The digital DJ paradigm shift is here!

Rane Launched their Sixty-eight mixer last year and I wasn't very interested in the product before I saw Ean Golden looking at it and using it with Traktor.

I've tested the TTM-56 a while back and even though I didn't quite like the layout and the design, it was still one of the best mixers, as far as quality goes, that I've ever tried.
Faders and buttons where amazingly tight and I was a bit sad that it couldn't be used with Traktor at the moment.

The TTM-68 however has the ability to work with both Traktor and Serato (or any other Digital DJ system for that matter). Yet another fantastic contribution to the Digital DJ scene. The reason I think this is so big is that it now makes it possible to use any kind of software, meet up at the club, plug in your USB cable and start rockin'. Only thing you really need is a place to put you controller.
A very exciting thing to think about is that the possibility of using two DJs on one mixer is pretty awesome. Now we have the possibility of two DJs fully cooperating on one single unit or it could simply mean that we now can seamlessly switch from one digital DJ playing to the next without any interruption or hassle.

The paradigm shift is here!
As the title indicate: I believe we are looking at the paradigm shift from CD-DJs to Digital DJs in 2011. It's been a long time coming, but it hasn't been that clear before. So what really solidified this for me was the launch of Pioneer, but it had started earlier with the Rane 68. I just hadn't looked at it because I figured: Rane = Serato.

What's happening to the clubs?
Today when you come to a club you normally see two CDJs and a DJM 600 mixer. You have to unplug the mixer, mount you computer stand and move the CDJs before you can begin to connect all the cables.
In the future (I'm pretty sure that) you'll find a mixer with built-in soundcard (Pioneer DJM-900 Nexus or Rane TTM68), a lap top stand and a free space to put your controller.
I predict that by early 2012 you'll run into the "future" scenario more often than the old CDJ setup.

The future of audio mixers
I think the DJ mixers in the future will mostly consist of some kind of built-in sound card with generic audio drivers, some midi buttons and an on board effect section. The mixers will support audio for a long time but the mixers will mostly be used in "sound card mode".

The future DJ bag
What a DJ carry with them to the clubs has changed over the years. Though I started as a CD DJ, I also had a period where a dragged my vinyl picks with me in an extremely heavy bag. What a DJ brings to the club in the future will probably consist of a computer with some kind of digital DJ software (e.g Traktor, Serato, Ableton, Virtual DJ, Torque, Cue, Mixxx), a controller for deck controls and a headset.