DJing Software.

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kbuxton
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keeping libraries in sync?

#46 Post by kbuxton » Tue Jul 10, 2007 7:31 pm

So I'm just switching (at least for some venues) to using a laptop to DJ. I haven't tried any special software yet. I've been using itunes to cue/search then dragging and dropping to winamp to play. The problem I'm having is that for storage/historical reasons my music collection actually lives on my desktop computer. I've been burning music for djing onto DVD and then importing on my laptop. The one thing that I haven't managed to get to transfer right with this approach is the ratings, which is a big loss. Anyone know of a good way to sync ratings across multiple computers? I'm guessing I'd have the same problem if I switched to one of the dedicated DJ software apps, but if there's one that'll deal with it I'd be very happy.

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Lawrence
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Re: keeping libraries in sync?

#47 Post by Lawrence » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:03 pm

kbuxton wrote:So I'm just switching (at least for some venues) to using a laptop to DJ. I haven't tried any special software yet. I've been using itunes to cue/search then dragging and dropping to winamp to play. The problem I'm having is that for storage/historical reasons my music collection actually lives on my desktop computer. I've been burning music for djing onto DVD and then importing on my laptop. The one thing that I haven't managed to get to transfer right with this approach is the ratings, which is a big loss. Anyone know of a good way to sync ratings across multiple computers? I'm guessing I'd have the same problem if I switched to one of the dedicated DJ software apps, but if there's one that'll deal with it I'd be very happy.
ITunes keeps track of the ratings through its own database, which in my book is a pitfall. But you can try transferring the database to the laptop.

I also know that software patches exist to transfer ratings (read the database and save the ratings in the MP3 tags), but I don't know how to find them. (The good news is that I have heard that they do exist).
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kbuxton
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Re: keeping libraries in sync?

#48 Post by kbuxton » Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:49 pm

Lawrence wrote: ITunes keeps track of the ratings through its own database, which in my book is a pitfall. But you can try transferring the database to the laptop.
Unless I'm missing something this only works if you transfer your entire music database, which in my case wouldn't fit on my laptop. I'm trying to just transfer a playlist. I might be screwed :) (Though I did just start adding ratings of a sort to my comments field which I can then turn back into ratings on the other end if need by)

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Re: keeping libraries in sync?

#49 Post by JesseMiner » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:53 pm

kbuxton wrote:(Though I did just start adding ratings of a sort to my comments field which I can then turn back into ratings on the other end if need by)
That has been my solution so far. Works (fine) as long as you aren't already using the comments field for something else.

Jesse

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kbuxton
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Re: keeping libraries in sync?

#50 Post by kbuxton » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:33 am

JesseMiner wrote: That has been my solution so far. Works (fine) as long as you aren't already using the comments field for something else.
I am, but not in a way that adding another word is going to be a problem :)

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Re: keeping libraries in sync?

#51 Post by djstarr » Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:45 pm

kbuxton wrote:The problem I'm having is that for storage/historical reasons my music collection actually lives on my desktop computer. I've been burning music for djing onto DVD and then importing on my laptop. The one thing that I haven't managed to get to transfer right with this approach is the ratings, which is a big loss. Anyone know of a good way to sync ratings across multiple computers? I'm guessing I'd have the same problem if I switched to one of the dedicated DJ software apps, but if there's one that'll deal with it I'd be very happy.
I'm keeping my music collection on an external hard drive attached to my desktop computer at home; I have a wireless network and I run jRiver on my laptop. I use jRiver to import CDs to a WAV file stored on the desktop hard drive [I'm sharing the drive on the wireless network], then converting to APE [you could use MP3 or whatever] on my laptop.

It's nice to have both storage sets accessible from the laptop so I can convert from one to the other in any format I want. Better than using a DVD!

I haven't experimented with jRiver yet but I THINK that when I edit the tags on the laptop it will keep both libraries in sync. If not I'm assuming there is a way to update the ratings, I'll have to research that at some point.

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#52 Post by Haydn » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:22 am

I've decided it's time to go digital. That means choosing the right DJ software. My priorities are:

1. Stability
2. Ease of searching for songs while one is playing
3. Ease of previewing a song while one is playing

I've had a look around the internet, and a provisional shortlist is:

PC DJ (probably the 'Red' version)
http://www.pcdj.com/products/dj-software/red

Virtual DJ
http://www.virtualdj.com/products/virtualdj/

Rockit 2000 Pro
http://www.rockit2000.com/

Any comments or advice welcome.

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#53 Post by SoundInMotionDJ » Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:05 am

Haydn wrote:I've decided it's time to go digital. That means choosing the right DJ software. My priorities are:

1. Stability
2. Ease of searching for songs while one is playing
3. Ease of previewing a song while one is playing

I've had a look around the internet, and a provisional shortlist is:

<snip/>

Any comments or advice welcome.
You are on the right track. You have a list of specific tasks that you want to accomplish, so you can compare several pieces of software against that list.

You might want to add OTS AV to your short list. It's the same price as Virtual DJ.

Download the demo version of anything you are considering and try it. Technology is advancing rather quickly, so reviews that are even one version back can be too out of date to be useful. I recently discovered that one particular program added two new features that were able to address (almost) all of my complaints.

Read the manual. Just "clicking around" is not sufficient. Read the manual - you will learn what all the little buttons do...and there is simply no other way to get that knowledge.

Buy the software first, and the computer & soundcard second. It is much easier to match the hardware to the software.

For searching, decide if you want to be able to search on ID3 tags or just on filename. If you don't want to use ID3 tags (or if you don't already have them filled out) that will have a big influence on your choice of players. Also, you might need to get some kind of tag editor to help you re-name all your songs to a specific format to allow for searching.

In some players, previewing requires a second sound card. The onboard soundcard can often be used. This is where it's important to read the manual and see what the software recommends.

If you already have the laptop (or whatever), try the demo version on it and see how the display scales. Some programs want a fixed window size, some will scale. See if you have a preference.

Good luck, and let us know what you finally decide on.

--Stan Graves

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#54 Post by Haydn » Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:43 pm

Thanks for the tips Stan. I am also thinking of getting a hardware controller to use with the software, which apparently gives you a console to control your software (I hate the idea of being tied to a laptop screen and mouse).

I am thinking of:

Either: Virtual DJ and the Numark DMC controller
http://www.numark.com/dmc2

Or: PC DJ FX and the DAC 3 controller
http://www.pcdj.com/products/hardware/dac-3/

I am going to try to buy the software first, and I'd like to try it as well. The only problem being that I don't have hardware to try it on. I might go and sit in a friendly internet cafe that will let me temporarily install software on their computers for a day. Then I could download both Virtual DJ and PC DJ FX and try them out.

By the way, which software do you use?

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#55 Post by SoundInMotionDJ » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:48 am

Haydn wrote:Thanks for the tips Stan. I am also thinking of getting a hardware controller to use with the software, which apparently gives you a console to control your software (I hate the idea of being tied to a laptop screen and mouse).
I've looked at hardware controllers, but (so far) I have not been willing to part with the $$$ for one. Both of the setups you are looking at are widely used and well supported - so I don't think you'll have any surprises.

Since you don't own the computer yet, you should add a Mac and Megaseg to your list. If there is an Apple store near you, go in and talk to them. There is a very good chance they will help you to download and install the demo version and let you try it out in the store - they did that for a buddy of mine who actually bought the setup at the end of the day. So far he's been pretty happy with how it works.

Also, Numark Cue is based on Virtual DJ. The Numark Cue version has better support for ID3 tags, and is likely better integrated with Numark's controllers than anything else. If you are thinking about Virtual DJ, Numark Cue is worth a look. There is an above average chance that Guitar Center would have this setup to test.
Haydn wrote:By the way, which software do you use?
I use BPM Studio. I bought it 5 or 6 years ago in anticipation of the "Version 5" upgrade...which has yet to appear. I like BPM studio...and it's been really solid for me for years. But the new version has been "6 months away" for 4 years. And the software is still pretty expensive - it was $600 the last time I checked.

It I had to buy again today, OTS AV would be on the top of my list. The auto gain control is among the best I've seen (heard?). Since I DJ a lot of weddings, and I like to mingle among the guests to meet them - being able to setup a playlist and walk away and not worry about the volume is a big plus for me. Also, since I play a very wide range of music, it is difficult to keep everything at the same volume level manually when going from Nat King Cole to the latest girl group.

If I were playing in an environment that required beat mixing, then Virtual DJ or Numark Cue would be on the top of my list.

In most other respects, all the major pieces of software do the same kind of stuff - most simulate a dual CD player setup. As long as I can play a song and cue a song, the rest is just learning curve.

--Stan Graves

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#56 Post by tornredcarpet » Tue Oct 02, 2007 11:39 pm

Anyone know of any software that supports a lot of formats like APE?
I use BPM Studio and having a lot of its features would be nice, such as:
-Dual CD-player setup with monitor channel
-Marking songs already played, and their play history
-Fadeout/Fadein control
-Easy playlist workage
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Lawrence
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#57 Post by Lawrence » Wed Oct 03, 2007 3:58 pm

Haydn wrote:I've decided it's time to go digital. That means choosing the right DJ software. My priorities are:

1. Stability
2. Ease of searching for songs while one is playing
3. Ease of previewing a song while one is playing

I've had a look around the internet, and a provisional shortlist is:

PC DJ (probably the 'Red' version)
http://www.pcdj.com/products/dj-software/red

Virtual DJ
http://www.virtualdj.com/products/virtualdj/

Rockit 2000 Pro
http://www.rockit2000.com/

Any comments or advice welcome.
Are you just trying to re-start the entire thread as if nobody had discussed the issue before? :? I would suggest reading through the entire thread instead of just re-starting.

Nonetheless, I use JR Media Center. The one big downside is that you cannot easily edit the point at which the song begins; you instead need to re-rip the MP3 so that it starts at the point you want it (or have several versions with different starting points depending on the situation). You should do the latter, anyway, but it would be nice to have the flexibility to do it on the fly. The other downside is that it has crashed two or three times on me during a set, but I suspect that might have to do with my machine or user error (in other words, my own damn fault).

The up-side is that you can preview in the "cue" zone and easily switch from that zone to the "Main" zone (CRTL-T). The search capabilities are good, it edits MP3 tags directly instead of in a proprietary database format (like ITunes and Windows Media Player). The interface is rather intuitive, and the advanced details on managing sound zones and such are somewhat easy to learn.

You can use it as a ripper (both constant bitrate and VBR, although its ripper is not as flexible as ITunes' new ripper or Exact Audio Copy), and it manages your music database rather well.

Playlists, etc. also work well.

Also, it has a tree-based directory in the left hand collumn in addition to the ITunes-style interface, similar to the older version of Windows Media Player, which gives you better flexibility in searching through your music.

JR Media Center also has a 30-day trial period. More discussion is in the rest of the thread.
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#58 Post by Haydn » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:28 pm

Lawrence wrote:
Haydn wrote:I've decided it's time to go digital. That means choosing the right DJ software. My priorities are:

1. Stability
2. Ease of searching for songs while one is playing
3. Ease of previewing a song while one is playing

I've had a look around the internet, and a provisional shortlist is:

PC DJ (probably the 'Red' version)
http://www.pcdj.com/products/dj-software/red

Virtual DJ
http://www.virtualdj.com/products/virtualdj/

Rockit 2000 Pro
http://www.rockit2000.com/

Any comments or advice welcome.
Are you just trying to re-start the entire thread as if nobody had discussed the issue before? :? I would suggest reading through the entire thread instead of just re-starting.

Nonetheless, I use JR Media Center. The one big downside is that you cannot easily edit the point at which the song begins; you instead need to re-rip the MP3 so that it starts at the point you want it (or have several versions with different starting points depending on the situation). You should do the latter, anyway, but it would be nice to have the flexibility to do it on the fly. The other downside is that it has crashed two or three times on me during a set, but I suspect that might have to do with my machine or user error (in other words, my own damn fault).

The up-side is that you can preview in the "cue" zone and easily switch from that zone to the "Main" zone (CRTL-T). The search capabilities are good, it edits MP3 tags directly instead of in a proprietary database format (like ITunes and Windows Media Player). The interface is rather intuitive, and the advanced details on managing sound zones and such are somewhat easy to learn.

You can use it as a ripper (both constant bitrate and VBR, although its ripper is not as flexible as ITunes' new ripper or Exact Audio Copy), and it manages your music database rather well.

Playlists, etc. also work well.

Also, it has a tree-based directory in the left hand collumn in addition to the ITunes-style interface, similar to the older version of Windows Media Player, which gives you better flexibility in searching through your music.

JR Media Center also has a 30-day trial period. More discussion is in the rest of the thread.
Lawrence, I'm not trying to 're-start the thread' :roll: , and I did look through this thread as well as the much longer laptop DJing one before posting.

Thanks for the information about JR Media Center. I had a look at their site after reading this thread earllier, and it looks as though Media Center is aimed at managing home entertainment rather than DJing. That's why I discounted it. But interesting to hear that you can preview in it - I didn't know that. I'm really looking for the best DJing tool, and I'm not convinced that Media Center is it. After an initial look at Virtual DJ and PCDJ, they both look excellent.

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#59 Post by Lawrence » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:52 pm

Haydn wrote:Thanks for the information about JR Media Center. I had a look at their site after reading this thread earllier, and it looks as though Media Center is aimed at managing home entertainment rather than DJing. That's why I discounted it. But interesting to hear that you can preview in it - I didn't know that. I'm really looking for the best DJing tool, and I'm not convinced that Media Center is it. After an initial look at Virtual DJ and PCDJ, they both look excellent.
I figured that if I was going to make the shift, I might as well go whole-hog, re-think the whole enterprise outside the box of my old CD-DJing habits, and discard all the inefficiencies of CD DJing, even if they had become comfortable habits. Consequently, although I did look at and try some of the dual-deck simulation programs, I didn't mind considering a program that discarded the habitual dual-deck interface, altogether.

JR Media Center is not perfect, and it is designed for home use, as well, but it is just as functional for DJing and much better than any other program I tried. Because of the two sound zones entitled "main" and "cue" (not exactly a pure-home-system feature), previewing and searching for songs is simpler on JR Media Center than it is on a dual-deck "look-alike" system. You can send songs directly to either the preview or the main playlist with a right mouse-click (or drag and drop) instead of trying to remember which deck is active and which is available for cueing at that particular moment. You also don't need to use two programs (one to search the library, the other to play the music) to do the job of one program. The dual sound zones (as opposed to dual decks) also make archiving my playlists a rather easy, automatic function: just save the "Main" playlist, directly.
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#60 Post by Haydn » Thu Oct 04, 2007 8:38 am

Thanks again Lawrence. I downloaded JR Media Center to give it a try, and I found the multi-zone feature you mentioned.

The help section http://www.jrmediacenter.com/help/multizoneplayback.htm states:

Multizone Playback

Media Center is now multi-zone capable -- meaning it can control multiple soundcards at a time. Each zone has its own playback and DSP settings. You can quickly flip between zones.

This is ideal for DJ's that preview on headphones while playing for the audience, or people with a few rooms in their house. Each zone has its own Playing Now window and each can be playing at the same time. Play completely different playlists at the same time!


Media Center looks pretty good, and a lot more versatile than iTunes, which I use for my song library at the moment. As you hinted, Media Center seems to make it easy to manage playlists and songs (similar to iTunes). But for DJing, I think I prefer the DJ dual-deck simulation interface and other DJ controls that programs like PCDJ and Virtual DJ provide.

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