Engine DJ 3.4 has just dropped, and the big news is the long-promised Bluetooth feature. This means that not only is it now possible to stream music into compatible equipment directly from, say, a mobile phone over Bluetooth, but it’s also possible to attach a real keyboard, making searching much easier than using the on-screen touchscreen.
How Bluetooth music works
In the accompanying video, you’ll see how easy it is to set this up. With the music, you get a choice of which channel you want the Bluetooth to use or the option to send it directly to the master.
Once set up, you get basic on-screen play, pause and skip controls, although there is no track scrubbing on the screen – for that you’ll have to resort to your mobile device.
While this is not as advanced as the Bluetooth in Alpha Theta’s Omnis Duo, and it has a bit of the usual Bluetooth delay, it is nonetheless perfectly usable. Note there is no Bluetooth out for music here.
Using a Bluetooth keyboard
As far as using an external keyboard goes, I tested it with my Mac Magic keyboard here in the studio, and it was flawless – once the keyboard is paired up it just works, letting you type when you’re in the search bar as you would expect.
We think mobile DJs especially are going to love these additions, and as ever the updates are free.
• More information on the Engine DJ website, or update automatically from your compatible Denon DJ or Numark Mixstream device.
Phil Morse
