With MixVibes Video, CrossDJ and Cross gets video capability for the first time. It’s a system-completing addition to an already good package.
Nowadays a growing number of DJs are incorporating video into their sets. The MixVibes Video Plug-in is an add-on for MixVibes’s respected Cross and CrossDJ software programs, that brings video to these DJ platforms for the first time.
Like the Serato Video plugin for Serato Scratch Live and Serato DJ, and like Virtual DJ‘s built-in video capabilities, the MixVibes Video Plug-In is designed to let DJs play, mix and scratch video files using the same workflow they’re used to with audio. Read our MixVibes Video Plug-In review to see if it’s for you…
First impressions and setting up
This is a plugin for the MixVibes CrossDJ / Cross family of software products. We’ve reviewed MixVibes CrossDJ elsewhere, but suffice to say it’s a capable and rapidly maturing software platform that has recently hit v2. Especially when taken alongside the company’s own U-Mix Control 2 hardware, it offers a good value, compact and professional system for digital DJs (and now for VJing too).
Because MixVibes Video is a plugin, you need to have a working copy of CrossDJ or Cross…
Because MixVibes Video is a plugin, you need to have a working copy of CrossDJ or Cross on your computer, and typically you’ll have this because you got it when you bought the MixVibes controller. You can buy the plugin on the MixVibes website (it’s currently half price until 31 December). You download it, run it, and next time you open CrossDJ, the word “video” has appeared on the opening splash. Enter the serial on the next alert box and you’re all set to go.
In use
The plugin adds an extra page to the program’s preferences, and this page opens automatically for you on first launch. The preferences are quite straightforward: You can turn the plug-in on and off; choose if the plugin is to preserve aspect ratio by cropping videos or size them to fill the screen; enable the ability to load only the video or the audio of a clip; and allow full screen (useful if you don’t have a separate monitor or output for your video playback).
Configuring the plugin from the new Video window that it adds to the config section of the software.
Finally there’s an advanced option, that when ticked add some extra controls – one to each deck and one to the master. These let you choose whether audio, video or both are affected by the mixer’s controls and the effects – useful, for instance, when you’re using video washes where you may only want to crossfade to the video enables advanced audio / video coupling for enhanced controls using the software’s effects and the mixer’s faders. You can download two DVDs’-worth of VJ material to get you going with adding visuals to your audio sets. (Do it overnight – they’re 4GB each.)
You can navigate to your music videos and load and manipulate them exactly as audio. I found it to be fast and smooth, with no discernible lag or jumpiness (I tested on an early 2012 MacBook Air). There are 20 video transitions built-in so there’s plenty of scope for getting creative past the usual smooth fade from one video to another.
One thing I liked is that video has been nicely incorporated into the software, so the addition of video doesn’t disturb the workflow from audio-only; of course, as it’s a plug-in, you can just switch it off if you want to play audio-only. But you quickly realise that the software is treating video exactly the same as audio, in that you can have loops, cues, BPM/beatgrid analysis and use snap and quantise just as if you were mixing with audio.
Output is up to 1080 HD. There is only support of one external monitor for video (which is usual for DJ software video plugins, and the big difference between such plugins and “full blown” VJ hardware/software systems).
Conclusion
MixVibes has experience in this area, having previously launched its VFX system – a dedicated hardware/software platform for video DJing. This, however, brings the concept to the consumer and semi-pro DJ.
When you consider the cost of a U-Mix Control Pro 2 DJ controller (which comes complete with CrossDJ 2.2) and this plugin, for a total of US$340 / £214 / €263 (until December 2012) you can have a full-blown audio / video hardware / software solution that’s completely capable of letting you DJ or VJ everywhere from your bedroom to a small club gig, complete with two DVD’s worth of additional VJ material to get creative with.
I found it to be very simple to get to grips with, and it worked smoothly right ‘out of the box’ in our tests.
For the price I really couldn’t fault it. I am no video DJing expert, having previously only dabbled with Serato Video and Virtual DJ’s built-in video engine; in truth, the reality is that you probably won’t be choosing between these systems – you’ll be using the one that works with your DJ software of choice.
If you are buying from scratch, though, MixVibes to me offers the best value complete DJ/VJ system out there. You can’t get a comparable Virtual DJ or Serato DJ + video system for anywhere near this outlay.
Taking into account that the software is already excellent without the video plugin, the hardware is likewise very good and is well integrated with the software (coming of course from the same manufacturer), then the addition of a decent video plugin completes the system brilliantly. If you’re happy to take the MixVibes / CrossDJ route, I can thoroughly recommend it.
Summary
We like:
- Works flawlessly
- Simple to set up and use
- Excellent value
We don’t like:
- Only outputs to one external monitor
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Product details:
Price: €129 (€64.50 until Dec 31 2012)
Buy from: MixVibes website
What do you think?
Are you a MixVibes user, and if so will you be adding MixVibes Video to your Cross or CrossDJ software? Do you DJ with video using another system? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Now go to:
Review: MixVibes Cross DJ 2.0 Software
Getting Started In Video DJing, Part 1
MixVibes U-Mix Control Pro DJ Console with Cross DJ 1.5 – Review & Video
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Tags: MixVibes Video, MixVibes Video Plug-In, video djing, VJing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
NI Traktor stays behind in the video section…hopefully they follow soon.
[ link ]Thanks, Phil. Can you tell me if it is possible to have the video react to the sound signal?
[ link ]hey paul…
[ link ]the video-fx do react on the audio signal. all pitch/tempo/scratching action works on the complete signal. means: video and audio streams are in sync at any time. Hope I got your question right…
regards
PartyPapi
Yo! DJ PartyPapi!
[ link ]Not the fx reacting to sound, the playback of the clip itself being sound reactive, so I can have a clip of someone dancing and the playback can be linked to, say, the bass, when the bass plays the clip reacts/plays accordingly? No bass, no reaction from the video clip? The more bass or sound the more the clip reacts?
Hey Paul…
[ link ]As the video plugin is meant to play prerecorded music clips, the clip itself won’t change if you work on the EQ or filter of the program. It is not made to play… say flash animated dancers or similar. It plays a video like on MTV but YOU can mix it or add FX, change speed, scratch it. As it is a video you’re playing it won’t change the video. You can change the video so it doesn’t have to be bundled with the audiostream. what I mean is: maybe load a video music clip in the player and exchange only the videostream to some dancers. BUT: another time: this is only a prerecorded (unchangeable!!!) video. Hope I got it now…
I use it… I LOVE IT!!! (CROSS 2.2.0 with Video). I previously used VFX and I keep on using it when it comes to (camera-) inputs and text/picture-overlay. But for the live partystyle “music television” CROSS is much faster, easier, more accurate BY FAR!!! Even my daughters can enjoy mixing with videos, now (with their own GEMINI FIRSTMIX but my full version of CROSS. The “LE” Version can’t take the video plugin). And believe me: they are able to impress their friends!!!
[ link ]
does not play cdg
[ link ]correct… I would love this, too. but as you said so, I will forward this to the dev.-team of MixVibes (but I am sure they will nevertheless read this here).
[ link ]email done…
[ link ]nice one!
[ link ]I am new to MixVibes and Cross so I just took a look at their website. Strange that the full version of CrossDJ is 39 Euro and the upgrade price from CrossLE to CrossDJ is 49 Euro! This must be a typo and unfortunately I’m not sure I want to deal with a company that lets such a mistake slip through on their website.
[ link ]Maybe the mistake has been corrected but now I read that upgrade to Cross is 49€, there is no upgrade to Cross DJ because it’s (as you said) already less (39€).
FYI: Cross is the full software including management of midi controlers, timecoded CD and vinyls and Cross DJ is the exact same soft but with only midi controler support (no timecode). That it.
But I had to admit that I’ve seen something strange like that just before the upgrade to Cross 2.0, when I bought my copy of Cross DJ and I had the same reaction as you, think “what is it for a company, leaving such strange think on there website”, but I still bought there Cross DJ software and now I’m very satisfied with it and I just order the Cross Pack in order to upgrade to timecoded CD and I’ll probably get a copy of the video plugin in the future.
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