PC DJ Software

[Guest nedge2k]

I used to DJ a while back in a club down here but due to, lets say, a difference of opinions between myself and the management, i gave it up and when i ran into cash flow probs i had to sell my decks :D

My 21st is comming up and i was gonna get my mum to get me new ones but having just bought a new lappy which has the power to do it i was just wondering if anyone had some recommendations of PC DJ software?

So far i've found three that seem any good: DSS DJ 5, PCDJ FX VRM and MIXVibes 6. The best of which being DSS DJ and its the only one that'll play CDs but it doesnt have seperate playlists for individual decks, the pitch control isnt very accurate and it diables the cd drives (so you cant eject) until you exit the program!

Does anyone know of any all singing all dancing apps?

Cheers :D

[Guest filao]

I've been using Mixvibes 5 EX Pro for over a year now, and it's fantastic.

www.mixvibes.com

I haven't got decks, but i use 2 controllers: the Mixman DM2 (which has massive jog dials for virtual scratching) and the Herclues DJ Console (which has a great soundcard in and ASIO support for very low latency).

Mixvibes itself is fantastic; vinyl mode, built-in sampler/equaliser, multiple decks and all kinds of music manipulation bits and bobs. The vinyl version si supposed to really good but will be expensive since you need the software, 2 decks, 2 very good soundcards for low latency (such as Maya 44 USB) and a mixer.

Although my plastic DM2 is nowhere near the same as vinyl, it works well.

[Guest agent.m]

traktor by native instruments is the technics of pcdj so experts say :D Last gig I did was Unity festival in leeds. Figure that some work should come soon with the production work and Invizible circle gigs coming up and guest video appearances. If you wanting to do mix cd's you may want to think about Acid its slower but gets professional results. Im thinking of doing a remix cd 9th wonder style (the guy who produced the new destinys child song "girl") he remixed the whole of Jay-z and Nas last albums and made them sound better than the original.

sorry about that im on a feel good high :D here is traktor shareware download and info

http://www.download.com/Traktor-DJ-Studio/...4-10369281.html

ps check this out

http://www.turntables.de/start.htm

Edited April 12, 2005 by agent.m

[Guest amo]

Used traktor before, its quite tricky to get into but you're right it is supposed to be the benchmark of pc mixing

[Guest nedge2k]

Cool :D

Thanks guys i'll check ur suggestions out. Came accross Virtual DJ earlier...seems pretty cool and has all the options i need...but i'll reserve judgement until i check out the rest :D

[Guest wdehaas]

You can also try Mixmeister It works great if you have two soundcards. I´m using a laptop with an onboard soundcard for use with my headphones to pre-listen. And a Maya44 USB for output to the mainspeakers.

[Guest drblow]

Don't do it! :twisted: If you are interested in DJing, then why not just save the money & buy turntables. OK, DJ software may be fun for a while, but it's going to be nothing compared to getting your sweaty fingers on a piece of black vinyl! Anyway, how can you possibly scratch a CD?????? :twisted:

And don't believe the hype, buy technics. There's a very good reason why technics turntables have not changed for 30 odd years - even though most of the competition has extra features like +10 pitch adjust, or reverse buttons. All very nice I'm sure but if you play in a club they'll have technics. Or if they don't you should leave immediately!! ;)

[Guest nedge2k]

Hehe...i used to be a DJ ;)

Vinyl was never my thing, always used CD decks as, at the time, i was asked to play at a club within a few weeks, i had no decks and loads of CDs. So i thought, screw it i'll go with CD decks.

I can mix vinyl, thats not a prob but everything i own is/was on cd. Now more of my stuff is mp3 and seeing as i can do pretty much everything i could on cd/vinyl decks (within reason), why not use software.

Besides, if im ever playing in a club again, whats better: using your own "decks" and not having to lug around a few cases of tracks or using crappy club decks and lug around ur tracks? :D

[Guest Shop @ MoDaCo]

Hehe...i used to be a DJ ;)

Vinyl was never my thing, always used CD decks as, at the time, i was asked to play at a club within a few weeks, i had no decks and loads of CDs. So i thought, screw it i'll go with CD decks.

I can mix vinyl, thats not a prob but everything i own is/was on cd. Now more of my stuff is mp3 and seeing as i can do pretty much everything i could on cd/vinyl decks (within reason), why not use software.

Besides, if im ever playing in a club again, whats better: using your own "decks" and not having to lug around a few cases of tracks or using crappy club decks and lug around ur tracks? :D

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can I suggest here http://www.bpmstudiouk.com :D

[Guest drblow]

Hehe...i used to be a DJ ;)

Vinyl was never my thing, always used CD decks as, at the time, i was asked to play at a club within a few weeks, i had no decks and loads of CDs. So i thought, screw it i'll go with CD decks.

I can mix vinyl, thats not a prob but everything i own is/was on cd. Now more of my stuff is mp3 and seeing as i can do pretty much everything i could on cd/vinyl decks (within reason), why not use software.

Besides, if im ever playing in a club again, whats better: using your own "decks" and not having to lug around a few cases of tracks or using crappy club decks and lug around ur tracks? :D

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm just going to get my anorak on :D ... but this is one subject I am fairly passionate about!

See, for me, a big part of DJing has always been about going to record shops/fairs looking for music. I get real enjoyment from sitting with a pile of records in a shop waiting to hear them - wasn't that one of the great joys of record shops, when you could listen to an album before you bought it!!?? And of course the joy of owning a great record that noone else has! :twisted:

Anyway, if the clubs you are playing in have 'crappy' decks, then you should be playing somewhere else!

[Guest Dr Who]

I hate vinyl.

[Guest Disco Stu]

I agree with DrBlow ; deejaying with anything other than vinyl is a pale imitation of the real thing.

Then again, any format that needs less storage space is to be welcomed.

[Guest James]

ah! another topic on DJ'in...

i use to have vinyl decks and hated everythin else.. bought my first set about 10 years ago...

used to DJ on the road alot with CD decks with a mate... but only did it for the money..

i now have a Numark CD Mix 2 that i just use at home that sits nicely on top of my telly ;)

Really miss vinyl!!!!!!!! cant be beaten! but since i sold all my records.... :D £££$$$££££ NEED to SC-cc-c-c-cc-RATCH $$££

i have tried a few of the PC bassed mp3 mixers.... very nice!! BUT... just imagin if the PC locked up in the middle of a set!!!!!!

[Guest pisquee]

Atomix is one i've used and come across DJs using with good results ... www.atomixmp3.com

[Guest drblow]

I hate vinyl.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What sort of statement is that!? :shock: Why do you hate vinyl?

I mean, OK so there is an option to use CDs or mp3's to mix music in a club. But the turntables are a musical instrument! You might be able to reproduce a scratch with modern CD decks, but thats the equivalent to reproducing a guitar player in a band using a PC (which can also be done, but I don't imagine it would make for a very interesting stage show!! ) :twisted: I know it's anorak-y, but my own view is that DJs use vinyl, pretenders use other stuff.

If the most important thing about playing a DJ set somewhere is thinking about all that heavy equipment you have to carry, and all those bulky, cumbersome records ... then you have simply chosen the wrong profession. I mean, I play guitar in a band too, and I have to carry a huge amp, a bag of effects, and 2 guitars to every gig. There are alternative smaller amps, multi effects racks etc - but it's nothing to do with convenience, it's about a passion for making music, and a passion for the sound created by a particluar amp/effect/guitar. The same can be said for turntables - you will never sound the same on CDs as you will on vinyl. You may well be able to reproduce the effect of scratching & mixing, but it will not sound the same as vinyl. Surely everybody knows that a clean record, played on decent decks always sounds better than CD anyway? That, and most of my records aren't available on CD!

And these CD decks that work out BPM for you, whats that all about? Thats the equivalent of me having a guitar that corrects your bum notes as you play them!!

[Guest Shop @ MoDaCo]

What sort of statement is that!?  :shock: Why do you hate vinyl?

I mean, OK so there is an option to use CDs or mp3's to mix music in a club.  But the turntables are a musical instrument!  You might be able to reproduce a scratch with modern CD decks, but thats the equivalent to reproducing a guitar player in a band using a PC (which can also be done, but I don't imagine it would make for a very interesting stage show!! ) :twisted: I know it's anorak-y, but my own view is that DJs use vinyl, pretenders use other stuff. 

If the most important thing about playing a DJ set somewhere is thinking about all that heavy equipment you have to carry, and all those bulky, cumbersome records ... then you have simply chosen the wrong profession.  I mean, I play guitar in a band too, and I have to carry a huge amp, a bag of effects, and 2 guitars to every gig.  There are alternative smaller amps, multi effects racks etc - but it's nothing to do with convenience, it's about a passion for making music, and a passion for the sound created by a particluar amp/effect/guitar.  The same can be said for turntables - you will never sound the same on CDs as you will on vinyl.  You may well be able to reproduce the effect of scratching & mixing, but it will not sound the same as vinyl.  Surely everybody knows that a clean record, played on decent decks always sounds better than CD anyway? That, and most of my records aren't available on CD!

And these CD decks that work out BPM for you, whats that all about?  Thats the equivalent of me having a guitar that corrects your bum notes as you play them!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Try here http://www.bpmstudiouk.com/digiscratch.htm ;)

[Guest drblow]

:shock: Oh my lord!

Now, I'll grant you that does look mighty impressive - I still very much doubt that it would sound exactly as good as scratching a record. But it's pricy! You could almost buy a pair of 1210's for that! & if thats the case, then why not just use turntables? I mean, do professionals endorse these kind of products? Has anybody here ever heard of any really brilliant scratch-hero DJ that uses anything except vinyl? I don't profess to be right up to speed with what 'the kids' are listening to today ( ;) ), but I'm pretty sure all the DJ's I have ever heard are using plain old fashioned turntables & records.

Personally I would still be too embarrassed to turn up to a gig using that set up. I just imagine people would laugh! Everybody I know would! ;)

[Guest Disco Stu]

I believe Moby deejays using only MP3s these days.

A mate if mine has done so as well and you wouldn't know the difference.

It is still an ambition of mine to play out with 2 SPVs and a mixer ;)

[Guest nedge2k]

I believe Moby deejays using only MP3s these days.

A mate if mine has done so as well and you wouldn't know the difference.

It is still an ambition of mine to play out with 2 SPVs and a mixer  ;)

SSEYO miniMIXA ;)

[Guest drblow]

I believe Moby deejays using only MP3s these days.

I rest my case! ;)

So, what do you call these mp3 jockeys? CJ's (Computer jockeys)? MJ's (mp3 jockeys)? SJ's (Sausage jockeys)? ;)