By Andrew Liszewski
And you thought the fine art of DJ’ing was only something that could be mastered by under-manicured cats. Following up on the surprisingly popular Cat Scratch Turntable is a version designed for the other creature that’s prone to destroying your home. Kids. Instead of being made from just cardboard, though, this one’s got actual electronic-y bits inside that lets your hooligans live out their DJ fantasies without tearing up your prized vinyl collection.
The roll out mat’s got a central faux turntable that makes scratching-like sound effects, so you can forget any notion you had of importing your own samples. It is just a toy after all. The touch sensitive mat also features drum pads that trigger tom-tom, snare and cymbal sound effects, “nearly two octaves of piano keys” across the bottom with different musical styles, and rhythm buttons that provide the background beats needed to really drive parents crazy. Kids can even connect an MP3 player for music to accompany their creations, while a headset mic lets them really get the crowd pumped at your next family gathering. $49.95 available from Hammacher Schlemmer.