Virtual DJ VDJ newbie

[AndroidDJ]

Hello DJ's

I'm not ganna lie i am a raw newbie when it comes to mixing music i downloaded the free trial of Virtual DJ and so far i'm getting on with it, could be a lot better but hey i'm just starting out. In some of the local bars in my area i have done some DJ nights and they turned out really well, plus that feeling you get when everyone is dancing away is better than any drug!! haha. I have been looking for professional DJ software for sale online And have come across loads but i'm not sure which on i should get, this is where you guys will hopefully come in and help a man out. When you was in my shoes what systems did you use when you first started off?? Hopefully in a couple of years i have a nice little set up with some decks and a few screens but for now i just want to stick to the basics and work my way up. Below there are the ones i found online that are apparently the best out there but i will let you guys decide that.

Magix Digital DJ. PC/Mac, £29.99/$49.99. ...
PCDJ Dex. PC/Mac, $179. ...
algoriddim djay Pro. Mac, £39.99/$49.99. ...
Mixvibes Cross. PC/Mac, £99/$129. ...
Atomix VirtualDJ Pro. PC/Mac, $299. ...
Mixxx. PC/Mac/Linux, free. ...
Gibson Deckadance. PC/Mac, from €57.27. ...
Serato DJ. PC/Mac, $129

18078

And advice/information would be greatly appreciated!! looking forward to chatting to everyone.

Thanks

[Nakatomi]

Asking some of us what we used when we first started out.... Well back in my day we had wax cylinders...

Ahem. Djing software wise, since I made the leap to digital I've always used Mixxx & it's never let me down. I've tried trial versions of Virtual DJ, serato & pcdj... And I didn't like any of them enough to warrant paying money for them.

It's horses for courses really. If you're getting on with VirtualDJ why not just go for the paid version? As far as I know it needn't cost 299.

If you use a controller it will dictate the software you can use to some extent in terms of support - not all controllers are supported by all software.

[rth_discos]

I was similar to Justin

I started with Mixx - I was literally playing off a laptop, and for that Mixx is amazing.

However, when I wanted to work with a controller, I made the jump across to Virtual DJ, and I've never looked back. It does everything I need it to do and works great with controllers.

For most though, it's personal preference. If I were more in to "mixing" like at a club, then I'd likely be looking at Serator or Traktor. People who use that software tell me it's personal preference at that point rather than a clear cut "one is better than the other".

But once you've set up on one bit of software, you'll likely not want to move away - you spend a lot of time creating crates and setting markers etc.

[Nakatomi]

I was similar to Justin

I started with Mixx - I was literally playing off a laptop, and for that Mixx is amazing.

However, when I wanted to work with a controller, I made the jump across to Virtual DJ, and I've never looked back. It does everything I need it to do and works great with controllers.

For most though, it's personal preference. If I were more in to "mixing" like at a club, then I'd likely be looking at Serator or Traktor. People who use that software tell me it's personal preference at that point rather than a clear cut "one is better than the other".

But once you've set up on one bit of software, you'll likely not want to move away - you spend a lot of time creating crates and setting markers etc.

Mixxx with a controller is great fun & very capable. The only thing it really lacks in the version I use is effects & to be honest I don't miss them at all. Hotcues, loops & EQ all get a lot of use from me & I mostly play weddings. Crates & playlists come in really handy too. I occasionally use the samplers for sfx & a little bit of 3 deck mixing too.

[DazzyD]

The only other serious DJ software you've missed would appear to be Traktor and PCDJ! There are others if you can still find them (I used to love using Swift Elite 4 - fantastic piece of software and excellent for karaoke!).

From the packages you've mentioned, I tried a few of them. Serato is aimed squarely at the professional DJ and, as such, can be a bit of a steep learning curve for a newbie. I'd steer clear for now unless you want to put in some serious learning time.

PCDJ Dex - this was the first DJ software I bought from Images in Scotland all those years ago (well, it was PCDJ Red which evolved in to Dex). It was quite a good package but I was interested in adding video and karaoke capabilities and you had to buy an extra program for this functionality.

Algoriddim djay Pro - I've seen this on the iPad and I have DJay 2 for my Android tablet. It's not a bad program and can easily be used a backup on a tablet and I understand the Pro version runs fine on a Mac.

Mixvibes Cross - I tried a demo of MixVibes years ago and wasn't really impressed. It didn't feel like it had a professional edge to it unlike other software. I didn't trial it for very long and haven't tried it since.

Atomix VirtualDJ Pro - my software of choice. It runs great on my laptop and it runs audio, video and karaoke without any problems. Plus, there is a vast user community who have released add ons and skins, fx and other things. It has everything I need and most DJs will need. Plus, once you buy it, you get a life time of free upgrades (pay once, upgrade for free forever!). It doesn't get any better than that for me!

Mixxx - I tried Mixxx years ago and it just seemed a bit too basic for me. I was ok to play background but didn't go all out on the mixing capabilities that I was looking for.

Gibson Deckadance - in all honesty, I've never even heard of this until now!!

Serato DJ - most DJ "mixmeisters" will say you should be using this. In my opinion, it's become a "gear snob's" recommendation. I see the Serato vs VDJ debate regularly and it often gets quite heated. I've no idea why people get so het up about it. It's just a tool to get the job done like every other DJ software out there!

I tried Traktor and, whilst it was excellent for mixing, it was also very resource-intensive and wasn't really suitable for lower spec machines.

So, for me, it's VDJ all the way. It'll take something really special to get me to change now!


It's horses for courses really. If you're getting on with VirtualDJ why not just go for the paid version? As far as I know it needn't cost 299.

If you use a controller it will dictate the software you can use to some extent in terms of support - not all controllers are supported by all software.

There are ways of getting VDJ cheaper but I'm not going to mention any illegal ones here! Besides, VDJ8 has inbuilt anti-piracy measures (and about time, too!) such as random demands to log in to your account and refresh your licence. But you can get it cheaper. You can subscribe to VDJ8 Pro at around £20 per month (cheaper paying the £299 in the long run!) or buying a single controller licence. But the best way, in my opinion, of saving a few quid is to buy a controller that comes with VDJ Home or LE (Lite Edition). You need to register your licence for the version you have then, when you are ready to move to Pro, Atomix will let you do so at a discount. It's worth looking in to if you're not sure you're going to be using VDJ forever! Then, after trialling Home you can decide whether or not to upgrade to Pro. The choice is yours!

Here's a canny review of current DJ software:

http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/the-10-best-dj-software-applications-in-the-world-today-589833

[Nakatomi]

I'm intrigued. What's VDJ do for mixing that mixxx doesn't do apart from automix? I'm always fully manual bar a cig break at buffet time or loo break.

[Daryll]

And there's Ultramixer (http://www.ultramixer.com/) thats what I started with , thats what I still use

Daryll

[ukpartydj]

I personally tried the trial of VDJ when I first started DJing and it really put me off. I then went to some awful Gemini mobile DJ style CD players again no fun... Played around with pioneer CDJs and I loved using them it all just clicked. Then after spending £3k on decks somebody tells me try Traktor... So I do without a controller just the keyboard, still felt good and fun... Got a controller now and I'm not looking back.

Other programs do the same things as traktor but for some reason traktor just clicks with me and VDJ, MIXX etc just aren't the same. Try a few trials and find what you like :)

[musicology]

I'm another Mixxx user but couldn't get on with their latest version so reverted to a previous one. I use it with a hercules rmx controller and it does everything I need it to.

[Nakatomi]

I'm another Mixxx user but couldn't get on with their latest version so reverted to a previous one. I use it with a hercules rmx controller and it does everything I need it to.

Yeah I think it's lost its way a bit. I'm still on v1.whatever too. The new timestretching is lovely but the fx are a mare to work out

[DazzyD]

I'm intrigued. What's VDJ do for mixing that mixxx doesn't do apart from automix? I'm always fully manual bar a cig break at buffet time or loo break.

I liked using transition fx and, at that time, this was something Mixxx didn't have (it might have changed since then, I don't know. I've never tried it again).

It also had no video capabilities at all so video and karaoke were non-starters. At that time, most of my work was karaoke disco so I needed the karaoke facilities which is why I chose Swift Elite 4 for a while. That was a perfect piece of software to me! There was only VDJ that could have gotten me away from it!

[ckpr2]

I like Virtual DJ.

However, I find a lot of these DJ programs cluttered.
So I had a go at writing my own.
It has list to get items from and another list which is the playlist.
It has a volume control and a pause/unpause button
It displays time to end of track and has a progress bar across the bottom of the window.
I have to specifiy the basic directory but the software recursively burrows down the directory structure to pick out all the tracks from subdirectories.
I made it easier to be used on a laptop using minimal mouse control.
Most functions can be done from the keyboard.

[AndroidDJ]

Decisions decisions, i do get on with the VDJ and it does what i want but i feel like i want to play with more. I am going to try to find a downloadable trial version of the Mixx and see if i like this and get back to you all soon.

Thanks guys

[musicology]

Decisions decisions, i do get on with the VDJ and it does what i want but i feel like i want to play with more. I am going to try to find a downloadable trial version of the Mixx and see if i like this and get back to you all soon.

Thanks guys

Just go to http://www.mixxx.org/ It's free, you don't need a trial, just dowload it. It's not got any malware and it's been developed by people who care about what they do. Anyone can contribute and help (if you're technically knowledgeable).

[AndroidDJ]

Just go to http://www.mixxx.org/ It's free, you don't need a trial, just download it. It's not got any malware and it's been developed by people who care about what they do. Anyone can contribute and help (if you're technically knowledgeable).

Thanks for the link!!!! much appreciated

The new version of Mixx 2.0 is awesome has everything i need and more, going to take a while to fully understand it but i am liking it so far, maybe it would be easier to use on a pc tablet with the touch screen????

[AndroidDJ]

Hello DJ's

I'm not ganna lie i am a raw newbie when it comes to mixing music i downloaded the free trial of Virtual DJ and so far i'm getting on with it, could be a lot better but hey i'm just starting out. In some of the local bars in my area i have done some DJ nights and they turned out really well, plus that feeling you get when everyone is dancing away is better than any drug!! haha. I have been looking for professional DJ software for sale (http://www.for-sale.co.uk/dj-software) online And have come across loads but i'm not sure which on i should get, this is where you guys will hopefully come in and help a man out. When you was in my shoes what systems did you use when you first started off?? Hopefully in a couple of years i have a nice little set up with some decks and a few screens but for now i just want to stick to the basics and work my way up. Below there are the ones i found online that are apparently the best out there but i will let you guys decide that.

Magix Digital DJ. PC/Mac, £29.99/$49.99. ...
PCDJ Dex. PC/Mac, $179. ...
algoriddim djay Pro. Mac, £39.99/$49.99. ...
Mixvibes Cross. PC/Mac, £99/$129. ...
Atomix VirtualDJ Pro. PC/Mac, $299. ...
Mixxx. PC/Mac/Linux, free. ...
Gibson Deckadance. PC/Mac, from €57.27. ...
Serato DJ. PC/Mac, $129

18078

And advice/information would be greatly appreciated!! looking forward to chatting to everyone.

Thanks

Just as an add up i have downloaded and using or should i say playing with "Mixx" now and it's great, i have ordered a decent PC Tablet to use with the Mixx software to see if it works for me better if not i will get back to you in the next couple days, the PC tablet should arrive tomorrow. It is a Surface pro 4 so top of the range lets see what it can do.

Thanks guys

[yourdj]

I have always used Serato. I use Itch still, but all the platforms are good.

Apart from that I have Djay on my Mac - its a great simple standalone player. Never used it mind you, would make solid backup though. I also have Djay on iPad - I have used this several times when my laptop has failed, worked a treat, but not good for all the time. A proper controller and program would be the best bet, but many many people seem to use VDJ with just the laptop. Its a bit cluttered for my liking, but they have improved it a lot in the last few years.

[soundscapes]

When I first went digital back in 2001 I used alcatech bpm studio and it's still the most user friendly software I've had, however since coming back from retirement this year I've been using virtual dj. I prefer BPM if I'm honest but I need support for karaoke / videos which I didn't get with BPM

[DazzyD]

When I first went digital back in 2001 I used alcatech bpm studio and it's still the most user friendly software I've had, however since coming back from retirement this year I've been using virtual dj. I prefer BPM if I'm honest but I need support for karaoke / videos which I didn't get with BPM

BPM was a great program but when I upgraded to Win7 I could never get it to install properly. It never saved the library or playlists and I had to import everything again every time I loaded it. BPM was ideal for less experienced DJs as it had a pretty good, yet simple to use, automix feature, the likes I've not seen in any other software. In fact, for me, the only other really good automix facility was in Swift Elite 4. And an app I use (can't remember which one - might be N7 or something along those lines).

[drcarlos]

Used to use pcdj red years ago, but converted to vdj a few years ago and have a sub licence for it now, thinking I might like to give traktor a go now though to save a few bucks and as I actually beat mix quite a bit the features might benefit me too. Might see if I can get a trial to work with my Hercules console before I decide to invest in a traktor console and licence combo.

Carl