A shift in ‘Spoons can last up to 7 hours nowadays so you do need DJ software that’s going to allow you to automate occasionally. Even the best jocks can’t concentrate solidly for 7 hours at a time, so Rosi DJ could be a good solution. Try the demo for free here: http://www.rosi-systems.com/nsite/products/rosi-dj/

Even if you do a shorter set, it’s still got stuff you’ll find useful.

It has everything you’d expect from DJ software such as the ability to listen to tracks “off air” before you play them out, and vari-speed controls so you can speed up that slightly suicidal Eminem track everyone is asking for, and get away with it! It has BPM counters if you need them too. But the piece’ de resistance with Rosi DJ is that when you import your library (via the separate Rosi DJ Manager tool included) it calculates all the info it needs about each song so that it can automate smoothly. It markers the tracks in such a way as to account for any fade ending, or dull start, and always cue the tracks in to the right place. Automatic playout! Try the demo to see what I mean. I’ve heard Winamp and even iTunes attempting to do this and it just sounds messy, but Rosi DJ is perfect every time.

From the laptop I route the audio to 2 external soundcards (via firewire) and then to two faders on the mixer desk. Players 1 and 3 go to my left fader; 2 and 4 to the right fader. The little headphone icon is handy actually, as that allows you to route audio to a third source for previewing at any time (in my case using the on board sound card in the laptop with a pair of headphones plugged in). If you were a DJ who plays samples over your stuff (like klaxons and air horns etc) you could use the existing sound card in your system for this purpose, whip a line out to the mixer, and have a dedicated playline for playing SFX. That’s a real money saver.

The record box does what it says on the… Well the box. All your songs in one place, separated by different category types if you wish (EG Dance, Cheese, RnB). Nice and easy to flick through at speed and it has full search typing functionality. To the right of that you can store shortcuts. I’d recommend using this for your “get out of jail cards” – Those records that you turn to in times of desperation when the floor has gotten empty and you need a guaranteed floor filler. Within one mouse click your emergency tune is live!

DJ shifts are getting longer and you need DJ software that makes it as easy for the DJ as possible, but still gives you that manual control you want too. I’ve been using Rosi DJ for a few months now and it’s been a relief for both my concentration and my bladder!

For me then, and for about 15 years after, record players were the way a DJ ‘spun the discs’. The record player became your closet friend. We had tape decks and 8 Tracks along the way but nothing bettered the turntable. As long as you mastered the art of turning the turntable back half a turn to allow it to get up to speed you could ensure the music started exactly when you wanted it to. And not forgetting to sellotape a 1p piece onto the cartridge to stop the needle jumping. Those were the days.

Then in the 90’s, along came the compact disc player. Small, compact and easy to use, but expensive. The older more established DJs did not want to change. We knew and loved our record players and felt very loyal to them. I did not want to give up my friend that I had relied upon for so many years but times were changing and the compact disc player became the norm. For many months I would use a compact disc player alongside my trusted friends until sadly the turntable became redundant and start to gather dust in the back of the garage. My loyalties had changed, I was now best friends with the compact disc player, a very close relationship I have had for the last 15 years. No more carrying beer crates of 7” vinyl’s and straining your back, no more blowing the dust off the needle, no more guessing when the record is going to end. The compact disc player was your saving grace, it had it all.

Then, a few years ago, along came the next appliance to play music, the computer and the amazing storage facility that it has. Brilliant, so far the best. But, and a big but, where do I begin when it comes to installing software to replace my loyal and trusted friend the CD player.

I have been a DJ Presenter for well over 30 years working in radio and television presentation together with live stage shows throughout the UK, I am a regular kind of guy. I want things to be simple. When I present music I want it to be played as it was originally recorded, not speeded up or sampled with something else. I want computer software to be like my old friends and to just play the music and keep me informed of when it’s going to end. Not much to ask surely?

Every piece of software I have viewed to play my tracks resemble looking at an aircraft flight deck. It seems the more options built into the software the more it will sell. Far too complex with too many ways of playing Dancing Queen. I was beginning to think I would need to enrol in a college course to teach me the in’s and out’s modern DJ software. Then, I was shown ROSI DJ. It was here, exactly what I wanted. Simply superb.

The DJ software is without a shadow of doubt, fantastic. You will not need a degree in computing to know how it works. It is simple to use yet complex enough to have your own radio station style playback at the touch of a button. The screen layout is large and colour coded for ease of use with the main ‘buttons’ very prominent to ensure no mistakes are made during live performances. Each of the two players can be used as ‘standalone’ units or in full automatic mode with the flick of a ‘switch’. In addition, you have 20 ‘hot start’ boxes which can be preloaded with anything you want from music tracks to jingles and drops. In effect you can have 22 different CD players all cued up and ready to go in one simple unit. A dream and a pleasure to work. The music library software is simple to use also, like most others, just type in what you want and it appears in a split second. Behind the scenes, in a separate programme, is the ROSI DJ Manager. Here the hard work is done, all automatically I hasten to add. It will read each track and mark the start and stop points for you, no more pregnant pauses. It will make sure the music is played out very tight indeed. It is also in the manager where you can edit your music and set up playlists etc.

I have now put my CD players on top of the turntables at the back of the garage to start gathering more dust as my loyalties have changed yet again. I now have a new best friend, ROSI DJ, SIMPLY SUPERB.

I was inspired to write Rosi DJ after trying out loads of other DJ packages.  I wanted a direct replacement for my CD players and all the software was fiddly to use and unreliable.  It’s these simple objectives that have helped us to create Rosi DJ.

So, what do you need to consider?

• Software. You need to get software that you have total confidence in.  If you’re unsure or don’t think it’s quite right then keep searching!
• Hardware. While most software will run on any computer, it’s worth getting a new or nearly new laptop to use when you’re DJing.  Playing music, especially when you’re changing the tempo and mixing a few things at once, can take up quite a bit of memory.  You’ll also need a large hard disc.  I would personally recommend an external hard disc for your music.  Get a rugged disc, one that will withstand being taken around with the rest of your kit.  I use a LaCie Rugged XL 1TB disc, http://www.amazon.co.uk/LaCie-Rugged-1TB-Hard-Disk/dp/B00270NXOQ
• Soundcard. If you want to plug into 2 mixer channels (like having a double CD deck) you’ll need a soundcard with two stereo outputs. Something like this would be ideal http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/ExpressCard/IndigoDJx/specs.php
• Music. You need to get all of the music you need onto the computer hard disc.  You can either download songs from the internet (iTunes, Amazon, etc) or rip songs from the CD.  Ripping is a process of copying the audio quickly from CD to the computer.  You can rip a whole album in a couple of minutes.  Rosi DJ Software has a built-in ripper to copy songs easily from CD.

From my experience I love using my laptop and dj software.  I can access all of my music instantly, so with a couple of mouse clicks a song can be playing.  Great for requests!  If you are a DJ that plays requests (some don’t like doing this) make sure you check out how good the searching facility is within the software you buy.  We’ve spent ages with Rosi DJ getting this right.  It needs to be flexible, fast and easy to use.