Better Shortcuts for Library and Tracks

I’d like to suggest these keyboard shortcuts as a better way to navigate the Library and Tracks. The layout places shortcuts together on the keyboard and makes it easy to use one-hand for most tasks.

LIBRARY NAVIGATION
Quickly jump between Playlists/Tracks and Queue.


Mapping:
Music Library: Focus Playlists
Music Library: Focus Tracks
Music Library: Toggle Library Panel

[EDIT] - as suggested in the post below, map the “Tab” key to Music Library: Switch Table, this let’s you cycle through the Library Windows/Tables (Playlists, Tracks, Automix and Queue) - just using the Tab key.

TRACK SELECTION
Quickly browse, preview and load tracks to the queue.


Mapping:
Music Library: Preview Selected Track
Music Library: Add/Remove Selected Tracks

CROSSFADER
Use ⌘ for all crossfader transitions.

02 djay Crossfader
Mapping:
Mixer: Transition to Left
Mixer: Transition to Middle
Mixer: Transition to Right

LOAD DECKS
Use ⇧ to load decks. Same as in Serato, Traktor, Rekordbox.

03 djay Load Decks
Mapping:
Deck 1: Load Selected Track
Deck 2: Load Selected Track

TRACK PREVIEW
Place preview next to the forward/back keys.


Mapping :
Music Library: Preview Selected Track

Hi @Michael_Wisniewski,

Thanks for sharing all the details here about what you’d like to see for keyboard shortcuts. It looks like all of the above suggestions can currently be mapped in djay to fit your needs. While it sounds like you’d like these to be mapped in djay as the default, in the meantime have you already created your own set of keyboard shortcuts set up exactly as you’d like them (i.e., all the above described shortcuts)? You can do so by going to djay’s Preferences > Shortcuts and creating a set from scratch, or editing the default:

I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions or feedback.

In addition, you provided some shortcut feedback on this other thread (Is there a Djay Pro AI 3.2 for macOS coming soon...? - #9 by Michael_Wisniewski), and I’d like to provide feedback about that as well.

Note: Another option would be to use the Tab key to cycle through the Playlists, Tracks and Queue, like in Serato. Unfortunately the Tab key in djay Pro cycles through some places that doesn’t even register on the screen, so it’s not very reliable.

Our team is aware of this unexpected behavior with the TAB key at the moment and this should be fixed soon. I’ll keep you updated about this here. Thanks for pointing that out!

Other functions that would be useful:

  • “Focus on Queue” and “Focus on Automix” functions. Right now you have to mouse over to get to the Queue and Automix panes.
  • “Add to Queue and Play Next” - for impromptu requests.
  • “Move Track Up/Down” - re-arrange the queue on the fly.

These are great suggestions for shortcuts that could be added in the future! Thank you for sharing those. :raised_hands:

In the meantime, for the “Focus on Queue” and “Focus on Automix” functions, to avoid using the mouse, you could set up a shortcut with the Mapping = Music Library: Switch Library Table. This would at least allow you to cycle to the Queue or Automix panels quickly using the keyboard.

Thanks again for all your feedback! We really appreciate it. :headphones:

Thank you! Music Library: Switch Library Table works brilliantly. I can “Tab” through all the Library windows/tables: Playlists, Tracks, Automix and Queue.

Note: it works as long as there are songs loaded into the automix and queue. If no songs are loaded, it stops, but that’s fine, it’s a reminder to select/load songs first!

So … I’ll add to my suggestions, that [Tab] mapped to Music Library: Switch Library Table would be an excellent default. It means being able to use the Library/Queue without taking my hands off the keyboard! That workflow is a big win!!!

1 Like

Emily, if there’s a way to share the Library Shortcuts Key Bindings file, I can upload it here so people could try it out and see if it works for them.

Just wanted to let you know that I’m looking into allowing the upload of these files to the Community, and I’ll keep you updated. Thanks for the suggestion! This could certainly be helpful for others. :bulb:

1 Like

Hi @Michael_Wisniewski,

Just wanted to let you know you should now be able to upload the Key Bindings keyboard shorcuts file to the Community. If you’d like to share it here, that would be great in case other users are looking for something similar. Thanks in advance for your efforts!

1 Like

@Emily
Hi,
One thing I have pointed out before in another thread, is that Switch Library Table doesn’t work at all when you try it with a controller, so there’s still no way of getting to the queue with a controller without reverting to a mouse.

I mentioned this a long time ago, it can’t be that hard for the Focus on Queue to be added to the list of MIDI commands.

As it currently is, the whole point of a controller is diminished by having to go back to the keyboard / mouse to get where you need to be.

Even tabbing to cycle through and get to the queue doesn’t actually work unless you’ve previously clicked in to the queue and ‘woken it up’, without selecting the queue at least once manually, the tab cycle ignores it all together.

Just my input, which could have been resolved months ago by the addition of a simple MIDI commando to focus on the queue.

Hey @sooteee, Thanks for chiming in here. Just to double-check, are you talking about MIDI commands on djay for iOS for when you say the “Switch Library Table” doesn’t work at all, or are you talking about on Mac? I just want to be sure since this thread is related to Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac. I’ll be happy to check into this, but I just wanted to clarify the platform you’re using, and also to keep our Community threads as organized as possible. Thanks in advance!

Hi Emily,

It doesn’t work on either platform, my original thread was when I used the iPad, I now have a M1 MBP and that doesn’t work either when programmed as a MIDI command from the controller.

The highlight will skip back and for when I press the button but it never selects the queue.

With the Focus on Queue MIDI command not present in the table, there is no way to select the queue with a controller at all.

It’s back to mouse and / or keyboard to get to it which is a right pain… :slight_smile:

Thanks

S

sootee, The “Switch Library Table” function works on Numark’s DJ2GO2 Touch Controller. It is the default setting when you press the Browse knob. I believe it is the same on the Reloop Mixtour, but I’ll double-check that.

Note: “Switch Library Table” won’t work with the Automix or Queue windows until tracks have been loaded there. That is the reason I mapped the [ and ] keys to Focus Playlists and Focus Tracks for those times the Automix / Queue are empty. It’s not a perfect solution but it gets the job done.

On the other hand, I couldn’t get the “Switch Library Table” function to work properly with right-arrow key on the computer keyboard, because when it enters the Playlist window, it defaults to Expanding/Collapsing the sub-directories/playlists (which is actually what I want it to do!!!).

Otherwise, “Switch Library Table” maps fine to the Tab key in MacOS.

I’d love to see the MacOS Automix/Queue work like in iOS. In iOS, the Queue automatically feeds the Automix playlist. In MacOS, it’s a manual (mouse-driven) process.

I’d love to see the following functions:

  • Focus on Queue
  • Focus on Automix
  • Add to Automix
  • Add to Automix and Play Next
  • Play Track Next
  • Move Track Up/Down List

Hi @Michael_Wisniewski,

I’m glad it works on your controllers, I’ve got a DDJ SX2, the Browse button is mapped to Switch Library Table and the program totally ignores the Queue, even when tracks have been added and previously selected.

This is the same on an iPad Pro 12.9 and an M1 MBP.

I’ve remapped the controller to within an inch of its life so I don’t have to interact with the keyboard/mouse/screen but I still have to if I want to get a song from the queue.

Another thing I have noticed is if you put a track in the queue but don’t select it, no amount of tab presses will take you to the queue either, the tab cycle ignores the queue until you’ve clicked on a track in the queue and highlighted it, from then on the tab cycle does pick up on the queue. So another anomaly.

If your DJ2GO works with the switch library table MIDI command, this would suggest it’s something more specific to the SX2 mapping in the background.

As for Automix I never use it (apart from a long soak in the bath from my iPhone :slight_smile: ) so don’t really notice the issues with this function.

But being able to get to the queue from the controller should be basic functionality, that currently seems broken, with an SX2 at least.

Just for reference, the original thread is here.

:+1:t2:

Hi @Emily,

Just been playing with V4 and still unable to access the queue using Switch Library Table.

BUT, I did discover that this behaviour only happens when using ‘My Files’.

If I use Apple Music or Tidal the behaviour is as expected but as I hold the vast majority of my tunes on an external drive I access it via My Files and it is this option that will not select the Q when using the Browse Knob on the controller mapped to Switch Table.

Pioneer DDJ-SX2 MPB 16" M1 or 12.9 iPad Pro…both behave the same.

So, that’s where the bug lies, over to you guys. :slight_smile:

Cheers

S

Thanks, @sooteee. We appreciate the feedback, and sorry to hear this didn’t solve the issue! :see_no_evil:

I’ve reproduced the TAB and Switch Library Table problem over here as well, and have reported this to our Development Team to look into again. I’ll keep this thread updated with any news. Thanks again! We very much appreciate your ongoing support of djay. :raised_hands:

1 Like