This is not a beat up Traktor post. It just wanted to share my honest experience with Virtual DJ. I have had my purchased copy of Virtual DJ for a little less than week now and after having time to play around with it, I felt compelled to write this post.
Earlier this year, a vinyl DJ friend of mine loan me his copy of Traktor, he had just purchased. I thought it was great program, and so I bought myself a copy a month later. The more I used it however, the less impressed with it I became. Don’t get me wrong, it is a solidly built program. However myself coming for a vinyl background, I started getting a little frustrated Traktor.
Beat mixing- Traktor Beat Grid works fine, but I have thousands of music files. I did not like the idea that to beat mixed well and stay synced I "had" to set up a Beat Grid for most, if not all my tunes first. I made using the software feel more like tedious work than just fun mixing. While being a professional DJ is a business, the act of DJing itself should not be. At least that has always been my view. Also, I found their BPM algorithm to be not the best, as the BPM were almost always wrong. I mix a lot of Reggae, though not exclusively. Reggae music is famous for having several songs over the same exact beats (riddims). Even with songs with the same riddim, I had difficulty beat matching tightly in Traktor without a beat grid. With a real turntable I never used a BPM counter as I can always "feel" the riddim. It is like you hands are actually touching the music. I had better control. The fact that Traktor had no sampler or real effects and also that just about every Traktor DJ one their forum is frustrated with the lack response from Native’s support, did not help either. That was when I decided to look elsewhere.
I was thinking of trying PCDJ or Mix Vibes or BPM Studio but did not want to invest much more $$$ into a new product, at least not yet. I then read on the web somewhere (not here) about Virtual DJ (VDJ) and its overlapping wave form. I said to myself “hmm interesting concept". After getting the demo of VDJ, the first thing I did was try to beat mix "right out the box", no grid setup, no tapping for setting up BPM, no nothing. I used only the overlapping wave display as my guide.... I said WOW!! It felt almost as good as using my vinyl it was like I was touching my music again. I just drag and drop my tunes from my iTunes (This is a great setup by the way. I have two monitors. iTunes on one screen and VDJ on the other). Just by controlling the waves and I got a perfect mix EVERYTIME. I could even catch the beat without using a head phone to cue just by observing the wave forms. The BPM is also more accurate than Traktor. Even when VDJ calculates the BPM at double the real BPM speed, the divide BPM by 2 feature is good enough for me. I do not need the BPM to 100% accurate. I am sure it can be done but if it is close, I will do the rest. I love that interaction. Yes, I love this software. I will have my friend who loan me his Traktor try is and I promise you he will make the switch. VDJ effects loops sampler are just the icing I needed. One of my favorite features its the ability to change the skins.
To me honest, for a $129 US price tag, I did not expect much, plus I never heard of this product before. Also, my initial impression of the VDJ when I saw it was “yes it looks very “shareware-ish”. I will still try it then I will most likely move on to a more serious product”. However it is worth every penny and more (Don’t get any bright ideas and jack up the price).
Is there anything about VDJ I do not like? Well, no, at least not yet anyway. I have not even setup my X-Sessions controller to work with it yet. I have been using just my mouse & keyboard. As I said earlier, I have had this product for only a week. Again, my intentions is not to beat up Traktor, and maybe DJs with no vinyl experience cannot really relate to my point, but my search is over!
Earlier this year, a vinyl DJ friend of mine loan me his copy of Traktor, he had just purchased. I thought it was great program, and so I bought myself a copy a month later. The more I used it however, the less impressed with it I became. Don’t get me wrong, it is a solidly built program. However myself coming for a vinyl background, I started getting a little frustrated Traktor.
Beat mixing- Traktor Beat Grid works fine, but I have thousands of music files. I did not like the idea that to beat mixed well and stay synced I "had" to set up a Beat Grid for most, if not all my tunes first. I made using the software feel more like tedious work than just fun mixing. While being a professional DJ is a business, the act of DJing itself should not be. At least that has always been my view. Also, I found their BPM algorithm to be not the best, as the BPM were almost always wrong. I mix a lot of Reggae, though not exclusively. Reggae music is famous for having several songs over the same exact beats (riddims). Even with songs with the same riddim, I had difficulty beat matching tightly in Traktor without a beat grid. With a real turntable I never used a BPM counter as I can always "feel" the riddim. It is like you hands are actually touching the music. I had better control. The fact that Traktor had no sampler or real effects and also that just about every Traktor DJ one their forum is frustrated with the lack response from Native’s support, did not help either. That was when I decided to look elsewhere.
I was thinking of trying PCDJ or Mix Vibes or BPM Studio but did not want to invest much more $$$ into a new product, at least not yet. I then read on the web somewhere (not here) about Virtual DJ (VDJ) and its overlapping wave form. I said to myself “hmm interesting concept". After getting the demo of VDJ, the first thing I did was try to beat mix "right out the box", no grid setup, no tapping for setting up BPM, no nothing. I used only the overlapping wave display as my guide.... I said WOW!! It felt almost as good as using my vinyl it was like I was touching my music again. I just drag and drop my tunes from my iTunes (This is a great setup by the way. I have two monitors. iTunes on one screen and VDJ on the other). Just by controlling the waves and I got a perfect mix EVERYTIME. I could even catch the beat without using a head phone to cue just by observing the wave forms. The BPM is also more accurate than Traktor. Even when VDJ calculates the BPM at double the real BPM speed, the divide BPM by 2 feature is good enough for me. I do not need the BPM to 100% accurate. I am sure it can be done but if it is close, I will do the rest. I love that interaction. Yes, I love this software. I will have my friend who loan me his Traktor try is and I promise you he will make the switch. VDJ effects loops sampler are just the icing I needed. One of my favorite features its the ability to change the skins.
To me honest, for a $129 US price tag, I did not expect much, plus I never heard of this product before. Also, my initial impression of the VDJ when I saw it was “yes it looks very “shareware-ish”. I will still try it then I will most likely move on to a more serious product”. However it is worth every penny and more (Don’t get any bright ideas and jack up the price).
Is there anything about VDJ I do not like? Well, no, at least not yet anyway. I have not even setup my X-Sessions controller to work with it yet. I have been using just my mouse & keyboard. As I said earlier, I have had this product for only a week. Again, my intentions is not to beat up Traktor, and maybe DJs with no vinyl experience cannot really relate to my point, but my search is over!
Inviato Sat 18 Jun 05 @ 7:50 pm
TechnicalDJ
Welcome! I have made some videos showing the time coded vinyl here (just search the forums for TechnicalDJ TCV Videos) which you might want to show your friend, since he uses normal vinyl also.
Inviato Sun 19 Jun 05 @ 2:13 am
sla200x
Thanks TechnicalDJ. I will do that. Since I still have my Technics 1200 hooked up, I may get a pair for coded vinyl myself. Who says you cannot have your cake and eat it too?
Sla200x
Sla200x
Inviato Sun 19 Jun 05 @ 1:51 pm
apopsisdj
Unlike Traktor, the more you will use Virtual dj, the more you'll love it..
Welcome.
Welcome.
Inviato Sun 19 Jun 05 @ 5:16 pm
sla200x
Thanks apopsis. It is already happening...
Inviato Sun 19 Jun 05 @ 8:24 pm