Jesse Li Starseed
I thought I would throw this out there to bring up a few newsworthy things trending in the tech industry (specifically Windows), as well as to see what response everyone has and their own concerns, and possibly Virtual DJ's plans for the future.
I would like to start off this by saying, I for one, am "very" excited about VDJ and the bold leaps it is taking in bringing in new features and updates into their software, not just the recent special effects overhaul, but in the AI features (lyric generation, AI generated suggestions, songs, & setlists, enhanced Stems 2.0). VDJ also remains one of the few (if not the only) DJ software that can primarily make use of GPU processing power from a good GPU card or chip. This is very innovative, "cutting-edge", and allows us DJ's to dive deeper into more possible non-explored creative elements.
So, it's no surprise what has been happening in the computer tech news. AI continuing on the rise, a so-called memory shortage giving way for manufacturers and suppliers excuses to make decisions that effect us consumers greatly, and we've watched companies like NVidia and Microsoft do some really sketchy, questionable or underhanded things in the past year. I want to focus on Microsoft specifically, because it's the primary operating system most install VDJ on, and we know their reputation over the years, but the past year has seen Windows roll-out Recall and more and more changes to Co-Pilot and AI literally embedded into the entire operating system and even most microsoft apps. For many, this sounds like great news, and it is for those who appreciate and want to see and use those features.
However, it has been documented and verified that the roll-out of these come at a hidden price, which is "privacy" and "control of resources" on your machine. Over the last few years, it has been easy to manage or control windows settings, services, and certain registry changes that give further control & resources back to the user. But with 24H2 & 25H2, more resources get harder to control and take back, and then there are the Windows updates since the beginning of this year that have consistently caused security & operational problems for many consumers and companies, while rumors surface that this is all in prep for the roll-out of Win 12. You know what you need if you're a professional DJ or doing a live set. You don't want to worry about the reliability or depleted power of your laptop when performing.
Another of Microsoft's tactics is in attempting to persuade users (or scare them) with certain scenarios, .i.e.- Windows 11 won't run on these older systems (get a new computer), Windows 11 stopped supporting their own WMR VR support (rendering a "lot" of VR headsets useless/bricked), and ending support for Win 10 last year (getting you to go to Win 11). The reality of this however is, there are plenty of older machines that said couldn't run Win11, now running it, and support for Win 10 (at least) will last another year for free. Now ....news rumors are surfacing that Win 12 ('whenever' it is released) will require hardware equal-to or exceeding NPU 40 TOP processing requirements. This means minimum Intel gen8, Ryzen 3000, 16Gb DDRAM, SSD only, and AI processing requiring an 8 to 16Gb NPU. I'd rather not take any stock in it. ...but you know where I am going with this.
The majority of software developers & manufacturers usually & historically have made their product able to run on Windows and Mac OS, and as such, are completely "reliant" on those operating systems, no matter what happens with them over the course of their future. It would be nice to hear some honest opinions from VDJ users concerning all this, both the good and the bad, and also wondering if VDJ themselves is even considering making their software & platform compatible to run directly on Linux as a good and viable option, without having to revert to emulators, sandboxes, or other VM's (virtualization).
I would like to start off this by saying, I for one, am "very" excited about VDJ and the bold leaps it is taking in bringing in new features and updates into their software, not just the recent special effects overhaul, but in the AI features (lyric generation, AI generated suggestions, songs, & setlists, enhanced Stems 2.0). VDJ also remains one of the few (if not the only) DJ software that can primarily make use of GPU processing power from a good GPU card or chip. This is very innovative, "cutting-edge", and allows us DJ's to dive deeper into more possible non-explored creative elements.
So, it's no surprise what has been happening in the computer tech news. AI continuing on the rise, a so-called memory shortage giving way for manufacturers and suppliers excuses to make decisions that effect us consumers greatly, and we've watched companies like NVidia and Microsoft do some really sketchy, questionable or underhanded things in the past year. I want to focus on Microsoft specifically, because it's the primary operating system most install VDJ on, and we know their reputation over the years, but the past year has seen Windows roll-out Recall and more and more changes to Co-Pilot and AI literally embedded into the entire operating system and even most microsoft apps. For many, this sounds like great news, and it is for those who appreciate and want to see and use those features.
However, it has been documented and verified that the roll-out of these come at a hidden price, which is "privacy" and "control of resources" on your machine. Over the last few years, it has been easy to manage or control windows settings, services, and certain registry changes that give further control & resources back to the user. But with 24H2 & 25H2, more resources get harder to control and take back, and then there are the Windows updates since the beginning of this year that have consistently caused security & operational problems for many consumers and companies, while rumors surface that this is all in prep for the roll-out of Win 12. You know what you need if you're a professional DJ or doing a live set. You don't want to worry about the reliability or depleted power of your laptop when performing.
Another of Microsoft's tactics is in attempting to persuade users (or scare them) with certain scenarios, .i.e.- Windows 11 won't run on these older systems (get a new computer), Windows 11 stopped supporting their own WMR VR support (rendering a "lot" of VR headsets useless/bricked), and ending support for Win 10 last year (getting you to go to Win 11). The reality of this however is, there are plenty of older machines that said couldn't run Win11, now running it, and support for Win 10 (at least) will last another year for free. Now ....news rumors are surfacing that Win 12 ('whenever' it is released) will require hardware equal-to or exceeding NPU 40 TOP processing requirements. This means minimum Intel gen8, Ryzen 3000, 16Gb DDRAM, SSD only, and AI processing requiring an 8 to 16Gb NPU. I'd rather not take any stock in it. ...but you know where I am going with this.
The majority of software developers & manufacturers usually & historically have made their product able to run on Windows and Mac OS, and as such, are completely "reliant" on those operating systems, no matter what happens with them over the course of their future. It would be nice to hear some honest opinions from VDJ users concerning all this, both the good and the bad, and also wondering if VDJ themselves is even considering making their software & platform compatible to run directly on Linux as a good and viable option, without having to revert to emulators, sandboxes, or other VM's (virtualization).
Inviato Sat 21 Mar 26 @ 3:52 pm
DJ VinylTouch
The problem with Linux as the choice is really external hardware support, not making it run on Linux.
Professional DJs currently depend on their hardware, when connected to a machine, being able to work with the machine, and that comes down to drivers that the controller depends on.
Historically, devices haven't been completely independent of the need of drivers on top of the OS native ones for peripherals and audio, and Hardware makers had to make the choice of where to write drivers for, and since Windows and MacOS is what people normally think of/get installed as a default on the average machine they chose to work with, that is where they wrote drivers for.
Class compliance is the first step to making that feasible. If hardware manufacturers do not change that, then all you're going to end up with is software and limited hardware support for devices you'll met out in the wild based on a choice of OS user base. Note, this is different form say, a DAW - you're normally using a soundcard and maybe a few controllers...most people don't even use a controller at all.
This is also why mobile device support for full DJ Software, for a small team, is really a choice/niche thing that doesn't completely make sense if widespread controller supportability is a main goal. Yes, you gain a little more in portability options, but you lose the hardware support. You can look at competitors forums to see - it's largely people are wondering why it's working on Mac and Windows and not there, and that's the reason why. Windows ARM support for controllers is also virtually non-existent, so if you buy a Windows ARM-based machine at this point to DJ, it's almost as if you were buying a Linux machine.
The bigger issue imo, is dependence on a general purpose OS in general to do the job. Yes it has it's perks, where you can genuinely remap and do anything, but you are at the mercy of the OS maintainers. Any regression to any Audio/MIDI/HID component introduced = your devices don't work as expected, and using Linux makes no difference there.
This is why, to me, standalones make more sense - you choose an embedded OS, freeze its state, add what you need, and make the device depend on that (take thirdparty OS out of the picture in terms of random updates). People are pretty much doing a form of that when the choose an OS version to stay on as the "safe" version for their work, but they also loose security updates and eventually support by doing that.
The interesting thing would be - how do you compete in this new space? Hardware providers have the control now, so maybe to get offering exclusive features, an extension system could be introduced for the on-device OS to use? It's unclear honestly how that would play out, but I do think, long term, that standalone usage would be better than jumping from OS to OS and hoping bad things don't happen there.
Professional DJs currently depend on their hardware, when connected to a machine, being able to work with the machine, and that comes down to drivers that the controller depends on.
Historically, devices haven't been completely independent of the need of drivers on top of the OS native ones for peripherals and audio, and Hardware makers had to make the choice of where to write drivers for, and since Windows and MacOS is what people normally think of/get installed as a default on the average machine they chose to work with, that is where they wrote drivers for.
Class compliance is the first step to making that feasible. If hardware manufacturers do not change that, then all you're going to end up with is software and limited hardware support for devices you'll met out in the wild based on a choice of OS user base. Note, this is different form say, a DAW - you're normally using a soundcard and maybe a few controllers...most people don't even use a controller at all.
This is also why mobile device support for full DJ Software, for a small team, is really a choice/niche thing that doesn't completely make sense if widespread controller supportability is a main goal. Yes, you gain a little more in portability options, but you lose the hardware support. You can look at competitors forums to see - it's largely people are wondering why it's working on Mac and Windows and not there, and that's the reason why. Windows ARM support for controllers is also virtually non-existent, so if you buy a Windows ARM-based machine at this point to DJ, it's almost as if you were buying a Linux machine.
The bigger issue imo, is dependence on a general purpose OS in general to do the job. Yes it has it's perks, where you can genuinely remap and do anything, but you are at the mercy of the OS maintainers. Any regression to any Audio/MIDI/HID component introduced = your devices don't work as expected, and using Linux makes no difference there.
This is why, to me, standalones make more sense - you choose an embedded OS, freeze its state, add what you need, and make the device depend on that (take thirdparty OS out of the picture in terms of random updates). People are pretty much doing a form of that when the choose an OS version to stay on as the "safe" version for their work, but they also loose security updates and eventually support by doing that.
The interesting thing would be - how do you compete in this new space? Hardware providers have the control now, so maybe to get offering exclusive features, an extension system could be introduced for the on-device OS to use? It's unclear honestly how that would play out, but I do think, long term, that standalone usage would be better than jumping from OS to OS and hoping bad things don't happen there.
Inviato Sat 21 Mar 26 @ 4:17 pm
kradcliffe2
Standalones aren't immune either. I found another bug on my Rane System One last night that was not there on the previous EngineOS firmware.
In-Music have form for this unfortunately.
In-Music have form for this unfortunately.
Inviato Sat 21 Mar 26 @ 4:22 pm
DJ VinylTouch
Yes but then the problem comes down to the manufacturer who put together the OS package, that is dedicated to DJing, not an OS mantainer that is trying to make a one size fit all thing, and has dev stretched outside of even that (Cloud, other devices/own projects, etc).
Inviato Sat 21 Mar 26 @ 4:31 pm
groovindj
Indeed, embedded systems that we have now in Denon's Prime stuff, Rane System One and so on - of course they can still have bugs because they're still programs running on an OS, written by humans.
However they're much more of a "safe room" than software running on an OS that is also used to run other software, has drivers for goodness knows what installed, and in some cases random bits of hardware plugged in.
However they're much more of a "safe room" than software running on an OS that is also used to run other software, has drivers for goodness knows what installed, and in some cases random bits of hardware plugged in.
Inviato Sat 21 Mar 26 @ 4:53 pm
Jesse Li Starseed
I'm not too worried about the hardware requirements issue, as my rig is powerful. I'm more concerned with Microsoft's current track record with the unreliabilty of Windows with each and every update they've been rolling-out as well as control over resetting of their "bloat", and it's become more of a chore to check and keep settings, services, and registry entries "re-set" afterwards in the effort of keeping my own computer resources and unwanted back-&-forth network "traffic" to a minimum (stuff I'm not actively or purposefully initiating or wanting). Of course, things are tolerable for now. But you can't help but wonder where things are "progressing" to, as the computer, GPU, and AI tech market seems to be getting as dramatic these days, as any of the political drama we've witnessed over the years.
I've been keeping my eye on news from the various Linux distros, especially with a resent surge of driver compatability with a lot of GPU and other hardware. But I think you hit the nail on the head, in this case being the various driver & hardware support for all the DJ consoles & controllers out there.
I've been keeping my eye on news from the various Linux distros, especially with a resent surge of driver compatability with a lot of GPU and other hardware. But I think you hit the nail on the head, in this case being the various driver & hardware support for all the DJ consoles & controllers out there.
Inviato Sat 21 Mar 26 @ 4:53 pm
DJJamieFox
Many years ago in the Scratch Live days, I prepped my machines to run only DJ software. As time went by I found new and reliable 'registry hacks' and software that removes most if not all of the bloat. I lean up Windows up as far as I can go without breaking the OS. This comes with using MS products since the DOS and Windows 2.0 days. Might I suggest things like Winhance and Chris Titus PowerShell tool for such debloating.
You can run Windows 11 on hardware that is pre-TPM and Secure boot. I have two servers that have AMD FX8320 processors that run just fine on Windows 11 Pro. Both servers are pretty much hands-off machines that I update manually when I feel the need. They simply do the job I created them for.
Like it or not, we are stuck with Win 11 for the time being (unless you have a Mac).
You will never get the controller manufacturers to code drivers for Linux, there simply is not enough interest for them to do so. Even so, there are so many distros out there and not all would be compatible as far as drivers. Linux is a different animal.
You can run Windows 11 on hardware that is pre-TPM and Secure boot. I have two servers that have AMD FX8320 processors that run just fine on Windows 11 Pro. Both servers are pretty much hands-off machines that I update manually when I feel the need. They simply do the job I created them for.
Like it or not, we are stuck with Win 11 for the time being (unless you have a Mac).
You will never get the controller manufacturers to code drivers for Linux, there simply is not enough interest for them to do so. Even so, there are so many distros out there and not all would be compatible as far as drivers. Linux is a different animal.
Inviato Fri 27 Mar 26 @ 1:03 am
DJPIPES_DISCO
Hi everyone, thanks for this thread. The Windows reliability and privacy
stuff, and wondering what the next OS will force on us, is something a lot
of us think about for live sets.
I've also seen the common reply that Linux isn't realistic for VDJ mainly
because controller makers won't ship drivers. That really is true for some
hardware. I'm not trying to argue anyone off Windows or Mac if their rig is
solid.
I only wanted to share a small note for people who own a Numark NV and are
curious about Linux.
On my machine (Linux + Wine + VirtualDJ Windows build), the NV is usable
with:
• Controllers binding the way VDJ expects (main unit + both displays)
• Both LCDs painting live (not stuck on the logo)
• Normal browse / load / deck workflow for practice
This isn't "native VDJ for every controller on every distro." It's a
userspace project aimed at the NV's class-compliant MIDI/audio plus the
display side that Windows normally handles for you.
If you're an NV owner and want to try or just poke around:
https://github.com/shaneodoo/NumarkNV_Screens_VDJ_Linux
Easy install guide:
https://github.com/shaneodoo/NumarkNV_Screens_VDJ_Linux/blob/main/INSTALL.md
Happy to hear from other NV + Linux folks (distro, Wine version, what works
or breaks). Not affiliated with Atomix or Numark. Please test offline
before any paid gig.
Cheers
stuff, and wondering what the next OS will force on us, is something a lot
of us think about for live sets.
I've also seen the common reply that Linux isn't realistic for VDJ mainly
because controller makers won't ship drivers. That really is true for some
hardware. I'm not trying to argue anyone off Windows or Mac if their rig is
solid.
I only wanted to share a small note for people who own a Numark NV and are
curious about Linux.
On my machine (Linux + Wine + VirtualDJ Windows build), the NV is usable
with:
• Controllers binding the way VDJ expects (main unit + both displays)
• Both LCDs painting live (not stuck on the logo)
• Normal browse / load / deck workflow for practice
This isn't "native VDJ for every controller on every distro." It's a
userspace project aimed at the NV's class-compliant MIDI/audio plus the
display side that Windows normally handles for you.
If you're an NV owner and want to try or just poke around:
https://github.com/shaneodoo/NumarkNV_Screens_VDJ_Linux
Easy install guide:
https://github.com/shaneodoo/NumarkNV_Screens_VDJ_Linux/blob/main/INSTALL.md
Happy to hear from other NV + Linux folks (distro, Wine version, what works
or breaks). Not affiliated with Atomix or Numark. Please test offline
before any paid gig.
Cheers
Inviato Tue 04 Aug 26 @ 6:43 am
PhantomDeejay
Linux has the advantage of being geek-y. I mean the vast majority of it's users are geeks that know how to fix and brake stuff.
This advantage will go away the moment (if ever) Linux gains more momentum towards becoming mainstream.
And here lies the REAL issue:
You have your average Joe user that can't just download and install "drivers" on a Windows PC.
You have your average Joe that doesn't properly shut down or reboot his MAC for ages, despite getting a WARNING that he needs to reboot when he installs his "drivers"
And then you expect all those users to be able to do stuff through CLI ?
You expect them to be able to tell which CLI syntax is correct for their distro ?
You expect those users to be able to navigate themselves between the different distros and understand the difference in usage or which "driver" (package) they need to download/use on their system ?
For Linux to become more mainstream (even among DJ community) you should have to just "plug and play" your NV.
You should NOT have to find CLI, and fire up subsequent commands.
Your "easy install guide" seems pretty simple and straight forward..
Until you run a command like sudo apt install wine python3-pyusb bubblewrap alsa-utils git and it starts spitting out errors that you have no idea what they mean and why they are generated.
And then you need to troubleshoot those errors..
And deeper the rabbit hole goes..
I know this because I experienced this myself.
I thought I would follow an easy setup guide that I found online to setup a private chat server on a Linux box a few years ago during lockdowns.
Everything was going "nice" until an error message appeared during one installation..
The "5 minutes guide" ended up being a 4 days nightmare of trying to find and fix things..
If it wasn't for the lockdown that I didn't had anything better to do, I would have abadoned the task after 10 minutes.
And by no means I'm your average Windows/MAC user.
So, to me personally, the strongest point of Linux is also it's weakest point..
It's too geek-y. This prevents irrelevant users from using it. This means that the users that actually use it, do have and continue to obtain knowledge around how their system and their software works.
Thus, this makes them what we call "power users"
However, once the strong knowledgeable user base becomes diluted with irrelevant users (your average Joe) things will become worse, not better. The OS will have to adapt to those "clueless" users and thus it will start "simplifying" things, taking away exactly what the "power users" like and love about Linux.
I can keep the discussion and analysis going, but it goes beyond the scope of this thread.
My point is that Linux will either stay what's has been for almost 3 decades now among desktop computers (a niche) or it will have to lose whatever users like about it in order to become "mainstream"
Without becoming mainstream, good luck with about 95% of DJ hardware connecting and working with it.
PS: People forget that at the moment, even the so called "stand alone" gear, still relies on having a Windows or MAC computer to run the "preparation" software, to prepare your tracks and your lists.
If you are into Pioneer/Alphatheta ecosystem as an example, you absolutely need to prepare your USB drive on a PC/MAC computer running Rekordbox (or VirtualDJ :) )
You cannot just plug a USB drive with some files on it and be ready to play!
So, for the purpose of this thread, those "stand alone" devices are STILL PC/MAC dependant..
PS2: I don't have anything against any "Joe" that reads this thread. It's the expression I have learn to use (I'm not a native English speaker) and I hope it's still acceptable as an expression in 2026 :P
PS3: Also I have nothing personal to DJPIPES DISCO to! I just used his instructions for NV as an example :)
This advantage will go away the moment (if ever) Linux gains more momentum towards becoming mainstream.
And here lies the REAL issue:
You have your average Joe user that can't just download and install "drivers" on a Windows PC.
You have your average Joe that doesn't properly shut down or reboot his MAC for ages, despite getting a WARNING that he needs to reboot when he installs his "drivers"
And then you expect all those users to be able to do stuff through CLI ?
You expect them to be able to tell which CLI syntax is correct for their distro ?
You expect those users to be able to navigate themselves between the different distros and understand the difference in usage or which "driver" (package) they need to download/use on their system ?
For Linux to become more mainstream (even among DJ community) you should have to just "plug and play" your NV.
You should NOT have to find CLI, and fire up subsequent commands.
Your "easy install guide" seems pretty simple and straight forward..
Until you run a command like sudo apt install wine python3-pyusb bubblewrap alsa-utils git and it starts spitting out errors that you have no idea what they mean and why they are generated.
And then you need to troubleshoot those errors..
And deeper the rabbit hole goes..
I know this because I experienced this myself.
I thought I would follow an easy setup guide that I found online to setup a private chat server on a Linux box a few years ago during lockdowns.
Everything was going "nice" until an error message appeared during one installation..
The "5 minutes guide" ended up being a 4 days nightmare of trying to find and fix things..
If it wasn't for the lockdown that I didn't had anything better to do, I would have abadoned the task after 10 minutes.
And by no means I'm your average Windows/MAC user.
So, to me personally, the strongest point of Linux is also it's weakest point..
It's too geek-y. This prevents irrelevant users from using it. This means that the users that actually use it, do have and continue to obtain knowledge around how their system and their software works.
Thus, this makes them what we call "power users"
However, once the strong knowledgeable user base becomes diluted with irrelevant users (your average Joe) things will become worse, not better. The OS will have to adapt to those "clueless" users and thus it will start "simplifying" things, taking away exactly what the "power users" like and love about Linux.
I can keep the discussion and analysis going, but it goes beyond the scope of this thread.
My point is that Linux will either stay what's has been for almost 3 decades now among desktop computers (a niche) or it will have to lose whatever users like about it in order to become "mainstream"
Without becoming mainstream, good luck with about 95% of DJ hardware connecting and working with it.
PS: People forget that at the moment, even the so called "stand alone" gear, still relies on having a Windows or MAC computer to run the "preparation" software, to prepare your tracks and your lists.
If you are into Pioneer/Alphatheta ecosystem as an example, you absolutely need to prepare your USB drive on a PC/MAC computer running Rekordbox (or VirtualDJ :) )
You cannot just plug a USB drive with some files on it and be ready to play!
So, for the purpose of this thread, those "stand alone" devices are STILL PC/MAC dependant..
PS2: I don't have anything against any "Joe" that reads this thread. It's the expression I have learn to use (I'm not a native English speaker) and I hope it's still acceptable as an expression in 2026 :P
PS3: Also I have nothing personal to DJPIPES DISCO to! I just used his instructions for NV as an example :)
Inviato Tue 04 Aug 26 @ 9:44 am
DJ Curt
Like it or not, Windows is in decline, and Linux is growing. Which one is worth spending development time on? My VDJ machines are the last ones still using Windows. Everything else has already migrated to Linux. If there was a Linux capable VDJ version, I would convert the last laptops today. I would suggest developing for Zorin or Mint distros, as those are the most popular versions Windows users are migrating to.
Inviato Fri 07 Aug 26 @ 11:34 pm
