually EKS hope to have all of the main apps covered in this respect - their website currently offers a number of installation and setup walkthroughs for different packages.
Unfortunately, though, unlike their XP series controllers, which can make use of EKS's own cross-platform Bison 1.0 DJ software, Otus can only control version 1.1, which, at the time of review, was not quite finished. Instead, they offer Deckadance LE, which natively supports Otus via the HID protocol, which is much more responsive than MIDI. And it's fair to say that, to get the best out of Otus, you're going to need software that communicates with HID, such as Bison 1.1 or Deckadance LE. Hopefully more applications will be added to this currently short list in the future.
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System requirements
(PC) Windows XP, USB port
(MAC) OS X 10.4,USB port
Test system
(MAC) MacBook 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo,
2GB RAM, OS X 10.5.6
(MAC) Mac Pro Dual 2.8GHZ Quad-Core
lntelXeon, 4GB RAM,OS X 10.5.6
Alternatively
M-Audio Torq Xponent cm117» 6/10 » £449
Not as sexy or versatile as Otus, but it does offer control of two decks simultaneously
BehringerBCD3000 N/A»N/A»£160
At the other end of the scale in terms of versatility and DJ performance, but it's certainly an all-round solution
Verdict
FOR
- Huge range of controls
- Good for general purpose MIDI control
- Built-in audio interface
- Looks well sexy in low light!
AGAINST
- Could be sturdier
- Not practical for controlling two decks
- Touch-sensitive pitch slider is unwieldy
The multi-talented Otus might not be the ultimate DJ controller, but as an all-round performance solution, it's a winner
MARK: 8/10
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