DJ.Studio

DJ.Studio is a one‑stop shop for creating professional playlists.

DJ.Studio is a virtual DJ editing suite that hands some of the more time‑consuming and less glamorous parts of DJ’ing over to the computer. The idea is that automating tempo and song key matching gives the DJ extra time to concentrate on the more creative aspects of the job, such as the sound of a transition, overlaying samples and enhancing other mix subtleties.

DJ.Studio also offers YouTube mixing, direct‑to‑Ableton project exporting and even video editing, not to mention mixing features ranging from filtering to beat matching. The software could also be useful for anyone wanting to put together longer programmes that incorporate different sections of music, other audio and even speech.

Essentials

Easier editing of mixes is at the heart of what DJ.Studio does. The intelligent software uses machine learning (ML) to analyse a set of tracks selected by the user and arrange them into a suitable order for a set. The process is prompted by clicking on Automix; DJ.Studio will then identify the root note and key of the imported tracks, and make an order suggestion in a matter of seconds.

Software that can identify the tempo, key and other essential features of music is not new, as users of MixMeister (the software that partly inspired DJ.Studio) will know, but there are differences. MixMeister analyses tracks for tempo and key, but does not offer arrangement suggestions.

There are four modes for viewing tracks. In Carousel view, the tracks appear on a horizontal timeline, with overlaid transition edits and a carousel of track artwork above — very useful for a visual cue as to where you are in a set. In Playlist view, the tracks are shown vertically in the order they will be played, with tempo, key and various other measures listed alongside. In Studio view the tracks again appear in a horizontal timeline, this time with per‑track level, EQ and filter tools. Library view lets you browse the tracks that you’ve already uploaded in DJ.Studio, and your music library in Rekordbox, Traktor and so on.

The Carousel view shows all the tracks and transitions floating above our decks.

Each mode has its benefits. Playlist mode is easier for viewing parameters like tempo alongside the track name, just as in other playlist software, while in Studio mode, volume and other levels can be seen.

Transitions

DJ.Studio’s Automix function is used to mix between tracks and offers a number of different transition effects, from straightforward fades to more exotic options. For example, you can use Echo Out to apply a delay effect to the outgoing track, allowing space for the second track to slowly come in. Conversely, Echo In affects the incoming audio in the same way. Bass Swap fades the low end of the outgoing track and the high end of the incoming track, effectively swapping one track’s bass for another’s. Loop Out will loop a section of the outgoing track, allowing you to extend it while you bring in the next track.

Transitions with effects, as opposed to ‘transition effects’, are also available, and include a white noise‑based riser, downsweep and swoosh, high‑ and low‑pass filters, delay and reverb. These can be applied to the incoming or outgoing tracks and the levels can be automated.

While the Automix functionality is impressive, you can also precisely edit changes between tracks with DJ.Studio’s Transition Editor. This is where you determine how and when the software mixes between tracks; a number of editable preset transitions are available, to be used or modified as you choose. Basic choices include fade‑in, fade‑out and crossfade, which are all fairly self‑explanatory, and all these basic types can be edited to taste.

Using one of the sample tracks to layer a sample over a transition.

Effects, Automation & Tempo Changes

DJ.Studio offers a range of effects that can be applied to tracks and sample tracks (more on the latter in a moment). Currently the effects list includes a three‑band EQ, a high‑ and low‑pass filter, echo, flanger, white noise and pitch. These effects can be automated by recording your live tweaking or using DAW‑style automation nodes to draw in the information.

Tempo is set in bpm along the length of the mix, and adjusted using value nodes. The tempo can also be slowed down and sped up manually along the length of the track and can be reset back to the original track speed with the Auto key. Drawing out a beat transition over a long time — say, one minute — makes the transition sound smooth and less obvious. Tracks can also be edited so that the tempo is changed but the key remains the same (if, say, the track might need to match another track’s speed to make a transition sound slick), so it doesn’t sound out of place in the mix as a whole.

Sampling

Two sample tracks appear below the deck tracks when enabled in Settings. Any number of sound files can be added to the samples folder, and then dragged to the samples tracks. This is a great way to play with samples over a mix, in a different manner to button‑pushing on mix decks. Samples of any length can be used, so a whole track could be mixed alongside one of the main tracks in the decks, effectively giving you a third deck.

Samples can have filters added and their tempo changed, just as for the main tracks; however, all tempos also follow the ‘master tempo’ for all tracks, keeping the whole mix together. This is confusing if there are suddenly too many things happening, so it may be better to stick to shorter samples, but some rather interesting things can be done with longer files.

Playlisting

YouTube integration is a great feature of DJ.Studio. The software searches for tracks on YouTube and then makes them available to be mixed into a set. The track remains on YouTube — it’s not downloaded — so every time it’s played in DJ.Studio it receives a view. Spotify playlists are also supported, and if you upload one to DJ.Studio, the software will search for the corresponding track on YouTube and stream it from there. You can also create mixes with Beatport or Beatsource streaming files — try out any track in your mix, then once you’re sure it works well, you can buy the final tracks and record the mix.

While this maybe not an obvious go‑to feature for a club DJ, it makes it possible to work with a track on the internet to be sure it fits in your mix before spending any money. Buying track after track can get expensive, and this feature allows you to experiment before parting with any cash. Great for anyone building a new library, or creating a DJ set in a genre they are less familiar with.

It’s not DJ.Studio’s intention to replace live DJ’ing or hardware mixing, but it’s a welcome tool for any DJ or production studio and can create mixes fast...

Conclusion

DJ.Studio is a really interesting product for those who want to be able to generate great DJ sets digitally, but who want a program that automates some of the more mundane parts of set mixing. It’s a superb tool for generating quick mixes, and also makes it easy to edit them, for those last‑minute changes. And it’s not just for club DJs: there are obvious applications for radio DJs and producers as well as podcast creators and all audio mixers who want certain aspects automated, so they can focus on creativity in the mix.

DJ.Studio has an Ableton export option, so the project can be exported either as a WAV file or an Ableton Live workstation project file with all edits in place. Sets can easily be exported to Mixcloud or YouTube also, or as an MP3 or WAV file; and it’s easy to add artwork to that export. Looking forward, DJ.Studio say they are developing integration partnerships with more software and Internet platforms, which should give musicians even more options for the software they use alongside it, as well as where they mix and buy their audio content from.

It’s not DJ.Studio’s intention to replace live DJ’ing or hardware mixing, but it’s a welcome tool for any DJ or production studio and can create mixes fast, leaving you to concentrate on the creative part.