I’ve posted these suggestions a few times over the years in other specific threads, but I think this topic deserves its own thread.
I’ve been burned with updating djay before a gig only to realize there was a major bug. It’s super stressful having an impending gig and praying that Algoriddim releases an update fix before your set. Worse yet, I’ve played gigs when I know there’s a bug and had to deal with the live crashes. No doubt about it - it sucks. Unfortunately, putting all the blame on Algoriddim isn’t going to solve the problem. As professionals we need to take some responsibility as well.
Algoriddim has no way to rollback to older versions of the software. This has been asked for many times in the past and I don’t expect the answer to change anytime soon. So before updating to the newest djay version I always do the following:
- I perform a full backup of my iOS device via iTunes/Music to my laptop (or Time Machine for macOS). Sometimes I even copy the iOS backup file to a USB to ensure it doesn’t get accidentally overwritten. Do NOT rely on iCloud backups alone, because these are often automatically overwritten without you realizing. I have an issue with djay I can always recover my entire device from a previous iOS or macOS backup.
- I turn OFF automatic app updates so I can control when I want to update djay.
- I never update if I have an important gig in the next 2 weeks. No matter how enticing the new features sound.
- I test out the new djay version on my iPhone or other backup device first to see if there are any issues before updating my iPad. I never update all of my devices at the same time. I realize not everyone has a backup device so that’s what Step 1 is for.
- Only after I have tested on my backup device and/or thoroughly read people’s experience with the latest version on here, do I consider updating.
- If you make money DJing or consider it your profession, it’s your responsibility to take control of the situation to mitigate risks. It’s just like planning for “what-if” scenarios in your live gigs. Be prepared and have a backup plan for mission critical things.
- Unfortunately, bugs are a part of software. Ideally Algoriddim would do a better job of beta testing before release, but you have to remember this is a SMALL company, not Pioneer. They don’t have nearly the same resources. This software is used with a large variety of DJ hardware, iOS, macOS, Windows and Android devices with different OS versions and configurations. Testing every last combination is simply not feasible so bugs can sneak through. Thankfully they have recently expanded their user Beta Test program so hopefully major bugs will be reduced going forward.
Anyway, hopefully this helps you in the future to take control and avoid most of these stressful and painful situations.
