Android has always been a bit of a minefield for DJs. Previous versions of the mobile OS weren’t especially hot on key things like latency. But sometimes you just have to say bollocks to it and jump in with both feet and hope for the best to steal a lead on the competition, and this is exactly what Mixvibes did when they decided to tackle the Android platform. But it does seem to be working out for them as Cross 1.3 is here, and adds some key features that leaves other vendors wondering why they didn’t jump quicker.

The full list of important new additions from Mixvibes HQ:

Cross DJ for Android 1.3 update: Sampler, Keylock & Beat grid editing
Mixvibes’ Cross DJ for Android 1.3 update brings in a lot of new features: Sampler, Keylock, Advanced Beat grid editing and more.
Builtin Sampler
12 pads on tablets, 8 on mobiles.
12 sample banks: Scratch, Space, Synths, Vocals, Dubstep, Hip Hop, House and more…
A total of 72 samples on tablet, 48 on mobile.
Create and edit banks (content, name) + pads (content, name, color, position.)
Record samples through the microphone.
If needed, samples can be quantized to the player.
Keylock

No matter how much you pitch your track, the key/tone of the track stays the same. It essentially allows to mix tracks with different BPMs, and stay in harmony.
Advanced Beat grid editing
Touching the Syncmeter makes the Beat grid editing button appear.
Set Master down beat, Stretch/Contract Beat Grid, Move Beat Grid left/right, Halve/Double BPM.
Other improvements
Record now available for all Android versions (records in .ogg format.)
Automix Shuffle mode.
Play/pause from device’s lock screen.
New folder explorer: Sort, search, info scan.
MAIN FEATURES
Accurate BPM detection, down to the last decimal
Stable Sync: onepress, and the 2 tracks never run out of phase
Manual pitch & pitch bend
Progressive bend and customizable pitch range (4, 8, 16, 32, 100%)
Keylock: change BPM without affecting the tone
Advanced Beatgrid editing, to make sure that your tracks sync correctly
Sampler with 12 sample banks + possibility to record your own samples
Parallel waveforms mode to visually check if your tracks are sync + set hot cues accurately
Quantize mode: hot cues and loops are automatically set on the beat
Smartseek: tap on the waveform to fastforward & get a seamless jump
Automix: let Cross DJ mix your tracks automatically
Autogain: automatically equalizes the levels of 2 tracks
Split Mono: Prelisten your tracks before mixing them
External mixer: control EQs and crossfader with hardware mixers
Low latency: music reacts instantly to your actions
Extremely realistic scratch sound
15 effects (Bifilter, Lowpass, HiPass, Delay, Echo, Phaser, Flanger, Crush, Brake, Roll, etc.)
No load time when startingup the app
2 turntables, fullfledged 3band EQ mixer with DJM EQ preset
Direct access to your music: mix your device’s MP3s, AAC, FLAC and more
Sort library by title, artist, album, BPM or length
History pane: display previously played tracks
Navigation by folder
Large control pads: XY effect pad, 16 hotcues pads
HQ live recording of your mixes
MINIMUM CONFIGURATION REQUIRED
Android 4.1
4″ screen, RAM 1GB, Dualcore processor
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

See Also
Traktor Kontrol D2 — all the official info
9.99 € / $9.99 / £5.99 for full version
The app is optimized for multiple screensizes, and has a mobile and tablet layout.
Download full version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mixvibes.crossdjapp
Download free version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mixvibes.crossdjfree
Introduction video: http://youtu.be/Z4z9AZ0Gf7o
Learn more: http://www.mixvibes.com/products/crossdjandroid

Cross 1.3 – pulling away from the rest

Clearly Mixvibes is taking its time with Cross for Android. They could have gone all in with features, but given Android’s reputation, small steps seems like a better approach. It’s better to put out a solid but basic version to build upon than throw out a feature rich but buggy product. That was the old Mixvibes way, one that thankfully they ditched when building the original Cross for Mac and PC. That has taken the same small steps approach to hone and polish a world-class product that more people really should be looking at.

I find it interesting that while Cross across Mac, PC and iOS platforms are quite similar, Cross for Android looks entirely different. At first I thought that this was madness, but once my natural knee-jerk reaction had subsided, I realised that it doesn’t have to be the same experience. Because DJing on mobile devices is almost certainly a personal rather than shared experience, and because an iOS user isn’t likely to jump onto a shared Android device for DJing, it became clear to me that Mixvibes can use the diverse mobile platforms to experiment a little with the user interface.

Cross for iOS is more in the skeuomorphic style of algoriddim’s djay, and has controls that mimic real hardware. The Android version however looks to be more optimised for touch control, so instead of EQ knobs, it has touch-friendly faders, and ditches the graphic representation of real platters for a simplified coloured disk. Perhaps the iOS and Android experience will eventually merge into a unified interface to fully live up to the name of “putting the cross into cross platform”.