iPad DJing

[Casual77]

I've just bought an iPad Air 2 128gb with a view to using it on certain gigs. I already owned an iPad 2 64gb and a Numark IDJ Pro and have used them together successfully on a number of the gigs I've done.

I was just wondering if anyone on here uses an iPad with a controller as a first choice play out device or if anyone would ever consider it?

[funkymook]

I've just bought an iPad Air 2 128gb with a view to using it on certain gigs. I already owned an iPad 2 64gb and a Numark IDJ Pro and have used them together successfully on a number of the gigs I've done.

I was just wondering if anyone on here uses an iPad with a controller as a first choice play out device or if anyone would ever consider it?

I don't use my iPad as my main play-out (I have 2 MBP’s for that) but I do use it with a small portable speaker if I need background music in a different part of the venue or outside. It’s also loaded with various playlists as a 3rd back-up.

The only reason I wouldn’t use it for a main play-out is the safety net of having my full music collection at my fingertips.

[Andy P]

Stupid Alert

Seen a lot of poeple saying they have an ipad as back up - I have a one but not sure how I would use it as a back up. Its only got a lightning port so how would one keep it charged and connect it to usb or anything else - im guessing via the phones port to an rca lead but could be missing something. Also is 32gb large enough for a music collection - I guess if its just emergency then it should be and can you connect your hard drive?

[DJColsie]

I use an iPad Air 2 64gb with djay2 as back up. It is always connected to a line in on the mixer.

I also take a spare laptop. I have had to use the iPad while I swapped laptops at a gig. Suited really well for that purpose and nobody realised the fault on the dance floor. Would not want to DJ a whole evening as you can't cue the next song via the headphones but could do in an emergency.

I also use the iPad on auto mix sometimes with a selected playlist for background music. You can't charge the iPad while it is playing so I charge it pre gig. Have tested it and the battery will last over 8 hours using djay2 without being charged.

[Andy P]

Ive found some free software and a guide on connecting a hard drive. Gonna have a go

[Excalibur]

I use an iPad Air 2 64gb with djay2 as back up. It is always connected to a line in on the mixer.

I've used a colleague's ipad set up thus. I ran it while some technical issues were sorted. Apart from the restricted amount of tracks, it was usable, although I wouldn't have felt comfortable for the whole night.

I use my Surface for backup with the small rig, and if I understand correctly, physically it beats the Ipad, cos I can connect it to a charger, and it has a USB port, meaning I can also use one of my laptop backup drives, giving me as many tracks as the main.
Not all plain sailing though, the software I've got isn't good. It won't work with Djay, so I'm on Edjing, and it's not that good. I couldn't do a night on it by any means, but I could do long enough to reboot a laptop, or fix similar issues.

[Casual77]

I wouldn't advocate using an iPad on it's own (other than possibly as a back-up through an auxiliary channel) but if you team up an iPad with say a Numark IDJ Pro (as I do) or a Reloop Beatpad 2 controller you still get XLR outputs, a dedicated mic channel and pretty much everything you would get with any other decent DJ controller when you use Djay 2. A 128gb ipad would probably hold 10,000+ MP3 songs (which is bigger than my current collection) at a decent bitrate and you have effectively just swapped the iPad for a laptop. Djay 2 also has seamless Spotify integration for the odd occasion you get caught out with an unusual song request.

I own a Denon MC6000Mk2 controller, MacBook Pro and a Touch screen Samsung i3 laptop as well as Serato DJ, DJay Pro, Virtual DJ and Traktor Pro 2..... but I still can't get away from the fact that I find the IDJ Pro with Djay 2 (in waveform mode) the easiest and most enjoyable to use because the iPad is so hands on. The quality of the soundcard on the IDJ Pro probably isn't up to the same standard as on the MC6000Mk2 but the difference is fairly negligible unless you are an audiophile. I certainly can't hear any significant quality difference (although admittedly my hearing isn't great).

I like having the microphone ducking on the MC6000mk2 so have been using the IDJ Pro as an input device into channel 4 so I get the best of both worlds. I'm still trying to find a software/hardware combination which I feel really comfortable with but having just bought the new ipad I haven't ruled out the possibility of going with that and a compatible controller as my first choice system (with the MC6000 and MacBook as my back up) and just accepting that I will need to manually lower the music when I want to talk on the mic.

Would not want to DJ a whole evening as you can't cue the next song via the headphones but could do in an emergency.

I also use the iPad on auto mix sometimes with a selected playlist for background music. You can't charge the iPad while it is playing so I charge it pre gig. Have tested it and the battery will last over 8 hours using djay2 without being charged.

Using a controller like the IDJ Pro means that you can cue up in your headphones and it charges the iPad while you use it so you don't have to worry about battery life.

[Casual77]

The only reason I wouldn’t use it for a main play-out is the safety net of having my full music collection at my fingertips.

I'm still building my collection from the ground up and currently only have about 4,000 songs. This is slightly off-topic, but how many songs are in your full collection and, if you did a bit of a spring clean to delete any songs you can't see yourself ever playing, how many songs would you consider that you would need to keep to cover most eventualities?

The reason I ask is that I've been thinking that, given that I would decline to do certain types of gig where I felt I didn't have sufficient musical knowledge (eg specialist Northern Soul nights) I'm thinking that 10,000 songs that I could fit on the iPad would probably be sufficient for me to feel that I had all my bases covered. Asking for details of any specific song requests before the gig gives me the opportunity to make sure I can buy them, but would you consider a 10,000 song music collection to be a bit on the light side?

[DJColsie]

I've used a colleague's ipad set up thus. I ran it while some technical issues were sorted. Apart from the restricted amount of tracks, it was usable, although I wouldn't have felt comfortable for the whole night.

Exactly how I used it, to cover some technical issues.

I have about 4000 tracks on my iPad. Not all my music but all my playlists so could comfortably do a whole gig music wise on the iPad. I would also have my iPhone accessible with the remainder of my music available and giving me access to iTunes .

Like the learned gentlemen said, good back up but not first choice.

[funkymook]

would you consider a 10,000 song music collection to be a bit on the light side?

Depends on which 10,000 songs you have

This has been debated many times on here - some believe a wedding and function DJ can get away with around 500 tracks others think you can never have enough music.

Personally I’m always adding to my collection (and most of my work is for retro music, never mind keeping up with current music as well).

Your collection will grow the more you DJ - just make sure you can cover most of the popular genres at the moment so you don’t get caught out with the obvious stuff.