Virtual DJ 8 Software Review. First Impressions Setting up. Historically, Virtual DJ has taken flack because some DJs dont consider it to be professional software for performance, which could be a result of Atomix having initially produced software that today would appear very simple, or that it has given away millions of copies of the free version making it many peoples first stepping stone in DJ software, or maybe even just the name Virtual DJ implies the opposite of real DJ, after all. The graphical user interface has, until now, been a point of contention for some DJs It was cramped, didnt scale properly and was starting to look frankly a bit dated. And while fans argued that the look could easily be remedied by downloading user created skins, should you really have to, detractors asked Virtual DJ 8 is the first DJ software to include compatibility with high resolution displays like Apples Retina, bringing a much needed overhaul to its graphical user interface which nonetheless will be instantly familiar to previous users of the software. Well, Ive some good news. The first thing that struck me when I fired up Virtual DJ 8 was how crisp the interface looked I believe this is the first DJ app to support for Retinahigh DPI displays Im on a Macbook Pro with Retina display, and there is an incredibly huge difference in how clear everything looks compared to when I use the latest versions of Traktor and Serato DJ on my computer. Once youve seen just how sharp everything looks, youll wonder why NI and Serato still havent implemented this in their software. It just looks so good and everythings so much easier to read Virtual DJ 8 on a Retina display looks absolutely crisp, however it still tends to look cramped if youve got a lot of zones open in your Browser. Madurai Tamil Serial Episode 2. With that said, if you thought the screen was cramped before, you might find it even more cramped still now Your effects and hot cues now reside on either edge of the screen, and while this makes the area around the decks a lot cleaner, the overall interface just looks a bit busy, not to mention the extra windows at the bottom half of the screen where your songs are listed. There are some tabs and drop down menus to navigate, so youre definitely going to want to use a trackpad to go through them unless youve got a robust controller. Youll need to use your trackpad anyway if you want to explore all the extra editor features that Virtual DJ 8 has more on that later in this article. Setting up. Controller licence pricing. Virtual DJ is known for having one of the largest, if not the largest, list of officially compatible controllers that work straight out of the box 2. I counted no more additional mapping necessary. In contrast to software like Serato DJ whose compatibility is exclusive to a select few controllers, Virtual DJ breaks all walls, letting you use it practically with any controller you want even one you build yourself, provided youve purchased the proper software licence. Virtual DJ 8 comes with three different licensing options First, if you plan on using Virtual DJ 8 without any other kit such as a DJ controller or mixer, its free under the Home User licence. Second, if youre going to use it for non commercial, non professional purposes ie you dont make any money off of DJing but you want to use a controller, theres the Advanced Home User licence, whose price varies from US4. US1. 99 depending on your controller model you can check out how much a licence for your controller costs on the Virtual DJ homepage. Lastly, if youre going to be using Virtual DJ for shows, mobile gigs and other money generating activities, theres the Professional User licence. This licence gets you access to all controllers, podcast storage and the ability to use custom mapped Midi control definitions. You can opt for a one time payment of US2. US1. 9, ie a subscription model too. I found this a bit puzzling but it works for Saa. S companies, so maybe they just decided to give it a go. I strongly suspect most DJs will want to buy, not subscribe to, their DJ software. Connecting your controller. Once youve picked the licence you want, its just a matter of downloading the appropriate mapping file from the Virtual DJ website, installing the mapping, setting it up in the preferences, and youre good to go. Here Im using a Pioneer DDJ SR, and to say that it works as it should is an understatement It works 9. I calculated that. Honest. Once youve purchased the licence appropriate to your needs, its all a matter of downloading the mapping for your controller over at the Virtual DJ site, enabling it in the preferences, and youre all set. Ive been using Serato DJ a lot recently, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that almost all the controls Ive come to enjoy on my DDJ SR didnt get lost in translation in Virtual DJ 8. Hot Cues and Rolls were effective on the performance pads, the Sampler button engaged Virtual DJ 8s Sample player as it should, and even Slicer worked exactly like it does in Serato DJ Everything just looks so darn sharp on a Retina display. I know I sound like Im gushing, but its the truth Once youve gotten accustomed to DJing on a display like that, its hard to go back to Traktor and Seratos land of jagged fonts. What didnt seem to work was the DDJ SRs Pad Plus mode which, when enabled, gives you even more performance pad combination options like Hot Cue Roll and Sampler Roll. The fourth knob in the FX section on my controller also wasnt properly mapped to the software. Once a song is loaded, you just need to press the play button under the virtual scratch table. Fade Tracks Seamlessly. One common reason for looking into software. In Use Mixer window. As with most DJ software, your turntablesCDJs are represented on either side by virtual decks The blue deck represents your left channel on. XAMP the Virtual Audio Player for more Power. Download Virtual DJ is one of the best options for the world of electronic music. The DDJERGO gives any music enthusiast the ability to make their own unique music mixes. Bundled with the Virtual DJ Limited Edition software by Atomix Productions. Virtual Dj Player Software' title='Virtual Dj Player Software' />I couldnt control decks three and four on the DDJ SR, so this must be a mapping oversight as well. Perhaps a future version of this mapping will include these and I could actually just map them myself, in fact, but as Ive said these are very, very minor concerns. In Use. Mixer window. As with most DJ software, your turntablesCDJs are represented on either side by virtual decks The blue deck represents your left channel on your controller, and the red deck represents your right. In the middle you have your basic EQ sections with low, middle and high knobs, as well as filter and gain knobs. The volume faders for both channels are here in the middle with their accompanying meters and headphone cue buttons for previewing songs in your phones, and below is the crossfader. To load songs, all you have to do is drag your selected track onto any of the two decks four if youre DJing in four deck mode. There are Cue, Cue Play, PlayPause, and Sync buttons for a variety of playback. Video window. Virtual DJ has been a popular platform for mobile and karaoke DJs because of its built in video mixing capabilities, which let you stream visuals onto a projector or large screen while you mix. The software simplifies this by giving you the option to tie in the audio crossfader to the video crossfader, making your moves parallel for both music and visuals. The video crossfader can be linked to your mixer crossfader, which lets you mirror your audio mixing moves onto video, perfect for gigs where you have to control both the dancefloors music and the visuals as well. Scratch window. The Scratch window lets you view your waveforms in a vertical orientation, much like in Serato DJ, and is designed for scratch performance and routines. Clone Deck buttons allow you to make instant doubles of either deck for a quick setup if youre beat juggling, and Beatlock keeps both decks in sync even while scratching.