DJ Music Mixer

Pros

• Simple to use
• Integrates with YouTube
• Downloads tracks from streaming sites
• DJs can customize the interface

Cons

• Lacks some features
• Too simple for experienced DJs

DJ Music Mixer is a track making software package that enables users to mix full sets even if they don't have a professional-scale jockey deck. In fact, you won't need anything besides a mouse or touchscreen to make mixes that sound as though you produced them on hardware that costs thousands.

Since the app doesn't consume much in the way of RAM, you can load some pretty long stretches of music into memory and work with them. Some users rely on DJ Music Mixer to produce sets that run for hours even if they have relatively low powered hardware. Admittedly, the developers had to cut back on certain features in order to ensure that strict memory limitations were met.

On the other hand, this makes DJ Music Mixer suitable for users of almost any skill level. While long-time professional DJs might find the program to be a bit too simple, the pared-down interface makes it easy to work with. Users are also free to customize it as much as they wish, which makes it attractive to those who might have a ton of experience but prefer to work with a snappy solution that doesn't come with a great deal of material they aren't going to use.

When you first start the program, you'll be greeted with a graphical representation of an actual DJ deck. Unlike a real jockey system, however, there isn't a steep learning curve or the possibility to create really sour mixes by moving sliders too much. There's always the possibility that you could make something that doesn't sound all that great, but it's easy enough to go back on that and remix a track all over again.

Two main decks sit on the app's central dashboard. You can load music files onto each of them and either play two tracks separately or mix them together. This gives you the freedom to try matching beats between two different tracks regardless of how different they might sound.

For instance, you might be able to mash a piece of hardcore techno with something that features orchestral hits or classic hip hop vocals. It might take a little bit of experimenting to get just the sound that you're looking for, but messing around with these kinds of things is a big part of DJing in the physical world anyway.

A single click on a menu item is all it takes to explore a huge range of different audio effects. All of these can be individually customized if you prefer, though you're also able to use them the way that they sound when they're first inserted into a track. Once you have everything matched perfectly, you'll want to spend some time adjusting equalizer settings so you can fine-tune all of the audio frequencies that your new track uses.

Those who've never worked with a physical stereo before might be a little confused because DJ Music Mixer's equalizer is just like the kind found on most real-world audio racks. Raising all of the bars won't make anything louder, since the system works in terms of logarithms. A better way is to make a sort of gentle curve that emphasizes some frequencies and cuts those that don't sound completely right.

As soon as you found the right settings, you're free to lock them. In fact, you can lock any setting so you won't inadvertently mess anything up whenever you're at a party. Those who plan on actually physically DJing sets at different events will love this feature. Those who might have their very own stereo system can use the same skills that they've developed with this equipment too.

Whenever you do a live DJ set with the software, you're free to record it in real-time. You can then export this as a WAV file or even in MP3 format, which means you play it through portable USB speakers and anything that can read SD cards. That gives you the ability to play your tracks without ever needing to load DJ Music Mixer on any device.

Serious DJs will use the 10-band sound synthesis system and even take advantage of the 17 different presets that they're given. Each deck can enjoy upwards of 15dB gain or even be silenced down to -15dB if at all necessary. You can use these synthesizers to change the sounds of tracks on everything you load into the program. An integrated streaming service allows you to load music from sources other than your local storage drives.

Most people will want to include some form of cues or loops in their tracks. Adding these into your mixes is easy with DJ Music Mixer. There are several menu options that give you the freedom to insert them directly into the timeline while you're mixing. Those who are used to working with traditional DJ boards will find that their existing skills make this normally complicated process even easier. Individuals who haven't done this in the past won't find it hard to learn, however.

Serious DJs will appreciate the fact that Music Mixer doesn't block out any of the default keyboard shortcuts. This gives you the freedom to hit these shortcuts whenever necessary so they don't have to take their hands off the controls. While this isn't exactly the same way that you'd operate a traditional DJ board, it's extremely intuitive and might even be faster than using one.

Perhaps the biggest use of the program won't be DJing sets, however. Music Mixer is an excellent way to learn the skills necessary to do so, which means it might be a great option for newcomers who've never done anything like this. It's not designed to be an educational program, but that doesn't mean it's not an excellent choice for those who are just starting out and don't want to be bothered with unnecessary options.

Pros

• Simple to use
• Integrates with YouTube
• Downloads tracks from streaming sites
• DJs can customize the interface

Cons

• Lacks some features
• Too simple for experienced DJs