The art of DJing has come a long way since our middle school dances.

Nothing sums that up better than the Eks Otus controller with built-in six channel sound card and built in touchpad.

Where records gave way to CD’s, CD’s have given way to laptops and iMacs. Software like Deckadance can emulate an entire soundboard with two tracks just like those old double turntables.

The Otus takes that a step further. It has a built in touchpad and left/right mouse buttons, so the DJ doesn’t need to have a mouse or reach over to the laptop’s touchpad. The Otus is mean to be the only thing you have to touch to put on an entire night at the local club and keep everyone dancing.

The design of the Otus really stands out. It’s totally powered by the computer’s USB, and it lights up, looking all sexy when you’re using it.

There are several touch pad buttons and a large, solid feeling, dual purpose jog wheel. The side is used for pitch while the top of the wheel lets you scratch.

The only complaint about the Otus is that it’s almost too futuristic. A lot of the buttons are touch-bottons with no tactile response, so sometimes you’re not sure if you actually activated a button. There are also several looping buttons that are a bit close to each other.

There are four mini wheels above the legs of the Otus that can be customized for any purpose. Their placement around the board takes some getting used to, but you’ll be able to reach fine. It still beats reaching the laptop. You can flip through folders and files right on the Otus without even touching your computer.

The Otus lets you control two virtual decks on one machine with templates for your favorite DJ software, though they not only recommend Deckadance, but they give everyone a free copy of the software when you buy the unit.

The unit has two stereo and digital audio ports as well as a dedicated headphone jack.

The Otus can completely replace a CDJ, and it’s the perfect way to go digital.

John Guilfoil is the editor-in-chief of Blast: Boston's Online Magazine. He can be reached at guilfoil.j@blastmagazine.com.