This program can make amateurs sound like professionals, and make professionals sound better than ever--but you pay for it! At $329 (as of May 2010), this is not cheap, but Atomix, Virtual DJ's creator, insists it is worth every penny.
That confidence is bred from the new, intuitive BeatLock engine, which claims to be the best engine of its kind, allowing you to merge tracks seamlessly. If that technology makes you yearn for the retro, then the virtual vinyl deck means you can still enjoy the sensation of scratching the record. Other features include the ability to seamlessly remix tracks, use of a sampler and iTunes compatibility.
Numark has no qualms about aiming its Cue 6 software squarely at professionals, with a list of high-end features and a $300 price tag. This software is designed to create a multimedia extravaganza rather than a mere set. As well as intuitive beat-syncing capabilities, compatibility with most audio and video, and all the other features you would expect from a top-of-the-range DJ mixer program, Cue 6 can provide an audio-visual experience with a feature that allows you to create sharp video on screen and output it to projectors, other computers or televisions. It is also designed for optimum simplicity when broadcasting a show live over the Internet.
Although it does not come with the fanfare (or the price tag, at just $101) of Virtual DJ and Numark's Cue 6, Gemini Groove is worth consideration. It doesn't have a futuristic beat-matching engine that makes you infallible, but Gemini does have an excellent BPM (beats per minute) calculation engine that makes the DJ’s life a lot easier when it comes to syncing tracks.
The program is compatible with pretty much every track format under the sun, and a double deck display means that when one track is spinning, you can still maneuver pitch, bass and treble with just a slide of the mouse on the next one.
Aesthetically it is hard to fault the DJ Pad 2020: big icons, sharp graphics and simplistic controls. Look past the graphics, though. The cross fade means you mix from the two virtual decks manually, but with no BPM sync support, it falls behind its rivals. The controls are ordinary, with a boring effects pad and volume controls, and the pitch control is fairly uninspired. You can probably find a more rewarding mixer program for the DJ Pad's $100 price tag.
You do not have to spend a bundle to play DJ. For a few dollars, Pro Music has none of the bravado of its $100+ brethren, but it has a simple charm that could entice beginners to try their hands at mixing. With audio samples and other features, it is an entry-level teaser for those who are considering getting into the business or who simply want to have a bit of fun.
Claimed to have been "designed by DJs for DJs," it is hard to argue with the value of this free DJ software--especially when it is actually rather good. BPM-based beat matching is a pleasant surprise, and the self-styled "Time stretch pitch adjustments" allow you to change the tempo of the song without changing the pitch. Add an array of track format compatibility and very clean waveform display, and Digital DJ becomes an attractive proposition.