djay - a "groundbreaking" audio application
djay, as you can see, is a "groundbreaking" new audio app that offers a slew DJ-oriented features to get your party started, including:
- Real-time audio mix transmission over Bonjour network
- Real-time audio mix recording
- iTunes Integration
- Automatic artwork image loading on both turntables
- Time-Stretching
- Pitch-Shifting with amazing blend effect
- Audio Unit Effects Support
- Pre-Cueing (requires multichannel sound card)
- Crossfade automation
- Magnetic tempo slider for precise beat matching
- GarageBand instruments integration via network
- AppleScriptability for mixing automation
All these features come in (what looks like) a slick package for the low, low price of $0; in fact, I can't even find a donation link at the product's site, algoriddim.net (clever). If any more DJ-capable TUAW readers check this out, please share a few words of your wisdom with the rest of the class.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fraser said 5:26PM on 8-20-2006
This is brilliant. Easy to use, and very fun (i'm no Dj, this is just so good to use, make stars sound like kids)
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EL Mystica said 7:43PM on 8-20-2006
However, you cannot play protected songs. No stuff from the ITMS, which limited my choice to half my library.
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Mike said 8:47PM on 8-20-2006
Downloaded it and for some reason won't let me add any of my MP3's to the turntable. Says they arent compatible??
Anyways I have DJ experience and from what I see, the interface seems easy to use and great for the average joe. The thing about it is that there is bit of skill required to be able to use the program and thats in the form of beat matching.
Beat matching is basically the fundemental element of DJing and is syncing the tempo of your music and make sure the beat falls at the same time. The way this achieved in Djay is that you hit a button in sync with beat of the music (as u hear it) and it measures your BPM and syncs your "speed" slider accordingly.
Not too difficult, but even most of the PRO apps out there automatically try and find the beat for you. Still for a free app it definitely looks like fun for someone who like music, has little to no DJ experience, and wants to play around with creating a set of music or having more control over the sound of their tracks than they would in iTunes.
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Russell said 8:47PM on 8-20-2006
Alrighty, here's the DJ testimony. This is quite the clever little app, and I would go as far to say as the first of it's kind on OSX. Thus far I haven't been able to find an application that live pitch & tempo bends songs on mac (and don't cost a million $$$). For this reason, this is quite a handy app. Is it a complete DJ solution? Of course not! There are a few things that hold it back from achieving that status:
1) There is no "quartz lock" for any of the controls; that is a button which automatically zeros whatever control you're using (especially tempo). When you're mixing two songs it's rather important to be able to quickly zero your second track to compare it to the tempo of the running record.
2) To do a proper mix it's really nice to have physical controls, again for the reason of being able to quickly zero your various levels. I bet the developer could do some pretty cool things by integrating keyboard shortcuts into the program (for zeroing controls, or stepping them up by a set increment).
3) The mixer lacks all the other intricacies that really play into making a smooth mix. (Bass treble midrange kills, basic effects, SAMPLER).
I think if the developer integrated keyboard shortcuts, added a basic sampler, kill & a quick method of zeroing controls, this would be a killer app for OSX enthusiast DJs. In the meantime I appreciate it by hooking my computer up to my physical mixer as a 3rd channel (beyond the turntables) and using it to adjust the tempo of my mp3s. Awesome freeware app though!
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Michael Curtis said 12:01AM on 8-21-2006
Russell: I had the same problem with zeroing at first, but I figured out if you right click on the slider, it pops up with reset. It would be nice if you didn't veen have to click it on a menu, a right click just resets the slider.
This would be an awesome app with a touch screen.
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Tom Robinson said 3:07AM on 8-21-2006
I wouldn't say it's very groundbreaking, although it does offer a lot for being free. The only groundbreaking feature I see is the Bonjour integration. The crossfader curve setting and rotating vinyl simulations (with album artwork!) are neat too.
Most of the other features have already been done in other software like Traktor DJ Studio. But again, this seems quite good for being freeware.
However, it doesn't load most of my music at all for some reason, only a few songs work. That pretty much kills it.
Definitely has potential though.
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Billy K said 11:08AM on 8-21-2006
Yeah, can't beat the price, but the audio kept dropping out on me, which is not a good feature for DJ software. I've got a USB audio interface feeding powered monitors, so maybe this is just a matter of driver compatibility.
And like a couple folks said above, the lack of an easy, reliable way to zero the tiny sliders is a real handicap.
I've been looking for DJ software for a while now. This app definitely has potential, but I couldn't trust it if I were actually DJing.
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hertzchen! said 12:51PM on 10-06-2006
Sorry - this app is nice to watch but buggy to handle - sometimes it hangs (sometimes often) - thats bad for a dj software :-(
...
and you can´t ad beatmarks etc.
everyone woho is looking for a free dj - software should test the beatportplayer from native instruments ore for serious mixing should take MIXXX
at the moment native instruments offers it´s great dj solution traktor studio for 99€
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