dj

Like many mixing programs, Program4PC's DJ Music Maker duplicates the classic DJ console, only without the turntables. Like pro consoles, DJ Music Maker has dual control suites, one for each deck, with both offering variable pitch, looping, cueing, and multiple crossfade options, plus effects, sampling, and recording. It has some features that many free tools and other competitors lack, such as independent media players for each deck, automatic beats-per-minute calculation, real-time pitch control, and real-time monitoring with external mixers and sound cards. DJ Music Mixer 5.0 works with Windows XP to 8 and requires DirectX 9 or better. … Read more

Virtual DJ Studio looks and feels like a professional mixing tool, but it's missing some of the more advanced editing tools you might need. True to that, it boils down some of the most common mixing tools into a few basic steps for rookies, although it would benefit from better labeling. The bigger downside is that you can't save your work without an upgrade.

Virtual DJ Studio opens with a relatively obnoxious audio file playing and a tutorial waiting for you. It lets you control nine different audio files at once. You can adjust the volume, add effects, … Read more

Wig Wiggle DJ Scratch is a fairly basic, but ultimately very fun app that allows you to choose songs from your library and play them as a digital record. You can scratch the record all you want, though the similarities to a real DJ's booth end there. With many feature limitations, this isn't a perfect DJ simulator, but it is a lot of fun.

Open the app and you see a large record on the screen along with Load and Play buttons. The Load button allows you to search through your song collection to find a tune to … Read more

After just one look at the touch screen of an iPhone it was clear that someone would make an app like Tap DJ. The most important question was whether that app would be any good. In this case, we are happy to report that the app is not only good, but also it is one of the most engaging, well-rounded music creation and mixing apps in the App Store, with more features than most people will need and an intuitive interface that makes it not only easy, but also very fun to use.

Open Tap DJ for the first time … Read more

I get all panicked when I have to put together music for a party. It's not because I hate music; it's because I love it too much.

Putting together a playlist is like putting my ego on the line. If someone doesn't like a song I picked out -- or just fails to love it as much as I hoped they would -- it has the power to send me into a depressive spiral of self-loathing.

I'm weird that way. I could never make it as a DJ.

That why I was excited to see CNET … Read more

Those who want to be DJs or users looking to create a better sound mix for social gatherings need a program capable of mixing audio files. Radiologik DJ for Mac functions well, but the full version's high cost and its limited utility make it a questionable choice for all but the most serious audio listeners.

Radiologik DJ for Mac offers a free trial version, while the full program costs $128. The only trial version restriction is that a pop-up menu stops the program every 30 minutes and must be dismissed to continue. The program's small size of about … Read more

Both aspiring disc jockeys and those looking to experiment with music may have trouble finding a way to work with digital audio files. ItDJ for Mac accurately simulates a DJ's equipment using digital media.

ItDJ for Mac comes in its full form as freeware, with no payments required for additional features. The program installed fairly well, but one additional download for playing certain audio files was required before it completed. Upon starting, ItDJ immediately synced up with iTunes to make the digital music files available. The interface would be confusing for anyone who isn't already familiar with the … Read more

The first disc jockeys discovered that using side-by-side turntables is the best way to cue up tunes for broadcast or dancing. DJing has gone from a skill to a performance under the hands of today's turntablists, but you don't need to invest in a pair of analog decks to mix beats like the pros with VirtualDek 2.2. This digital music suite uses two virtual turntables with realistic action to make playing and mixing MP3s, WMAs, and WAVs nearly as easy as cueing up vinyl tracks with a stylus. With a central mixing panel, syncing, direct monitoring, scratching, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Achieving DJing glory on the iPad is possible thanks to some pretty nifty apps out there, but there's always been something missing from the experience. A cold flat screen just can't replicate the dynamism and quirks of real knobs and records. Ion Audio is taking a shot at putting the feel back into tablet DJing with a set of tactile controls.

A demo unit of Scratch 2 Go is on the show floor at CES 2013. It consists of a slider control, two round discs for scratching control, and two banks of three knobs each for all the fine tuning. They hang onto the screen thanks to what Ion describes as "industrial suction cups."

The suction cups feel pretty solid. Pull them up and look below to see what makes this tick. Underneath, the spinners have what looks like the tip of a touch-screen stylus. It's nothing fancy, but it works.… Read more