EKS Otus Plus

A DJ controller that sits directly on or in place of a turntable needs to bring the jogwheel and controls together in a compact space. The EKS Otus Plus combines an illuminated 7.5-inch jogwheel with two switchable control layers and an integrated sound card. Its aluminium frame is designed for use in a DJ setup and for transport.

The touch-sensitive jogwheel displays position and speed information via LEDs. Four additional jog-dial controls with switching functions complement the controls. You change the tempo using the touch-sensitive 80 mm pitch fader; LEDs indicate its position. The pitch fader and the other controls are also illuminated.

Ten freely assignable rotary controls, 17 push buttons and six touch-sensitive buttons are available for software functions. The integrated touchpad can be configured as a mouse control or as an X/Y surface for effects. You switch between the two control layers using a switch, allowing you to control two virtual decks with one controller; the LED colour indicates the selected layer.

The integrated 24-bit sound card with six channels outputs both virtual decks separately via two stereo RCA outputs or two S/PDIF outputs. A 6.3 mm headphone output is also available. This lets you connect the device to an external DJ mixer or send the audio signal directly to an amplifier or PA system. It can also be used as a MIDI controller without audio output of its own.

Connection is via USB 2.0 or USB 1.1; power is supplied via USB as standard. Alternatively, an external power supply with 5 V and 2,000 mA can be connected. The power supply input has a positive centre pin. MIDI Learn-compatible software can use the freely assignable controls; Windows and OS X, as well as ASIO and Core Audio, are listed as supported operating systems and audio systems.

With its jogwheel, touchpad, separate audio outputs and switchable control, the Otus Plus is suitable for compact DJ setups where a controller is to be placed on or in place of a turntable. The key factors for integration are the required audio outputs, MIDI Learn support in the DJ software and the appropriate connection to a mixer, amplifier or PA system.