Virtual DJ 8 has a cleaner, fresher look, but the bigger news is that it’s going to work on any platform your hardware is compatible with, including both Windows 8 and iOS touchscreen. (Click to enlarge.)
Maybe it’s because we’ve covered it all already, but whatever the reason, there’s scant little to report on the hardware side from the BPM Show this year. (Just look at our News & Opinion stream for the past few weeks; everything new we’ve covered is here at BPM.)
That’s not to say there’s nothing interesting going on – far from it. Just that we’re looking for trends, not big surprise announcements. One of those trends is a move away from the laptop, and is perfectly illustrated by the news that Virtual DJ 8 will be the first multi-platform, multi-touch DJ app. That means that from the off, it will run on Windows, Mac and iOS (Android is out in the cold when it comes to DJing, for many reasons).
This reflects a growing trend we’ve noticed on the showfloor: iPads are creeping in everywhere. They’re perched above DJ controllers, controlling music libraries, built right in to controllers like the iDJ Pro…
All DJ software will really have to step up to the plate of multi-platform, multi-touch environments…
We think it’s quite big news that Atomix, Virtual DJ’s maker, has decided to make the software work on all platforms from the outset.
With iOS6, any class-compliant DJ controller can now be plugged in and interact with Midi and four channels of sound. That means there’s no theoretical reason why iPads can’t simply replace laptops plugged into your favourite DJ controller.
(Indeed, to test this, tomorrow we’re going to run round the show unplugging everyone’s laptops from their controllers and plugging our iPad in to see if it all hooks up nicely; if we don’t get thrown out, watch this space for the results!)
They wouldn’t let us grab a proper screenshot, but we took this picture which shows pretty much all the main features front-on of Virtual DJ 8, including the switchable lower sections. (Click to enlarge.)
This suggests all DJ software will really have to step up to the plate of multi-platform, multi-touch environments if its not going to be left behind.
The fact that the Virtual DJ 8 will make full use from the off of multi-touch means that software layers that sit over existing software to enable touchscreen control (such as the Emulator software underpinning Smithson Martin products) will, in the case of Virtual DJ, be unnecessary; from Windows 8 to iOS, multi-touch will “just work”.
However, for true cross-platform elegance, we think Atomix will also have to work on incorporating cloud DJing in the way Algoriddim has done with djay and iTunes Match (remember, djay is already cross-platform on all Apple hardware).
The CloudCast feature that arrived with Virtual DJ 7.1 is a good start, but relies on a NetSearch subscription within Virtual DJ, and thus will need to be only part of the software’s cloud capabilities if Virtual DJ 8 is to really shine as a cross-platform solution.
Atomix will also obviously have to skin the software to suit the resolutions of all the possible host devices.
More Virtual DJ news…
Frequency-coloured waveforms are coming to Virtual DJ 7.2, another drip-down feature from Virtual DJ 8, as shown in this exclusive screenshot.
For those waiting patiently for Virtual DJ 8 to drop, looks like you’ll have to carry on waiting, although we do have some progress for you.
For a start, the software has a smart new skin, subtly building on the old Virtual DJ skin, in dark grey instead of black and with a more 3D look. There’s a switchable panel between the decks and library to cycle through cues, effects, video, samples etc – similar to the way Serato DJ does it.
The software has to be rock solid first, and the company is quite happy to take however long it takes to achieve that.
It will also have coloured track waveforms, a feature also to be included – we can also exclusively reveal – in Virtual DJ 7.2. (Indeed, this is actually the only change in Virtual DJ 7.2 over Virtual DJ 7.1.)
Regarding release date, the Virtual DJ team say it’s getting closer, but the software has to be rock solid first, and it seems the company is quite happy to take however long it takes to achieve that. The latest word is Q2 next year.
With the iPad now becoming easy to use with more and more DJ controllers, can you see yourself taking one into the DJ box instead of your laptop? Are you patiently waiting for Virtual DJ 8, or do you wish they’d just get ti released? Please share your thoughts below.
Now go to:
BPM 2012: Vestax Spin2 DJ Controller For Mac & iOS
Virtual DJ 7.1 Released
DJ Player 5.0 For iPad Brings Midi Mapping & Multi-Route Audio
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Tags: bpm2012, multi-coloured waveforms, touchscreen virtual dj, virtual dj 7.2, virtual dj 8
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awww if only i stepped back a step i would of been in on this picture
[ link ]Ooo VDJ 8 looks pretty nice
[ link ]Lookes Cool
[ link ]can you please get some detailed info on the time line feature and the new effects !
I have been patiently waiting, but I very much hope they aren’t delaying the release of the standard PC/Mac versions just so they can get an iOS version ready to release at the same time. That would be a bad move and tick off the existing customer base for no purpose when potential iOS users could certainly hold off until 8.1 or whatever without feeling left out…
[ link ]Thanks, I’ll wait for iTraktor.
[ link ]Yah, Patiently I’ll wait for Traktor in any form
[ link ]VDJ 8 looks cool from here. How about the scratch algorithm or sound or whatever? is it much better sounding than before? is it now even close to Scratch Live?
[ link ]OK, I’m glad I waited buying a laptop, ’cause now I know it’ll have to be one with a touch-screen. I recently read an article somewhere on the net where some topcat from Microsoft or Intel said those were going to cost about $100 more than those without touch. Hopefully I’ll be able to use it for more than VDJ & the Windows Metro interface…
[ link ]Great, finally a major DJ software to run on lin… oh. They meant iOS. FFFuuuuu…
[ link ]haha
[ link ]same thought came to my mind !
From my viewpoint I dont see the really revolutionary part of this. The reason i like the laptop is monitor real estate for search through my library, to have all relevant fields displayed and the keyboard (which is faster than touch screen typing). Sure i can add a keyboard to an ipad but then its not that different from a netbook except for the fact that you have touch controls on a few things.
The cross platform-ness simply adds more options but it doesnt really push the laptop out as much as it supplements it or at most becomes a smaller version of it (with inherent feature loss).
What can push the laptop out of the booth are the CDJs (2000 and 3900) with bigger screen and beefier software which at this point are more like standalone controllers.
[ link ]+1
[ link ]Hey Phil, any news on the new Behringer units?
[ link ]Behringer isn’t here. so probably not before the next show (NAMM, end of Jan 2013).
[ link ]Please test this with a Numark V7. If it works with a V7, I’ll be oh so happy. Would be nice to use an Ipad as a backup with the decks if the Lappy crashes.
[ link ]at last some important information about new virtual dj 8…i m looking forward to get it…after i purchase the software a new midi controller is my next buy…most likely a pionner product…
[ link ]why ipad ..sony and Samsung toshiba anov and many other touch pads are hitting the market on comparison to apples silly ipads ..hitting the trendy market of apple will help with some customers but not real tech heads .. it aint about apple dam .. i was using vdj nice off my net-book and controller.. iPad are a sell out for the cool kid that aint got an idea what to do .. same as all apple products ..android is the way .. my Samsung phone is more powerful then a silly ipad .. wtf wake up vdj tech heads make it usable for everyone not just the wanna bee cool kids
[ link ]Easy to say, but to article we reference as to why Android tablets aren’t likely to get decent music apps any time soon despite what “tech heads” may want contains your answers.
[ link ]It’s not the hardware. An Android device can have stronger components, but the largest limiting factors are:
- Android. Not good for real-time apps still, despite of the great efforts in JB, it’s not there yet.
- Much less users wanting to pay.
These are enough for developers to not deal with Android yet.
[ link ]I think the main problem with Android is that it is difficult to program for it, since they have so many different versions of their software with so many different devices which have all different shapes, sizes and processing power.
I know an App development company owner and he always cites this as one major reason why they usually target iOS first.
They don’t have to worry so much about free apps since any paying VDJ customer will happily fork out a few bucks to get a VDJ App.
[ link ]An iPad and a Twitch. Now that’s my kind of backpack rig.
[ link ]I DO UNDERSTAND THAT OTHER PLATFORMS WILL BE ADDRESSED AS IM A WINDOWS BASED VDJ USER .BUT as for apple touch .. why so important .. touch is a form of use and limited .. using a controller with a touch pad does make sense but not just for iPad .. why not make it possible to use my mobile phone with my controller app or not why is this app approach such a problem .. . portability is the key with stability .. but what use is a iPad if u cant replace battery’s .. pointless for a dj on the move unless there is power.. cant see an iPad powering my controller ..give us our fix on windows so we don’t keep moaning .
[ link ]I explored this option last year with a touch screen laptop (with Traktor) and I have to say that while touch screens and can be intuitive and nice to work with, they can also be a hassle. Conversely, touch screen controllers have no “blind guides” (no tactile feedback) to allow the user to manipulate controls while not looking… like a button, a slider or knob. Even people with tiny fingers still obstruct the screen while their hand is over it and it’s still very easy to fat-finger a snap-control or completely miss the target point on the screen when rocking along to the groove which means to counteract this, you’ll have to halt grooving and get serious for a second while you’re controlling a virtual knob or slider every time and if you really work up a sweat, those drops of sweat on the monitor act like touches (yeah, I experienced this mid-set once).
The last thing you want is for a mis-touch or a G.U.I. lag-glitch to make you lose control which is why physical controllers are so very important and is the main reason why touch screen controllers are really not as good an idea as they seem… they make you HAVE to concentrate on looking at the monitor more (while making you look like you’re playing battleship), in conjunction with doing a precise task every time you want to do something.
I really tried to argue for the positive points about touch screen (small footprint, direct control over objects on screen, intuitive movements etc.) but decided since I needed a good soundcard anyway, I got a Novation Twitch and got the touch features I wanted where I wanted them with the “blind controls.” This is only my opinion, but I spent a lot of money on a new laptop (and had to pay the re-shelving fee when I returned it to get a controller and a used MacBook Pro) because I thought a touch screen would be better than a physical controller… some experiments fail, that’s why they’re called experiments.
[ link ]+1 I really think touch screens are best for simple button pushing and perhaps stuff that are not possible with hardware controls like for example x-y controls. Also, it may seem like a good solution for those looking plenty of controls using only one device (banks of controls, think Lemur) but other than that, given the space and money I’d prefer plain ol’ knobs and faders (and lots of them) instead of touch banks of controls on a screen.
Also, just curious, what happens when your fingers get sweaty? :p
[ link ]+1 I was a little leery of controllers despite their obvious cool factor, but I couldn’t put my finger on it, pardon the pun. Very articulate explanation. Nice.
[ link ]+1 my thoughts exactly! IPads and touch screens are great tools to use in ADDITION to a laptop/hardware set up, but replacing your laptop and controller completely with one isn’t practical at all. I’m currently using my iPad to control the remix decks on Traktor 2.5 (thx to digital dj for the mapping!) and it’s awesome, but theres no way itll ever replace my laptop completely
[ link ]Virtual DJ a releasing a small update with some of the new features of vdj8. They said it’ll be soon. So that’s something. Also like its been said the latency in Android is poor. Jelly Bean is to improve this but I’ve been told it depends on which device you’ve got. I’ll try when I got jb on my HTC. Tbh I carry my iPad with me as a backup device.
[ link ]I do hope they’ve already fixed the SQ on VDJ and also the volume output.
[ link ]Can’t switch to iPad yet, hard drive isn’t big enough and can’t do external hard drives. I like I carry a lot of music.
[ link ]VirtualDJ 7.2 has been released …
* COLORED Waveforms activated going into Config->Options
* video fade-to-black independent from audio volume
* changed volume faders default curve to NEW Quadratic Curve
* video delay/offset – delay video from audio
* fix cover download from google and from amazon
* fix adding cached netsearch results to CloudLists that were added in 7.1
* added 9 new controllers
http://www.virtualdj.com/forums/169616/General_Discussion/_NEW__VirtualDJ_7_2.html
[ link ]This is Great! Why? Cos’ basically is “Maven” (The Custom Controller that Sasha developed years ago plus his method of dissecting a track in its parts and remixing live) for “the rest of us”. Besides the eternal and boring discussion of old school djing, i just care of what the music builds in me in each venue/dj. So bring it on! Future is now, and i want to try it on my Macbook Pro in my next Gig.
[ link ]I have Virtual DJ 7 on a Win 7 Dell laptop, this has been the most reliable version of virtual DJ ever. I am a user for 5 years already.
[ link ]