What's the Best DJ Software?

Deckadance by Image Line Software

In one of my recent Club Systems International magazines, I saw a brief article about a new DJ program called Deckadance. Deckadance was created by Image Line Software, the same people that create Fruity Loops or FL Studio. I visited their website and was pretty impressed. First of all, the website was more professional in appearance than many other DJ software sites. The software itself was pretty cheap at $179, and appears to be loaded with professional DJ features.

Deckadance will work as either a standalone DJ program or as a VSTi plugin. You can also control Deckadance with most (if not all) midi and timecoded vinyl and cd systems (Torq, FinalScratch OPEN, Serato Scratch Live, Traktor Scratch, etc.) There’s even a video on the site of controlling the DJ Software with a Nintendo Wii remote.

One of the unique features of Deckadance is that in the future, it will be able to be used as a DMX controller as well.

Here is the full feature list:

64-bit DSP, high quality processing.

2 decks capable of loading MP3 (Id3v1&v2), WAV and OGG

aufTAKT tempo analysis. for perfect syncronisation

12 outputs (6 x Stereo): master mix, monitor, deck a, deck b, …

Seamless Looping / Cueing.

Unique Loop and Leap feature.

Unique Reverse and Leap feature.

Flexible monitoring options : pre-fader listener level, phone split

Switch/vumeters for all elements.

Flexible crossfader modes (linear or curved w/curve adjustment).

Seamless “beat jump” functions.

-36dB to +12dB low/mid/high eq range control. Band kill of -48dB.

Auto-Sync buttons.

Auto-Slave to main tempo/host tempo button.

Auto Beat-Sync playback start.

Precise pitch control.

Crossfader embedded VU meter, auto-transition & deck punch-in.

3 Band EQ with 3 Band killer buttons.

Deck accurate pitchbend slow/fast control.

Deck downbeat shift control.

Tempo tracking switches (for tracks with variable tempo).

Internal torque simulation with realistic mouse scratch/hold.

Effects :

– lowpass

– highpass

– bandpass

– bandreject filter

– 8 Tap 3D Phaser

– Variable 3D Echo/Flanger effect

– XY control pads

Playlist with virtually unlimited number of entries.

Automatic Playlist mix :

– common track crossfade

– DJ style mode! (it will beatmatch playlist transitions).

– SHUFFLE mode

Automatic Playlist recursive directory search.

Full drag&drop from external OLE applications

Embedded right song browser with favourites search function

Bass crossfader.

Middle interface: Direct help, Peakscope and Spectroscope.

Lot of samples and midi grooves provided.

+500 royalty free loops downloadable

8-slot sampler that uses the included samples

8-slot sampler samples from the decks and has with loop & sync

Relooper that works with the predefined/included patterns

Fully editable “relooper” [reslice / rearrange loop in realtime].

wave & OGG loading and pitchbend support

Works as standalone or VSTi plugin inside hosts like FL, Live, …

Hosts VSTi softsynths & FX

8-slot VSTi host with midi database

6 inputs (3 x Stereo deck a input, deck b input, mic.

Low-latency vinyl tracking system with autolearn. Tested with:

- Final Scratch

- Serato Scratch Live

- MixVibes

- MS PINKY

- Torq

- … (all others supported via “learning” mode)

Vst host midi-in thru (to control hosted vst’s from controller).

On-the-fly disk recorder.

Midi Support :

Generic MIDI control support.

MIDI Learn with easy to configure function.

Native remote DJ Controller support for (more later) :

- Behringer BCD2000 & 3000

- Hercules DJ Console.

- Hercules DJ Console Mk2.

- Eks XP10 Controller (native HID/USB for full resolution)

- Vestax VCI-100
- Kontrol DJ

Full monitor routing swithes for decks, samplers and vsti host.

VST And Standalone Win32 Versions. OSX AU versions planned.

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