The Lowdown
Neat and funky little idea designed to fit into the spindle adaptor hole on a Technics record deck for use with DVS software, or just to tuck anywhere you want otherwise. Well built and fun, despite the additional wires a pair adds to your set-up. These may be all the extra control you need for your DVS set-up.
First Impressions / Setting up
The Novation Dicer is a pair of fully-mappable, USB-powered Midi controllers that are specifically targeted for turntablists. The two Dicers are connected via two stereo mini jack cables and fit right in the corner of your turntables.
The buttons are backlit with primarily red and green colors. The Dicers have three banks by default corresponding to cue points, loop rolling and auto-looping. They automatically map to Serato DJ software, and can be remapped depending on what software you’re using.
In Use
The buttons are definitely high quality and seems like it could take a lot of presses, no problem. Since the Dicers sit in the corner of the turntable, they are at the idealspot where you can operate with just one hand.
The Dicers are quite small and could easily fit in a bag and the build quality feels solid. They are also relatively affordable.
An Amazon reviewer did mention that two Dicers have already broken down on him, so quality control might be an issue, though it could also just be general wear and tear as these have been around for a while now.
Conclusion
Overall, the Novation Dicers make creating mixes so much easier especially for turntablists. For something so affordable, it is quite powerful with its number of different features and range of customization. Get the Novation Dicers if you want something that is portable and easy to set-up but opens up a lot of creative space for your turntable-based mixing.
