Does this DJ software exist?

[Haydn]

I think I've worked out what I want from DJ software for Swing DJing.

1. Tight integration with iTunes.

2.. A Preview Queue stream of songs to my headphones which plays songs at random from an iTunes Playlist of my choice (with the option to change the source iTunes Playlist).

3. To selectively choose any of these songs as I am listening to them, and add them to a Playlist Queue for playing.

4. The ability to add songs from iTunes Playlists to the Playlist Queue without previewing.

5. The ability to easily modify the Playlist Queue, by deleting songs or changing the order.

Does this software exist

[david]

Assuming you are running Mac, any queue-based player could do this, as long as it is scriptable with AppleScript and you write the appropriate script to control it. you need to be able to select another output sound card for the queue player also.

I have been thinking very similar things myself, and since I recently recommended Play, which has poor databse browsing, maybe this is a good candidate. What you'd do is run itunes as you would normally do, listening to music just like you would at home, ignoring what the other playing is pumping out to the room. And when you find something you like, you press a hotkey that sends the current iTunes track to the queue player.

I have actually done something a little similar, but the other way around. I used iTunes as the main player, and when I wanted to preview something, I ran an AppleScript (or maybe i was something created with Automator) that played the track in VLC.

[Cyrano de Maniac]

I'm not sure what "plays songs at random from an iTunes Playlist of my choice" means. I can interpret that either as "Has a DJ preview mode that does shuffle playback on a playlist" (which would be kind of weird) or "Allows me to preview songs of my choice from playlists" (which makes more sense).

Assuming the second, I think Disco XT has everything you're looking for, though it's not quite as tightly integrated with iTunes as I'd like. It allows you to use iTunes playlists for looking up tracks (e.g. I'll often select my "Swing DJ 4+ stars" smart playlist while looking for tunes to play), however you can't do any editing of those playlists or the track information (e.g. star ratings, correct typos in title/etc) from Disco XT. The rest of your requirements it hits dead-on though.

Brent

[david]

Brent, I think you missed the point. But maybe Disco XT handles that as well.

What I believe he asked for was a way to listen in his headphones to the music in his iTunes library in some useful way, such as from a smart playlist or whatever, and when he finds something he likes, he pushes it to the queue of songs to play for the dance floor.

[Haydn]

What I believe he asked for was a way to listen in his headphones to the music in his iTunes library in some useful way, such as from a smart playlist or whatever, and when he finds something he likes, he pushes it to the queue of songs to play for the dance floor.

Yes, that's right David . I am looking for something that acts like iPod Shuffle to my headphones on any iTunes Playlist, and lets me pick the songs I like, and add them to a separate Playlist Queue. Think of it like two streams of cars travelling towards you. The left stream goes straight to my headphones and I listen to a short section of each one, if I like it, it goes to the right stream, which is a queue of songs to be played.

[Haydn]

... Assuming the second, I think Disco XT has everything you're looking for ...

I've had a look, and Disco XT looks great. I like the simpicity, iTunes integration, and automation options. But as far as I can see, it doesn't seem to allow you to have a continuous 'Preview Stream' of songs, to let you preview one a time . I could be wrong though - if it does that, it might be the answer.

[fredo]

Haydn, I'm afraid I too may be misunderstanding what you're looking for, but let me ask it this way...

As an example, Disco XT uses it's iTunes integration to allow you to see your playlists and songs. You can click into a playlist and start listening to the tracks and then drag ones that you like over to the playlist queue.

Are you wishing that this preview player in Disco XT had a "shuffle" feature that played songs randomly from the itunes playlist? I don't have my computer in front of me, and I can't remember if there's a shuffle feature in the previewer.... hmm, there might not be, but now i'm curious.

From my memory, you categorize your music by many things, including "mood" or action verb. When you DJ, do you set your playlist to one of the "moods" you're aiming at, then let it shuffle through songs in that list to find one that strikes you the right way? If so, I can see why the criteria you describe would be desirable.

[Cyrano de Maniac]

I'm pretty sure Disco XT doesn't have a continuous live headphone preview shuffle.

That said, there's nothing to prevent you from using iTunes for the shuffle previewing (just set the system sound output to go to the desired interface for your headphones, and DiscoXT to use a seperate interface for the sound system feed), and when you find something good in iTunes, do a quick search for the track in DiscoXT and drag it over to the play queue. I don't have my laptop with me at the moment, but it may even be possible to drag a track from iTunes directly into the DiscoXT play queue.

For what it's worth, I've found the DiscoXT developer to be fairly responsive to bug reports, so he may be amenable to feature requests as well. That said, I think DiscoXT underwent a change of ownership in the past six months, so the situation may have changed.

Brent

[fredo]

Yeah, you could do what Brent is suggesting, but I considering this is a "does this software exist" thread that you're not looking for a work around that uses two pieces of software at once. I know I was happy to find Disco XT because it meant I wasn't going between software anymore, but then again I don't shuffle-search for songs while DJing so my criteria was different.

As for Disco XT development, I too have found success emailing their support email and getting quick response, though I don't think they respond to demo-version questions.

I wouldn't mind asking them about adding a shuffle feature -- i think that would be useful too.

[Haydn]

... From my memory, you categorize your music by many things, including "mood" or action verb. When you DJ, do you set your playlist to one of the "moods" you're aiming at, then let it shuffle through songs in that list to find one that strikes you the right way? If so, I can see why the criteria you describe would be desirable.

Yes, I use iTunes heavily to categorise songs in different ways - by year, mood, sound, tempo etc. Then I create iTunes Smart Playlists using these criteria. For example, 'Exciting Up-tempo late 30s Big Band', which would take all songs faster than 160 BPM between 1936 and 1940 with a big-band sound and an exciting feel.

I love the way that I hear different songs at random on my iPod in Shuffle mode when I'm travelling.

What I want to do when DJing is combine the randomness of iPod Shuffle with the intelligence of iTunes Smart Playlists to let me rapidly preview at random from my chosen Smart Playlist, and then send the selected songs to an output playlist. That way, the software makes the suggestions, I make the final choice.

For example, say I am playing Edgar Hayes 1937 Queen Isabella (170BPM) and it is going down well. I decide I want to play some more songs like this. I switch my Preview Stream to the 'Exciting Up-tempo late 30s Big Band' playlist, and I will hear songs from that playlist at random in my headphones. I can see which song is playing in my headphones on a 'Preview List' on the screen, and choose 'Add Song to Playlist' to add it to the Playlist Queue. A few songs later, I might decide a change of mood is needed, so I might want to switch to preview songs from a '1960s Slow Groove' playlist and the computer will throw these at me.

Hope that makes sense

Looking at many DJ programs, as I have, I haven't found one which does this yet. But technically it can't be very difficult. The only way I know how to do this at the moment is DJ with iTunes, and preview with my iPod. Even that's not perfect, because my iPod will Shuffle from its' whole contents, not just one playlist. And I would have to manually find the song playing on my iPod in iTunes.

I'm pretty sure Disco XT doesn't have a continuous live headphone preview shuffle.

Looking at it, I think you're right Brent.

.. considering this is a "does this software exist" thread, you're not looking for a work around that uses two pieces of software at once.

I would consider a two-program solution, but obviously an all-in-one would be neater. It seems that most DJ programs are designed for you to search with your eyes, then preview a single song with your ears. I want to be able to search with my ears instead

[fredo]

Well, if you don't mind a two-software solution, then any of the itunes integrated DJ software would work for you (provided it met your other criteria as well). You could have itunes sent to your headphones and the DJ software going to the speakers.

[Haydn]

Well, if you don't mind a two-software solution, then any of the itunes integrated DJ software would work for you (provided it met your other criteria as well). You could have itunes sent to your headphones and the DJ software going to the speakers.

Yes, as long as it's straightforward. Some combinations would be too complicated, for example using iTunes for Previewing and Disco XT for Playing, you would have to find the track again in Disco XT.

Once I've found a track I like when Previewing it, I'd like a one key or two key function to send it to the Playlist (rather than having to switch programs and find the song in the second program). Hotkeys maybe?

[CafeSavoy]

It's not as elegant as a one software solution, but you can drag & drop from Audion to itunes. http://www.panic.com/audion/

[fredo]

Well, if you don't mind a two-software solution, then any of the itunes integrated DJ software would work for you (provided it met your other criteria as well). You could have itunes sent to your headphones and the DJ software going to the speakers.

Yes, as long as it's straightforward. Some combinations would be too complicated, for example using iTunes for Previewing and Disco XT for Playing, you would have to find the track again in Disco XT.

Once I've found a track I like when Previewing it, I'd like a one key or two key function to send it to the Playlist (rather than having to switch programs and find the song in the second program). Hotkeys maybe?

agreed, some software make a two-software solution more work than others. Disco XT would not be a good two-software solution for exactly the reason you point out. A drag-n-drop between software seems like the best way. I'm not sure a hotkey between software would be available for most software made by different developers.

[Haydn]

It's not as elegant as a one software solution, but you can drag & drop from Audion to itunes. http://www.panic.com/audion/

I get the 'Spinning beach ball of death' when I launch Audion (and the website says it has been 'retired'), but thanks anyway.