DJ Gear Smokin' Deals
DJ Gear Blog Posts
In their final DJ Expo update ScratchWorx revealed big changes to the upcoming version of Virtual DJ that will let it mix on “up to 99 decks.” This is meant to come in handy for controller users who want to mix on four decks (the American Audio for instance or some Denon controllers ship with light versions of Virtual DJ).
But wait hold on UP TO 99 DECKS? Hearing this made me curious about Virtual DJ. Who’s using it a who’s it really meant for? Here’s what I found out:
Virtual DJ may not be seen as the flashiest software, but it has a huge user base around the world and an active community online. It’s compatibility with many audio files (including karaoke files) made it popular among mobile DJ’s early on in the laptop game. The LE version of the software also gets you mixing internally at a pretty low price which may have gotten the attention of laptop DJ’s just starting out. Poking around the Virtual DJ website a bit I found out the Pro version has some interesting open features built in. I can’t attest to the performance as I haven’t used Virtual DJ but it boasts some pretty heady ideas. Perhaps people would want to see this stuff in Serato or Traktor? Here’s what grabbed my attention:
Plugins: There’s a sizable library of effects plugins you can download from Virtual DJ. Users can also program their own plugins in C++ and submit them for download. Pretty neat for programmer heads and keeps the effects section expandable for users.
Skins: Being able to select your on screen interface would really appeal to DJ’s who want max comfort and usability. Skin’s again are programable and thereby customizable for the programming savvy.
Video: The native version of this software does video. No additional plug ins or purchases needed. And you can download or program your own plug ins for video as well.
So in review, this software mixes on 4 (or more) decks WITH video and has customizable skins and audio effects. Throw in the Numark Virtual Vinyl for turntablists and this software surpases Traktor, ITCH, and Scratch live as far as features doesn’t it? Serato and Native Instruments will presumably catch up in the video department but perhaps retain the additional costs (Sratch-SL comes at a heavy price tag for the add on alone). The changeable skins and expandable effects are interesting ideas, but I imagine downloading and programming mods for your DJ software comes at the expense of stability.
And it’s all about stability isn’t it? Serato and Traktor users often stick by the product because it’s what they are used to and it works. Numark hasn’t done a particularly good job marketing Virtual Vinyl as a viable scratch control option (the video above showing the total control plus DJ mixer PLUS interface as the setup seems cumbersome and counter intuitive). Numark has also jumped ship in some ways by endorsing ITCH and the NS7 as their next gen controller. Yet while staying out of the realm of club and scratch DJ’s Virtual DJ maintains a loyal fan base. Without experiencing the program for myself it’s tough for me to comment on VDJ further, but I’ll stand by the old adage that it’s not about the software you use, it’s about the end result and your performance and creativity as a DJ. It’s cool to see new controller and scratch options coming out to help users of this program take their game to the next level as well.
Any VDJ users out there? I want to hear from you as to why this is your software. Leave your comments below!
I started using Virtual DJ way back when it first came out in 2000, back then it was called AtomixMP3. I basically started using it for 2 reasons: A) I was a teen who wanted to be a DJ but I didn’t have the money to buy traditional DJ equipment and B) I already owned a computer so using the software was a cheaper alternative for a teen with very little money.
I was attracted to the Atomix software because I could mix just like on a traditional setup since it had a built in mixer and 2 decks, I got really good at mixing only with the computer and then the game changed when virtual DJ was introduced by Atomix with all these new features such as time code and midi controller support, it made things so much easier on me.
When I first started using this software there wasn’t Serato, Traktor or anything else like it…I think a few year later Stanton Final Scratch came out. As these newer DJ softwares come out I tried them, Serato, Traktor, PCDJ, Torq..you name it I TRIED IT!! Virtual DJ always seemed light years ahead of them based on the features, sure Serato now has MIDI and a sampler and Video (extra $) but a few months ago you couldn’t say that about Serato.
Also another major selling point for me was Virtual DJ’s beat grid outperformed everybody else, my loops were always perfect on Virtual DJ and that was very important to me. I couldn’t get some of the other software to analyze my musics BPMs like virtual DJ did so I stuck to it. Over the year all these other softwares started adding some of the features Virtual DJ already had like MIDI support, Sampler, FX and Video but the ability to be able to program Virtual DJ to practically do anything you want is what sets it apart from all the others, to me that’s what makes the software great. The ability to adapt the software to your style of play is priceless and limitless.
Recently more people have been noticing whats going on with Virtual DJ with all the awards it been winning’ but for many DJs like myself who had been using Virtual DJ for years, the genius of this program was apparent from day one. It looks like virtual DJ is getting ready to change the game once again with Virtual DJ 7, I can’t wait to try the new features on version 7.
Today I use Virtual DJ with my Allen & Heath Xone 3D and Denon DN-S3700s, the kid grew up and now I’m able to afford all the fancy DJ gear I desire; my DJ gear has changed over the years but one thing has always remained constant and that is my Virtual DJ software.
Thanks for this great account on VIrtual DJ. Glad it’s rock solid in your setup!
guys i started using virtual in 2003 ,and there were none
other software around, thats y i know for my self they are light years away in features,because they are much cheaper that these sotfware coming out now people feels like they are not in the same class,just last night I went to a gig to dj ,there I saw serato live set up in the club, i never use it before so i said am gonna try and use it tonight,first of all u cannot eject or plug in any external hard drive,becuase the program gonna crash, as with virtual dj u can do so without any problem, that alone make me realized virtual dj is ahead, numark plz create a perfect middi control for vdj please,and stop making budget ones thanks ,vdj is the best never give me any head ache all u need is a good computer.
I m a club dj and a mobile dj and i m using vdj with timecode and midi controller. I think it s a pretty good piece of software. Indeed traktor or serato sounds a little better but the difference is not so obvious. For me vdj works flawless , it s very stable on mac osx , it didn t make me any problem in almost 3 years and i m working 3 or 4 days a week. Now they released the 7 vers and i m looking forward to test it
Everyone else is JUST catching up to what Virtual DJ has been doing for YEARS! Virtual DJ’s biggest advantage is also considered by many it’s biggest fault – the ability to customize. Because you basically have to set it up for the equipment you are using (sound card, MIDI controller, timeocode CD or vinyl) MANY people do not set it up correctly and then blame the software saying that it does not work. This is NOT the case. Set it up right and it will work right.
This software is AMAZING! I can customize effects and load tons of samples. I can drag and drop music and video from hard drives, flash drives, CDs and DVDs to a deck and have it start playing immediately – NO SETUP REQUIRED!!!
I have had gigs where I mixed for 7 hours straight and Virtual DJ has NOT crashed on me once in 4 years.
I buy new epuipment every year. While my hardware has changed, for the past 4 years, Virtual DJ has been the one constant.
By the way, at a Party/Concert I was at last weekend, Serato crashed about once an hour.
I’ve used VDJ for 3+ yrs and started djing using just my pc, no controller, just the keyboard shortcuts. Now I use a VMS4 and LOVE IT!!!
I have had instances where the program crashed on me, but I don’t even remember what I was trying to do to make it do so, and plus that was some time ago. Now, I can almost say it never crashes on me. Never once during a gig though. If you’re a Pro user then you will love all the extra plugins, effects, skins, and mappers that are to your disposal. Another great feature is MusicSearch. With a subscription, you can stream almost any song if you have an internet connection, so you’re never left hanging at an event when someone requests that ONE song you don’t have in your library.
I’ve never used Traktor, and cannot use Serato without hardware, so unfortunately until I have a chance to try it out I wouldn’t be able to comment on them.
The limits with VDJ are almost endless. You can map your controller to do almost any command you need, this way your hands are off your pc as much as possible.
Now… if I can only start organizing my music collection into “virtual folders”, VDJ’s version of “crates”, then almost anyone who’s never used the program can just hop on and start spinning.
I’ll stay faithful to VDJ until I’m completely convinced to move to the other side. Besides, I don’t scratch, and don’t have thousands of dollars for Rane equipment, so I’ll stick to my VMS4 till the wheels fall off.
VDJ7 FTW!!!
Happy spinning!!
Dj Phillie B