Engine DJ 3.0 - The update many have been waiting for
The team behind Engine DJ have been at it again and have managed to squeeze even more functionality in to the already packed hardware.
Sampler.
The main new addition here is the sample player, something that has been requested for a long time and yet no one knew if it was possible.
To sum up, you can load 8 pre-recorded samples or entire tracks (any audio file basically) in to the sample bank. This is done by browsing through your own selection or the included library once you update your device.
Engine 3.0 installs some great sampler content like claps, beats and sound fx (including air horn) as a new source and split in to playlists.
Alternatively you can put your own sounds or jingles from your internal drive or USB source and load that in to the sample bank.
To load, you browse like you would for a track, then swipe right. You will be asked if you want load to any of the 4 decks or the sample pads which will appear at the bottom of the screen. Handily, the name of the sample or track is shown on each pad to make it easy to identify.
Just press the pad on the screen to replace the loaded sound.
Once loaded, the performance pads can be switched to activate the samples by pressing SHIFT and ROLL on the pad modes. This can be done on either set of pads and uses the same batch of samples.
The volume for the sample bank can only be controlled from the main control center menu and its the same control for all samples. If creating your own samples, it would be best to make sure the volume levels are all similar as there is no volume control for each sample.
When triggering a sample, the pad presses are”one shot”, so you press to start the sample, then if you press again, it starts again. This allows you quick fire samples, if you want to stop a sample from playing simply press the shift button and the sample pad.
Heads up display.
To help identify which pads have which sample loaded and also which mode your pads are set to, there is an optional heads up display under each deck on the playback screen.
You can’t use the touch screen to trigger thees on screen, but they do reflect every time a pad is pressed.
WiFi remote library.
You can now access your Engine DJ library from your computer on the same network and play tracks directly on your Engine DJ device.
Connect to a computer running Engine DJ on the same network to browse and play tracks. Any changes made like cue and loop points will immediately carry over to the library on the computer.
This is great for playing at home or in a regular venue without the need to use a storage device. All you need to do is have an updated version of Engine DJ running on a computer on the same network as an Engine OS device updated to Engine 3.0 or higher.
Denon DJ Prime 2