Watch the above video, and you’ll see DJ Player on an iPad doing what is normally the reserve of MIDI learnable software on your laptop. Connected with just the Apple camera kit adaptor and a cable, DJ Player has been mapped for the Vestax VCI-400.
There’s all sorts going on here (e.g. mapping the channel fader to filter and volume), but it looks like the major hardware features of the VCI-400 have been properly mapped to software features in DJ player. And in the video, you can see a seriously long list of DJ player features to go at as well. Seems that you can manually map it numerically, or via MIDI learn. This is really clever, and instead of having to wait for support to be built into apps, you’ll be able to make it all work together yourself.
The only real issue that I can see in the video is the latency on the platter. I know it’s a Youtube clip and an original iPad, but we’ll have to wait and see if this setup is viable for scratching. It is with Numark’s iDJ Live and an iPhone 4S. The buttons seem very responsive though, so you should at least be able to do everything else bar hardcore turntablism for now.
So over the last 3 days, we’ve seen DJ Player acting as a DVS, as a media server and controller for CDJs, and now working with regular MIDI controllers too. It’s early days of course, and much will depend on the model of iPad that you have, but from where I’m sitting, DJ Player has just raised the bar considerably, as well as the expectations of the masses following this amazing progress.
I don’t think I’d be ditching my laptop just yet, but I am rather interested to see just how well this all works. Having got many of you into a geek frenzy, here’s hoping that we’re not kept waiting too long to see what all this means. I’m pretty sure that algoriddim and Numark will be hitting refresh a hell of a lot right now, and with good reason.
What about midi controllers with built in sound cards like the S4, would your signal be output from the ipad aux or the S4 out? I don’t have much knowledge about djing with ipad apps but own an s4 and have been waiting on an opportunity to purchase a decent lap top to play out with. I would definitely consider an ipad over a laptop if the hardware and software cut it!
In this video the sound is coming from the VCI-400’s master output sockets.
DJ Player app is very promising.
But iOS and the iPad3 have limits:
1. Needs 4 channel soundcard or be able to use an external 4 channel sound card for 2 Decks.
2. Limited music storage. Needs to access external mass storage devices.
3. More midi maps pre-installed for Vestax VCI-300/380 and other DJ controllers. How about getting a Denon HC4500 to work with it and its VFD display?
4. A record case as good as Serato Scratch Live and iTunes for DJ Player.
5. Support wireless GoFlex Satellite HDD
http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2012/04/5-reasons-why-ios-isnt-suitable-for-djing/
Did you watch the video? DJ PLAYER doesn’t come with preinstalled MIDI maps. You can create, modify and share your own maps, and any USB MIDI Class Compliant controller is supported.
iOS6 supports multichannel sound cards.
DJ PLAYER uses your music library on your iPad. Which is iTunes…
It was inevitable, and we are seeing the beginning of what I believe will be a major shift to tablet DJing. I really hope to see algoriddim release something on par with this
One kick-ass dev/research team they’ve got there.
User based midi mapping done in an intelligent way. I WANT IT!
In the video comments they also state that the sound is coming out of the VCI outputs. Seriously cool.
Mark,
Question for your contact at DJ Player. Will these updates make it into the RedBull version? I bought that version before I realized that there was an original DJ player version. Is there any hope for me?
RD
The Red Bull version always gets the same updates shortly after the real development version of DJplayer. I’ve used Red Bull for some time now and it’s by far the best featured iOS dj app.
I agree although I ind that the bpm analysis of RBP tends to get a few more wrong than Djay.. Setting cue points are also not as simple as Djay.
So, Does this means any HID device like the HS5500, SC3900 can be supported by this DJ application?
This is MIDI. If those devices are USB MIDI Class Compliant, then they will work.
Really impress by this (I hate Ipads), this only need a better gui and it will be perfect.
Can we see all the 4 channels on the same view with a 4 tracks mixing ?
these guys are dons! mad props! the future is soon…?
This is insane! Amazing work! Really hope this comes to android. Ipads dont take SD cards and that could be a right pain in the ass if you wanted to replace your laptop setup.
To use “DJ Player” with controller must connect the iPad camera connection adapter. How do I charge the battery of the iPad?
Big problem …
Use a powered USB hub, which has also an iPad charge functionality. Problem solved.
This may be the dumbest question in the world but would it connect with the ipod touch or iphone?
I’m not sure that you can. The USB camera kit isn’t recognised by iPhones and iPods. Numark’s iDJ Live connects to the iPhone via the 30 pin connecter, and the iDJ Pro does too.