Two and a half years after the last version of VirtualDJ’s flagship program was released – along with the initial introduction of real-time stem separation – the new VirtualDJ 2023 software has arrived. It’s built with Stems2.0, a new engine that uses AI and Deep Neural Networks Machine Learning to pull higher-quality stems that are crisper and clearer – without needing to have the original source material on deck.
With VirtualDJ 2023, users can extract acapellas, instrumentals, bass, kicks, and snares in real time. From there, you can isolate and manipulate individual stems in two ways: with the ModernEQ feature, which works with any mixer or controller that offers MIDI knobs, or via the program’s Stem performance pads, which work with any existing controller that has MIDI pads.
Take a look at a few demos from the VirtualDJ team in their latest announcement:
User feedback from early testing
With Stems2.0 now at its core, VirtualDJ 2023’s progression in the quality of its offerings – particularly with its claim to provide studio-level quality stems – has seemingly gone over well with initial users (even from some who weren’t thrilled with older editions). On a VDJ forum, one particular individual who wasn’t satisfied with the quality of vocal stems in the 2021 tested VDJ2023 with resulting positive feedback:
And in conversations happening on Reddit, we’re seeing something of a similar pattern (so far):
In the longstanding Serato vs. VirtualDJ software debate, the launch of Stems2.0 has sparked conversations comparing it to Serato’s Stems feature that was announced earlier this fall as well (you can read thru this full Reddit thread here):
A note on the tech compatibility front: make sure that you’re using the most recent version of VirtualDJ 2023 (as of Monday, December 5th). There were reported to be numerous bugs in previous early access editions, where the Stems2.0 software wasn’t working unless you had a macOS10.13 or newer with an M1 or M2 processor. However, based on updates shared in this forum thread a few hours ago, the VDJ team has uploaded their most recent build (b7360) that resolved the issue.
VirtualDJ 2023 is available now as a free download for personal users, or at a subscription of $19/month for professional. Try it out and let us know your initial thoughts – we want to hear from you in the comments!
