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Philips M1X-DJ developed in partnership with Armen van Buuren

Trance DJ gave Philips a helping hand with the new M1X-DJ portable mixing deck

Philips can normally be relied on to throw a curve ball during its IFA press conference, and this year was no exception. The M1X-DJ portable mixing deck was introduced with the help of trance JJ Armen Van Buuren, who showed off its mixing credentials with a five minute rave set – not what we were expecting at 1PM on a Thursday afternoon.

Philips M1X-DJ

With clear design influences from retro boom box radios, the M1X-DJ is big and boxy, but with a clean white finish and rounded edged. It has multiple forward-facing speakers – two 5.25in drivers and two coaxial tweeters for a total output of 60W RMS. It can certainly pump out tunes, but the really exciting stuff is found on the top.

Philips M1X-DJ

It’s here you’ll find the miniature mixing deck, which has all the controls and dials you would expect from an entry-level mixer. Twin scratch wheels, sync buttons, a crossfader, tempo sliders, tone controls and loop cues are all here, with LED lighting to indicate activity.

It’s an iOS-only device, with a Lightning adaptor and bundled algorhythm Djay app to install to an iPad 4 or iPad Mini. Once you load up the app, its on-screen icons mirror the physical buttons on the unit, letting you manage your mix with either. You load tracks from the device, with the app detecting the tempo but leaving it up to you to match the beat.

Philips M1X-DJ

You’ll be able to record your mixes and then upload them to the web for sharing on social networks, although our first try definitely won’t be appearing online any time soon. It won’t make you a superstar DJ overnight, but it’s a great way to make a start without investing in a separate mixer and turntables.

We can’t quite remember the last time we saw a product that needed 8 D batteries – that’s what you’ll have to pack into the M1X-DJ in order to take it on the move. That definitely puts it into “luggable” territory, but we imagine anyone buying one of these will appreciate being able to launch into an impromptu rave at five minutes’ notice.

Expected to launch in Europe at €399, the M1X-DJ costs about the same as some entry-level all-in-one kit from some of the larger names in the DJ world, but the iPod connectivity could swing it for the upstart. We’l know more in November when it goes on sale.

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