DJ Software issues...thoughts for the noobs & Preparing for the inevitable LOL

6xes · 2023-07-21T00:11:55+00:00

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....having viewed the odd post, related to bugs both minor & major... re Traktor

it makes me wonder, how many people are tied albeit locked into the Traktor software, and have not considered other DJ software as a backup or goto when major bugs present themselves(hardwarescreen flicker as an example)... or the many minor issue annoyances begin compounding.

Surely it makes sense not to be solely invested in a single software... whats more our decisions on hardware selection should have some form of future proofing, at least to a reasonable degree...

i personally made the mistake of purchasing a S4 mk1... when knowing full well i was going to get a M1 Mac mini... this of course is a noob mistake, ho hum

understandably we all make regrettable choices...

but i will state Native Instruments Maschine Jam controller is an awesome pseudo DJ controller, when programmed to your personal taste!!

love or hate Native instruments... you ultimately have freedom of choice in this day & age!!

power to the consumer!!

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Isotoxin

I'm not really understand what You want to hear, but my 2 cents will be: please give me recommendation for a DJ software which has support for any amount of MIDI controllers with a fully custom DJ application mappings, has Ableton link support and doesn't cost 300$?

LostInFoundation

My only problem is that paying for a product and then having the “freedom” to chose another one because they make a bad work on the first one is not what I would define “power to the consumer’.

To my eyes is more “power of doing what they want and not having to be responsible of their acting” of the companies.

Which more or less is 0 power to the consumers

Even when they write in their own EULA things like "Should Native Instruments for whatever reasons no longer be able to fulfill its obligations to deliver the activation key, it will provide the Licensee with a key which ensures the continued use of the software independent of changes of the computer."…well…it is enough to cancel it from the EULA…

Power to the corporations

lord-carlos

Surely it makes sense not to be solely invested in a single software... whats more our decisions on hardware selection should have some form of future proofing, at least to a reasonable degree...

Can't hurt to have an rekordbox formatted USB with your favorite tracks.

Plug into house system and play.

6xes

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/85402#Comment_85402

Virtual DJ is free,,, how you configure ALL your controllers to virtual DJ requires something like Bomes midi translator and some knowledge of the Virtual DJ scripting language.... beyond that, setting up the VDJ mapping via Bomes midi..is the real challenge..

if of course you are in the professional DJ arena & cannot be bothered with mapping etc... then the backyard diy is probably not the go..

but the option is there!! additionally i believe there are some aspects of virtualDJ which will not translate well with some midi controllers... but that is simply the reality of integrated hardware&software combo's which people will pay top dollar for.

im in the doing it cheap&nasty camp... and make sacrifices until a hardware product arises which i can incorporate at a later date which will give me the functionality im missing.. but i guess if you want to run with the Jones's & the Jetsons.. you pay for it!

Isotoxin

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/85416#Comment_85416

From when Virtual DJ with midi controllers is free?

https://www.virtualdj.com/products/virtualdj/price.html

6xes

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/85417#Comment_85417

this is the link i use to get the free version with stems 2.0

https://virtualdj.com/download/

ive mapped my maschine Jam's(Plural) with bomes midi translator pro to basically translate midi to keyboard presses

to get the some of the advanced features requires VDJ scripting language knowledge.. which is then incorporated into a custom keyboard mapping... and then mapped with Bomes midi to keyboard translators, but the simple stuff is already there in the keyboard mappings

Isotoxin

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/85426#Comment_85426

So it's just workaround with an application (Bome MIDI translator) the cost of which is greater when Traktor's price on sale? 😁 And what about LED's on the controller? I think they will not work so easy?

EDIT: I see there is Classic version of BOME. But it's still $30

6xes

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/85430#Comment_85430

im no expert in mapping controllers... but i find Bomes very similar to traktor mapping, in that you can create modifiers to bring about alternative mappings for buttons or knobs faders etc.. you can also make buttons as toggles for different sets of assigned commands... provided the hardware button type allows for it...

but basically in my view, Bomes allows for cross communication of application via virtual midi ports...

intergratable in many DAW and DJ programs.. so having this tool at your disposal will allow you to execute applescripts.. AHK's via .exe also trigger midi upon activation of a application coming into the foreground, sysex etc etc... the Bomes software is on the same level as Realearn in Reaper but without the internal workings of a DAW,, only the midi aspect of it...

so in the long run... if you have controllers that you wish to have do more than it was originally designed to do.. Bomes midi translator pro will level-up your midi controller for use in imaginative ways!

Isotoxin

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/85434#Comment_85434

For this custom MIDI tinkering I'm using Cantabile (free version with free pizMIDI plugins pack) with direct MIDI. There is no point to map midi to keyboard if You can map it directly as a MIDI. And AFAIK what You have described, there is no LED feedback with workround?

6xes

As far as LED's go... so long as they can be programmed via midi in the original software...

Bome midi can also mimic the LED feedback etc... but again you can only make Bome do.. what the midi will allow it to do..

as an example... i can change my Maschine Jam LED's using the index mode and have Bome act as the initiator. so if your controller has a programmable midi mode that allows for LED feedback.... this is entirely workable

6xes

yknow heres what i find interesting on the NI forum....

many people who are not aware of workarounds albeit hacky ways of manipulating software using tools such as Bomes often come to the NI forum with their barriers... not realising some of the barriers people encounter are becos they dont explore outside of the box they have put themselves into!!

im not so rigid... to become a one software to do everything... rather i will explore whats out there... and tests what works best for any given problem im trying to solve... and then integrate it

just as an example...

i wanted to use some commodore64 sid files & Amiga mod files and sync them up with some traktor stems... or virtual DJ beats or again with maschine

i solved this by using the Ableton follow feature which is in the ableton lite version and then running multiple instances of a sid-player that would allow for separating of the sid sounds into separate audio channels and then sync it using midi receive...

there are features in various applications that are extremely useful, for given scenarios... exploring them and sharing the workarounds is very satisfying even if it is hacky

Isotoxin

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/85437#Comment_85437

I'm the same type of guy, but sometimes this exploration takes just too much time. This was the reason why I gave up on Maschine software. The MIDI limitations (only one CC channel) just won the battle and I replaced it with Launchpad + Bitwig.

Bendagoros

If I were you, I would take my time and make a more research.

Vybzin

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/85416#Comment_85416

It's "free" but, as I understand it, you can't use it with a midi controller. What's the point of that?

Another thing is, why is the DDJ-FL4, a beginners controller, classed as "Professional" and therefore requires a Professional licence @ $19 per month

6xes

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/87103#Comment_87103

some people may not see the point of it being free... and understanding the workaround aspect of getting a midi controller to operate in qwerty mode...

i guess if you dont see the point of everything i put above...then its not my loss

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