This is not a request for a specific controller here but a general improvement that for me is required for DJay to progress in the DJing space. Filling out the template just for the sake of being compliant with the forum’s rules but it’s not really applicable to my post :
- Device model (e.g. 2020 iPad Air 4th Gen): any
- Version of operating system (e.g. macOS 14.4.1): any
- Version of djay (e.g. 5.1.2): any future version
- Hardware/controllers used (e.g. Reloop Mixon 8 Pro): any
I believe Djay is the best software for DJs at this point, I have very little to ask in terms of features, it’s more advanced than most other similar software.
The only thing that still makes me decide going with Serato almost systematically at this point is that the hardware integration is overall clunky and incomplete. I’ll give some examples of mixers+decks I’ve used and functions that don’t map right just to illustrate, but I believe there is a whole revamp of the hardware integration and the associated certification policy to do.
Examples:
- Pioneer DJM mixers : PAD modes often don’t correspond (CUE LOOP/SCRATCH BANK), FX LEVEL/DEPTH and Beat arrows are just not mapped
- DDJ controllers : kinda same issues as DJM mixers
- Denon DJ controllers (SC/LC) : pitch reset mapped to tempo reset, the parameter left/right arrow buttons on top of the PADs are just not mapped
- AKAI AMX/AFX : pad modes and FX mode don’t correspond.
Of course you can still debate on these examples, explain why it is not mapped so, that I could modify/improve the mapping myself or that it could be a bug but at the end, the fact is there, the mappings are not perfectly doing exactly what you expect them to, so if you’re on a live situation, you will want to avoid this.
Happens I’ve tested several pieces of gear with Djay through the years : Pioneer DDJ Rev1, FLX10, DJM-S5, S11, Denon LC6000s, SC2000, MC6000mk2, Numark Mixstream Pro+ (which is the only that seems to map well, though no display integration).
To clarify, this is definitely not a complain, the efforts on supporting many many pieces of DJing hardware is just amazing and Djay allows us to customize our own mappings significantly. It’s really just a fact, at the end, despite official support of DJay on a specific device I use, I tend not to “risk” selecting Djay for other than home mixing as I am always confused by the differences in mapping/serigraphy not matching or incomplete mapping. So I believe it probably is the reason why Djay is still not #1 or even #2 and also why Serato has done so well despite Pioneer DJ remaining a leader in the clubs.
I of course realize that there are several good reasons for some functions not being mapped the same way or just not being mapped at all. That can be some functions that just don’t exist on Djay (it still happens 
despite their advance), functions that are there but they don’t have a corresponding mapping entry on Djay or they are mapped completely differently (notably FX, Stems).
So what could Algoriddim do about all this ?
- There is first need to do some catchup in order to be on par with notably Serato, be it in terms of features and the mapping architecture of the features Djay already has. It’s a bit of a “follow the leader” strategy here but I think Algoriddim has to accept their current position on the market and go this route in addition to their existing spirit of innovation they have since the very beginning
- The certification program must get much stricter, especially when it comes to match the serigraphy of the hardware and also the way it behaves on other software, notably Serato, including if this means influencing the hardware product manufacturer
- Revamp mapping of existing (maybe prioritize those still on sale) flagship hardware to match exactly the serigraphy and behavior on Serato. Maybe that will need some branding of level of certification to indicate that this gear is strictly mapped to the serigraphy with all functions
- Make sure that any supported hardware has at least a KB to explain its mapping (at least the particularities/not obvious parts of it).
Now there is another strategy that requires less technical effort but more manufacturer partnership effort and takes more time to bring results or is more risky for Algoriddim and even more for the hardware manufacturer:
Agree with high profile brands be it in the pro market or mid-range/low (Pioneer, Denon, Numark, Reloop and why not NI) on making a hardware product with Djay Pro support as primary supported software. Very strict specifications in terms of how it is expected to behave from serigraphy or layout.
There still can be a 2nd level certification for “best effort” type of support of existing hardware or hardware that is not subject to a deal with the manufacturer.
Algoriddim can take both of these routes, slowly but surely. Until then it’ll still remain my “backup plan” for gigs or for home mixing. I am a MIDI mapping addict so I might end up at some point with improved enough mappings for hardware I own to use them on gigs with DJay someday, but from all my previous attempts I have made, so far played it safe with Serato.
