Linux Multimedia Hacks

Turn Your Computer into a Turntable

Use terminatorX to scratch on multiple MP3 tracks as if they were playing on a physical turntable.

terminatorX is a sample-based multiturntable deck. If you wonder why one would compare a software-sampler to a turntable, it’s because of the feature that is largely responsible for the popularity of the software: scratching. TerminatorX provides the possibility to modify the playback speed with the motion of the computer’s mouse and thus simulate the behavior of a turntable. This allows the user to create scratching tones that sound very similar to those produced by hip-hop DJs all over the world.

While this feature was the original intent for the project, terminatorX has evolved significantly from its initial scratching toy days. Today it supports multiple turntables and built-in as well as plug-in real-time effects. To manage more complex setups, terminatorX features its own sequencer—alternatively, it can be remotely controlled through the MIDI interface.

terminatorX is available at the project page at http://www.terminatorx.org. Download one of the precompiled packages available for a number of distributions or, alternatively, download and compile directly from source.

The Turntables

When you start up terminatorX, it will pop up with one empty turntable (called Turntable 1) with “empty” meaning there is no audio file loaded into that turntable. The terminatorX user interface is designed in a way to allow many turntables to be visible at the same ...