Computer DJ

A Computer DJ is defined as a DJ who uses a computer or laptop to play digital music, usually .wav or .mp3 encoded audio files, to a public crowd.

As well as a laptop or computer, MIDI controllers are also used to provide a more tactile, and useful interface for control of DJ Software by providing physical controls similar to those of record decks or CDJs and DJ mixers. External Hard Disk Drives and Audio Interfaces (Sound Cards) are also commonly utilized. By using a sound card with multiple stereo outputs, or two sound cards, a Computer DJ can use a conventional DJ mixer by routing one software deck out of one sound card into one channel of the mixer, and likewise for the other deck. Some DJ software packages allow a single stereo channel to be broken into two mono outputs which correspond to two player decks.

Most DJ Software allows the integration and manipulation of external audio inputs, and this has encouraged many DJs who have previously only used Vinyl or CDs to integrate a laptop into their setup. Computer controllers can also be plugged in via a USB port for the convenience of their moving controls like knobs and sliding buttons in order to control the software in real-time. The setup allows for a single audio output from the sound card to the amplifier/powered speakers. The controller is beneficial also with scratching, smoother pitch & cross fading adjustments, and overall ease of performing functions as opposed to mouse-controlled DJ software operation.

Computerized Performance System - a CPS can be programmed to manipulate audio and/or video, symbols, perform complex and repetitive mixing procedures quickly, precisely and reliably for recorded or live performance. CPS systems don't jump like traditional Compact discs.

in 1998, manufacturers joined with computer DJing pioneers to offer professional endorsements, the first being Professor Jam (aka William P. Rader), who went on to develop the industry's first dedicated computer DJ convention and learning program, the "CPS (Computerized Performance System) DJ Summit". Computer DJ'ing has since become popular with many professional electronic artists. Producers like Magnetic Man, deadmau5 and Daft Punk use computer technology.

Software

Some notable DJ Software:

§                     Ableton Live

§                     Deckadance

§                     djay (software)

§                     DJ Mixer (Software) for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone by Musicsoft Arts LLC

§                     DJ Music Mixer by Program4Pc Inc.

§                     DSS DJ by MyXOFT

§                     FL Studio, formerly known as FruityLoops

§                     MegaSeg

§                     Mixmeister

§                     Mixxx

§                     OtsAV by Ots Labs

§                     PCDJ, also distributed as DJ Decks

§                     Scratch Live

§                     Torq (Software) by M-Audio

§                     Touch DJ for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone by Amidio Inc.

§                     Traktor

§                     UltraMixer

§                     Virtual DJ (VDJ), also distributed as Numark CUE

§                     Visual Discomix, also known as VisualDiscoMix (VDMX)

Note: Some of these softwares are not commonly used for live performances, but are used as digital audio workstations (DAW) for the modification/creation of audio files to help mix, edit, and sample audio for live performances. Namely, FL Studio and Ableton Live.

MIDI Controllers

Some notable MIDI controllers designed for Computer DJs:

§                     Hercules RMX

§                     Novation Twitch

§                     Numark V7

§                     Pioneer DDJ-S1

§                     Traktor S4

§                     Xone DX

§                     Vestax VCI-300

§                     American Audio VMS4

WHY USE DJ SOFTWARE

Using Computer DJ Software can greatly enhance your show, and make your job much easier to do. The days of carrying crates of vinyl or CDs, are long gone, and a large majority of mobile and club DJs, have already made the switch to a computerized DJ system.

Most DJ Software programs can handle an unlimited number of songs, and make finding those tracks easier than ever. In the days of past, disc jockeys had to meticulously organize their records and CDs, in order to be able to quickly locate a particular song. Using software, one simply types in a few letters of a title, artist, etc., and the software either brings up a list of matching tracks, or quickly brings you to the song in a list. Most software also has options to easily organize your music into folders, play lists and other easily navigated hierarchies.

A modern five pound laptop computer, can easily hold tens of thousands of songs, and have more than enough horsepower for playing audio with effects, etc. (if you will be doing video mixing, you will want to insure that your computer has a good graphics processor, which can handle rendering video, transitions, etc.). You can easily organize your songs into play lists, and most of the software packages have auto mixing capabilities, for when you want to run a set for cocktail music, dinner, etc., and the software does the mixing transitions for you.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT DJ SOFTWARE

Choosing what software to use, can sometimes seem a daunting task, but can be made much easier, by just sitting down, and thinking about how you currently DJ.

Are you a mobile DJ that mainly does weddings, anniversaries, corporate parties, etc.? If so, you will probably want software that is simple to use, stable, and easily configured. You will want a good auto mix feature for running cocktail and dinner music, and the ability to quickly send a preconfigured play list into the auto mixer. The search engine in the software should be robust, and easy to locate and use, so you can quickly locate requests, and have them cued and ready to go.

Are you a club DJ, that spends a lot of time beat mixing? If so, you will want to look at the packages designed specifically for that use. Some of the packages allow you to use time coded vinyl, to simulate the experience of using dual turntables, and get the same type of scratching effects and more. These packages are generally higher priced, and require some tweaking to set up exactly the way you like. They require more computer and technical knowledge.

Above all, you will want to try several packages you are interested in, no matter what type of DJ you are. Most software companies have trial versions of their software, which you can try out for x number of time or days, prior to purchasing. That is another big benefit of using software, because using hardware solutions, usually requires you to either find someone who already has that hardware, or spend lots of time in music stores, so you can try out the equipment.

MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, what's it all mean to me? These are some of the different audio formats in use today by computer dj software. They all compress your CD music in one way or another to take up less disk space, and less bandwidth while downloading or moving from drive to drive. With the exception of FLAC, the other formats are what are called "lossy". This means that some of the audio information is lost when encoding standard CD audio to the respective format. The loss occurs in the range not audible to humans for the most part. A quick explanation of the main formats used: MP3: The most popular format around today by far. Shows no signs of letting up, as there is no copyright protection built in, and files can be moved around easily. This is the format you will find most prevalent on the internet, and is what most DJ's still rip to. Almost all DJ software will play MP3 files. WMA: This is Microsoft's format, which includes digital copyright protection. Licenses must be obtained for the files to be able to play. There are many obstacles to it being a preferred format, and it is linked closely to Microsoft's operating systems architecture, so developers are not always keen on it. Some pay per download sites like Napster, etc. use this, and DJ's are having to go through a lot of bother to burn them to CD, and then re-rip them into MP3 format. Seems like more trouble than it's worth. OGG: This is becoming more popular these days because it is a free format (developers do not have to pay royalties on this format), and it sounds a little better than MP3. Look for some big advances, albeit slowly as it takes on more market share. It is supported by programmers who do it on a volunteer basis, and is a good bet for the future, as it should lower software costs. FLAC: This is a lossless compression format, similar in style to zipping a regular file. The file sizes are still large though, and it is not easily streamed across the net due to that. It is more suited to the audiophile than the DJ, because of the high noise floor at a DJ event. WAV: This is a fully uncompressed version of your CD music. WAV produces the largest file size of all the formats here, but is an exact digital duplicate of what is on an audio CD. WAV files also have no easy way to hold tag information (there are ways to do it, although most software will not read them), which makes them more difficult to work with, and usually requires creating large filenames with the tag info embedded. Although great for the audiophile who may not care about the tag information, MP3 files usually work better for the digital DJ, who needs to find songs quickly and easily.

Laptop, Desktop or Rack Mount DJ PC

Many DJ’s are starting to use laptops now, as both the prices are coming down, and the features and quality are improving at an amazing rate. Also, the advent of USB and PCMCIA sound cards that rival traditional home audio equipment in sound and specs, has made it easy now to add a laptop to your arsenal. Many die-hard computer DJ’s will prefer a rack mounted system for various reasons, especially if they want to tweak their system internals, but for most, the laptop seems to be the wave of the future. We've seen some complaints about laptops being harder to fix as parts aren't as readily available, but with today's quick shipping and on-site service plans, it is getting harder and harder to justify that argument.