Product ReviewsMultimedia software
We previously looked at Algoriddim's Djay when it was at version 2 and, despite a few small issues, we loved it. Now version 3 is out, and we put aside our regular tasks so we could concentrate on the fun. First, the interface. The two-deck simulation is tongue-in-cheek, but it works well. It simulates old-school vinyl kit, to the point of rendering cover artwork as picture discs and showing working strobe speed indicators. Controls are reasonably chunky, which is helpful when grabbing things with the mouse. Many things are also adjustable from the keyboard or with gestures; two-finger scrolling up and down will scratch whatever deck you're pointing at, while doing this sideways controls the deck mixer slider wherever you're pointing. The single window expands to fill your display in the normal manner, but it can also be jumped to full-screen mode, removing the chance of clicking outside by mistake and focusing your mind on the music. Djay lists your iTunes music library on the right, so you don't have to mess around setting up music collections. It's smart enough to use your playlists too, so if your library contains stuff that's no use in a hip party situation - eBooks, Gregorian chant, S Club 7, that sort of thing - just make playlists with the tracks you do want. One major advance is the automatic beats per minute (BPM) calculation. Tracks are processed for a few seconds when they're first used and their BPM is calculated and stored. Previously, you would have to do this yourself for every track, tapping along with the mouse to record the tempo. The new feature is more professional and streamlined, and it's much more useful than just for reminding you which tracks are laid back and which
Beat-matching tracks is still a bit of an art; if you want to match specific parts of the beat structure of two tracks, you have to set it up and drop it in. Use a USB audio interface to pre-cue with headphones just like the real thing. But just getting the rhythm and tempo synced so you don't disrupt the dance floor's bounce is simple: click the Sync button on one deck and it'll automatically link the song's BPM to whatever's on the other deck and start it playing. There's no drift indicator as you'll find in more expensive DJ apps, but clicking the Sync button will jump back if tracks have drifted out of sync at all. Alternatively, drag the speed sliders yourself - great fun with the pitch locked so you just change the tempo. Each deck has its own menu that lists the tricks you can do. Grabbing menus is pretty slow and clunky when the heat's on, so everything that you'd want to do on the fly has its own keystroke shortcuts. Most are single keys - L to loop the right deck, J and K to set custom loop in and out points, and so on. Others add modifiers to the related commands: Alt-J to trim the loop to half its length, Alt-K to double it, and so on. The choice of keys soon makes sense, and the layout is mirrored between the two decks to help you stay in control when the adrenaline starts kicking in. A few technical points: audio treatments of various kinds can be applied, including a large selection of OS-based Audio Unit effects. Djay will use protected AAC files from the iTunes Store as long as your Mac is authorised. You're warned that there may be subtle differences in what can be done. Scratching protected AAC tracks doesn't work well, for example, but most features perform with no noticeable change. A small CPU load indicator shows how hard you're pushing your Mac, and you can share your efforts with other Djay users on the same network - realtime DJ social networking, anyone? But that's enough time spent obsessing over details. Click the Automix button, grab a drink and head to the dance floor. Djay will mix track after track, picking randomly or from a list you set up in advance. By Keith Martin
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