VirtualDJ: Spin records - like a pro!

Wanna host a party tonight?

Gone are the days when DJs were required to carry huge cases of vinyl records and heavy expensive equipment to each and every place where they play. Welcome to VirtualDJ! Created by Atomix Productions, VirtualDJ offers mixing music, videos and even lets the user produce cool scratch sounds like a real vinyl Turntable!

VirtualDJ offers four options at startup aimed at users ranging from beginners who just want to listen to music to pro DJs playing at parties. The working window is a smart two track window which resembles a real turntable. Individual tracks can be loaded into each ‘vinyl’. Beginners can just mix the two tracks by using the crossfader options after enabling the Sync option and pros can really bring down the dance floor with the various real time options like cueing and looping. And with infinite number of cue points that VirtualDJ allows, each song can be saved with pre-programmed effects, all synchronized accurately.

Also, one among the main features is the graphical representation of each and every option. This ensures that one can spin records live with unbelievable accuracy without any prior preparation.

Coming to the main feature of VirtualDJ – Scratching, all that takes one to produce beautiful scratch sounds like that in a real turntable is a little practice. The only difference between scratching in the two is probably that scratching in VirtualDJ is more accurate due to the intelligent beatlock option! I was surprised when I mastered the art of scratching live in VirtualDJ as in real-time turntables and still maintain the correct beat - all with a little practice and patience.

A big list of effects that can be added to the track like flanger, brake, brakespin etc which are totally beat aware as the software site calls it, coupled with looping options ranging from 1/4^th of a beat to 16 repeats and the option to interface an external MIDI keyboard make VirtualDJ a complete package to the closet DJs who remix for an hobby and also the Pro DJs who set dance floors on fire.

Finally tutorials available on the software website as blogs written by pro DJs as well VirtualDJ experts add to the easiness to master VirtualDJ.

Software version and other info :

Version: 5.0
License: Free to try (20 days)
Homepage: Atomix Productions
OS Required: Windows 98, XP

Note : This post has been written by Sathyanarain M.