NOTE: Please use the search function above before posting to avoid creating duplicate topics.
Device model (e.g. 2020 iPad Air 4th Gen):
Version of operating system (e.g. macOS 14.4.1): Windows 11
Version of djay (e.g. 5.1.2): latest
Hardware/controllers used (e.g. Reloop Mixon 8 Pro): multiple midi
Hardware firmware version (e.g. 1.0.1):
Please consider sharing a short video or screenshots to help clarify your question
YOUR QUESTION:
15 years on Traktor. Vinyl DVS, Rotary Analogue mixer, Kontrol f1 and x1, with an APC Mini, all custom mapped to Traktor. I tried Djay on my phone and was shocked how good the beatgrids were on the complex rhythmic tracks I like. So, I tried on desktop and I was shocked how quick and good the analysis was, how great fx and stems are, how great beatgrids and mixing was. Perfect. Then, I hit the settings. Every video I watched was on Mac, with other settings available. Djay on Windows has such limited settings. The software feels so restrictive compared to Traktor. Audio routing is poor. Midi mapping, whilst easier, does not have the depth or complexity to manage my current workflow. I feel as though Djay has made an amazing piece of software, but it’s geared at standard users happy to all use the software “out of the box” workflow. But, and it’s a massive but, the software is soooo good. Why is it so restrictive? I’m struggling to make the jump. I want to, but Djay for Windows really needs to increase it’s customisation capacity, along with audio routing and midi mapping.
like many here who have come from using Traktor, myself included…
Transitioning from Traktor is a phase many here have gone through,
but as you likely own Traktor,
you can still run both Djay pro and Traktor in Tandem and utilise all the great aspects of Traktor,
if you are looking for workarounds in some of the shortcomings of software, Forums are the best place to ask…
as there are annoying little niggly things that you will inevitably find in Djay when you get to the nitty gritty of using it
As far as using WindowsOS & DJpro.. thats a limitation from the get go, ..nobody likes hearing this ugly truth, but i came from windows using traktor/maschine/virtualDJfree using Voicemeter all in tandem, but eventually run into a brickwall… where the CPU could no longer support my idea of running software in Tandem sync’d
moving over to Mac has allowed me to spread my wings… push the envelope with running multiple software sync’d
perhaps multiple software running in tandem is not your thing… (ie. Traktor+Djaypro), but i never let a brickwall “restrict” what i want to do… if theres a will, theres a way!
Hi @Poshvibes, welcome to the Community! I switched to djay over 8 years ago after a decade on Traktor as well. Coming from 15 years of a custom Traktor setup is definitely a big move, and I’m happy to hear the analysis, beatgrids, stems and FX have been winning you over.
For mapping, djay’s MIDI editor goes deeper than it first appears:
A single control can fire several actions. Right-click a mapping and choose Duplicate Mapping for Control.
You can build a SHIFT layer.
You can keep multiple mapping configurations per controller.
Advanced Options lets you tune control type, invert, and jog wheel response.
As for UI customization, can you let me know more specifically what you’re looking for? Perhaps some screenshots from Traktor or a marked up screenshot from djay?
That said, you know your workflow best. Could you list the specific things you’re missing? For example, a routing you need, or a mapping behavior your F1, X1 or APC Mini relies on. If you post each one as its own topic in Suggestions, they’re much easier for the team to track and for other Traktor converts to vote on.
Traktor user here too with an S4MK3, which I still use most of the time. I’ve tried DJay on the Mac and iPad. For my workflow, DJay isn’t there yet. The iPad version still has some important things to solve, before I make the switch. The Mac version is better, but still issues with mapping.
I try DJay at informal or outside / beach gigs. Traktor still the main setup S4 with one or 2 F1’s attached.
I have DJay (on Mac & iPad) with a Mixtour Pro and Midi Fighter Twister was able to do a lot, but some things weren’t working so haven’t gone any further down that road.
The biggest dissapointment is DJay not taking the opportunity to create seamless DJing between devices. It’s still attached to the iTunes way and iCloud syncing which is still a mystery to me (sometimes waiting 2 days for a frigging 2kb file to upload and sync to other devices)
I have a feeling DJay is too tied to Apple’s way of doing things. I hope they get their act together, because they could be the first company to have a multi-tier (iPac, Mac, PC, Android) DJ system that seamlessly works together. One Library is not that.
That being said it has great potential, good sound and a lot of good features. But it seems like it’s not finished yet.
I was a long time Traktor user before moving to DJay. Still have the Audio 8, even though I’ve sold all my other gear (S4 Mk3, D2 and F1). I have fond memories of DJ Tech Tools forums, modding lots of controllers and mapping stuff like Xbox gamepads. I’ve also used Denon Engine for a while.
The main reasons for moving were pretty much the same as others on the forum. Beat gridding and stems. Also, the state of development at Traktor over the past few years has been disappointing, if understandable.
I too am fairly Apple-aphobic and much prefer Windows to use, but I took a chance on a cheap Mac Mini a few years ago and use it exclusively for Djing. Fortunately, the extra cost was something I was able to afford at the time and I haven’t thought of Traktor much since. There is also the subscription price to remember that seems to be on most softwares now.
As you say, the mapping options are simpler on DJay, but more limited. The inability to add more than one shift modifier being the most obvious to me.
Software can very much be a personal thing, and some people tend to get a bit protective about it. If Traktor is your thing, then great, but I think it’s good that you’ve got an open mind about it. Bear in mind that Serato seems to have bucked up its game regarding it’s beat gridding recently and is looking to release a new version soon. I think it performs ok on a decent laptop, doesn’t it?
