27 suggestions how to improve the Rekordbox.

Hello, friends. I have prepared for you a large document on how to make, in my opinion, a rekordbox even better.

A lot I wrote already to support but here I have added suggestions and divided into sections.

I have a pioneer DDJ 800, but also I used DDJ 1000, nexus2, djm900, rx2

I also tested Denon Prime 4

Traktor S2

Controllers for Serato from Denon, Pioneer, Roland

 

I believe that pioneer controllers are perfectly made in terms of materials and quality, these devices look really neat, reliable and attractive, modern.

Of all the programs that exist now, I find in rekorbox the most important advantage for me and why I bought it pioneer DJ, and not another manufacturer, because the rekordbox has tagging, colors and other elements of sorting the library, so I can set up a flexible sorting and selection of music, I consider it one of the most important-to make a competent library, especially if the DJ plays a lot of genres. The rekordbox is now the best at this (it's not perfect, but others do not even have this)

The second advantage, because of which I began to use the rekordbox- is the work of the program even with my old laptop in 2012, the rekordbox is well optimized.

I also like the design, it is simple and concise.

 

Now I would like to offer for each Department of the program and make your suggestions, thanks to which, I think the rekordbox will be even better.

1. The first thing I noticed in the pioneer dj controllers - they do not have the correct integration with the software part, we have an excellent quality product externally - but the usability of functions, efficiency suffers. UX

I'll start with the controller: I understand that, the last products of 2018-2019 were aimed to standardize the controls to the club standard, but I'm still not used to the location of the Loop section, I think it was more logical to place the activation of the loop, as it is done in past controllers, to the right of the hotkeys.

Pioneer RZX

http://prntscr.com/pyanuy

I find this way to more convenient, why I will write below.

Sure. The experience of DJing and approach the DJs will vary, I'll describe my experience. I use when mixing each track always three functions, each time, in each track it:

1. Hot cues
2. Loop
3. Beatjump

 

I believe that these elements must always meet two conditions:

- these elements should be located close to each other

- these items should be available 100% of the time without switching

I always feel uncomfortable when I have to switch between hotkeys, then I have to switch to the beatjump tab-see which page I'm on and only then press) and if I need to quickly press the Loop, I have to shift my attention to the top panel of the controller and still hold 1 second for 4 clock loops for a long time - this is long and not practical

I used the controllers tractor S2 and Denon Prime 4, they have a great chip-this beatjump is made on the turning knob - this is a great solution. The beatjump always works separately and is right next to the Pads. I think it is a more elegant solution and convenient for this function.

Traktor s4 mk3 http://prntscr.com/pyaohe

Denon Prime 4 http://prntscr.com/pyapgd

I would say that in Denon Prime 4 beatjump is not implemented very conveniently, it is best done in Traktor controllers, but in Denon at least we do not have to constantly switch between tabs, as in pioneer controllers.

1.2  Also in the Traktor controllers, the displays show the beatjump and loop size, and we do not need to switch attention to the monitor. The pioneer has a display in the running wheels, OK, but they don't show this information. I'll write about that later.

1.3 Also I believe function Memory CUE outdated and irrelevant in 2019, I can be mistaken, but I seems its uses very small number of DJs, after all, too, most and even more I can do on Hot CUE. I talk in dj school with many DJs, with both beginners and experienced and still have not met one,ktoby used memory cue.  The instructor at the DJ school also told me that it is used very rarely

 

2. The display in the jog wheels

The next thing I wanted to say is displays in jogs: this point will especially concern the new controllers ddj 800 and DDJ 1000

I find the display in the jog wheels like a great idea. But I think their potential is not used to the full force.

1. Two wave forms in the jog

I often feel the need to see the waveform as on the larger screen, I would suggest doing

it as in the tractor Pro 3 or nexus2 or rx series

http://prntscr.com/p2hfhu

http://prntscr.com/q03tfk

Where the bottom thin line we see the whole track, and just above, we can increase or decrease to your taste traveling wave form. In fact, we only need to see the entire shape of the track to understand the structure of the track. I think it will be sufficient to see this structure in a miniature version of a thin line.

I suggest making the top wave increase and decrease using

Shift + jog in ddj 800/1000

and the place where the clock grid is now shown, to make it possible to change to a reduced thin wave of the entire track

 

2. Speed of the pitch

I often use beatsync and when track change the master on the deck, pitch only works if bring it up to speed, which is shown in the second value

http://prntscr.com/p2hhby

I'd like to see that information right on jog.

 

3. Page number pads

When I use ddj 800/1000 hot cue functions, beatjump, key shift, I don't see the page where I am and I always need to switch attention to monitor, it's just one digit somewhere in the corner please, it would be nice to see it in the jog

4. Ability to view playlists directly in the jog display

This offer is for ddj 800/1000, but with a small difference.

ddj 1000 have separate handles search of the track on each deck. If Dj starts to turn the knob, the display changes to a playlist, where he can immediately select a track.

also to see the key and the speed of the track, I think many DJs will appreciate it

On the ddj 800 we can do it the other way, now when pressing two times shift shows a cover of the track. but I think this feature could be done to call the playlist. for example, if we press twice the shift on deck 2, the Central handle lookup is for the right deck, if we press twice shift on deck 1, search moving switches on the first deck, then we can do it on ddj 800 too.

I made a graphic display of the elements as I believe would be convenient

Please review

Screen: https://prnt.sc/pklyup

 

3. The following tips will applies To the browser collection, and some features, improved navigation, smart playlists,

3.1 listening to tracks in the browser

Improve the preview function by adding synchronization with the master deck

It will be a super convenient way to select the next track, no need to load it into deck

2. I've come up with two ways to run tracks from a browser

2.1 Make a run from a Cue point

2.2 Make the track launch with the first Hot Cue

Each DJ can choose how it will be more convenient for him.

 

3.3 Also smart playlists and track related track has some limitations

in related track I can't set parameter for each tag separately, I use all 4 tag departments and these are my main components of sorting, please add this feature here

https://prnt.sc/py9pr6

ability to set each tag separately

3.4 Make please integration with Beatport so we can buy tracks directly in the browser rekordbox. Like it's done in iTunes. I click one button to buy. And I have in browser immediately emerges a new track, I would wanted to have button, buy for beatport, to track from Online streaming became immediately local file. This would be convenient for DJs, and would also increase music sales.

I spend a lot of time buying, renaming, copying and other monotonous operations, I wanted not to spend so much time on technical points

http://prntscr.com/pyavnn

3.5

The next point concerns smart playlists

It is necessary to make so that we could choose criteria as in the Track filter. For example, I have 4 tags and I want this smart playlist to include tracks OF either the first tag OR the second tag, but now if I choose 1 and 2 tags, the smart playlist will put only those tracks where there are 1 and 2, this is a strong limitation, because I will have to redo the tagging of my library and I do not quite understand how to get out of this situation. Please - if these are smart playlists, make them smart to the end!

https://prnt.sc/pyaciw

For example, I have three tags

"My favorites"

"Actual tracks"

"Main library"

And when I make a Smart playlist, I want to select in it the tracks "My favorites" OR "Actual tracks", without the "Main library", now I can not do it, please fix it.

3.7

The track filter has a section with BPM I find strange why can't I select a range? I would like to filter the speed 120-129, 90-109, 130-139 But I can not do it, please add to this speed filter the ability to set intervals or make your personal intervals

90-109

110-119

120-129

130-139

140-159

160-179

http://prntscr.com/pyawy6

3.8 Make it possible to manipulate playlists Beatport and soundcloud directly from the rekordbox. drag, drop, move tracks between playlists. Also so that streaming tracks can be used in smart playlists.

3.9 I would like to be able to navigate using the controller in the Track filter between tags.

 

4. Sampler

The sampler really lacks PITCH BEND when we can adjust the speed. If not exactly hits loop with the master deck, it's impossible to fix. Please add a PITCH BEND, and add it to the MIDI mapping, so that everyone can substitute it for any keys on the already existing controllers

http://prntscr.com/pyaxuu

 

 

5. PAD section, hot cues

5.1 Improvement for hot cue points, add it 3 function, now it works when we can cut pieces from track and put them in sampler. I'd like to suggest doing this for everyone's track in Hot Cues.

Now DJs, when preparing tracks for melody or rhythm, they keep the notes at the beginning of the track, so that there is a distance and you can play freely. This can be done with a sampler, but I suggest a more convenient way when we do it for each track separately.

Usually, it looks like this

http://prntscr.com/pyb006

I suggest to make this function in hot key when we can play a sample fragment and it stops after playing. It will also be convenient, because we will be able to prepare separate sets for each track

http://prntscr.com/pyaz1k

5.2 Add automatic cues as done in Mixed in key, most of the points I think all DJs put in the same places. It would be easier for me to remove 2-3 and put my own than to put all 8 with signatures every time.

5.3 Hot cues, signature, colors

Usually we marks such parts of the track as the intro, breakdown, bridge, drop, outro. I would like to be able to make a cue immediately with a signature This is similar to the Colors we use in the browser in the collection and in the settings we can assign a separate name to each color.

It would be convenient to have 10-15 color cues prepared with personal signatures

Each color I have is a cue for a specific part of the track, and one color I can sign with different text.

For example, the green color means I have a place where I can mixing. Green well, I can write a few names: Vocal. Synth, Atmospheric, Chops. It would be convenient to have immediately prepared Colors with different signatures, as is done in the library.

Green: Vocals. Synth, Atmospheric, Chops

Red: Outro Mid, Outro Empty, Outro Massive

and so on

http://prntscr.com/pyb1cx

5.4 Add the ability to drag already assigned cue points. points are often edited, it would be more convenient. as it is done in Serato.

 

6. Midi mapping

Please add MIDI mapping for pitch bend + - for sampler

http://prntscr.com/pyaxuu

- mapping beatjump for usually decks how Serato. Two buttons + - step, Two buttons forward-backward

http://prntscr.com/q04eyi Serato.

 

Other function

1. I would like to have a small editor of the track structure, I think it can be combined with your already working system for lighting, rekordbox automatically detects parts of the tracks, breakdown, chorus, verse,I wanted to be able to turn off some parts of the track with a smooth transition. Now I do it manually with beatjump.

http://prntscr.com/pyb30m

2. Controllers not working in export mode? This is strange
3. Add disable mode vinyl by default, on DJ 800 at all time not understand controller included the mode or not, need look in computer
4. Add bar count function for hot cues

https://prnt.sc/py5bqt

5. Support Ableton link, it was 2019, and we all do not have it :(

 

Thanks to the team at pioneer for the work.

Regards, DJ ALMAZ

Let's take DJing to the next level.