A
pple has announced iPhone 6 and iPhone 6
Plus, the biggest advancements in iPhone his-
tory, featuring two new models with
4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina HD displays, and packed
with innovative technologies in a thin and seamless
design. The new iPhones feature a precision unibody
enclosure of anodised aluminium that conforms
seamlessly with the shaped glass of the display,
resulting in a completely smooth and continuous
surface. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are engineered
to be the thinnest ever, delivering a bigger display
in a design that is still comfortable to hold and easy
to use.
Packed with innovative new technologies, iPhone 6
and iPhone 6 Plus include: the Apple-designed A8
chip with second generation 64-bit desktop-class
architecture for fast performance and power
efficiency; advanced iSight and FaceTime HD
cameras; ultrafast wireless technologies; and Apple
Pay, an easier way to simply and securely make
payments with just the touch of a finger. Both models
include iOS 8, featuring a simpler, faster and more
intuitive user experience with new Messages and
Photos features, QuickType keyboard, a new Health
app, Family Sharing and iCloud Drive.
For the first time iPhone is available in two new
sizes: iPhone 6 features a 4.7-inch Retina HD display
with 1334 x 750 resolution, providing 38 percent
more viewing area than iPhone 5s, while iPhone
6 Plus features an even bigger 5.5-inch Retina HD
display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, providing 88
percent more viewing area and nearly three times
the pixels than iPhone 5s. The Retina HD displays
offer advanced technologies including higher
contrast for deeper blacks and dual-domain pixels
for more accurate colours at wider viewing angles.
Both models include the M8 motion coprocessor
that gathers motion data from the accelerometer,
gyroscope, compass and the new barometer, which
senses air pressure to provide relative elevation. The
M8 motion coprocessor can continuously measure
your motion data, even when the device is asleep,
saving battery life for fitness apps that use the
sensors all day. With iOS 8, motion data from M8
appears in the Health app so you can see how many
flights of stairs you’ve climbed, or how far you’ve
walked or run. Developers can use CoreMotion APIs
that take advantage of M8 and HealthKit to create
apps that help you take better care of your health
and fitness.
The iSight camera gets even better with a new
sensor featuring Focus Pixels for faster autofocus,
making it easier to quickly capture any moment.
iPhone 6 Plus users will also benefit from optical
image stabilisation technology that compensates
for hand shake in low light and works with iOS 8
to reduce subject motion. High-definition video on
iPhone improves with faster frame rates up to 60fps
for 1080p video and 240fps for slo-mo, as well as
continuous autofocus, cinematic video stabilisation
and time-lapse video. The FaceTime HD camera now
captures over 80 percent more light with a new
sensor, larger f/2.2 aperture and advanced new
features including burst mode and HDR video.
With faster LTE download speeds of up to 150
Mbps, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users can browse,
download and stream content faster. The new
iPhones also support high-quality voice calls over
LTE (VoLTE) as well as Wi-Fi calling. With support for
up to 20 LTE wireless bands—more than any other
smartphone in the world—the new models make it
easier to experience high-speed networks around the
world. Both iPhones also include 802.11ac Wi-Fi
with speeds up to 433Mbps and Bluetooth 4.0.
With more than 4000 new APIs, iOS 8 allows
developers to further customise the user
experience with major extensibility features and
robust frameworks such as HealthKit and HomeKit.
It is not available in South Africa yet.
T
he Z1 brings quite a bit to the table. The
Native Instruments engineers boiled down the
essentials of Traktor DJ for iPad and fit it into
the same controller form factor as its Traktor
Kontrol brethren, the F1 and X1. The Z1 has the most
recognisable layout of the three, with a standard
two-deck DJ mixer layout. Each channel has controls
for three-band EQ, gain, volume and filter/effects
(including a multi-colour illuminated on/off button).
Nestled in the middle of the controller is a
crossfader, knobs that control main and cue
volume as well as, cue mix and a button to
enable cue for each channel. Finally, each
channel sports a seven-segment LED meter
spanning a dynamic range of
-30 to +6 dB.
The Z1 integrates well with the iPad/iPhone/iPod,
connecting to all 30-pin iOS devices with an included
USB adapter cable — no Camera Connection Kit
necessary. (Those with an iPhone 5 or iPad 4 can use
the Z1 with a Lightning cable, which is available for
purchase separately.) Once connected, you’ll notice
two things. First, the Z1 charges your device when
in use, which is a fantastic feature that allows you
to concentrate on DJing without having to keep an
eye on the power meter. Second, a dialog pops up
asking if you want to allow the Z1 to control Traktor
DJ. Once you click yes, Traktor DJ automatically
launches and the Z1 is configured and ready to go.
Thankfully, there’s no need to mess with MIDI
mapping or controller layouts.
In addition to the clever controller integration, the
Z1 also has a four-channel audio interface. This
is hardwired in a typical DJ manner, with stereo
RCA output jacks on the back and a stereo 1/8-inch
headphone jack on the front panel. These outputs are
controlled by the main and cue knobs, and are also
immediately configured when connected to an iOS
device. What this all means is that the Z1 is ready to
roll as soon as you plug it into an iPad or iPhone —
a pretty rare feature for that platform— giving you
the full Traktor mix experience with EQ, gain,
metering and filter, plus full cueing capabilities.
When you consider that the Z1 also works in the
same zero-setup, plug-and-play manner with Traktor
Pro on your computer, where it can be combined
with its other Kontrol siblings, it’s tough to see any
downsides. There are a couple of functions which
perhaps could have been included, most notably the
ability to browse and load tracks from the controller,
and the control of deck transport (play, cue). These
additions would have resulted in much less need to
jump back and forth between the Z1 and the iPad
when using Traktor DJ. Another improvement would
be eliminating the necessity of tethering to a power
cable. Given its compact size and the mobile nature
of the devices it’s compatible with, it would have
been a nice touch to run the Z1 off a battery.
Overall, there’s a lot to like about the Traktor
Kontrol Z1, the Z1 fills in the gaps that were
preventing Traktor DJ from being taken seriously in
a professional DJ setting. The LED volume meters,
separate headphone output and dedicated EQ and
filter controls that offer simultaneous control (some-
thing that isn’t possible in Traktor DJ without the Z1)
result in a much more capable mixing experience.
Like it or not, it won’t be long before you start to see
more iPads in the DJ booth. And it’s likely they’ll be
connected to a Z1.
R4100.99
Apple iPhone 6
The Traktor Kontrol Z1
Nex Media •
Vol 2 Issue 3
33
