Released just two months ago as one of the first prominent DJ applications for Android devices, Mixvibes is already rolling out one of the first major updates to Cross DJ. Cross DJ 1.2 gives users the ability to route audio out to an external mixer through the headphone jack, and as one YouTube commenter notes, this is a great example of how audio framework APIs have evolved on Android and started to catch up to iOS.
Watch the quick video below showing how external mixing works on the app:
Other feature updates in this version from the Mixvibes press release:
- Navigation by folder (big difference compared to iOS)
- External mixer
- Advanced pitch control
- Important performance improvements
- Autogain, History, new DJM EQs, HTC One support, etc.
Worth noting, you’ll still need a device running Android 4.1 with a 4″ screen, 1 GB of RAM, and a dual-core processor in order to use the Cross DJ app – which is available in the Google Play store for $4.99 / €3.99.
Hi mixvibes, i tried hooking up the iPad app to an external mixer (djm 900) and it did not work. Any ideas why?
does the external mixer function work on the ipad app?
does the external mixer function work on the ipad version?
MixVibes: does the external mixer function also work in an ipad?
Hi Marcus, the external mixer feature works the same way on our iPad app.
Mixvibes. I’ve tried it many times and I’ve still not got it working. Could help me please or even produce a YouTube video?
a split adapter can be arder to find than the female to two male rca adapter you can find even in a dollar store for almost nothing… just buy two of those and plug them in your 1/8 to rca adapter and you are good to go… it even looks less messy !
or if your pa system is in mono than you just need the 1/8 to rca adapter to the left channel on two different track on your mixer and you are done… no need for any adapter …
I’m hoping Pacemaker offers this capability
I bought an iPad air four days before cross dj came to android as I never thought a decent dj application would come to the system.
I have both traktor dj and djay2 installed on the iPad and neither are as good as cross dj on my nexus7.
It’s simple to use, has a clean interface and I have had no audio issues on the recorded mixes. It just works.
Plus the added advantage of not having to put your tracks on the device through iTunes, I download them straight onto the nexus.
I’m only giving my opinion and stress that I’m a straight mixing track a into b, having come from vinyl. I’m not into hot cues, beat juggling and use minimum fx.
Ok, I’ll ask the obvious question: WHY????
Why would anybody use an android device with a friggin’ mixer? Using just an android device with a splitter, sure I can see people using that. But this?
I do because mine sounds really good, with android you can have screens of various sizes and if you get comfortable with Cross for instance, you can have a back-up device for a small investment.
Because: 1. most decent clubs already mixer installed in the DJ booth. 2. the sound system is probably running in mono anyways. (more common than most people think). 3, a DJ could easily use Cross DJ as a backup or if is quick gig (playing before or after a live act, in between other DJs during a changeover, etc) without any complicated setup, boot up time, or lugging a laptop. My tablet will fit in a coat pocket.
The jog wheels are still mostly unusable. BOO!
One thing I don’t understand… with all the talk over the years of Android’s latency issues, lack audio support, blah, blah, blah, I’ve never experienced any noticeable, showstopping latency problems with android video games.
I mean, you can have sensitive, accurate, multi-touch control of a character in a 3D environment with various audio streams (music, SFX, etc) playing in the background while communicating to an online server…but no app developer can seem to accurately emulate the platter behavior of a 12-year old CDJ 1000?!?!? That’s only ONE point of touch scrubbing a single audio file. I wonder if any of these guys have ever touched a CDJ or real turntable.
Hi coolout and thanks for your feedback.
We try our best to improve the jogs’ latency. It actually depends on many factors: devices’ fragmentation on Android, evolutions of Android OS, programming language used in audio apps development, etc.
Be sure that we are working hard to improve this as quickly as we can.
Thanks for the response and sorry about the rant. I just want the app to be the best. It’s not the latency really. All the buttons and faders work great and are instantaneous on my Nexus 7. For instance I can easily “cue point juggle” with Cross DJ. It’s how you guys have designed the platter behavior. It’s just plain wrong. There’s a slight ramp up on release that should not be there. Plus there’s unnecessary acceleration. You can flick the platter forward with the slightest movement. It’s makes the jog wheel feel sloppy and unusable. You guys should seriously go back and look at the how Pioneer CDJ platters work and model that behavior. That’s the gold standard for non-motorized jog wheels. They solved it years ago and that was one of the major factors that helped it to become a standard among all styles of working DJs.
Thanks for this detailed feedback, really useful to understand how you use and feel the app. Our design and development team is currently investigating this point and will hopefully improve it in the future.
And glad to hear that it latency is good on Nexus 7.
If you need jog wheels, use a device that has jog wheels.
I have devices with jog wheels plus 2 pairs of real turntables (1 for gigs, 1 in studio) thank you. I’m sure for some newbie or less skilled DJs, jog wheels seem like are only for show (because you don’t know how to use them), but if an application promotes itself as a professional solution, it should behave in basic ways like standard professional equipment. I’m just trying to help out developers make the app better.
In that case, you seem savvy enough to agree with me. I am with you 100%, and I guess that’s where I have a problem. Promoting itself as “professional” is just marketing. This is not standard professional equipment, no matter that they put a DJM-700 next to it.
Hi Toontown and thanks for your feedback. We described the app as professional because there is no DJ app on Android that offers the same feature set, workflow, stability and reliability. We make pro DJ software for 15 years, therefore we designed an actual DJ app (e.g. with Cue/PlaySync buttons), not a mere toy. Also, we had significant feedback from users playing with it in a professional context.
I am fully aware of the Mixvibes brand and history, and have to congratulate you on your longevity in this competitive space. Furthermore, the Android platform is tricky, and you’re the first big brand to stick your landing on it. I have nothing good or bad to say about your software because I’ve simply never used it, but I maintain that at this stage, it’s misguided to speak of any mobile DJ app in the same breath as “professional”. Will it allow promoters and club owners to take new DJs seriously? Highly doubtful. Great for house parties and messing around with your friends, though!
do you think it is likely to be able to use stereo channels in the future of Android.. instead of 2 mono channels?
Hi Nimbus, the only thing we can say for now is that our engineers are looking into it.
Touch screens are not for scratching. If you want to scratch use a DVS system, or use a controller. When you are just using beat-sync the latency is not really an issue as long as its under 30ms or so.
Of course touchscreens are for scratching…just as much as touchscreens are for faders and xy pads. They’re all parts of the UI made for performance. As I noted before latency is not the issue, it’s how the platter behavior is incorrectly designed in Cross DJ. In the past some CD decks and controllers had incorrect platter feel and failed to catch on because of it. The beauty of software is that there’s a chance for the developer to tweak and improve the product if we as users let them know. BTW- I own 3 different DVS systems and numerous midi controllers.
Getting there. This is getting really close to what I have envisioned for the last few years.
I wonder, since this is Cross DJ, if you can still use the same library for this software and Rekordbox on your tablet. That would be huge if you can use Rekordbox when the club has adequate CDJs and switch to Cross when they don’t, only needing to bring your tablet in either scenario!
I wonder if timecode, external MIDI controllers, or external soundcards will be supported soon.
Hi Gavin,
Thanks for your feedback. You cannot use the same library in rekordbox and in Cross DJ for Android. Still, library compatibility matter to us, so be sure that we might address this topic in the future – just as timecode, MIDI control and external soundcard support.
I don’t understand how it works: the split cable has a special processor that separates the two different tracks? with only one sound card and one audio output, how can it manage two stereo tracks??
It must be mono.
It is mono indeed.