DJ controllers are devices used to help

DJs A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...

mix music with DJ software using knobs, encoders, jog wheels, faders, backlit buttons, touch strips, and other components.

Overview

DJ controllers are microprocessor-based control surfaces used to provide easier and more precise control of the software than the

computer keyboard A computer keyboard is a peripheral input device modeled after the typewriter keyboard which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches. Replacing early punched cards and paper tape technolog ...

and

touchpad A touchpad or trackpad is a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on the operating system that is made output to the screen. Touchp ...

on a laptop, or the

touchscreen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is ofte ...

tablet computer A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being com ...

s and

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whi ...

s. They do not mix audio signals like

DJ mixer A DJ mixer is a type of audio mixing console used by disc jockeys (DJs) to control and manipulate multiple audio signals. Some DJs use the mixer to make seamless transitions from one song to another when they are playing records at a dance clu ...

s; rather, they send signals to a computer to tell the DJ software running on the computer how to mix audio. Many DJ controllers also have a built in

sound card A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal expansion card that provides input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under the control of computer programs. The term ''sound card'' is also applied to external audio ...

with 4 output channels (2 stereo pairs), which allows the DJ to preview music in

headphone Headphones are a pair of small loudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over a user's ears. They are electroacoustic transducers, which convert an electrical signal to a corresponding sound. Headphones let a single user listen to an a ...

s before playing it on the main output. Most DJ controllers use the standard

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and ...

or HID protocols to communicate with the computer via USB. Modern DJ controllers emulate two

turntable A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

s/ CDJs and a DJ mixer. However, DJ controllers are much cheaper than two turntables or CDJs plus a mixer. Indeed, the average price of a DJ controller is around $800. Unlike turntables, controllers can take advantage of the flexibility of computer software, for example, by allowing the DJ to store multiple cue points with music files. Also, DJ software allows users to remap the components of controllers to perform different functions than the controller manufacturer intended. Some DJ controllers break from the conventional two jog wheels and a mixer layout and are designed to be easily mapped however the user wants. Some controllers are designed to be used either for

live PA Live PA (meaning live public address, or live personal appearance) is the act of performing live electronic music in settings typically associated with DJing, such as nightclubs, raves, and more recently dance music festivals. In a performati ...

performances with software such as

Ableton Live Ableton Live is a digital audio workstation for macOS and Windows developed by the German company Ableton. In contrast to many other software sequencers, Ableton Live is designed to be an instrument for live performances as well as a tool ...

or with DJ software. A few DJ controllers, most notably the Novation Dicers, are designed to be used with timecode vinyl. Many of the DJ controllers that can be used with timecode vinyl can also be used as MIDI devices, or even as standalone devices. DJ controllers are usually designed to work with one or a few DJ software programs endorsed by the manufacturer. Most controllers use the standard MIDI or HID protocols, so other software can usually be made to work with them. However, it may take considerable effort to get a controller to work with software it was not designed for, and some controls may not make sense with other software. DJ controllers have gradually become as powerful as professional media players and mixers, including effects,

LCD screens A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly but in ...

, and touch-sensitive performance pads. Modern DJ controllers usually include drum pads, fader tempo control, and may include motorized platters. With the exception of the classic look, feel, and operation of a vinyl turntable and mixer setup, DJ controllers are starting to be just as versatile and efficient for professional club DJs.

History

Early examples of DJ controllers include the Hercules DJ Console released by Guillemot Corporation in 2004, which features a 6 channel soundcard with SPDIF and MIDI ports, traditional mixer-style faders, crossfader and EQs, jog wheels and CD DJ style button controls. In 2007 ,

Vestax Vestax Corporation was a Japanese musical instrument, turntable and audio equipment firm founded by Hidesato Shiino in 1977. The company started by designing and manufacturing electronic guitars. In the 1980s, Vestax produced multitrack recorder ...

produced a controller specifically designed for DJing, the VCI-100, that emulated two turntables and a DJ mixer setup and was built with quality components acceptable to DJs. Many manufacturers saw the success of the VCI-100 and started selling their own similar devices. Unlike the original VCI-100, some of those devices had integrated sound cards. In 2009,

Pioneer DJ Pioneer DJ is a brand that represents the company's range of DJ products. In March 2015 KKR acquired an 86% percent stake from Pioneer Corporation. Again, in March 2020 KKR and Pioneer Corporation sold their respective stakes to Noritsu. DJ ...

produced new models of their popular CDJ media players, the CDJ-2000 and CDJ-900, that could also be used as controllers to control DJ software via HID. This way, CDJs can be used to control DJ software without playing a timecode signal into a sound card. In 2010,

Native Instruments Native Instruments is a German company that develops, manufactures, and supplies music software and hardware for music production, sound design, performance, and DJing. The company's corporate headquarters and main development facilities are lo ...

released the

Traktor Traktor is DJ software developed by Native Instruments. It is also used as a sub-brand for Native Instruments' associated DJ hardware products. History Traktor was first released in 2000. The initial versions available were ''Traktor DJ'' ...

Kontrol S4, which used high resolution jog wheels and a proprietary protocol rather than MIDI to achieve better performance of the jog wheels. The Mk2 of the Kontrol S4, released in 2013, uses standard HID signals rather than a proprietary protocol to communicate with the computer.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dj Digital Controller DJing DJ equipment MIDI DDj sb2