The Lowdown
This is a neat cable that makes iOS DJing even easier. I like the fact that it used the dock rather than the headphones socket because it feels more secure, and also is more ergonomic.
Video Review
First Impressions / Setting up
This cable is, as DJ Hombre said last week, a veritable “Swiss Army knife” of cables, featuring several functions in one, that means for rolling up at a gig and DJing straight from your iPhone or iPad, it is potentially a neat solution. Let’s investigate further…
It’s very “iOS”. In Apple white, it has a (rather chunky) dock to go into the bottom of your phone, and then a long cable (1.2 metres or so), splitting near the other end into a high-quality metal 1/8″ headphones jack, two good quality plastic RCA jacks, and an Apple-style USB socket.
The cable does three things: It charges/acts as a data cable for your iOS device; it provides you with twin RCAs to plug straight into and mixer or amp/powered speakers; and it allows you to plug any headphones with a 1/8″ plug into it. Used in conjunction with iOS software such as DJ Player or Algoriddim’s djay (or any other software that offers a “split output” for headphones), it provides you with proper headphone cue monitoring, allowing you to DJ convincingly with anything from an iPhone up.
The particular combination of plugs and sockets is perfect for such DJing, meaning you don’t need to carry adaptors. In the video below, I demonstrate how you’d use it in a bar, lounge or even a club…
Obviously, as with all splitter cables, you’re DJing in mono and reliant on the sound quality from your iDevice, but this kind of DJing always involves compromises and I think you’d be surprised what you can get away with.
I liked the fact that everything is routed down the one cable because it means you can actually DJ with the unit in your hand and have room to stand and move around without pulling a plethora of cables around with you. The USB is a great addition too, so you can charge as you DJ.
The only criticism I have is that the USB part of the cable isn’t very long, so you’ll need outlet power near the back of the mixer or speakers to also hook your iDevice up to charge (or a handy USB socket in a CDJ or indeed a digital mixer that’ll do the job for you).
Conclusion
This is a neat cable that makes iOS DJing even easier. I like the fact that it used the dock rather than the headphones socket because it feels more secure, and also is more ergonomic.
Proper iOS DJing is coming, but will only really come of age when someone cracks a proper dual stereo output from the device. In the meantime, the AIODJ cable is the best simple solution out there.
