Hercules DJ Console MK2 ($399.99)

In my current role as “The Official Gadget Guy” on G4's “Attack of the Show," I see a lot of products: most of which fall into the “stupid” category. That said, every now and then I come across something that manages to satisfy both my interest in toys as well as my love for getting drunk and making an ass out of myself in bars. Enter the DJ Console MK2 by Canadian company Hercules. While the MK2 isn’t necessarily new, it’s new to me, and well, that’s all that counts.

Having procured a unit I thought, “How better to test the thing than by playing DJ and doing a set at a local club?” With that in mind I talked to my friends at Saints and Sinners Lounge in Culver City, CA and convinced them to let me give it a shot.

I grabbed my Dell XPS M170 laptop (packed with nearly 30GBs of MP3s and WMAs, the MK2, and headed to the club. Since I’ve never “spun” in front anyone I was decidedly nervous. Miraculously, or maybe through the magic of technology, I was a hit! I ended up spinning for about four hours and the crowd seemed genuinely pleased. Of course, a few troglodytes bemoaned the fact that I wasn’t using vinyl but to them I say, “Go fuck yourselves.”

If you’ve ever dreamed of DJ’ing – but don’t have thousands of records – you may want to check out the MK2. While you can use the two jog wheels to do stupid shit like scratching your MP3s (I feel silly writing that sentence), and the various other features to compete your descent into assholery, it’s plenty simple and fun to just be able to seamlessly mix your music as well beatmatch.

Anyway, I’ve said enough. If you’re still interested I suggest going to Hercules’ official site and reading more about it there.