Mixxx is an impressive-looking, fully free and open source DJ package for Mac (Intel only), Windows, and Linux. (It’s also the featured DJ tool on the Indamixx, Linux-based ultra mobile PC – mine just arrived, so hands-on is coming soon.)
Adam Davison from the Mixxx development team points out some juicy features in the new 1.6.0 release, out yesterday:
We now support vinyl control with Serato, Traktor, and FinalScratch vinyl, as well as Serato CD. This means that you can use vinyl control to drive your mixes without having to buy expensive software or branded soundcards. We also have greatly improved support for MIDI controllers such as the Hercules Mk2 and RMX.
Other features:
- MP3, OGG, WAV, FLAC support
- The usual DJ stuff: dual waveform display, pitch-independent time stretch (key lock), BPM detection
- Crossfader curve control
- Adjustable EQ shapes
- Wave recording
- Multichannel playback and capture support
- Multi-core CPU support, GPU-accelerated OpenGL graphics display
And unlike some open source music tools, it’s got a polished website with lots of documentation. High performance could be a big draw, particularly on Linux. I’ll let you know how it works coupled with a custom Linux distribution, mobile device, and touchscreen on the Indamixx. (Personally, I like the idea of keeping a DJ mix ready to go on a portable or older machine, alongside the usual live laptop set.)
Stay tuned.
[Note: as reader bliss kindly pointed out, Mixxx has three X’s, Indamixx has two X’s; quit with all these extra letters, already!]
