The iScratch is a homegrown software that takes advantage of the the job wheel present on most iPods, the iPod by Apple runs on its own software made specifically for the iPod, however, both Apple and iPod software is Linux based so with a little computer wizardry, you can put linux on your iPod and that when the iScratch application becomes possible. It’s possible to install linux on an iPod because the iPod is essentially a hard drive, and this is even more possible with larger iPods where the storage campacity of the iPod is comparable with your average desktop.
So what does the iScratch iPod Djing program do? and how does a DJ take advantage of the iScratch?
Essentially the iScratch iPod DJing program is a native linux program designed to work on the iPod, and use the job wheel of the iPod to scratch music playing out, this gives iPod DJs the chance to perform turntablism on the iPod directly. You can check out the iScratch iPod Djing program here.
The iPod is an MP3 player, so its not designed to work as a DJ unit, and as such there are limitations. Now many of the new DJ units that take advantage of the iPod such as the Cortex D-mix 300 or the Numark iDJ2 address the shortcomings presented by the iPod.
The main two limitations to the iPod from a DJing perspective are:
1. a lack of pitch altering- this means that track pitch can’t be altered, meaning that on an iPod the speed of a music track can’t be edited, which for a DJ means that you can’t beatmatch accurately.
2. there is no way to scratch music tracks on an iPod, something some DJs see as a necessity.
These flaws greatly affect the performance and usability of the iPod as a DJ tool, in reality its shows that iPod DJing is merely at the beginning stages, just like CD players once were, and natrually as the attraction of DJing with an iPod grows so will the functionality provided by the iPod and its software, indeed this is already happening when you consider the Pacemaker, and if that proves to be popular, it will only be a matter of time before the iPod becomes a truly portable Dj unit. In the mean time there are work arounds to allow you to DJ with an iPod now, check them out here and here.
