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Black Friday app sales: Dragon Fantasy, Gem Keeper, lots more
Hope you had a great holiday yesterday! As expected, the App Sales are continuing through the weekend, and in addition to what we've already spotlighted, here are a few more. Steam is continuing its daily sales on all kinds of titles, Mac and PC alike, but Flight Control HD is the standout for iOS fans today. Space Ship Ion has gone free. Rolocule's games are all on sale, including Flick Tennis: College Wars for just a buck. The 7th Guest is just $1.99. Retro arcade game StarDash is down to 99 cents today. Dark Nebula: Episode One is available for free. 8-bit RPG throwback Dragon Fantasy is only 99 cents -- that's the lowest I've seen it, which makes this a must-grab for old-school NES fans. The very popular astronomy app Star Walk is a dollar off right now, down to $1.99 on iPhone and $3.99 on iPad. iSequence HD is down to just $2.99 from $15. Algoriddim's djay app for iPad is $9.99, half off. In my opinion, Gem Keeper is the best tower defense game on the App Store, and it's only 99 cents. I would say this is another must-get today. Worms Crazy Golf is 99 cents on iPhone and $2.99 on iPad. Disney is having a 99 cent sale, with many of their apps on sale for just a buck, including the iPad version of Split/Second. MumboJumbo also has a 99 cent sale on, including Luxor and some other great puzzle games. GTA Chinatown Wars is down to $2.99. Whew! The App Sales will all continue through the weekend, so we'll likely have even more posts with dropped prices in them to come. Next week on Cyber Monday there will be yet another round of deals, but you can expect the sales waves to continue through the holidays until all those new iPhones and iPads get unwrapped. Stay tuned!
Our exclusive preview of djay 4 for Mac - Now available
Updated: djay 4 is now available from the Algoriddim site or Mac App Store. Introductory pricing is just $19.99 (normally the app is $50). I know we've covered djay quite a bit this year but this update, coming soon, is a pretty huge one. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at djay 4. I happen to like djay, which is available for iOS and Mac, because it reminds me of when I first used Premiere -- version 4 on an 8500. Except instead of going from cutting film on a big machine to editing video pixels, you're taking physical vinyl record spinning and scratching and translating it to digital audio. Djay takes a complicated setup and physical skills and turns them into a software interface, with digitized shortcuts for dummies like me. Djay, as a simulation of a dj's turntables, is nearly perfect. There's no substitute for actually touching vinyl, of course, especially if you've seen masters of the art and I'm not saying djay is magically going to make mashups. Djay does have its place for pros and amateurs alike, with some practice (and natural talent, one hopes). The tools, already strong to begin with since launch, just got a lot better in version 4. Check out our previous coverage of djay to get the basics. The new features are impressive for live and recording artists. Here's a look at some of them. Updated UI and Lion, iCloud integration The UI looked great already, but now everything is on one screen, easily accessible, with better graphics than before and fullscreen support in Lion. There's a light and dark library mode so dj's don't go blind queueing up songs. iCloud support is for the Mac App Store version and iOS versions of djay, allowing sync of all user generated metadata like cue points, edited BPM, etc... Harmonic awesomeness One of djay's coolest features has been the ability to analyze a song and match another's beats for mashups. Version 4 for the Mac adds impressive key detection that can distinguish between major and minor keys. You can even filter your entire iTunes library by key so it's easier to make a mashup to begin with (see the photo below, which allows you to pick a key). Note that this will take a while depending on your iTunes library, and crank your fans up depending on your Mac, so djay allows you to limit the analysis to a single playlist if you like. Further, you can adjust a song on the turntable, pressing a button to match the key of song A to song B just as you would the tempo. While no harmony matching is perfect, I found the results were more than acceptable. Provided you know what you're doing, djay is a powerful mashup generator. There's a built-in recording manager, but the .m4a files djay creates can be accessed in Finder and simply added to iTunes so you can play your music on your iDevices. DJ support Live dj's are going to love djay 4 even more. There's a full "MIDI learn" system now so you can program djay to work with your gear, enhanced controller support (you can tweak just about everything), and you can export play history as PDFs. There's also more control over pre-cueing, and a mic with echo and pitch controls... But that's not all! I could see using djay just as a replacement for iTunes if you routinely dj parties at your pad (bachelor or otherwise). The Automix feature was great before, allowing djay to choose songs, spin them up, crossfade between them or match on beats. Now you can manage your queue as well -- which is also handy if you have to take a break as a dj. Just line up what you want in the queue window and djay will handle it. When you want, you can drop easily into another playlist and keep going. But if you are a real dj that likes to spin records and uses samples and effects, djay has improved support for both. There's a handy sample manager which allows you to sort and use them on the fly, and there's a Live Sampler. The Live Sampler allows you to record a sample any time, just by holding down the mic button in the in the sample bank's sample list. As you have six sample banks available at once (and practically unlimited samples behind each button, although you'll need to toggle between them) this give you ample opportunity to play around. Or be annoying, depending on your expertise level. The Live Sampler section of the UI switches around, depending on what you need. There's also a bounce loop mode that lets you set up simple repeating sections which are easy to toggle on and off by using a button up top near the record button. New to version 4 is the enhanced bounce loop mode which is basically a set of shortcuts for 1/16 up to 2 second loop times. If you've ever heard what sounds like a record skipping? Well now you can do that in easy increments by just pressing on a button. It's great. FX control djay 4 adds some awesome realtime audio effects to your arsenal. These aren't replacements for a full keyboard or sampler, but they are super handy and fun to use. Standard FX include a couple of effects banks, which each have the requisite flanger, echo, reverb, phaser and whatnot. Then there's the Instant FX, which are presets like Twist which back the music up while applying audio effects or crush which sounds like a bit crusher with added effects. Then there's my favorite, the 2D FX pad which allows you to control multiple parameters in realtime, with your finger. Whatever you chose in the fx bank earlier will appear here, and you can tweak the parameters by sliding around a small box with your finger (trackpad) or mouse. I'm sure a real dj could do amazing things with this. The future? As with any proper dj software there are shortcuts for just about everything. There's even multitouch trackpad control, with keyboard modifiers to do things like pitch-bending on the fly. Not only that, but the trackpad is 1:1 multitouch, so use two fingers and where you touch it mimics on the screen. What's exciting about apps like djay (and why I like to cover them) is that, like Premiere once did for me with video editing, they make a formerly cumbersome and complex method of expression slightly more accessible. Of course, Premiere and other digital NLE's didn't make one a better video editor, just as there were plenty of desktop publishing atrocities in the 80s (thanks, Print Shop!), but programs like djay make the tools of aspiring dj's more accessible, more affordable and in some ways more powerful than their real-world counterparts. A dj that I know (who has a fancy music degree as well) saw djay and remarked that it was all too easy for kids to just pick it up and make simplistic mashups. I argued that this was a good thing, in the end, because just as with video, people will tend to watch (or listen to, in this case) what they feel is best. If they like sucky mashups, have at it. By contrast, the guy behind this saw djay and immediately saw how he could incorporate it into his musical workflow. I think any tool that gives you this much power but makes using it fun deserves a look. Djay 4 is an impressive app on its own. Couple it with the iOS versions and you've got even more fun, and both are what I would consider pro-level tools at a great value. If you're itching to get your hands on djay 4, you can sign up here for updates. Djay 4 is now available!
djay updated to take advantage of iCloud integration
Algoriddim has updated djay for iPad ($19.99), djay for iPhone ($.99) and djay - David Guetta Edition ($7.99) to take advantage of iOS 5 and iCloud, and it's great to see these apps already taking advantage of iCloud integration. Some of the new features for this update include: iCloud integration. All of a user's per-song settings created on one version of djay are synced to other devices running iOS 5. Professional audio FX. A number of realtime audio effects were introduced including bit crusher, echo, high-pass and low-pass filters, flanger, gate and phaser. There's several control panes that allow for instant sound effects and customization. Audio copy/paste. Allows sounds created in other music apps to be utilized by djay Enhanced AirPlay, sorting and other features. If you haven't tried djay yet, check out TUAW's in-depth look at the iPad version. There's also djay for Mac, which has a demo version available through Algoriddim's site.
Algoriddim's djay for Mac updated for Lion
While we know many applications have been updated for full compatibility with Lion, often taking advantage of fullscreen mode and a few other tricks, but djay has gained greatly from several updated frameworks within the new OS. Here's a list of some updated items: All-new full screen mode (Lion only) Improved support for multi-touch gestures (including support for inverted scroll direction based on user system preferences) Support for rubber-band scrolling on Lion Various improvements and fixes related to Core Audio and external audio devices Vestax VCI-300 mapping: fixed right skip forward button being mapped to left turntable Numark Mixtrack mapping: fixed detection of different versions of controller Plus, for a short while djay is on sale. Check it out here on the Mac App Store or download a demo on the Algoriddim website.
iDJ Live gives your iPad two turntables, microphone not included
Looking to get a more realistic feel from your Djay iOS app? Yeah, we suspected as much, and now Numark's giving you the ability to boost your street cred while spinnin' tracks in the club... or, you know, your mum's living room. The company's new iDJ Live accessory does its darndest to transform your iOS device (iPhone and iPod compatible, despite being obviously tailored for iPad) into a more legit deejay set-up. With George Strait / MC Hammer mash-ups just waiting to happen, the device guides you into the musical unknown with two "turntables," a mixer (with crossfader), an iPad stand and connection capabilities for use with an external sound system. Already sold? She's yours for a cool Benjamin, and if you'd rather use your existing stash of CoreMIDI-enabled DJ apps, be our guest.
djay app updated for iPad 2
We've taken a few looks at Algoriddim's excellent djay software before, originally for the Mac and introduced to both the iPhone and the iPad in the last year or so. And the excellent iPad version has just gotten better -- a free update brings the software to version 1.2, including compatibility for all of the processors in the newest version of Apple's tablet, making it faster than ever and providing for high-end features, such as time stretching, looping and advance audio analysis. The desktop version of djay can do things like detect beats in your favorite songs and sync tunes automatically, and now the iPad version of djay can do that as well (provided you're running it on an iPad 2). There are also some updates for the first iPad model, so you should still grab the update when possible. Algoriddim's djay for iPad software is US$19.99, but that's a solid price for all of the features an app like this provides. With these new features, the iPad version of the app provides almost everything the full desktop version does in a much more portable package.
algoriddim's djay now on iPhone / iPod touch, iPad version updated
Algoriddim, maker of the djay app, has gotten in touch to let us know that it has updated djay for iPad to version 1.1 -- introducing some exciting new features -- and to announce an all-new version of djay for the iPhone and iPod touch. djay is a virtual, touch screen DJ setup with a realistic turntable and mixer interface that lets you mix, spin, cue and scratch your tracks straight from your iPod music library. We took a closer look at djay for the iPad and the Mac late last year and were very impressed with the results. According to the specs, it looks like those results will transition nicely over to the iPhone version of the app. Algoriddim has also updated the iPad version of the app with stability fixes and some new features, including looping, multiple cue points and BPM library browsing. There's also added compatibility for Bluetooth audio devices and extended support for AIFF and WAV files, but this requires iOS 4.3 For the full list of improvements and features click here, or if you already own the app, head on over to the Updates section of the iOS App Store on your iPad -- the new version will be waiting for you to download. djay is available now on the iOS App Store at US$9.99 for the iPhone version and US$19.99 for the iPad version. Click past the break for a promo video of djay for the iPhone.
Mac App Store highlights "apps for the creative home"
Apple has set up its first highlighted section for the Mac App Store, in which it displays "apps for the creative home." There are five apps featured in each of four categories (covering things from design to music and photography), and there are some good picks in there, from Apple's own apps to TUAW favorites like Pixelmator, djay and a few others. To be honest, while apps getting featured tends to be good for developers and customers, the display section looks a little sparse. With only five apps per category, that leaves three spaces open on each, and it certainly looks (though of course this is just an assumption) like Apple had trouble finding enough quality apps to fill the space. Not to mention that we're seeing repeats already -- many of these apps have already been featured. For whatever reason (app prices, difficulty in development, customer usage habits), I'd suggest that the Mac App Store isn't taking off quite as meteorically as the iOS store did for both the iPhone and the iPad. Obviously things are growing over there, and we've seen some very impressive numbers already. But it looks like the curve will be a little less steep for the Mac App Store.
App Review: Djay for iPad
The iPad's gorgeous 9.7-inch display has been attracting attention for its musical potential, and the Djay app from Algoriddim has definitely contributed to some of the noise. The guys who brought a consumer-friendly DJing app to the Mac have gone ahead and ported it over to Apple's magical tablet, enabling pretty much anyone to get their shot on the decks. Does Djay for iPad live up to the hype? Read on past the break to find out.
Be a turntable hero with djay for iPad
An iPad app might not be enough to convince a seasoned DJ to go iPad-only, but then, a medium-sized, multi-touch surface can only come so close to replicating a turntable, right? With djay for iPad (US$19.99 on the App Store), algoriddim has not only impressively mimicked traditional decks, they've added features that your average DJ setup doesn't have. Plus, they made it easy enough for even the most inexperienced music-lover to rock their next party. Our own Victor Agreda recently gave us a great rundown of djay for iPad's predecessors, djay for Mac and djay Remote for iPhone. A quick recap: djay on the Mac gives you two turntables and a crossfader, BPM analysis and automatic syncing, an "Automix" feature for effortless and seamless playback and plenty of extra goodies. djay Remote on the iPhone lets you control a significant number of those features, but not all of them. The combination is really fun, but the iPhone app doesn't do anything without a locally-networked Mac running djay. Enter djay for iPad.
Algoriddim's djay Remote app available now
One of my favorite apps at Macworld Expo this past February was actually Algoriddim's djay 3 -- it's DJing software for the Mac that had a surprising amount of new features and fun UI elements even in one of the oldest and most-traveled of music software functions. One of the things I got to see during the hands-on was a tester version of an iPhone app they were working on, and now that app is finished and out on the App Store. The price is US$4.99, which is actually a little high for a satellite application -- you must be running djay 3 on your Mac, and while there is a free trial, it would have been nice if they'd just released the iPhone app as a free add-on to the $50 app. But as you can see, it's a full controller for the app -- they have the vinyl artwork included, you can set cue points and tweak FX and audio levels from right within the app. Also, you can queue songs up for an Automix directly from the iPhone (if, say, you happen to be at a party and don't have time to run upstairs to your computer to add a little more music to the playlist). The app works over WiFi, and note again that you must have the djay 3 software running on your Mac -- this is basically a remote for that app. But if you do a lot of DJing from your computer and want to get even more remote, setting this up on your iPhone seems like a great solution.
Scratching the surface: DJ'ing with your Mac
It's Saturday night and you're out and about painting the town red, or whatever color it is that towns are painted these days. Whether you end up at a night club, a lounge or a bar, there's a good chance there's going to be a DJ spinning up some tunes at the venue. And there's a good chance that you'll see a glowing Apple in front of the DJ, as said DJ may be accompanied by a MacBook or MacBook Pro. If you've ever looked into doubling your Mac as a virtual turntable, then this post may help you scratch the surface -- err, vinyl.
Vestax Spin DJ controller gets reviewed, much approved (video)
Bedroom DJs and wannabe Sven Vaths, take note. Key of Grey has got its hands on the Vestax Spin DJ controller and they give it some pretty good marks. Of course, no one is going to confuse this bad boy for a pro rig, but the reviewer found the hardware solid enough for home use, and the bundled Algoriddim djay software is more than up to the task. In fact, both the software and hardware are full featured enough to make it worth a second or third look: multiple cue points and sampler controls (commonplace on DJ mixers yet pretty rare on software-based rigs) get kudos, while the lack of a waveform view can be a huge turn-off for some folks. Want to get a closer look? We got it for you: move on past the read link for the award-winning video.
Vestax Spin might just be the USB-based DJ rig of your dreams, only shinier
Your USB-based DJ-ing options aren't exactly all that limited these days, but there's few rigs out there quite as eye-catching as this new Spin controller developed by Vestax and Algoriddim. Designed for Mac users only, this one packs two touch sensitive jog wheels front and center, along with a full multi-channel audio system complete with the requisite sliders, mic input (and included microphone), audio output, and of course that USB connection, which also eliminates the need for a power adapter. On the software side of things you'll get Algoriddim's djay 3 mixing application, plus some out-of-the-box integration with iTunes to let you easily pull tracks for your mix. Sold? Then you can snag this one right now for $250.
djay - a "groundbreaking" audio application
djay, as you can see, is a "groundbreaking" new audio app that offers a slew DJ-oriented features to get your party started, including: Real-time audio mix transmission over Bonjour network Real-time audio mix recording iTunes Integration Automatic artwork image loading on both turntables Time-Stretching Pitch-Shifting with amazing blend effect Audio Unit Effects Support Pre-Cueing (requires multichannel sound card) Crossfade automation Magnetic tempo slider for precise beat matching GarageBand instruments integration via network AppleScriptability for mixing automation and a whole lot more. Seriously, I had to whittle out quite a bit from djay's feature list just to fit these key points into the post. I'm not a DJ myself, but checking this out sure makes me wish I was.All these features come in (what looks like) a slick package for the low, low price of $0; in fact, I can't even find a donation link at the product's site, algoriddim.net (clever). If any more DJ-capable TUAW readers check this out, please share a few words of your wisdom with the rest of the class.[via digg]
