DJ’ing on Android, not ready for public performance!
Saw this video and had to post here. Having watched the articles for years and keenly read anything about touch-screen Dj’ing reality, this kinda seems like a fews steps back.
Software looks ok, performs crap and is lacking functionality. But I guess the hurdle is going to be the sound card, so no mobile device is going to do the trick ‘all in one box’.
This raises a question though that I have for the forum. Now that tablets are becoming more widely available, and android devices are undoubtedly cheaper than iPad…
is there any Android software that works like a single deck, so you could hook up two sources to a mixer?
how about midi over wifi for Android. I’ve seen a few lame vids a read a bit here and there but does anything work?
I happen to have one of the tablets in the video which is how I came across the video so would be happy to test anything out if anyone here has used something on a 4" screen but would like to see it on a 10" screen.
Just for the record I’m a Traktor user not Ableton so wouldn’t be able to test anything in Ableton without loosing sleep.
It would be possible to run a soundcard off a android device via usb. However you would need to have it charging at the same time. Plus this would take alot of developing. A company would need to have a look at if there would be surficient revenue generated to justify making a driver and program for an android device.
MIDI over wifi is a bad idea. Having wifi on in a public enviroment is a mistake. There is one very easy way to safe guard yourself. DONT LOGIN WITH AN ADMIN ACCOUNT. Realisticly how many people are going to do this.
I have no idea if there are any single deck apps for android. However you might aswell use cdj’s this is like a step back from the laptop. Less music storage, less screen and less features. plus your sound quality will not be up to standard. They also would not really last on the road. They are consumer devices not designed for pro use.
Companys have tried to launch touch screen dj devices before and none have really taken off stanton had relative sucsess with the scs 3 range but that still had some tacktile feedback.
MIDI over usb is in my eyes the best use of tablet devices and it is coming to both android and IOS. Apple seem to have a better response at the moment. I prefer their phsysis engin however Andoid seems to be developing and improving quicker than IOS .
actually, for my point (2) consider that to include usb. I think I had just watched a video where someone said that whatever they were doing was more responsive over wifi than usb, but that’s only going to apply in your bedroom.
you’re absolutely right of course, except that people have to push this stuff for it to get better. Personally i wouldn’t go without solid controls but that’s easy to say when I’ve already got those tools. we still all like our toys - and toys is all some people have.
for the million times more people out there with touch devices of one flavour or another, whose to say they won’t be creative and do something new and cool with a different set of tools. After all aren’t most of us here doing something a little different to convention.
right now you’d be lucky to run a childs party with android as you say, the platform is seeing a lot of development.
The app in the video seems to struggle with the shortcomings of Android.
-The responsiveness of the devices is far from being on par with iPad/iPhone.
-I guess its the resource-management and multi-tasking of the OS itself that makes apps pretty slugish, terminate randomly etc.
There is no really good Android-tablet yet, although Android 2.3 might make the sky a little bit brighter.
I’ve had a Milestone for almosta year and recently got a Galaxy Tab for testing purposes and have seen A LOT of shortcomings which have driven me nuts.
iOS is limited (without Jailbreak) compared to Android OS, but it offers a better user experience and therefore is currently more interesting for DJs.
At least developer of DJ/Music apps start to embrace Android OS.
If you’re wanting to use a tablet to DJ, unless you’re an Android application developer I suggest you look towards the iOS world instead. I can tell you with NO uncertainty that ALL of the cool stuff coming out in this category in the next year will be for Apple’s offerings.
And just so you know, I’m not in any way an Apple fanboy (ask around).
Also, MIDI over WiFi is not AT ALL a big problem. It’s not some big security risk, and it’s not by it’s nature unacceptably laggy. If you set up an Ad Hoc connection, you’ll be in good shape.
Wifi is a massive security risk if there is some one in the know in the club they can kick you out of your connection with the ipad or android tablet.There are a few groups that are reportedly working on hacking roms for android devices with preinstalled apps for hacking into wireless devices. It is easy to make there life alot harder however access can still be gained. No wifi on no way sum1 is going to get into your laptop. Not saying that WIFI is insercure however in a Night Club it is the only way in if you turn it off there is no way in. So then you can focus on your other security risk some drunk spilling there drink on your laptop
Is that before or after the aliens read your brainwaves?
Seriously, you can secure an AdHoc connection just like you can any other connection. You’re telling me someone is going to wardrive a DJ event, spend enough time with a promiscuous wifi sniffer to enumerate both computers involved in the connection, and then try and crack that connection?
And don’t try and bring up rainbow tables or something like l0phtcrack, because you just don’t find a lot of WEP out there now (WPA is pretty common). So your vicious DJ hacker is going to be limited to a dictionary attack.
And all of this is to do what exactly? If he wanted to disrupt a performance, it would be much easier to bring a squirtgun and drench the computer. Or in the case of an Apple user, bring an Apple remote and have a little fun that way (since most people don’t bother turning it off).
Also, stop with the “1337 5p34k” there, Cereal. Only assholes and noobs talk like that. Save that for your IRC discussions revolving around getting your Rainbow books or your archive of the BCBBS.
Not an Apple fanboy here either (I only own a 1st gen Nano), but Android tablets are a long long way off from getting a legitimate DJ app, far longer than Ipad. Here’s a few reasons why:
There are too many different Android devices with different hardware inside each of them. With iOS, you’ve got 2 devices - the Ipad and the Iphone, so it’s far easier for developers to come up with an app configured for specific hardware.
Apple (as much as I hate to admit it) has become the DJ’s brand - from phone, to laptop, to desktop (for producers).
aside from Google, there’s not all that much developer money behind Android apps. Community efforts with open-sources software are nice, but unless someone throws around a few million dollars, you’re never seeing a Traktor killer-app for Android. EVER.
I am however surprised that an Android analog of Touch OSC is yet to surface anywhere.
Some more thoughts on the matter:
There ARE Android tablets out there that are cheaper than the Ipad, but they come with resistive touchscreen and very low-end hardware -think probably worse than netbook, so their performance is incredibly inferior, and they are barely usable on a day to day basis (pick one up at your local Kmart for a mere $100!)
The tablets that are more or less on par with Ipad are actually far more expensive, and very few (though that will change in the future, duh!), and of those that are actually Google-approved/recommended - even less.
At this point, Apple still has another half a year before someone manages to catch up to them, and by that time I’d imagine they’ll have a new version of their tablet ready.
With all that said, I would love to see legitimately good and interesting DJing/producing software on Android.
I have used the fingerplay MIDI app on android to control a few basic controls in Traktor over WIFI. I probably wouldn’t do it out during an important performance, but messing around at home with it was pretty cool.
Im not saying it is easy. Im just saying it is possible. People do it becaause they can, or because the dj was rude to them for no reason, even though said dj hasnt got any real skill. I also agree making things more sercure is easy. How many people actually do this. I am nether a n00b or an arsehole. n00bs get caught simple as. Take the lad who attacked NASA he went directly to them found some computers that where on the network but not netted. Guess what they hadnt had security updates he used a script. So he was essentially a “script kiddie”. He did no damage. However America like to talk things up and make out he is dangerous. Simply not the case just people not doing there jobs and leaving a gaping security flaws. Yea he should be punished but there sentancing is redicilous. I saw somebody in court the other day for burglary and assulting 3 police officers walk out with community service and a surspended sentance. Who is the bigger danger to society? Any pro they would never of court as they would of gone though about 15 servers and laid false tracks and deleted vital evidence to find them. They only catch the pro’s when they do silly things and make mistakes.
Seriously Tom, WTF are you talking about. Turn off your Phrack podcast, put down the 2600, and clue in.
Anything is POSSIBLE. It’s POSSIBLE that the DJ booth will get struck by lightening, and the only thing that saves the DJ is that he’s using wireless. It’s possible that a meteor will fall from the sky. But what you’re talking about is not only HIGHLY unlikely, it would take more time than would be convenient. Like I said, no one is going to rock a yagi and wardrive these events on the off chance the DJ is using a WiFi connection. There are lots of possibilities for interrupting the performance (from spark gap devices to man in the middle attacks). But they are ALL things an angry patron would have to PREPARE for. No one is going to sit there with an iPad or iPhone or netbook and do the kind of things necessary to accomplish what you’re talking about. You’ve been watching too much TV, and listening to other clueless users.
If someone wanted to disrupt a performance, there are MUCH faster and easier ways of doing it. You’re harping on one of the least likely.
I think Android will eventually be a major player for DJ related apps, but there’s going to be so much high profile stuff out in the next year and a half for iOS that it’s really going to take something amazing and unique to break Droid out. TouchOSC is cool, and it served that role for iOS, but it’s not going to do the same thing for Android.
Also, don’t discount the Windows platform. It’s too early to tell yet, but if Microsoft decides to make a real go of it with a tasty platform and a competent OS loaded on it, this might end up being a contender. Right now the hardware is limited, but if they chose to really embrace something like the Inspiron Duo things could really get interesting.
I just released my DJ app for Android tablets. I’m just one guy but have devoted my last two months to developing this app and will continue to add features (and phone support up next).
Right now you can mix and play 2 MP3 files, adjust pitch, 3 band EQ, split the output to mono cue and mono master, nudge and scratch… The latency is pretty low on my tablet. The whole app is written in C with just a little Java layer so I think that will give me an advantage in performance over the Java-based DJ apps.
There’s a free (ad-supported) version and a paid version that has no nag screens or ads:
DJPad for Android Paid version ($2.99)
DJPad Lite for Android (Free version)
Once this becomes more stable I plan on releasing an app similar to TouchOSC (configurable touch UI that outputs rtpMIDI). All in time!
Please let me know if you install this and it works or doesn’t work. I’ve only tested it on my tablet so I’d love to know if other tablets work or not.. Android is annoying with so many different hardware devices!
