Traditionally, if you’ve wanted to record one of your sets, you’re limited to just getting the audio output onto a computer or external device. That means that if you mess up a transition or use a song you don’t want to publish, the whole set is a write-off. Recording a live DJ set at somewhere like a festival stage has traditionally been near impossible which is why touring DJs very rarely do it. Capturing these performances properly is so hard as something is bound to go wrong in these environments – someone forgets to press record, the audio clips or beat-up mixers add distortion.
This new technology from Density aims to fix that.
Available as both a hardware unit and software, Density doesn’t capture the audio of your set. Instead, it records all of the data from every movement of the buttons, knobs and faders on the CDJs and mixer. That means you can then open up the set in their software, drop the song files in, and get an editable recreation of your whole performance. You can then edit or redo transitions or replace and remove tracks.
Key Features
Non-audio recording
Recording the data rather than the audio lets you make edits to your set after you’ve finished.
Mastering-grade quality
Because you’re using the tracks directly rather than a recording of a recording running through a mixer, the audio quality is much higher.
Consistent loudness across your set
You can easily find and fix any dips or spikes in volume without having to listen back to the whole set.
Remove unreleased music
You’re able to pick out any tracks that would stop the mix from going out and fix the transitions.
Compatibility
Density is only designed to work with professional club-standard gear from Pioneer DJ or AlphaTheta. That means it’s not suitable for home recording unless you’ve got a very fancy setup. You’ll need to be playing on CDJ 3000s, 2000s, or 1000s as well as a DJM-900, DJM-V10 or DJM-A9 mixer. You can also use the standalone XDJ-XZ. To use the software to edit your tracks, you’ll need locally stored files for them as it won’t work with streaming sites like Beatport.
Software
You can use the Density software both for recording your set with a laptop as well as a standalone DAW designed specifically for creating DJ sets. Even if you don’t realise it, around 95% of DJ sets on Soundcloud are ‘studio sets’ that are prepared in a DAW.
As a standalone DAW, it’s more user-friendly and straightforward to put DJ sets together than a more production-focused DAW like Ableton or Logic Pro. For example, you can remove a track with just one click and the gap automatically closes up, with all the transitions later in the mix maintained. With so many sets on sites like SoundCloud and MixCloud being prepared in a DAW rather than with live mixing, there’s a real space for this sort of specialised software.
The software can also be used to record your sets off CDJs with a laptop connected. This will capture all the data for each track, cue, loop, knob turn, and effect. All of the effects from Pioneer DJ and AlphaTheta’s mixers have been faithfully replicated so you get the same sound.
Once you’ve recorded this data onto your laptop, you just select the tracks you’ve played from your library and your set’s ready to edit. From here, you can adjust all the transitions and tracks inside the DAW.
Then once you’re happy with your set, you can finish it off with Density’s mastering tools. It will help you smooth out any volume differences across the set and the limiter will keep everything sounding clean and balanced.
Hardware
Bringing a laptop into the booth at every DJ gig you want to record isn’t always practical or possible. That’s why Density also offers a hardware unit to record your data. Density designed this rugged black box to survive any club or festival stage, thanks to its metal case and internal power supply, thanks to its metal case and internal power supply.
Using the box couldn’t be simpler. You won’t even find a record button – just plug it in, and it automatically records whenever the decks are playing and stops when they aren’t. Because it’s not recording any audio, the files are tiny and you won’t need to worry about running out of memory.
Pricing and final thoughts
You can choose between getting the Density hardware unit or the standalone software. The hardware box costs $300 and needs the software subscription to go along with it. The software, which can also be used on its own, costs $15 a month. You can also download and use the software for free, but it will put an unobtrusive audio watermark over your mix when exporting. That gives you the chance to try out making a mix in the software to see if it’s right for you before committing.
Unfortunately, you can’t actually buy the software and own it outright, even if you already own the hardware. That means that for as long as you need to use it, you’ve got to keep subscribed, or you’ve just got a useless $300 black cube.
The standalone software could be an excellent option for DJs who want a more streamlined, easy and powerful alternative to putting mixes together in a DAW. It’s also a great pick for DJs looking to record their sets at venues or rehearsal spaces where they can set up their laptops. The $15 monthly subscription will be a sticking point for many however, but if this was offered at a lower one-off price, we could see it being very popular.
The hardware option will appeal to clubs and festivals as well as pro DJs who need to record their sets and need the ability to fix their mix or remove certain tracks.
Ultimately, Density is a rare example of a truly unique product. Having the ability to fix issues with a mix after it’s done is a real game changer as you can guarantee a live perfect set to upload to sites like MixCloud. We’re really excited to start putting it to use to record mixes here at Crossfader.
Check out Density’s website for more info.
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