Rekordbox iOS App Needs Fine-tuning

@Jason > Thanks for your detailed comments, I'll pass them along to the app team for review.

Thank you @pulse!

Dear @Pulse and @Keiko, Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. (Please pardon errors in this message as I was pressed for time).

I have a new report after using the last update of the iOS Rekordbox app and further evaluating its use with XDJ Aero. Please take a look at the following: Perhaps it can be forwarded to the App developers once again to make necessary adjustments for further app fine-tuning. I thank you for your time and attention to this matter and look forward to seeing how I may be of any help with this. Please note that I am willing to assist as a BETA tester if there is any help needed.

I have been using the XDJ Aero now since it was released and am very happy with its stability and performance and would like to see this app fine tuned in order to be able to use it with more efficiency and enjoyment.

(***Before I begin I also wanted to present a suggestion for the PC Version of the Rekordbox App- Might it be possible to add the feature on the PC Rekordbox software to be able to browse a USB drive that is inserted on the XDJ Aero? This feature would be quite helpful and it would be very similar to what is already offered on the Mobile app- nothing too extensive and no need to worry about Waveform display etc... namely to provide the functionality of seeing the files stored on the USB playing on the Aero on the Full PC Version of Rekordbox ....since the laptop is already connected wirelessly to the XDJ Aero and it would be a great ability to see files stored on the Flash Drive being used on the XDJ Aero and then be able to assign songs to a deck- as is done on the iOS app- like a feature that would "Turn On USB Browsing" maybe used only for XDJ Aero, and maybe XDJ RX, so that you could use the Laptop display as you would use the phone or tablet.)

Now to the topic at hand the Rekordbox iOS App evaluation and analysis:

Using XDJ Aero with latest Firmware 3.0 on iOS App iPhone 6.

The Search Feature (Using USB on XDJ Aero): this is the biggest problem with new app:

When in a USB Playlist the Search feature is still very impractical.

To do a simple Search it takes far too many steps than should be necessary. To search you have to select the menu button on the left upper corner of the app select search and then it takes you to a whole new screen for searching. Once you actually find the Track that you are searching for and assign it to a deck one has to then navigate all the way back to the Playlist that you were just at before you started to search. To get to the playlist that you were just on you have to once again browse through the entire folder structure to get there.

I would like to point out that the Search function was much more practical and streamline to use in the older version of the app. Where the user only had to swipe down on the screen and reveal a search bar, run the search for the file being looked for, find it, assign it to the deck desired, and then select “Cancel” and the app would continue right in the Playlist where the user was before the search began. Ultimately the best solution would be to consider having a more streamline search feature as the old app had… right now the user has to make far too many movements and selections to conduct a simple search select a track and return browsing where one already was.

I would highly recommend to have an option for Search that perhaps could be selected in Settings of the app. It would be beneficial if the user could set their preference of how they prefer to search for items. Using the “classic way” as was done in the older app, or using this new way. Also the user should be able to designate how search results are presented. For example… the user should be able to decide if he wants to search ONLY for Albums, Artists, Tracks etc. Currently it only has one long layout which runs glitch and results begin to be displayed in a long list starting with Album. For some users it would be easy to see results by Track first- that is why the option to select how search results are displayed would be helpful.

Another possibility would be to add a button or feature that would allow the user to return to the current playlist or to begin browsing from a new location once the search was over.

Loading a Track to a Deck:

When one selects a track and assigns it to a deck it would be helpful to have the deck icon flash or blink as a track is being loaded on it instead of just momentarily turning gray. The Blinking is a good indicator that all is functioning normal and that the track is actually being sent to and loading on the desired deck selected.

Display issues:

Landscape Mode:

The landscape view would be nice to have back, just as it was in the older app. This is nice to use with remote feature and just makes it for an easier to read display when setting mobile device in front center of center of XDJ Aero. Please bring Landscape view back.

Zoom View:

When using the Zoom view (as opposed to standard view) in iPhone 6 the app does not display all controls when entering “Remote Control” function to manage Beat FX.

 Non-Usable Features on USB:

Currently when browsing USB and you scroll down from the top of the screen you see: “Title Artist BPM Key,” but selecting any of these does nothing to the current playlist being displayed… in other words the feature is not usable when using the app to browse files stored on the USB being played on the XDJ Aero. As far as the user is concerned when Browsing USB this feature is useless.

Also notice that the feature reveals letters and numbers on right side of screen... these do nothing ... at least when browsing USB.

Thank you again for your help. If I can be of any service to help resolve this please let me know.

@Jason > Again, thanks for the very detailed comments. I'll make sure our mobile app team reviews your post and considers them for future updates.

To comment on a couple of items...

- The USB browsing from the computer version of rekordbox isn't engineered as most users would have things running the other way; browsing with the computer as the source (it would be faster and more efficient anyhow).

- The landscape mode is currently enabled only when you have purchased the in-app upgrade; this allows a different waveform view of the track. I know a lot of users miss this as they lay their device on its side in order to have the charging cable connected.

@Pulse thanks for the prompt response and attention to this post and for relaying the message to the app development team.

In regards to your comments about the PC version of Rekordbox, I see what you mean. The main reason why I feel having this feature enabled would be great however, the user would be to be able to use a nicer, bigger display on his laptop screen to browse for files stored on the USB drive on the XDJ Aero, having the Aero do all of the processing and only using the laptop as a display. Plus, it would be a nicer larger layout than solely using the app.

I like to use the USB drive a little better than sending files to the Aero wirelessly because of the added stability that it has of having the files on the drive itself and not just the buffered data sent from the laptop... although if I'm honest,, it is true I have never had ANY issues using the wireless link and sending songs from the laptop that way to the Aero.

The only issue I have run Into in the past is one not related to stability or performance, but rather to the "sleep" timer On an external hard drive that I have all of my music files and Rekordbox library on.... If the drive is in sleep mode... I have to make sure it is "awakened" and that the tracks are accessible to be able to send them to the Aero.

I really look forward to seeing what (if anything) can be done for this.... But for sure looking forward to seeing what fine-tuning and improvements can be made to the Rekordbox app!

Thanks again!

An overview and requests for further fine-tuning for the most current update on the Rekordbox App Version: 2.1.0

The app works a little better with the XDJ- Aero. Pioneer, please re-visit the app to make these fine-tuning adjustments to get a proficient app for use with the XDJ Aero which is what it was originally designed for. 

I do notice that:

-SEARCH

While USB Browsing is turned on, when I go into SEARCH and start searching for something...I always notice a "pause" or "glitch" or "Hesitation" on the keyboard as I begin to enter text... it is almost as though when the first two letters are entered the app gets a little bogged down searching for matches already on the USB drive. 

It would be ideal if the search ran smoothly like it used to on the previous version. This SEARCH feature still needs to be streamlined. 

Lastly with SEARCH, it would be nice if one could search and then return back to the playlist one was recently in. It always just takes you back to the main menu and you have to navigate all the way to the play list you were in before you started to search. 

- CONTROL BUTTONS ON AERO

I've also been noticing that while using this app on an iPad Air 2... at times when I press the "back" button on the actual XDJ-Aero (while controlling the iPad app with the Aero knob and back button) it sometime goes "back" two steps rather then just one level. I have had at times to power cycle the iPad itself for this to stop happening. 

- SELECTING TRACKS ON IPAD

When using touch interface on iPad to browse for tracks, when one finds a track one needs and would like to play... if you elect that track by tapping on it... it takes you into the screen where you are able to see more details of that track. Once you assign that track to a deck... that information screen still remains open... before it used to go back to the Playlist, or Folder one was viewing to continue browsing. In other words... when you are scrolling through a Playlist and tap with your fingers on the iPad on a track you want to assign to a deck it takes you to the track info page... once you assign it to a deck and that track is actually loaded it should then take you back one screen to continue viewing the playlist of tracks- rather than just stay at that info screen. please fix this. 

- LOAD LOCK 

I have also noticed that the "Load Lock Feature" does not display anything on the iPad App... so when you try to load a track to a deck that already has a track playing... it won't interrupt it since the future is enabled on the Aero itself... the Aero display shows a little message "Load Lock"... but no visual feed back is given on the actual app. I have even attempted to go into setting sand make sure this feature is enabled in the app and even with it enabled it doesn't display anything on the screen which makes things confusing since you think you loaded the track to the proper deck that you needed to. 

Pioneer, thank you for your time and attention to this. 

Jason Cova