Digital DJ Tips

How to DJ properly with portable digital DJ gear

May 15th, 2012

Review: Cross DJ For iPad

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MixVibes CrossDJ For iPad

The main screen of Cross DJ For iPad, showing a traditional layout but with a wealth of extra information too.

Ever since MixVibes showed an early iOS version of its well-regarded Cross DJ system at Musikmesse earlier this year, we have been eagerly waiting to bring you this review.

Finally, with the app due to hit the app store shortly, I’ve been able to spend a week of quality time with it. The press release boldly claims it to be the “World’s First Professional DJing App”. Similar claims have been made before by other DJ apps that have often fallen short of expectations. So given that the DJ app market is already competitive, does Cross DJ live up to the hype, and will it stir the competition up?

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May 10th, 2012

Review: Meta.DJ for iPad

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meta.DJ main screen

Keeping busy with four-deck action in meta.DJ...

Last week we took a look at DJ Remixer 2 and found that while playing with looped segments of a track can be fun, the app had its quirks, and we were left wanting more to sustain our interest.

meta.DJ is an app with a similar concept. Although it’s been around for a while, it’s returned to my attention recently thanks to a few major updates promising stability, in-app recording and some other neat new features. So how well does the improved meta.DJ app perform? Is it really up to comparisons with the likes of Traktor? And more importantly: Is it for you?

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May 10th, 2012

6 Reasons DJs Will Love The New SoundCloud

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New SoundCloud

It wil be easier to find great new music for your DJ sets thanks to faster searching, the ability to stream new music continuously, and better access to what other people are loving..

We thoroughly recommend you avoid SoundCloud for posting your DJ sets – unless you want to struggle to get them accepted in the first place, or don’t mind seeing your work disappear without notice at any time, of course. Trust us: It’s not a good place to post DJ sets.

What SoundCloud does better than any other music website, though, is offer a place for producers to post their original work, thus making it an excellent tool for DJs on the lookout for fresh new sounds for their sets – not least because many are freely and legally downloadable. And it’s all about to get better still, with a whole host of new features announced today that represent the biggest overhaul of the service since it launched. Let’s find out what we should be getting excited about:

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May 9th, 2012

Review & Video: Rane SL2 for Serato Scratch Live

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Rane SL2

The Rane SL2 digital vinyl system comes with Serato Scratch Live, which is a full version and freely upgradable for life.

A couple of weeks ago we reviewed the Rane Sixty-One mixer, a Serato Scratch Live-compatible standalone DJ mixer and audio interface designed to let you DJ using turntables and/or CDJs but manipulating audio via serato Scratch Live software and your laptop. But what if you already have decks and a mixer, and just want to move over to digital? That’s where the Rane SL2 comes in.

(By the way, Traktor’s digital vinyl audio interfaces now comes packaged in exactly the same way as Rane’s always have, ie packaged with control vinyl as a “complete system”, and we’ll be looking at a Traktor’s digital vinyl system in a week or so. As for a native Traktor mixer like the Rane Sixty-One? Well, I for one don’t think Native Instruments will leave it too long, and Pioneer already does. We’ll be covering them in due course…)

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May 8th, 2012

What To Look For In An iPad, iPhone Or iPod Touch DJ App

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iPad DJ

Don't get stung when buying a DJ app for your iOS device - check out our lists of 'must-haves' and 'would-be-nices' and choose wisely.

There are scores of DJ apps in the iOS app stores, and it can be difficult when faced with such a selection knowing which ones are worth your time and money and which aren’t. It’s not helped by the fact that what’s possible on the platform has improved dramatically recently, but some of the apps in there haven’t kept pace.

You only need to briefly dip into the forums of Algoriddim (the company that makes the popular djay app) to appreciate the demands being made by customers. Some are incredible! So, in 2012, what should you realistically be looking for when considering which DJ app to download to try on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch?

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May 5th, 2012

Your Questions: What Are VBR MP3s?

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MP3 VBR

It's a dry subject for sure, but it's worth understanding VBR if you want to get the best quality/size ration from your MP3s... or if you want to make sure you only use the best sounding MP3s in your DJing.

Digital DJ Tips forum member Eledamiri writes: “I was watching your video about digital music quality the other day and then I wondered what exactly variable bitrate (VBR) is? Every now and then I encounter files with 205 VBR, 240 VBR and so, especially when I download DJ sets from SoundCloud.

“So do you know if they are so much different from 320kbps MP3s? I’m more of a listener than a DJ, by the way, but this community is great, I spent a lot of time reading the stuff here.”

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May 3rd, 2012

Review: DJ Remixer 2 App For iPad

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DJ Remixer2

DJ Remixer 2 - a new loop based remixing app

When we reviewed the intuitive Mixed In Key Mashup, we wondered if they would be releasing an iOS equivalent or perhaps whether something similar already exists. By some strange conincidence, a new app called DJ Remixer 2 was released around the same time.

Developed by Mode2 (the same team behind the AirScratch), DJ Remixer 2 is a twin-deck version of the company’s existing universal app (Remixer) and allows you to “resequence two tracks from your music library at the same time and mix between them in sync to the beat”. Sounds pretty similar to Mashup to us! Let’s take a look…

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April 21st, 2012

Your Questions: Is Internal Or External Mixing Mode Best On Traktor?

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The Xone:DB2 is an awesome mixer, and if you have access to a hardware mixer of this kind of calibre, you may be tempted to bypass internal mode and use your DJ software in external mode instead.

Digital DJ Tips reader Avarice writes: “I have a pretty basic question that I just haven’t been able to find a definitive answer to. I’m running Traktor through an external sound card, into a mixer and controlling the software with a Midi controller (sometimes two), yet doing the mixing on the external hardware mixer independent of the software.

“What I want to know is, is there some benefit or drawback sound quality-wise to controlling the EQs and volume levels on my mixer, rather than directly with the software? I’ve done it both ways, and heard criticisms from other DJs on both sides of the issue. I’d prefer to do it with the mixer, as that’s what it’s designed for and it frees up more knobs and sliders on my controllers. Is there something about this I should know?”

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April 19th, 2012

Review: DJ Dex App For iPad

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DJ Dex Logo

PCDJ is successful on PC and Mac, but how does DJ Dex compare on iOS?

The long-time development team behind the PCDJ suite of DJ software for the PC and Mac has recently launched an iPad-only app called DJ Dex, borrowing some of its interface style from the company’s PCDJ Dex product.

With other leading software teams already firmly established on iPad devices, and more definitely following, today we look at how DJ Dex fares in this increasingly crowded arena.

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April 17th, 2012

Why Are There No Good DJ Apps For Android?

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DJing on Android - it’s like iOS a couple of years ago.

If you don’t own an Apple mobile device then perhaps you do own a smartphone or tablet running the Android operating system. Indeed, Android currently accounts for the largest market share of smartphone devices – so why do we not hear much about DJ apps (or indeed any music apps) on Android?

We get asked all the time to cover Android DJing apps and music services, but up until now we’ve struggled to find anything worth reporting to you. So why might this be?

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April 12th, 2012

Review: DJ Rig App for iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch

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Another new DJ app? What, if anything, makes DJ Rig different from the rest? We find out...

Since NAMM 2012, IK Multimedia (better know for its guitarist-focused products) has been promising a new range of iOS DJ software and hardware, in the form of the iRig Mix (a slimline, portable mixer for iOS devices) and companion app DJ Rig.

The iRig Mix is coming soon (check out our review), but we’ve already had a chance to test the app. With the competitive nature of the market for DJ apps on iPhones, how well does DJ Rig fit in – and has the company learned from the mistakes made in some other, similar apps?

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April 10th, 2012

5 Ways Apple Could Improve iPad, iPhone & iPad Touch For DJs

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iDJ Pro

Numark's iDJ Pro: Incredible technology, but still limited by some of iOS's more glaring limitations, such as no dual stereo outputs.

You’ve read the benefits and pitfalls of DJing on Apple iOS devices, so in this final “State of the Nation” piece we come to consider what can Apple do to improve its devices and mobile OS for DJs.

Exactly what amendments to iDevices or the underlying code could further unlock the potential of DJing on a portable Apple device? Here we list our top five…

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April 9th, 2012

The One Big Mistake Nearly Every New Digital DJ Makes

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VCI-100 real vinyl

You can DJ on any old controller, but the software you choose will probably stay with you for life. Pic: Peter Kirn, courtesy of Create Digital Music

There’s one mistake that nearly every new digital DJ makes. Sometimes, there’s not much harm done. Sometimes (by fluke rather than by design), the DJ gets it right without realising it. But too often, this mistake adds a big delay to the new DJ actually starting to enjoy their DJing – or worse, it costs them a lot of money.

It all starts innocently enough. The number one question we get asked here at Digital DJ Tips is this: “What DJ controller should I buy?” Crazily, though, most times the hapless new DJ has, at this point, already made the mistake! So what the hell is it?

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April 5th, 2012

Video: Virtual DJ 8 Alpha Talkthrough

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Virtual DJ 8

Coloured waveforms are an obvious development, but under the skin there are many much more profound changes to the software.

We’ve already looked at the new features of Virtual DJ 8, but we managed to grab Heiko from Virtual DJ at Musikmesse 2012 (early one morning before it was too noisy) to give us a really in-depth video talkthrough.

Virtual DJ certainly does things differently; whereas other companies might keep things out of the public eye until they’re totally ready, Virtual DJ’s team is happy to share its thinking and thought processes with us. As such this video is not for the casual viewer; it goes into a lot of detail at nearly half an hour long.

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April 3rd, 2012

Video: Numark iDJ Pro Working Demo

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When we broke new of the first-of-its-kind Numark iDJ Pro back at this year’s NAMM, it was a non-working prototype on display.

A couple of weeks ago at Musikmesse 2012, however, we got to actually see a working version. We made this video to show you what all the fuss is about.

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April 3rd, 2012

5 Reasons Why iOS Isn’t Suitable For DJing

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iOS DJing

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.

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April 2nd, 2012

Traktor Pro 2 Slashed By 61%, Now Comes Free With All NI DJ Gear

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Traktor Scratch A6 - new name, new software - same old sound card?

Traktor Scratch A6/A10 are the new names for the Audio 6/Audio 10 interfaces, which now come - like all Traktor hardware - with the full version of the software, and a free upgrade to version 2.5 when it's released.

In an aggressive move to consolidate its position in the DJ software market, Native Instruments today slashed the price of Traktor Pro 2, killed off entirely Duo (offering all Duo owners a free upgrade to Pro), and announced that the full Pro version of Traktor will now be bundled with all Traktor hardware, from the lowly Audio 2 upwards.

Native is calling it a “simplification” of the range to coincide with the launch of Traktor Pro 2.5, but it also effectively marks the end of expensive DJ software; the most that users will pay for Traktor is now US$89/€79 (the price of the software bought fresh from the NI store) against US$229/€199 previously, and for US$119/€99 for the Audio 2 – the cheapest hardware from NI – you also get the full version of Traktor as well.

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