Long before TheCoolist was cool, we spent our days researching music gear and our nights in the studio. Every January, we headed to Anaheim for the National Association of Music Merchants, checking out the latest and greatest tools musicians use to make music. We still keep up on those trends, but they cater to such a small part of you, our readership, that we generally keep quiet. But this… this is worth sharing. The Emulator, an amazing multi-touch DJ technology allows DJs and music makers to control their sound with their hands in unprecedented ways. Take your iPad and blow it up to ten times the size, make it translucent, and then allow it to run third party software that’s not currently available at the app store. Then, you’ve got Emulator. This system pushes the boundaries in human/computer interaction to sever the barrier between man and music, allowing the user to feel the music and effect it in ways that return to analog innocence. The lights shine brightly, the knobs, faders and otherwise snap to human touch, and the result is a strong connection to the beat as it pumps once, twice, thrice, fourth– and back again. [via flylyf]