Is iOS DJing all it's cracked up to be? There are several reasons why not, as we discover today. Pic: Raúl Colón
In last week’s instalment I boldly proclaimed that iOS was great for DJing, not only as a tool to use for mixing tracks but also as a means to boost interest and awareness in DJing and the principles behind it.
In the interest of balancing the argument out, today I’ll investigate why Apple mobile devices (since Android hasn’t developed this far yet) running iOS are so far not truly suitable for DJing.
1. Single stereo output
This is the main hardware limitation putting DJs off the Apple devices at the moment. The operating system (iOS) limits the device to outputting a single stereo signal via the headphone jack or the 30-pin connector. It will not allow for two separate stereos to be sent, which is a great shame because this is what you would want as a DJ. Ideally the 30-pin connector would be used to output the master signal to your audience and you would use the headphone jack for cueing the next track.
You don’t get this sort of problem with DVS systems and a Mac or laptop do you?
The solution to this usually for the app to produce a mono signal for the master output and mono signal for cueing (therefore two mono channels in total) and use a stereo splitter such as the AIODJ or Griffin cable to “double-up” the mono signals outside of the device. A more creative workaround has been developed for DJ Player and Red Bull BPM DJ apps, though: To broadcast one stereo signal via WiFi to another iOS device, leaving the host device free to output its independent stereo signal.
For example, I use an iPod Touch in my pocket with headphones connected for cueing, while the output from my iPad is fed directly into the mixer or amp at the venue. You don’t get this sort of problem with DVS systems and a Mac or laptop do you?
The headphones socket on iOS devices does not output the best quality audio by any means.
2. Audio interface quality
The audio output quality from the headphone socket is not great when compared with high quality sound cards.
The workaround would be to use a USB-compliant sound card like the iStreamer
Possibly you could also look at the more recent Vestax V-MIDI or Neusonik iA/ONE iOS, to provide you with an improved sound via the 30-pin connector. There are other quality USB soundcards that are compatible too.
3. Storage capacity
All of the iDevices mentioned are available with a range of different storage sizes (8Gb – iPod Touch only, 16Gb – iPhone and iPad only, 32Gb or 64Gb). This brings a couple of issues.
The need to compress audio files
If you’re thinking of using your iDevice to DJ with, then your music library will need to be streamlined in order to fit. This will probably mean not using the highest quality bitrate for your audio files.
Lower bitrate MP3s are likely to sound terrible through club speakers at high volumes…
Lower bitrate MP3s are likely to sound terrible through club speakers at high volumes, but they take up little space and therefore you can store a lot of them on your device. WAV or AIFF files are much superior in audio quality, so will sound far better when played out, however they take up much more space on your device so your music library will be smaller.
However, Apple m4a (AAC) files at 256VBR (variable bit rate) are a happy medium. They should provide better sound than all but 320kbps MP3s (still not perfect though) but take up about the same space.
Room for caching
It’s also worth remembering that any app (including all the DJ apps) that plays a track from your music library will need to take a temporary copy (cache) of that track.
The GoFlex Satellite gives you wireless storage from your iDevice, but no DJ software currently can use it.
On older apps it was possible to manually clear these cached files when the device was connected to a host machine, however this is becoming less frequent.
The iDevice should automatically clear out the cache when syncing with a host machine or if space on the device is severely reduced. This is a worrying if you play a large number of tracks on several different DJ apps.
In fact, the tracks don’t even need to be played for caching to take place. For example, if your DJ app provides the ability to pre-process all your music library to calculate BPM, beatgrids or waveforms, the cache will grow.
There is probably a limit, but you could suddenly see free space on your device quickly shrink by several gigabytes as a result.
With a laptop you would purchase an external hard drive to meet your requirements. It’s not as simple as that on iOS. However some manufacturers have developed WiFi enabled hard drives allowing you to access content on the hard drive from your iDevice. These hard drives (such as the GoFlex Satellite from Seagate) are still fairly new to the market and currently will not work with any DJ apps, but maybe in the future?
Currently no DJ app allows you to access tracks directly from iCloud.
Don’t forget there’s also the development of iCloud and iTunes Match functionality which should allow your music collection to get stored somewhere other than your iDevice.
The implementation and restrictions around this are still being investigated by app development teams and currently no DJ app allows you to access tracks directly from iCloud; they all need the music to be downloaded onto the device first (probably sensible anyway).
4. App Store
I know that I listed this as a strength in the previous article, but bear with me! If you type “DJ” into the search bar of the App Store you will find pages upon pages of apps which seem to have no relation to functional use by a DJ. Some are merely promotional tools to spread the name of a DJ. Some are throwaway with no redeeming features, certainly not for the experienced DJ, and likely to cause more confusion to a novice than helping them.
The majority of DJ apps now list the same functionality but in reality their offerings vary greatly.
The majority of DJ apps now list the same functionality but in reality their offerings vary greatly. Reviews in the App Store must be read with caution; I’ve seen some reviews which suggest the reviewer probably didn’t look at the app description before buying.
The relative low price of an app makes them feel almost throwaway when compared to physical hardware or even a software licence for something like Traktor, Mixed In Key or Serato. This contradicts with the expectations of the customer who often expects a lifetime of free upgrades to their app despite paying less than $5 for it.
When a developer moves to use In-App Purchases (IAP) to give them a more sustainable business and combat piracy, this is frequently met with low ratings and bad reviews. If this experience isn’t a good one for app developers then their interest and motivation to develop apps is likely to decrease rapidly.
5. Apple
All app developers are at the mercy of Apple. If the app doesn’t meet the standards applied during the approval process then the app wont reach the app store. All operating system enhancements and developments (generally) come from within Apple and not at the request of developers or the public.
Apple's closed architecture and feature changes may mean stuff you come to rely on for DJing suddenly disappears one day.
As such, Apple could easily remove or redevelop key functionality which would render your favourite app useless after the next iOS upgrade. Equally, your iDevice will eventually not be supported and won’t be able to run the latest version of iOS.
The device development also comes from within Apple, although they do have a process for feature requests. As such our pleas for two independent stereo outputs may never be answered.
Several comments from the previous article highlighted the closed nature of iOS, Apple is in total control of what apps can and can’t do which severely throttles any expansion. For example, it took some considerable effort by two independent app developers (Sebastian at Audanika and Rolf at TempoRubato) to introduce virtual Midi communication between apps on the same device – something which could easily be developed on a more open platform.
Conclusion
As you’ve seen, most issues for DJs on iDevices have a workaround of some kind. Let’s not forget that the devices have been designed with a general purpose in mind, be it mobile communication, email or web usage.
They are not dedicated hardware for DJs nor are they more open, uncontrolled environments like on Windows/Mac. Thus as well as all the advantages for DJs, there is certainly still room for much improvement if the iPad is to become a truly DJ-friendly tool.
Do you think Apple will address any of these issues? Is the situation on Android any different? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Now go to:
5 Reasons Why iOS Is Great News For DJing
Review: DJ Player 4.0 For iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch
Review: DJay For iPad
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Once these iPads can run full blown Mac OS I’m in, until then, I agree its way to limited. You can get a used macbook for $500 these off ebay that can run serato flawlessly.
[ link ]on point 3, of you can’t do any club set with 2 gigs of 320kb tracks there is something wrong and you are just hording tunes… My library is as sparse as I can handle…
On the rest I don’t think iOS is up to the task yet, it will be better when we can get 2ghz dual core ipads and the big software vendors get on board making programs specifically for iOS.
[ link ]Grate article and I do agree that Apple is the major limitation to why iOS can’t fully be used as a standalone dj setup.
[ link ]I have some gear for my iDevices that ether don’t work or partly work because up an upgrade.
the new numark controller looks grate but what if the next iPad gets a redesign or apple settles for an other port.
I’ve used my djay for iPad at one gig and it did a good job for this small gig. I’ve also used the VDJ remote on some gigs and loved it. But unless better sound and 2 stereo out it’s not going to replace my macbook and controller.
As you state in the other article it’s a good way to introduce new Dj to DJ’ing but they need to move of laptop or other platform if Apple won’t make the needed changes to iOS
Why has noone developed an external sound card for iDevices?? Is that even possible?
[ link ]I like both the pro and against article about iOS as both scenarios are true.
Personally, my iPod pulled me out a bad situation at a private party where my laptop got a sudden blue screen of death (yeah I know – Windows strikes again). It was early in my set and my backup laptop was not even up yet as I had been working with the sound engineer to work out some kinks in the audio. Luckily I had the iPod plugged into my mixer and fired it up while I rebooted. I was able to mix some simple transitions via my griffin cable, while I made sure my main laptop was going to be stable.
djay saved the day!
Now I’ve taken to having some selected loops in different genres in a specific playlist on my iPod or iPad and have them running based on the genre I’m in. If there is a lappie failure, I can push that channel up on the mixer.
[ link ]I have played 2 four hour sets with my iPad and Algoriddim Djay without a problem. They were very low key deep house gigs, so I did not do my high energy fx work as I normally do with my ElectroHouse sets, but I agree the Dual Mono sound just does not compare to the quality of the stereo output.
With Traktor, An iOS device is great to have on the side for extra control. No cable needed with Wireless MIDI so a USB port is freed up, and I can set an infinite amount of banks to do different functions. MIDIPads is my favorite app for triggers.
It’s tough to say that I would trust an iPad with all of the FX processing that I task my laptop with in a normal performance, until iPad meets my laptop’s specs, it can be a back up.
[ link ]Don’t know if you tried this already, and it requires additional investment, but you can check out DJ Player/Red Bull BPM, which has a Wi-FI based stereo out to an ipod feature.
The Red Bull BPM is based on the DJ Player, but DJ player gets new updates first.
I have both djay and Red Bull and while Red Bull is a “non dj standard” app with no jog wheels emulated in the interface, I love the fact that it caches the entire library first.
djay is easier to mix with but RBPM stereo out is cool. You can search youtube for some demos/performances of the app.
RD
[ link ]Why would I even want to DJ of a cell phone or a tablet? Seriously these things were never developed for more then the original use, be it Apple or Android.
[ link ]I have seen some people as the person who does BeatJazz use a phone as monitoring device for his stuff which makes sense since he has it strapped to his arm during a performance. DJ’ing on my cell phone? Really? And you think we have a hard time when we show up with controllers and not CGJ’s or 1200;s? Wait till you show up with your cell phone.
Laptops weren’t developed for DJing, but we haven’t done too bad with them!
[ link ]AZ, I understand your point of view, but as I posted in another article here on DDJT, these devices can save your *ss in a pinch. I had a blue screen of death happen to me and my backup laptop was not even up. My iPod has some loops from different genres on it that was running and it was attached to my mixer. Saved my butt that day with one flick of a channel fader.
Another perspective, we laughed at camera phones, but for the masses and even used by some creatives for official videos. I was explaining to my nephew about Djing using a controller vs the iPad which I had showing him the various DJ apps. He turned to me and says “Uncle to be honest I prefer to use the iPad rather than a physical controller, the touch interface is more natural to me.”
It shocked me, but it was the truth. The next generation will know no different and will be better at touch devices than we will ever be.
As iPad/Android devices and apps improve, the same argument will be offered against touch devices as some of us did in the past that “vinyl is the only way to go”.
As DJ’s, we have to stay progressive, learn the new tech with an open mind. It will only add to our performance and flexibility.
[ link ]Correction, it was in this article.
[ link ]I instinctively agree with this viewpoint. Avanti! As they say in Italy (probably).
[ link ]Still not interested in the iPad for DJing… remember that anything “touch” is inherently sloppy to control and takes some time (more than a direct input) to respond, also the touch screen is (on an iPad) pretty small.
When the MacBook Pro goes “touch” I would reconsider the current evaluation of response time needed for good playback (and occasional touch use), but I still think iOS Djing is a solution looking for a problem. Good, working, used MacBook Pros can go for much less than a iPad and MacBooks come with USB ports (for hard drives, good audio cards and/or controllers with audio cards), which (in my mind) is the best way to handle DJing right now.
Even with specialized controllers built for the iPad, all of the above-stated concerns regarding storage, good programs developed for the iOS, Apple (as the intermediary) and touch-usability still apply.
If I had an iPad to use for DJing, it would be a piece of back up gear (just like my Windows Laptop and my iPod), not a replacement for my MacBook Pro and my Novation Twitch (and sometimes my Novation ReMOTE 25 SL (for Ableton Live triggers).
[ link ]Dual stereo output is a must if we are seriously considering to use an iPad as the solo device in a gig. However, I truly believe that the solutions found by app developers so far are quite clever and functional. I have bought many DJ apps, but in my opinion, DJ Player is the one to settle with (if you’re not into scratching, since it has no jogwheels).
The wifi solution is incredible and people just can’t believe their eyes (and ears) with the quality of the mixing coming out of the tablet. The screen design is original and clean, pro usage oriented (with large buttons and faders), and dumps the idea that DJ apps should imitate the looks of the equivalent hardware. Instead, it was developed to offer the best that touch control has to bring to the table. It might take some getting used to it, but eventually the fellow DJ will find himself proficient and wondering why he/she hadn’t tried it before.
Using 2 iPads and a real hardware mixer is a whole new game though. I can definitely see a gig in a club with this set up. You can set the apps in each iPad to be single decks and just plug them in the mixer as you would a CDJ. It works like magic! As for the memory issue, the iPads are indeed in disadvantage when compared to laptops, but they can still pack a great deal of music. And for you purists out there, how big of a vinyl crate you’d need to top 50 GB of music?
We just might get comfortable playing with iPads more and more as time passes and some issues are addressed. Remember: not so long ago, CDJs were an abomination! Controllers are still discriminated, despite having pro-quality built and features. I admit that mainly due to sound quality, this lovely piece of gear is more suitable for small gigs or as support or back-up equipment, but it will evolve soon enough (as do all things hi-tech these days). I have found myself in situations when I wasn’t prepared or scheduled for DJing and the iPad turned simple gatherings into awesome gigs! We have to celebrate this ability to play anytime/anywhere and make people dance, smile, have fun and be happy! Afterall, that’s what our passion is all about!
As Phill says: keep spinning!
[ link ]If you worried about the stereo issue and find the iPad’s screen small, just use two of them!
Here is an example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbroadcast/6280051324/
[ link ]I agree with AZ. I am all forth new technology helping us perform better, but in the case of a touch pad it only takes away speed and accuracy from the performance. A controller is more comfortable and accurate to use because we have actual physical grasp of the controls. A pad works well if all we do is transit one song to the next and play with the FX controls (literally play, not intelligently tweak). We should not look at every new device as a DJ tool only because it plays audio and seems cool. It takes the whole DJ experience away from us when it becomes automated, and the more automated something becomes, the less of an expert you are at it because anybody could do the same. When electronic calculators showed up it made a world of difference and that is one of the reasons we have advanced so much now in every field, but if you don’t know how to do the math using pen and paper you, well, suck at math. The same goes for DJing.
[ link ]