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Forum: General Discussion

Topic: What I'd like to see in VDJ 4.4 - Page: 1

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I've been a professional VDJ 4.3 user since last December. I've been through the 'Help Desk', countless help tickets, forum help from many, reinstalling VDJ & WIN XP, fixing a memory hardware problem and tweaking a new computer (similar to DJ MARCEL's) dedicated entirely to VDJ. I don't use any controllers or USB conections. I'm not networking or tied to the internet. I use only the computer and run the audio out to a standard mix board.

I must admit I have a 'Love - Hate' relationship with VDJ 4.3. I love it when the dance floor is packed and the joint is rockin' to my VDJ mixes. I hate it when it takes me by surprise, in the midst of a packed dance floor, it freezes at the end of a song, leaving me to frantically load a DVD to a player or start talking while I 'Ctrl, Alt, Delete' to reboot the program. In the meanwhile everyone is leaving the dance floor and the magic is gone for the moment...start over :(

I love it when I can instantly change a song someone is singing when they come up and decide they don't want to sing what they already had in and they want to sing something else. Or how my singers love it when they don't have to fill out a slip to sing Karaoke...they just tell me what they want to sing. Less hassle for them and saves me paper and printing slips and brings them back for more. I hate it when I have someone singing and VDJ crashes, leaving a 5 second gap in their performance, a startled singer and me...embarassed :( It happened again to me last night when I had a couple singing a duet. They had the entire bar entralled in their performance and it crashed. All I could hear was moans. :( And when it crashes it wipes out all the songs I had lined up in the playlist, leaving me to remember what some of the singers told me they wanted to sing, what requested videos I had lined up and who and what went where.

VDJ 4.3 is like a high performance race car that leads the pack when it's running right but tends to sputter or misfire now and then in the heat of the race. If the dev team can't fix the crashing and freezing, I would like to see and 'auto save' button on the 'playlist' window. I know there's a button there where you can save the playlist, but it's a little cumbersome, especially if your always shifting songs around and adding songs as you go. Just a little button you could press right after you make an addition or change. So that if it does crash or you have to reboot from a freeze, you could revert to the playlist you had before the incedent.

But I really hope they can fix the crashing - freezing problem. I don't want to give it up. Tried other programs and VDJ is better.

Thanks for listening.
 
Inviato Mon 30 Jul 07 @ 4:20 am
Exactly what hardware components do you have in your computer?

Are you sure you don't have any memory (RAM) issues?
If you aren't sure, try memtest86 to fully test your memory, and you will see if you have any issues.

VDJ should work 99% flawless, the way it does for most DJs here that use it live in bars or clubs.

And do you do regular system checkup and scandisk?
 
Are you using video?

I find when just mixing audio, i can run VDJ on my home PC which is a modest spec (not the PC i use for actual gigs) with plenty of other software running, Anti Virus, Anti Spyware, Internet explorer, Napster etc without any skipping or crashes.

Obviously the PC i use for gigs is much more efficently tuned.
 
I would like to see a more intelligent way for the cbg markers to snap to the beat properly, or an automatic attempt option (assuming the bpm is correct). Usually the big marker should be under the very first part of the wave which peaks about 60%, sometimes it ends up at the third beat or something.

A more intelligent max load feature would be good too. Currently VirtualDJ will not load some vbr tracks of mine when Max Load is set to 15minutes, due to the wrong bitrate being detected by VirtualDJ, despite the correct length in an eventual check without max load being set so low.

Both are quite minor things and don't really affect performance however so it's no problem. I think the latter may already be fixed in the next version where the tag support is looking very promising.

I hope you can get your problems fixed.
 
jeremK once said : "VDJ should work 99% flawless, the way it does for most DJs here that use it live in bars or clubs. "

That's true, but not sufficient, let's do some math here. 99% flawless means that these freezes may occur once every 100 songs. NOT Sufficient. That translates to once a weekend for most of us, or even worse, Once every two weddings for us wedding DJ's.

These stats ARE NOT acceptable. Would you go to a Doctor if he was only 99% efficient.
Translation again: One who amputates legs would cut off the wrong one three times a year.


We need to expect much closer to 100% flawless than we have now, as I do my karaoke program, which has only froze once in 5 years and that was my fault, and it took 2 seconds to get back on and restored the entire singers list. This is the kind of performance 4.4 VDJ should have and have tested out before they release something with more problems to think about.

We need as customers to expect them to answer our expectations. Are we going to defend them always, or defend OUR expectations?
 
You can't look at it like that

For the guy who surfs porn and downloads mp3 from bearshare and 135 processes running in the background, on a laptop he bought of ebay with a cracked windows xp and a whopping 256 megs of ram. Will vdj be reliable for him?

Point is you don't see honda civic's running in the indy 500 either do you?


Also there is no excuse to not have a back up even if its a 10 dollar mp3 player from walmart

I don't know how else to say this but

IF YOU ARE DOING HIGH PROFILE EVENTS WITHOUT A BACK UP ITS YOUR OWN FAULT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO YOUR MAIN SYSTEM SOFTWARE OR HARDWARE RELEATED


I see the word wedding dj's tossed around a lot. I've done a lot and I bring a back up to every event I do. Plus burn a cd of the important dance songs for that night. So I have 2 backups for that part. Also I have the ability to play all night without my main system.

Face it shit happens so be prepared.


Honestly I've never had a released version of VDJ crash at any event ever, but I'm not like the first guy up there either.
 
Well said Cyder!
Murphy never sleeps ;)
Backup is a must!
 
@ronnieskar, I feel for you. You should not be having this much trouble. I am not gonna start spitting out fixes for you. You have said you have tried everything, and I believe you. I am gonna ask you to try again, and here's the reason why. I don't know shit about software, but I am a bio-chemist by trade. I don't understand how this software can work for me, and not for you. Oh, I get the fact that we have different machines, and that is the variable. So can it be the software? You see that's where I am lost, because if it was the software, I would think it would not work for me either. I have so much stuff running on my machine, at the same time, It's not funny. I am gonna be honest with you, I could not use VDJ, if it crashed on me, the way it does you. They may not want to hear that on this forum, but I am a professional DJ, and I could not work with anything that I was scared to use. I have enough to worry about, and equipment is not one of them. I would say this about any equipment or software. I still make mistakes (made one today). Shit happens and we have to be prepared for it, but I won't work worrying when my next crash was gonna come. I don't expect you to work like that either. Your clients deserve better. I would not use this software, until you felt comfortable using it. So my advice to you right now is to start over, and see if you can fix this problem. Forget about everything you have done, and start a new thread. We are here to help, we don't have anything else to do.

By the way, this is the only software I use. I am in the club now, running videos, 7 hours a day.
 
@ bryantpb, very fuzzy math, but I got to pack up now.
 
A Man and His Music wrote :
I don't understand how this software can work for me, and not for you. Oh, I get the fact that we have different machines, and that is the variable. So can it be the software? You see that's where I am lost, because if it was the software, I would think it would not work for me either.


And then this is why there is a problem with this thread, no offence intended to any parties. If you are getting crashes, you need to specify what you did to have the crash occur. This way, other people, but more importantly the developers can try and replicate the behaviour and fix the issues.

From my point-of-view, there are lots of little things about the software which I think need fixing, but these are mostly things which would aid the end users ability to work through the software with greater ease whilst gaining more feedback from it. The development team tend to focus more on adding greater core functionality which has meant VirtualDJ has always been a step ahead of its competitors; in such circumstances you may expect such a cutting edge technology product to have some flaws. However, from a professionals pov (e.g. Cyder, AMAHM and hundreds of others on this forum, even the radio broadcasters) the software is reliable and if you ever needed more proof of that, you only have to see the commitment which Numark has thrown at the product (i.e. giving their name to Cue).

Your computer needs to be well maintained to use VirtualDJ and although some people have blissful results without really knowing much about the OS they are using, it doesn't hurt to invest some time in diagnosing possible problems there. Sometimes something as simple as changing your soundcards driver can fix problems. I was skeptical at first, but Skyfxl's Asio4All method with the Mk2 actually works a lot better than Hercules' own asio driver and doesn't cause crashes when adjusting performance settings in realtime. At first I initially thought such crashes were the fault of the software too, but changing my driver fixed that.

Anyway, to try and help you with your problem, we'll need more details. You appear to be using Karaoke files when these crashes occur? What sort of crash is occuring: does the program lockup; do you get the crashguard or does the program just exit completely? Are you able to replicate these results or are they just random?
 
Andrew87 wrote :
A Man and His Music wrote :
I don't understand how this software can work for me, and not for you. Oh, I get the fact that we have different machines, and that is the variable. So can it be the software? You see that's where I am lost, because if it was the software, I would think it would not work for me either.


And then this is why there is a problem with this thread, no offence intended to any parties. If you are getting crashes, you need to specify what you did to have the crash occur. This way, other people, but more importantly the developers can try and replicate the behaviour and fix the issues.

From my point-of-view, there are lots of little things about the software which I think need fixing, but these are mostly things which would aid the end users ability to work through the software with greater ease whilst gaining more feedback from it. The development team tend to focus more on adding greater core functionality which has meant VirtualDJ has always been a step ahead of its competitors; in such circumstances you may expect such a cutting edge technology product to have some flaws. However, from a professionals pov (e.g. Cyder, AMAHM and hundreds of others on this forum, even the radio broadcasters) the software is reliable and if you ever needed more proof of that, you only have to see the commitment which Numark has thrown at the product (i.e. giving their name to Cue).

Your computer needs to be well maintained to use VirtualDJ and although some people have blissful results without really knowing much about the OS they are using, it doesn't hurt to invest some time in diagnosing possible problems there. Sometimes something as simple as changing your soundcards driver can fix problems. I was skeptical at first, but Skyfxl's Asio4All method with the Mk2 actually works a lot better than Hercules' own asio driver and doesn't cause crashes when adjusting performance settings in realtime. At first I initially thought such crashes were the fault of the software too, but changing my driver fixed that.

Anyway, to try and help you with your problem, we'll need more details. You appear to be using Karaoke files when these crashes occur? What sort of crash is occuring: does the program lockup; do you get the crashguard or does the program just exit completely? Are you able to replicate these results or are they just random?
 
Geez, thanks for all of your responses.

JeremK... I downloaded memtest86 and burned it to my DVD CD ROM, but I can't figure out how to use it. I've read the directions, can't figure them out.
I did have a bad memory chip, but it's been replaced. The crashing and freezing isn't as frequent now, but is still there.

As far as the crashing and freezing, it happens at random times. 95% of the time playing MP3+G's and 5 % of the time playing MP3. I've had it crash (getting the crash guard) while using a visualization during an instrumental of an MP3+G, I've had it crash once while loading a video while playing a MP3+G, I have it crash once playing a MP3+G while moving the WAVE of the next MP3+G and I've had it crash while opening a folder while playing a MP3+G. I've never had a crash playing a MP3 with a visualization, it just freezes. I have deleted several of the Sonique Visualizations that use more than 50% of the CPU in an effort to stop the problem. I'VE NEVER HAD IT CRASH OR FREEZE PLAYING A VIDEO. I can play 12 hours of continuous video without problems.

I have the same mother board, memory, and processor as DJ MARCEL. He uses the on board video (GeForce NVIDIA 6150). I don't, I use an GeForce NVIDIA 7600 video card with 512 M of Mem. He doesn't have problems with his program, but he told me can make it crash. But he doesn't do any Karaoke either.

3 weeks ago, I formatted my hard drives and reloaded everything. Still have the problem as stated at the very top of this thread. Not sure whether the sound driver can be the problem. I have SoundMAX Intergrated Digital HD Audio sound driver.

Well, thanks again for all your responses. I hope we get this fix sometime. This is all I do for a living. It's my tool of trade.
 
@ronnieskar, I may not be the smartest guy here, but I can keep the light on your problem. I can tell you that most of the guys here want to help you. I hope I did not come off as some cheerleader for VDJ. Is this software perfect, of course not. Are there issues that need to be addressed, yes. What I can tell you is that the dev team works hard to release updates with improvements and no bugs, on a timely basis. Some bugs get pass us, but they are addressed right away. Those Sonique visuals are murder on resources. I have had to change the interval to 30 seconds, because some of them stops the recourse, when I change groups. I can't blame VDJ, because they are not part of the software.

I missed your specs, so would you mind listing them here?
 
bryantpb wrote :
jeremK once said : "VDJ should work 99% flawless, the way it does for most DJs here that use it live in bars or clubs. "

That's true, but not sufficient, let's do some math here. 99% flawless means that these freezes may occur once every 100 songs. NOT Sufficient. That translates to once a weekend for most of us, or even worse, Once every two weddings for us wedding DJ's.

These stats ARE NOT acceptable. Would you go to a Doctor if he was only 99% efficient.
Translation again: One who amputates legs would cut off the wrong one three times a year.


No that is not my point.

I meant that VDJ will work flawless on 99% computers.
Did you see what DJ Cyder said, he has never crashed the software live. I had only one crash live, and it was my computer that was overheating.

I never use Karaoke, so i don't know how VDJ works with those files, but it should work as well as with the video.


For memtest86:
usually when you download it, you get an image file you need to burn on a CD. the image file is either in .bin/.cue or .iso

Once you've burned it properly, put the CD in your computer and then restart the computer.
As the CD is bootable, the computer won't load Windows, but will load from the CD, and there it does the memory tests.

Sometimes, on some computers, the CD won't load at restart, in this case, go to the BIOS settings, and enable the BOOT from CD option.
 
bryantpb wrote :
jeremK once said : "VDJ should work 99% flawless, the way it does for most DJs here that use it live in bars or clubs. "

That's true, but not sufficient, let's do some math here. 99% flawless means that these freezes may occur once every 100 songs. NOT Sufficient. That translates to once a weekend for most of us, or even worse, Once every two weddings for us wedding DJ's.

These stats ARE NOT acceptable. Would you go to a Doctor if he was only 99% efficient.
Translation again: One who amputates legs would cut off the wrong one three times a year.


We need to expect much closer to 100% flawless than we have now, as I do my karaoke program, which has only froze once in 5 years and that was my fault, and it took 2 seconds to get back on and restored the entire singers list. This is the kind of performance 4.4 VDJ should have and have tested out before they release something with more problems to think about.

We need as customers to expect them to answer our expectations. Are we going to defend them always, or defend OUR expectations?


What kind of fuzzy math is this? Here's a news flash, nothing is 100%, including you. Since when do we take percentages based on timetables? We are not talking about batting averages. In other words, you don't base a doctors efficiency based on how many surgeries he's done in a year but his lifetime. Do you have any idea how many people never make it out of the OR? No one is perfect, and they still have patients. There is a plastic surgeon in NY, that has botched a number of breast implants, had a TV news spot, showcasing his mistakes. Including all the lawsuits. I could not talk one of my dancers out of going to him. He is still doing a booming business. Turns out he did a great job on the dancer ( I'm an expert on implants, but I digress). Maybe we should stop you from using software, because it was your fault that your karaoke program froze up. Is that the only mistake you have ever made, in your life? I don't think so. If your expectations are that this software should work, 100% of the time, for 100% of the users, your expectations are too high. You must be scared to death to get in a plane, or worst, drive a car.

As for always defending the software, you need to read some of my post. Let me say it again. If you are a professional DJ, and this software is not working for you, get something else that will. To me, it really is that simple.
 
@ronnieskar, still looking for those specs.
 
vdj does crash a lot not always put it does and you are wright it's hard to work and worry about when the next crash its going to happen this sunday i formated my laptop in case i hade i virus that was effecting vdj and in the middle of the night it crash and i did not have a back up so think how i felt
it seem that now that i have a legit vdj it crash more then when i had the crack version
lol vdj i still wont trade u for no other program
 
@djpete218, I just did a search for your problem, and could not find it. Are you satisfied with the crashing or do you want help? If you want, start a new thread with your problem. We can't help if we don't know you are having issues.
 
A Man and His Music wrote :

Here's a news flash, nothing is 100%, including you.
...
If your expectations are that this software should work, 100% of the time, for 100% of the users, your expectations are too high.
...
If you are a professional DJ, and this software is not working for you, get something else that will.


I have to say that most of the issues that people have with VDJ not working at least 100% of the time is related to user error with configuration or hardware failures.

The last major issue I had with VDJ failing me was because my power supply on one of my small form factor computers was bad. I have been using VDJ for almost two years now in major venues in Houston Texas and now in Las Vegas in the 3rd largest nightclub in this town. Mainly using VDJ for video DJ-ing along with midi and TCV which is a little more demanding on a system then just audio DJ-ing.

I think one thing to consider is that most of having a successful set up is all about knowledge and experience. If you know nothing about doing simple tweaks to an operating system or even keeping safe practices by not installing cracked software and surfing the web on your supposed dedicated DJ machine... then you should even complain that you have problems with the software working.

I am sure that future versions of this software will be more likely "dummy proof" so that typical joe consumer can install it on a bloated, full of system process running Vista machine with no problems. But in the meantime folks... do your research and try to be smart about setting up a DJ machine... especially if this is your actual job.

on a side note based on the original subject line for this thread...
"What I'd like to see in VDJ 4.4"

What I would like to see is a hide browser button for those customers who say, "let me see what you got..." or if they happen to see something by chance from looking at your computer screen (pointing), "oh... you gotta play that song!!" --- I hate that!!
 
@ Cyder, AMaHM , Low Fat AL ........well said

the idea that you can expect to know very little about your computer and still do serious audio video and multi tasking , i dunno where that comes from but it is prevalent out there......

it's not like when you're running video and you add in effects like the cube , and now playing , etc , that that is comparable to sending an email .........

it's not a routine computer task ..........unless you intervene and take the steps necessary to make your computer capable of that ........

observe your system in action and know it's capabilities ....... only do new things and venture into the unknown WHEN YOU'RE NOT AT THE GIG ........

if you're really a pro you are prepared for the worst case scenario
if you are really a pro you don't give up if something needs fixing
if you're really a pro you don't do things that you know are iffy

sorry had to get that off my chest

OR you could have 100$ shirts , broken down car , cracked software and no backup
 
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