Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to James Morgan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

James, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

*BACKSTORY Like most people that work at events, I lost my job and all my DJ gigs due to the pandemic in 2020. In January of 2021 the Rane One DJ Controller was released and I was talking to a DJ friend about it. I remember saying “I’d buy it if it actually played records” and that’s when it clicked! If I put my mind to it I could make tonearms that could attach magnetically and allow DJ’s to play 7″ records! There’s a whole subculture of Dj’s that spin and collect 45’s that had been wanting a portable setup similar to Biz Markie’s exclusive 7 inch turntables, so I knew there would be a market for this kind of device. I ordered the “Rane One” that day.

At the time, I had never used a 3D printer or engineered anything in my life but I knew the information was out there to be learned. While I was waiting for the controller to be delivered I ordered the cheapest 3D printer I could find, which was around $150 and took a course on CAD design at Udemy.com. That one course, that took me a few days to get through, taught me everything I needed to know to start designing the device.

I was so laser focused on creating this device I woke up and went straight to work for about 16 hours straight every day. Because I had never engineered anything like this I had to design something, 3D print it, fail and repeat till I made progress. After about 3 months straight I ended up with a functioning prototype. I posted an image and it spread through the DJ community so fast and all of a sudden I had DJ’s all over the world reaching out to me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

1. “How you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc”

I’ve always loved music as a kid and when I was 16 I sold my saxophone for my first Technics 1200 in 1993.

2. “what type of products/services/creative works you provide”

First and foremost I’m a long time DJ that is skilled in skratching, party rocking and I also create exclusive remixes you can only hear at my gigs. The DJ devices I create are also something I take a lot of pride in making. If you check out the Skratch Attach instagram you can see that I’ve made custom devices in various colors with custom logos and designs.

3. what problems you solve for your clients

With Skratch Attach I’ve created something that allows DJ’s to have a portable vinyl setup. I’ve also created software that can be used with the my tonearms that allows DJ’s to use effects and other cool features like sample triggering and playing loops.

4. what you think sets you apart from others

In everything I do I try to add a lot of value. With Skratch Attach I offer custom colors and designs but I also went above and beyond by providing software that adds a ton of features. With DJing I provide my skratch skills, remixes and visual elements to every gig.

5. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

The thing i’m most proud of is never giving up. I think every artist or creator goes through times of self doubt and feelings of being defeated. What I’ve learned through my journey is that failure leads to success if you don’t quit. Small failures over time is how you learn and improve. The only true fail is if you quit on your vision.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing by far is watching other people enjoy my creations. When I see a DJ using my tonearms to share their record collection, it makes all the hard work I put in feel more than worth it!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to provide DJ’s with tools to share and create music. It’s always been about the music for me. I’ve been extremely fortunate to make money sharing and creating music for so many years. I’m also ecstatic that I’m able to create tools that help DJ’s do the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://retrobionic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skratchattach/

Image Credits
The picture of myself with the smokey background should be credited to Darren Lovecchio aka @impactimages831