Top marks to Allen & Heath for listening to the mutterings of all those Xone-owning Ableton fanatics, rueing their mixer's lack of MIDI. The company has decided to take a saw to its Xone:3D and is now offering the controller section as an add-on to your existing analogue mixer for compatibility with must-have software of the moment Ableton Live and Traktor.

The Xone:2D is compatible with most DJ setups (although will look a whole load better next to a fellow Xone family member), and combines a 4 stereo channel USB soundcard and MIDI controller. Imported from the Xone:3D is the LED display BPM counter and MIDI clock generator, complete with nudge facility – not to mention plenty of MIDI controls to map.

You want it, I know, but you'll have to part with more than £500 to get it. Why is life so unfair…

Shipping March 2007, £499 (excluding VAT).

Fresh from releasing quite possibly the coolest piece of kit ever in the form of the KP3, Korg has expanded the Kaoss Pad family with a mini version of everyone's favourite DJ tool. The mini-KP, previewed at NAMM, comes with the standard XY controller and still packs a punch in the features department with 100 effects, tap tempo/auto-detect tempo and two memory keys.

As ever, size comes at a cost. Those looking to use the mini-KP as a MIDI controller will be sorely disappointed by the lack of a MIDI jack, and being battery powered it will only stand up to five hours of use so no marathon sets.

Serious users may well turn their noses up, but the mini-KP still looks like a great toy to have a bit of fun with.
Due out in the US in March with a list price of $250.