It certainly has been an exciting week for iPad DJing. First we saw a video showing the iPad working in a typical DVS turntable set-up, shortly followed by a proof-of-concept video showing the same software (DJ Player) using various CDJs as Midi controllers. (Go to Video: DVS Comes To iPad to view these.) Today, the same company behind those two videos has launched the third and possible most significant installment of the series, which shows how an iPad running the same DJ Player software can be mapped to any DJ controller, regardless of price or manufacturer! Here it is:
The video
Watch right to the end of the video and you’ll see the iPad mapped to several different devices as well as performing Midi-learn (this is where you use the controls on your device and the app will let you map those controls to one of its features).
Points to note…
- With DJ Player installed, your iPad could replace your laptop in the DJ booth no matter what controller you use. The iPad-only controller DJ is becoming a reality
- The app can use Midi-Learn (shown at the end of the video), so if your Midi knowledge isn’t up to much (like mine), you simply tweak the controls of your hardware and match them to the feature of the app that you wish to control. In fact, this could be great for smaller, cheaper controllers – you become the master of how your control is mapped and how you use it
- The development team has confirmed that you can get about five hours’ playback with on the app from a single charge on an iPad, but after that you’re stuck. For this to really work seriously, there needs to be a way to charge the iPad too
- While all the above isn’t available in the current version of DJ Player, it is being prepared for beta testing at the moment so it will arrive in the App Store – it’s just a matter of time…
To the future…
iOS development has come a long way since those first DJ apps, and iOS DJ apps now looks set to become much higher profile in the digital DJing world. If you have an iPad and a controller (or turntables, or CDJs), you’re probably already considering buying the next version of DJ Player to play with all this goodness for yourself…
Can you see yourself ever replacing your laptop with your iPad when it comes to DJing? Does adding controllers to the iPad’s touchscreen surface defeat the object of iPad DJing, or do you think it’s a great idea? Please share your thoughts below.
DJ Hombre
