GuruReuben wrote:SoundInMotionDJ wrote:IMO, the minimum set of capabilities for DJ software is:
1) Cross fade between songs.
2) Alter the pitch/tempo of the song in real time.
3) "Cue" a song to skip a long intro.
4) "Preview" a song while another is playing.
5) Search able playlist (preferably by ID3 tag fields)
1) While I understand you need for such a function, it’s completely unnecessary for a Lindy Hop DJ... no matter what their taste of "Lindy Hop" may be.
2) Again, completely unnecessary for a Lindy Hop DJ.
3) Can be done with itunes or winamp.
4) Can be done with winamp... and I've heard people have a method of doing this with itunes.
5) Can be done with itunes or winamp.
Well then, it's a good thing that I was making a list of the features that should be included in an "professional" DJ software - and not making a list of the "minimum" that someone can "get by" with while playing for an exclusive Lindy hop audience....isn't it...
The capability to cross fade implies that two songs can be played through a main channel output at the same time. (Perhaps I should have phrased it that way). The CD equivalent of this is "Two CD players connected to a mixer." Are there any CD based DJs who prefer a single CD player to dual CD players? Maybe you can "get by" with a single CD player...but is that the setup you would prefer?
"Crossfading" between songs is not about beat mixing. It can be about fading a song that is too long (be that at 4 min, or 8 min, or 24min) and smoothly transitioning to the next song...even if there is a pause between them.
I happen to have a multi channel sound card - so I have two connections to the mixer for my computer - one for each channel. I can use the mixer to fade the first song, then just click 'play' on the second song. I can also mute a channel and cue a song. Could I play a set without ever doing those things? Yes I can. But knowing that I have that capability allows me to pick songs that have not been edited to a skip long intros.
Again, this is not about what someone can "make due," or "get by" with - this is about what capabilities should be present in a professional tool.
There are probably a lot of buttons and sliders that any individual DJ might not want to use on any particular setup - that does not mean that they are "unnecessary" or "undesirable." (This is true both on computer DJ setups, and CD or turntable based setups.)
Perhaps this is a lack of experience. If I had not DJd for years with CDs, on systems with 2 decks and sometimes 4 decks, I might not understand how to take advantage of that kind of setup to make my life easier.
If this thread was about the "minimum" necessary to just "get by" with as a Lindy Hop DJ - then from the sound of things, a single CD player with no headphones would seem to be the answer. That is the equivalent to the software setup that people seem to be pushing for...but with a slightly longer pause between songs.
I understand people who think they can program without headphones - they can just remember everything. That's not the point. The point is this: Would having headphones make your DJ time easier? If so, then perhaps headphones are "desirable" even if they are not "necessary."
--Stan Graves