iTunes DJ
Latest
Apple patent application points to DJ-like beat matching, pairs iTunes with fist pumps
Once upon a less digital time, there existed the art of the mixtape: a tedious labor of love that required timing, taste and a penchant for musical progression. No longer in this iTunes-era, where personally curated song collections that once served as the background to our lives can now be automated by our dear friends in Cupertino. And, based on a patent application filed back in August of 2010, those Apple-made robo-playlists could get even smarter and slicker, with your perennially hip, millennial compadres being none the wiser. According to the claims covered, "an electronic device" (insert Mac or iOS product here) would be able to locate and interpret beats from a preceding AAC, MP3 or WMA file and crossfade them into those of the following track. In other words, it's a virtual disc jockey built into your machine; one that would supercede the currently available DJ feature. Whether or not this Sven Väth-like software will pan out in the company's favor remains to be seen. So, until that fateful day arrives, the creation of those fist-pumping, house mixes is better left to the few, the proud, the orange-skinned.
Macworld 2010: Hands-on with Algoriddim's djay 3
DJ software tends to be hit or miss -- the ability to make a music player match beats on songs, even with different tempos, has been around for a while. For most software designed to allow you to mix and play music, the interface is the important part. What you want is a nice clean interface that's simple enough for almost anyone to pick up and use, but complex enough that DJs who know their stuff can take advantage of deeper features and functionality. Fortunately, that's exactly what Algoriddim has put together in the newest version of their app, djay 3. The app offers an excellent interface with quite a few nice touches of flash, and also offers up solid functionality for those who know their way around the ones and twos.
