The only real problem with this is that they tend to be pretty expensive so the question is, are the expensive price tags worth it? But of course if you have always wanted to be a DJ then it comes without saying that the technology is worth the money.

Native Instruments TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO is one of the major brands to look at. What comes with this package is a comprehensive library of ready to scratch sounds so the limits are endless. Over 700 MB of sounds recorded in 24 bit / 96 kHz audio quality as well as including lots of sounds for solo scratching as well as sound FX, tunes for juggling, loops and more. The pricing for this is quite steep at around £500 but you do get a lot for the money.

Of course if you cannot afford this or are not that interested in being a DJ but always wanted to have a go at it then Activision are releasing a gaming equivalent of DJ equipment this fall. With the success of World Tour they have taken the art of being a DJ into their hands and by the looks of it so far it is shaping up very nicely indeed. It is set to include all the major artists around at the moment and of course the most famous from the past. Another benefit to this is that the current guitar controller is going to be compatible.

So if you are interested in being a DJ whether it is real serious Disco Jockeying you are into or even the gaming partner there is something out there for you, of course there is always the M-audio out there as well to help with those drum beats.

The debate has been going on for years and it really doesn’t look like it’s likely to reach a compromise any time soon. Remember when Napster was finally closed down after a copyright lawsuit from Metallica? Everyone thought that was the end of it – it seemed the age of music for free was over, never to return. But then came Limewire, the Pirate Bay and so many other new filesharing sites, with new and better ways of operating, and never failing to stay one step ahead.

vTo be fair, Metallica certainly had a point, and they are by no means the only musicians to have spoken out against free downloads and the impact it has on the big label music industry. With CDs becoming more and more overpriced it’s not so surprising that people are choosing to turn to downloads, but not everyone realises the effect this could have on the music we all love. However there are those who believe that the music industry as we know it has had its day and that the future of music lies with the people recording their own tracks with DJ software on their home computers and publicising the music themselves online. This is only possible because the music is available online for free, and these are the genuine music lovers who are in it for the music not the money.

The latest musician to voice his opinions is Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody. Although his band are hugely successful and far from being unheard, he believes that being able to get music for free is just the modern way and that the penalties for those involved in filesharing are ‘way over the top’. He was speaking specifically about the recent conviction in Sweden of four founding members of The Pirate Bay, who have each been sentenced to a year in jail and told to pay $3.48 million in damages to large entertainment companies. The group are launching an appeal as although they understand hese companies could well be out of pocket, there was no way to know how much by, and it was discovered that the judge was a member of the Swedish Copyright Association. 

There is no sign of an end to the debate on filesharing and certainly no sign of an agreement being made. There is no question that it is damaging to the record label giants’ and huge stadium rock bands’ incomes, but at the same time it enables the little guys at home recording their tracks with an Akai home studio and set of headphones to get an equal chance of being heard. Maybe there is no right answer.