I'll give you an example. I use two media players and I've tried lots and lots before settling on these two. Both have the ability to put your playlist on automix. The playlist stays intact as it ticks away unless I drag a song up or down in the order or add/delete a song. In my opinion, this is the best way to do it. That way you can scan you list, easily see how many songs have already played and in what order and how long each song was etc. I see no benefit to the program deleting songs as it goes along. I'd love to see ascreen shot of the skin you're using for VDJ and for Rockit. Randy, have you taken a look at Mixxx?
Ultramixer DJ software
- Thread starter Ed Witles
- Start date
No, I don't have a need to check out other software. I'm very happy with VDJ -- which btw, does have the option to NOT remove played songs from the que listing.
Here is my Screenshot with VDJ...this skin can easily be used for audio or video (which I also do) with a few clicks of the buttons.
Note on the right hand side, that is the que listing, with auto-remove turned off. The songs won't delete after being played. They show the red icon, indicating they've been played. The green icon shows you a good match for the current song playing. At the bottom is your total time for songs in the que, with individual song lengths listed as well.
For those that don't use a mixer, note the 'auto-mix' button in the upper center location. Click that button and the software automatically fades from one deck to the other and you can set some parameters on how it does that as well.
In the bottom center, that's where your database folders can be viewed. But, you can also create Playlists in VDJ as well and those would show up for you on the right hand side of the screen. Just open them up, drag-n-drop into the que listing if you'd like.
Below the center, you see the 'side list' .... a nice location for storing requests or special songs to quickly pull into the mix.
I'm not trying to pursuade you. You gotta use what works best for you, not what others are using. If I would not have made the jump to video, I would probably still be using RockIt. When I was using it, I created several skins to my liking and preference. I actually enjoyed that and miss not being able to easily customize a VDJ skin. Here are a couple of RockIt skins that I tweaked and used.
Here is my Screenshot with VDJ...this skin can easily be used for audio or video (which I also do) with a few clicks of the buttons.
Note on the right hand side, that is the que listing, with auto-remove turned off. The songs won't delete after being played. They show the red icon, indicating they've been played. The green icon shows you a good match for the current song playing. At the bottom is your total time for songs in the que, with individual song lengths listed as well.
For those that don't use a mixer, note the 'auto-mix' button in the upper center location. Click that button and the software automatically fades from one deck to the other and you can set some parameters on how it does that as well.
In the bottom center, that's where your database folders can be viewed. But, you can also create Playlists in VDJ as well and those would show up for you on the right hand side of the screen. Just open them up, drag-n-drop into the que listing if you'd like.
Below the center, you see the 'side list' .... a nice location for storing requests or special songs to quickly pull into the mix.
I'm not trying to pursuade you. You gotta use what works best for you, not what others are using. If I would not have made the jump to video, I would probably still be using RockIt. When I was using it, I created several skins to my liking and preference. I actually enjoyed that and miss not being able to easily customize a VDJ skin. Here are a couple of RockIt skins that I tweaked and used.
Ryan that is the exact skin I use with VDJ I just shrunk it. I like to see some of my screen when I dj so I made it about 70% the size of my screen.
I've been happy with Serato Scratch Live and Serato ITCH. Always free updates, NEVER an issue with hardware, clean interface. Over 5 years now of complete happiness without issue. There's a reason Serato products are so popular, and my clients deserve it. Forgive me, however I find more than a few folks here that can cut pennies into 16th's. Especially when they have the coin to just do it right once. All good though, just like a free DJ. "To each his own".
Paul
Paul
I'm happy that you're able to afford the real luxuries in life. I'm sure your clients appreciate it.
Hi Randy. No luxury in Serato, it's part of the cost of doing business. A bulletproof program that never gives me issues is a big plus not just for me, but for my business as well, I had posted here when GC was blowing out Denon HC5000 ITCH controllers for well under $200 each. I bought 3, they are/were the greatest bang-for-the-buck and use the Serato ITCH program that is without fault or issue for me. What price for complete piece-of-mind?
Paul
This is just my opinion ...... most clients will never see what software/hardware you are using. What they care about is if you can make their day wonderful and them and their guests happy. If someone can do that without a free piece of gear, more power to them. What I/you prefer is something that costs us, but I see no reason to degrade someone who chooses another avenue.
If I may and fearing your potential rath here......If I were looking at your services, the first thing that I would see is your outdated and messy website. Instead of putting hundreds towards a piece of gear that doesn't offer me much ROI, I would invest in an online presence. Again, not to degrade you, but to possibly open your eyes in what I would view your services like if I didn't know anything about you.
Based on your responses to some about their choose of gear, I would have expected a top-of-the-line website.
I fooled around with Mixxx some more, I really like it. I figured something out. If you create a playlist by dragging songs from your music folder(s) into a playlist you're making, you can right click on each song in order and select Add to auto DJ Playlist. So even though they get deleted from the autodj playlist as they finish, you still have the original play list you created, as long as you save it. You just need to right click and transfer them in the same order you have them in the original playlist you created while you're adding them to the autodj palylist. Problem solved. Fairly easy and simple workaround.
The main thing I like is the user interface is so clean and simple looking and it's very easy to navigate and to operated and to learn. You wanna mix manually? you can do it and it's also mapped to many of the most popular controllers like the Hercules RMX, Denon SC2000, American Audio VMS4, Numark Mixtrac, Total Control, Mixtrack Pro, NS7 and DJ2GO, Maudio Xponent, (3) Pioneer Controllers etc.
AND, it's FREE. That's good AFAI'mC. But honestly, after learning how to use it I would buy the program, it does a lot and it looks and feels like what I like. It also has 5 skins, just found that out. I've only tried the default skin so far.
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Oh, I forgot, I'm a wonderful day maker
The main thing I like is the user interface is so clean and simple looking and it's very easy to navigate and to operated and to learn. You wanna mix manually? you can do it and it's also mapped to many of the most popular controllers like the Hercules RMX, Denon SC2000, American Audio VMS4, Numark Mixtrac, Total Control, Mixtrack Pro, NS7 and DJ2GO, Maudio Xponent, (3) Pioneer Controllers etc.
AND, it's FREE. That's good AFAI'mC. But honestly, after learning how to use it I would buy the program, it does a lot and it looks and feels like what I like. It also has 5 skins, just found that out. I've only tried the default skin so far.
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Oh, I forgot, I'm a wonderful day maker
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I think everyone should use the software .....and the speakers.....that works for you..
Lots of great choices with different features
Lots of great choices with different features
Another Serato user here and very happy. Paul is correct! Not too many DJ's would invest in a progam like Serato because they find it too expensive. I'm from the school of you get what you pay for. I love it because it gives me the ability to use my cdj's or turntables to look and be very creative. No automix button anywhere. Sound quality is another thing I look for. Both my SL3 and SL2 delivers CD/Vinyl quality sound through my systems. So when you invest in something like Serato your getting Rane hardware and sound quality with a rock solid software combined.
I think what Paul is saying is about the free programs, they have certain limitations. However I do believe the customer comes first. While I'm not in the business, I do like the good stuff. Serato's advantage is that it's all put together to work. The complaints of other software programs I believe are more inclined to hardware conflicts where Serato is specific in the combination of these. The main point is use what you're comfortable with and enjoy it. I f somebody doesn't like it that's their problem. Keep the customer happy 
Do you honestly think that people at a wedding or most other events know or care if you're mixing and using serato or if it's on automix or anything about what you're doing?
They care about "oh, that's my favorite song", "oh, lets dance, I love this song". Most people don't even pay attention to the DJ, they're talking to their friends or their husband/wife or their boss/employee or they're busy getting drunk. If the automix does a good job crossfading from one song to the next then do the guests ask "is that DJ mixing or is he crossfading with software?".
Wow this is a ridiculous discussion, but hey it seems that a lot of DJs have a need to make themselves seem like they have these mad skills, they're superhuman because they can make one song transition into the next by pushing buttons and moving sliders. It isn't rocket science and most people have no idea how you're doing what you'r doing and wouldn't know the difference. But hey, serato is the best, no Traktor is the best, no VDJ is the best ughhhhh puleeze. You're not a real DJ because you don't use vinyl or you're not a real DJ like me because you use a laptop and I use a dual CD player and I have mad scratching skillz. OMG I just can't believe this nonsense.
They care about "oh, that's my favorite song", "oh, lets dance, I love this song". Most people don't even pay attention to the DJ, they're talking to their friends or their husband/wife or their boss/employee or they're busy getting drunk. If the automix does a good job crossfading from one song to the next then do the guests ask "is that DJ mixing or is he crossfading with software?".
Wow this is a ridiculous discussion, but hey it seems that a lot of DJs have a need to make themselves seem like they have these mad skills, they're superhuman because they can make one song transition into the next by pushing buttons and moving sliders. It isn't rocket science and most people have no idea how you're doing what you'r doing and wouldn't know the difference. But hey, serato is the best, no Traktor is the best, no VDJ is the best ughhhhh puleeze. You're not a real DJ because you don't use vinyl or you're not a real DJ like me because you use a laptop and I use a dual CD player and I have mad scratching skillz. OMG I just can't believe this nonsense.
I have seen automix used and even played around with it and only a few softwares options allow for almost acceptable mixes most of the time. Sometimes they are horrible and like a trainwreck and to just let it run and hope it doesnt wreck is like putting your car in cruise controll and steering from the back seat no connection to the pedals. Not saying mixing DJs dont have a bad one now and then but I would rather be me that did it versus allowing a program to do it randomly. Will it kill the deal on an event? Probably not but why not just sell a mix and leave for the duration if your going to load a playlist and let it run on auto all night.
Dont throw a tizzy fit Wiz you never agree on anything that you cant do cause well if you could it would be the gospel. Its about being trained which the five minute DJ course you claim is all that is necessary is simply the five minute DJ course and why some folks who have 20 yrs expereince take offenseto your hey Im going to DJ its not rocket science attitude. Theres a whole lot more than the buttons or the cues or any of that but you already have it figured out so carry on. I wish I was in your region when you decide to take over the industry. I would enjoy that very much. There is a cost for skillz and ability it doesnt include knowing 30 songs that people might like or the fact that one can sing like the real record. You have to rely on that some of us dont.
Dont throw a tizzy fit Wiz you never agree on anything that you cant do cause well if you could it would be the gospel. Its about being trained which the five minute DJ course you claim is all that is necessary is simply the five minute DJ course and why some folks who have 20 yrs expereince take offenseto your hey Im going to DJ its not rocket science attitude. Theres a whole lot more than the buttons or the cues or any of that but you already have it figured out so carry on. I wish I was in your region when you decide to take over the industry. I would enjoy that very much. There is a cost for skillz and ability it doesnt include knowing 30 songs that people might like or the fact that one can sing like the real record. You have to rely on that some of us dont.
Wiz - the only automix that I've sen that I am truly happy with is OTS......It's unparalleled.
Here's the problem with automix during a gig (dancing; not cocktail/dinner) It doesn't exclude unwanted intros and sometimes the song will have silence at the end or you will lose part of the intro depending on how you set the automix.
Personally I feel the customer is being cheated by a DJ using automix during the "dance" part of the event; you're paid to select ann mix/blend the music appropriately....Dinner music is fine (I use automix during dinner)....
JMHO
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VDJ actually saves the playlist as an m3u file. You can actually load and play the same set of dinner music you might have played at a wedding 6 months ago.....
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Wiz - there are "basic" skins that just give you the basics....
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The price I paid for VDJ......piece of mind, rock solid - free upgrades....
Here's the problem with automix during a gig (dancing; not cocktail/dinner) It doesn't exclude unwanted intros and sometimes the song will have silence at the end or you will lose part of the intro depending on how you set the automix.
Personally I feel the customer is being cheated by a DJ using automix during the "dance" part of the event; you're paid to select ann mix/blend the music appropriately....Dinner music is fine (I use automix during dinner)....
JMHO
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VDJ actually saves the playlist as an m3u file. You can actually load and play the same set of dinner music you might have played at a wedding 6 months ago.....
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Wiz - there are "basic" skins that just give you the basics....
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The price I paid for VDJ......piece of mind, rock solid - free upgrades....
Correct, Steve -- the M3U file is also listed in your history folder. I believe you repeated what I said.
perhaps clarified. VDJ saves a history as a .txt file as well as the playlist in an .m3u format. You can open a previous playlist directly in the "automix" cue (right click) and just hit automix (you can also drag and drop as you've stated)
I've said my piece, y'all do what you want, use what you want. The original thread was about comparing Ultramixer with Mixxx and I've tried them both and IMO, Mixxx is better and really the only DJ program I've found that I really like.
I can manually mix with Mixxx without using autoDJ, it's easy, in fact it's as easy as taking my fingers and moving the crossfader from one side to the other on a controller or DJ mixer-again NOT ROCKET SCIENCE-except I do it on the screen and I use a mouse. How is that any different in VDJ, Serato, Traktor, Rockitor any other computerized mixing software? It's not. Don't want to use autoDJ? Then don't use it. You think a $300 DJ program is the best or a $500 DJ program is even better? It's your money.
I would be willing to bet that not everyone here uses a controller so they don't push the crossfader with their fingers because it's on a computer screen. Does that make them less of a DJ than someone that uses dual CD decks or someone that usess a controller and uses their fingers to crossfade on a control surface instead of a mouse? or someone who uses vinyl? I guess to some people it does.
It's like now, because of technology, we have tools that will cut with extreme precision, faster, easier and with better results and some "artisans" insist on using a saw that they bought back in 1952. How may DJs are going to be using vinyl 5 or 10 years from now? I predict not even 1%. Are all the rest of the DJs going to be no talent hacks because they've all made the change to computer? Some will cling to CDs for a few more years too.
And there will still be discussions of "Serato is better than VDJ" "no, VDJ is better" "no, Traktor is better", my Pioneer thingie is better than your Dennon blah, blah, blahdeeblah
Real talent and skill is someone playing the piano or a saxophone or someone WRITING music. Pushing sliders back and forth doesn't even come close in comparison. If you want to live in afantasy world that you're the best DJ alive and no one can do what you do go ahead, but there is a reason why there are so many DJs out there-it isn't that hard to do-lots of people can learn how to push a slider back and forth from side to side. Writing a computer program? now that's skill. Not everyone can do that.
I can manually mix with Mixxx without using autoDJ, it's easy, in fact it's as easy as taking my fingers and moving the crossfader from one side to the other on a controller or DJ mixer-again NOT ROCKET SCIENCE-except I do it on the screen and I use a mouse. How is that any different in VDJ, Serato, Traktor, Rockitor any other computerized mixing software? It's not. Don't want to use autoDJ? Then don't use it. You think a $300 DJ program is the best or a $500 DJ program is even better? It's your money.
I would be willing to bet that not everyone here uses a controller so they don't push the crossfader with their fingers because it's on a computer screen. Does that make them less of a DJ than someone that uses dual CD decks or someone that usess a controller and uses their fingers to crossfade on a control surface instead of a mouse? or someone who uses vinyl? I guess to some people it does.
It's like now, because of technology, we have tools that will cut with extreme precision, faster, easier and with better results and some "artisans" insist on using a saw that they bought back in 1952. How may DJs are going to be using vinyl 5 or 10 years from now? I predict not even 1%. Are all the rest of the DJs going to be no talent hacks because they've all made the change to computer? Some will cling to CDs for a few more years too.
And there will still be discussions of "Serato is better than VDJ" "no, VDJ is better" "no, Traktor is better", my Pioneer thingie is better than your Dennon blah, blah, blahdeeblah
Real talent and skill is someone playing the piano or a saxophone or someone WRITING music. Pushing sliders back and forth doesn't even come close in comparison. If you want to live in afantasy world that you're the best DJ alive and no one can do what you do go ahead, but there is a reason why there are so many DJs out there-it isn't that hard to do-lots of people can learn how to push a slider back and forth from side to side. Writing a computer program? now that's skill. Not everyone can do that.
Wiz...I thought the issue was using automix for a whole event? I believe you're the one that said that was OK; that the crowd wouldn't notice....
I don't use the cross fader either on the software or physical mixer...never did. I was also the 2 pot guy......just the way I learned; pot one up; pot the other down.....I use a simple controller as well (Numark DJ2Go); I really really like what it gives me...
Crossfading with the software is no different than cross fading with a physical mixer; as long as the dj is controlling the fade, (not the software) particualrily during the "dance" portion
I don't use the cross fader either on the software or physical mixer...never did. I was also the 2 pot guy......just the way I learned; pot one up; pot the other down.....I use a simple controller as well (Numark DJ2Go); I really really like what it gives me...
Crossfading with the software is no different than cross fading with a physical mixer; as long as the dj is controlling the fade, (not the software) particualrily during the "dance" portion
The Pioneer MEP 7000 makes the best Automix I have ever heard, simply flawless. Traktor brings up a close second. The correct sequence of songs can also help to make an automix very error free.