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Alternative Digital DJ Software
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| Lunar Phase 7 |
Ableton is pretty much the standard Software for digital DJing, just wonering if anyone has any experience with other programs?
Pioneer, Numark, etc both have programs out, anyone used these?
What are your opinions? |
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| Ryan0751 |
Not sure I would say Ableton is the standard... since it's not really a DJ'ing application. It's a DAW with a live production aspect. Totally different paradigm, and not for everyone.
For more DJ-like applications, Native Instruments Traktor is very popular, as is the newer M-Audio Torq (which can be used standalone or as a DVS application).
For DVS (digital vinyl system/timecode etc), you have Serato, Torq, Traktor Scratch, Numark Virtual Vinyl...
For more hobbyist programs, you have Virtual DJ, Mixmeister... there are many.
What are you looking to do exactly? |
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| MERiDiAN5i2 |
Traktor for the win. I'd have to say Traktor is where it's at.
http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=traktor3
Honestly, the latest version of Traktor (3.2) is the first digital mixing program that I actually enjoy mixing on. I use it with an external mixer (DJM3000) and a Delta410 8-analog-out soundboard to fill up all four stereo channels.
For control I use a USB keypad mounted on the mixer, just your standard $15 numeric keypad.. the type you can find at best buy or compusa made for number-crunchers to get a regular numeric pad off their laptop. This affords me 18 buttons right up on the mixer, and after some creative assignment of them as hotkeys in traktor I don't have to touch the computer much.
Sure, it'd be nice to have jogwheels or other fancy goodness, but all the jogwheel controllers are geared around using the internal software mixer, which isn't my cup of tea. I'm all about a real hardware mixer. That means all I need is transport controls, and a basic keypad does just fine for that.
Don't bother with VirtualDJ. The dude wants $300 for it, Traktor is $100 less and sounds $5000 better. If you've got a student ID you can get the education edition of Traktor for $85! VirtualDJ needs a serious overhaul of it's audio engine, its not nearly as smooth as Traktor. It should still be in the $50 range, like it was when it was known as AtomixMP3.
I checked out the Pioneer one, got frustrated with it very quickly, gave up. Numark's piece, which is MixMeister, isn't really a DJ program.. It's more like a scaled down digital audio workstation. I don't see how it would be of any use for a live set.
Torq looks intriguing but I haven't had a chance to evaluate it yet. ImageLine (maker of fruityloops) also recently release Deckadance, which looks very capable but I have not had a chance to play with it yet. Deckadance looks like it has some real potential if the audio engine is as smooth as Traktor. Deckadance appears to be the newest addition to the growing line of digital mixing tools, and unlike Numark and M-Audio's solution, wasn't bought from some other company.
http://www.deckadance.com/ |
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| DjWoody |
SERATO all the way. It's quickly becoming the standard. It's already the standard in the hip hop world, and the EDM scene is catching up quickly. It's very stable. Look into it.
:toothless |
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| leph555 |
definitely looks promising
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| lücid |
| quote: | Originally posted by leph555
definitely looks promising |
sexual innuendo in advertising usually makes stuff look promising even if it isn't. :p |
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| limin_li |
| did anyone use Deckadance with Serato SL 1 box and CV02 yet. I would really like to try it out. |
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| limin_li |
| Also, I have a oxygen 8 midi controller, you think that will work with SL 1 and deckadance |
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| nefardec |
re: 'deckadance'
I like women very much, but I don't really see how they can be used as software? |
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| MERiDiAN5i2 |
Had a quick look over Deckadance 1.14. It does have potential, however its total lack of programmable keyboard hotkeys made me quickly give up on it.
I'll consider spending serious time evaluating it further if they decide to add hotkeys. Until then, or ImageLine donates a MIDI pad to me, I have no use for it.
It does, however, have extensive MIDI mapping capabilities, so I'd suspect it would work with your oxygen8.
Honestly, all the DJ-oriented MIDI control surfaces seem cheesy, expensive, or some combination of the two. I really like my 15$ USB numeric keypad. 18 buttons in a little 3" square, nicely mag-mounted to the DJM3000 which has all four channels coming off traktor. Who needs MIDI faders and knobs when you've got hardware faders and real EQs? Gimme keyboard hotkeys on the pad for cue/pitch/nudge/loop and I'm set :> |
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| skip |
| quote: | Originally posted by leph555
definitely looks promising
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i can't say much about alternative dj software, but that pic is ing great! :eyes:
that's absolutely the best view of a woman there is. altho the horizon is a bit skewed and that other woman could be dropped, i'll still say that that's one great pic. there should be more pics from this angle IMO. 
and back on topic: i've personally tried traktor ages ago and didn't like it much as i don't want to play music with my mouse. but i will get some digital control system sometime in the future (most likely traktor scratch) to get best of both worlds, hardware and software. |
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