iDJ: An iPod mixer. Really.

Squeezed in between the electric guitars, electronic keyboards and other high-tech music gear at last weekend's Music Player Live! conference in New York was a nifty-looking mixing console that made many of the attendees do a double-take and then smile. Surely some of them must have thought the same thing: "Well why didn't I think of that?"

Instead of turntables, the $249 iDJ Mixing Console for iPod from Rhode Island-based Numark Industries LLC, comes with two empty docks with connectors designed for two Apple iPod digital music players.

While the iDJ wasn't the highest-tech device at the conference, it was arguably one of the coolest. All of the controls are backlit--a necessity if you're going to use the iDJ in a dark bar or club--and the blue glow only enhances the smooth lines of the white, blue and clear plastic that comprises the unit.

Since Apple Computer Inc. was wise enough to standardize the docking connector on most of its iPods, the iDJ can be used with anything from the video-enabled iPod to the diminutive iPod nano. You can also use it with other digital music player if you don't wiring them in.

If you really feel the need to scratch some vinyl, you can connect a turntable to one of the two audio input jacks. In fact, you can actually place the iDJ on top of a turntable--preferably a stationary one. There's a spindle hole on the bottom that lets you place the unit on top of one of the turntables of a dual-turntable mixer. Two large circular iPod touch controls let you control the docked iPods from the console and a USB port allows you to connect the unit to a Microsoft Windows-based or Apple Macintosh-compatible computer.

No it's not the highest-tech mixer on the block, but it sure looks like it would be fun to DJ a party with one. What do you think?

Photo ©Numark Industries LLC