Sunday 5 July 2009

New ideas


Another new idea of mine is to post some of the software that I have used to create my remixes and megamixes.

The first is this mp3 DJ mixing software


Welcome to VirtualDJ 6
This new version of VirtualDJ brings many new and exciting features. It greatly enhances the core values which made VirtualDJ so popular: accessibility, versatility and cutting-edge technology.


New script language


Because no two DJs are the same, we think that every DJ should have a custom-made, tailored software application. VirtualDJ 6 has been centered around a new language, called VDJscript, that really lets you take full control and full ownership of your software, and tweak it to your perfect liking in a matter of minutes.
With VirtualDJ 6, all the commands used in skins, keyboard shortcuts, controllers' mappings, etc, now use VDJscript.
VDJscript language has been designed to be both simple and complex, depending on how you will use it.
When used for your day to day needs, VDJscript is very simple, and look similar to the actions from VirtualDJ v5.x. You can write such commands as play, pause, crossfader 50%, etc.
But if you have more complex needs, VDJscript can turn into a full scripting language, complete with global variables, conditional branching, etc. You can write such commands as var $myvar ? pitch_range '10,16,50' : goto 400ms & loop 4 while_pressed
See the full documentation on VDJscript on the wiki page.


New controller support


In VirtualDJ 6, we changed the approach we had on external controllers. In VirtualDJ v5.x, and in many competitors software, the software was designed around a mouse-and-keyboard use, and as the market released new USB DJ controllers, they were added one by one as emulation of the keyboard.
With Version 6, the controllers are now at the center of the software, and the keyboard is seen as just another kind of controller.
Any controller, be it HID or MIDI, can now be used with VirtualDJ, and every buttons, jog wheels, sliders, LEDs, LCD displays, etc, can be assigned to VDJscript macros to make your controller react exactly as you want it to.
By default, VirtualDJ comes preinstalled with an impressive list of over 40 different USB controllers, already fully mapped and ready to be used plug-and-play.
But if you have a controller that is not in the preinstalled list, you can easily create a "definition" file for it, using a simple XML syntax, for any HID or MIDI controller. Or, you can find on our website many user-submitted definition XMLs for almost every controller available on the market.


NetSearch

Because the technicality of the mix is only half of DJing, VirtualDJ 6 puts a strong focus on the other half: playing the right track at the right moment.
Two new features are there to bring you the tools to make the best musical selection. NetSearch is one of these new tools. Whenever you are looking for a song but don't have it, NetSearch will automatically crawl the Internet to try to find the song you're looking for. You can then instantly stream the song or video directly off the Internet. You will never again have to turn down a request because you don't have it, or be frustrated because you can't find a file.
If you don't have an Internet connection where you are DJing, do not worry. You can search all the tracks you need at home where you have a connection, and cache all the songs on your local or external hard drive, then play them offline from your club.
The songs browsed by NetSearch are files which are freely available on the Internet, as found on promotional websites and free catalogs. That includes several millions of songs, mainstream music as well as underground tracks or specific remixes. Atomix Productions is also working with selected content providers to keep NetSearch catalog as extensive as possible.


MusicGroups


Next is MusicGroups. MusicGroups is actually two features in one.
First, MusicGroups let you show to the world what music you play.
When you DJ with VirtualDJ, your playlist will automatically be sent, to your MusicGroup. Your friends and fans will be able to follow what you play, and vote for you or leave comments.
You can also get together with other DJs who have the same musical style as you, and try to create one of the best generic MusicGroup, and become a reference.
But the true power of MusicGroups lies in the feedbacks it will give you. While you are DJing with VirtualDJ, MusicGroups will constantly analyze what you are playing, and will make suggestions of what other DJs would have played next. The suggestion is based on what other DJs around the world play, with a stronger weight to the ones from the MusicGroups you subscribed to.
Unlike existing music matching solutions, MusicGroups suggestions are not based on automated music-likeness. MusicGroups gives you real advices, based on what millions of real DJs are playing every day in clubs.
You will find out that MusicGroups is a very good way to discover new tracks, and expend your sets.


New Timecode Engine


For those of you who like the touch and feel of vinyls, you will love the new Timecode Engine of VirtualDJ 6. Rewritten from scratch, it brings a much better accuracy and responsiveness to timecodes.
The new Timecode Engine has been optimized with the traditional VirtualDJ v5 records, but can now also run in noisemap mode, and bring VirtualDJ's myriad of features while still using competitors' timecode solutions.


New skin engine


VirtualDJ 6 got rid of one of the annoying limitation of VirtualDJ v5: You can now resize your window on-the-fly, without worrying about which skin is in which resolution.
The Skin engine also brings many new elements, like ScratchWaves, ResizeZones, etc.
See the wiki for more information on Skins.
Improved video engine
More and more video codecs are now being played by the internal video decoder.
The video engine has also been optimized and is now 15% faster than in version 5.


Unicode compatibility


VirtualDJ 6 is now fully Unicode compatible.
From USA to China, from France to Russia, all your files and songs written in foreign languages will now play and display flawlessly in VirtualDJ, both on PC and on Mac.
Various improvements and bug fixes
Version 6 also brings a long list of small improvements and bug fixes, thanks to the reports and help of hundreds of users who helped us to make it the most flawless software we ever released.


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