Introduction
In the world of software, there are two paths that one can take toward innovation. The first is to simply blaze a trail and hope that history will show the choices you make to be sound. The second is to wait in the wings, observe the products in a given category and then make choices based upon what did and did not work. While Final Scratch may have been the first DVS system, history has not been kind to its memory (to the point that even Native Instruments Traktor, which was Final Scratch compatible from version 1.1-3.3 has deviated from and improved a great deal upon the original platform). Since then, there have been a flood of other choices, some deviating far from the original format, while others have chosen to stay fairly close to the original format, with changes added where needed. Each method has its merits and cannot really be considered better or worse, just a different approach.
A few words in memorium
When Deckadance was announced a couple years ago, I was rather curious to see what path it would take. From a visual standpoint, there did not seem to be much difference from the original format that Final Scratch set back in 1999. The feature set however, even in its first versions, seemed to indicate that it had the potential to introduce a great deal of innovative ideas, and the initial marketing suggested that Deckadance was not just a new piece of software, but a labor of love.
Fate was not kind however to Imageline or the creator of Deckadance, Juan Antonio Arguelles, who tragically passed away not long after the initial version. “Argu”, by all accounts an amazingly intelligent and warm person, and there was a certain bit of whimsy in his words about his new baby that seemed to indicate that Deckadance was destined to be something special. Deckadance was quite obviously a labor of love for Juan, and there was a bit of fear on everyone’s part I think that Deckadance would not be given the same treatment that Juan had done. Passing the torch to one Luis Serrano Cavero, Imageline chose to continue on with development, and, as a spoiler to the rest of the review, I am happy to say that Argu would be very happy with how his baby has been groomed.
Un….boxing?
The first thing one notices about Deckadance is that there is really no “box” to open. Yes, it can be purchased in a box, but unlike other DVS solutions that can utilize Time-coded vinyl, Deckadance takes a far different approach in that it lets you decide what type of vinyl to use. The entire Ms. Pinky family (Versions 1-4, Torq, PCDJ Reflex) is supported in Absolute and Relative mode, and any other timecode solution can be used in Relative mode with the “Learn” function. This is quite a novel idea in and of itself, if only because I think everyone who uses a DVS live knows the feeling of searching stores in the area before a gig, praying that your particular brand is in stock.
(Note: the above screenshot has been chopped up from its original across the screen layout. And the font used is frankly bloody awful
and borderline illegible - Gizmo)
Installation was quick and painless, with a basic challenge/response system in place to keep the kids honest. After booting up, one is greeted by the usual Audio/MIDI setup options, which thankfully are located in the main screen as opposed to the usual sub-menu of a sub-menu nonsense.
As well, a Vinyl-select screen is located on the bottom of the screen to choose what kind of vinyl to use. As well, if your choice of Vinyl (re: non-Ms. Pinky variants) is not on the list, one can use the timecode learn function to allow Deckadance to recognize virtually any timecode solution that you throw at it.
Looks can be deceiving?
Layout wise, Deckadance does not seem to deviate all that much from established standards at first glance. I could go over the layout at length, but honestly it sticks with the established horizontal waveform layout format that Final Scratch brought to the table in 1999. I will say that Deckadance is a sharp looking DVS, and with a selection of very pleasant to look at skins(save for the love or hate DJ Tech skin, which brings to mind Lenny Bruce’s jokes about the amount of neon on the streets in Miami), Deckadance can be customized pretty quickly to suit your tastes. One nice feature of the layout is that the extra features of the application, such as sampler, VST host and Relooper are hidden but easily available via the center column of buttons. In this world of confusing layouts, this is a welcome chance. Oddly enough, there is a button for DMX light control that does nothing. It is mentioned in the help file, but so far it just sits there looking pretty. Personally I would remove this button until the DMX feature is actually ready, but it is a small gripe.
All the standard features that you have come to expect from a DVS/DJ application are present-BPM counter, auto-sync, looping and 4 freely assignable cue points. Waveforms are colorful, and are color-coded based on frequencies present in a particular section.
Located below the Main waveforms is the Scope/Mixer/FX section. The Mixer section is self explanatory, and, while I do wish it could be hidden if not needed, it is nice to have on screen if only for the added Kill EQ’s.
The scope section in the center of the screen is divided into two sections-Peakscope and Specscope. Peakscope is essentially stacked waveforms that can be used for visual mixing, while Specscope is a spectral analyzer of sorts. While I don’t have much use for the Specscope portion, I am sure that there are DJ’s who will use it.
Mix and Mangle
The FX section of Deckadance is very intuitive. A Kaoss Pad-like X/Y interface allows for Wet/Dry and amount of each effect to be controlled independently. The actual number of built-in effects is fairly sparse, with 3 basic filters, a Flanger, Echo and bit-crusher being the effects compliment. That said, the effects themselves are of good quality, and all very useable in a live situation. Deckadance also has 4 Master FX, a Wah-Wah filter, LFO, Ring Modulator and Track Coder (a bit-reduction effect).
Deckadance can also act as a host for up to 8 stackable VST effects/instruments with full MIDI support in case you need more than the program provides. VST effects can, if your interface supports it, be routed to any output that you choose. A word of caution about using the free VST effects that are available on the web though-as with any program, certain VST effects can cause problems, so always test out the effects you plan on using before you go out gigging with them.
One effect that deserves a very special mention is the Relooper. Given its on special tab, and similar in function to beat-masher style effects in other programs, what makes this incredibly interesting is the inclusion of a full step-sequencer that allows you to select time and beat length for each portion of the loop, as well as the ability to save 3 sequences and recall them on the fly. I must say that few effects have given me the instant satisfaction or amount of entertainment as this, and, if Deckadance gets a decent amount of market penetration under its belt, I could see this becoming as overused as the DJM500/600/800 echo effect.
Steal this record
One interesting feature of Deckadance is the sampler. Not really a true sampler, the Sampler acts more as a loop grabber, as it does not record the direct deck output but instead grabs whatever number of beats you set on each deck for playback in the sample player. While this can frustrate a bit due to the lack of being able to loop scratches or record a sample with FX, at the same time from a live track building standpoint it is pretty cool. Users can stack up to 8 loops, assign them to a deck side and sync them with the track, and even have the loop change in tempo with the pitch of the track itself. Samples can also be routed to any output of your choice, though there is no ability to sample an input live.
A microsampler is included for the master output if you do choose to record scratches, effected sounds, etc, though this cannot be looped. I would like to see a loop/overdub feature implemented in the future for this, though again, it is a small gripe.
Bo Selecta
Any DVS worth its salt must have a good playlist section to be considered for live use. With previous versions of Deckadance, the playlist section was a bit of a sore spot. With 1.5 however, Deckadance now has playlist functionality that stands up pretty favorably to the competition. Full iTunes playlist support allows you to make your sets in iTunes, and of course you can also build playlists as well.
Basic playlist automix is built in for those times when you really need to go to the bathroom and seamless mixing is not really needed, and, smartly, a file browser is located on the side of the screen for being able to browse files while building your playlist. With 1.5, my biggest gripe about Deckadance was also addressed, which is the inclusion of a Batch Analyze feature for your files.
If I had one gripe, it is that with more mature programs like Traktor there is a full file browser that remembers all songs dragged into the program itself. In Deckadance however, the browser is more a folder explorer, and songs that were added earlier are not remembered on the side of the screen. I am told however that the next version of Deckadance will have a more comprehensive file explorer/playlist section, so I am not all that worried.
Plug in, tune in, drop needle
An oft-mentioned feature of Deckadance is the ability to use Deckadance as a standalone or plugin. In theory this is an amazingly cool feature, as it allows for Live-remix project style production. Setting up Deckadance was fairly painless within Ableton Live 8, and once I got everything synced up it was pretty fun to play around with. That said, even on my fairly buff Macbook, I did have to raise my latency settings up a little bit when it came time to mix Deckadance with full-on track productions. Point being, since you are tied to one interface and the latency of your host, test this feature and if the latency is low enough for your liking before planning an entire set on it in a live setting.
Wicki-wicki
Given the name of the site (though maybe not the intent anymore), I am sure that the most burning question on many people’s minds is what level of quality is the vinyl control? I am happy to report that the level of Vinyl control in Deckadance is quite good. While one can expect to get a small amount of sticker drift in Relative mode, it is no worse than where Serato or Traktor scratch were a year ago, and I only expect it to get better. Slow drags sounded good, and most importantly the program itself felt very responsive.
As previously stated, Deckadance can use virtually any timecode you throw at it. Using the learn function, one simply needs to feed Deckadance a few seconds of timecode and you are done. While any timecode learned only functions using Relative mode, the actual functionality was quite good. Please note that if you are going to be using this function, using a good needle and fresh record cannot be overemphasized. If you feed a bad bit of timecode from a worn out record, performance is noticeably degraded. Always use this function using a new record and a fresh needle!
I was able to get very low latency settings with my Native Instruments Audio 8 DJ, Presonus Firebox, Mackie Spike and IK Multimedia StealthPedal. One word of caution-you do need to have phono-preamps on or in front of your interface if you are using time-coded vinyl-there is no software preamplification built in.
Vinyl Thoughts
With the huge amount of choices available in the DVS market, the temptation seems to be among DVS manufacturers to differentiate themselves from the Native Instruments Traktor/Serato Scratch Live industry chokehold through wild user interface changes, an overblown feature list and a laundry list of Vinyl types. Deckadance stands out from the crowd due to the familiarity of the interface, as well as the logical features added. Instantly familiar to anyone who has use any DVS system in the last 8 years, it is very easy for a DJ to dive right in and start mixing. At the same time it has enough extra features to satisfy any DJ looking to expand his or her creative options.
At the end of the day Deckadance fills a niche that no other DVS fills. While the idea of an open (re: interface agnostic) DVS is not new, Deckadance takes the idea a step further in that it is completely open. Whatever interface you use, whatever timecode you have around the house, Deckadance supports it. Even baring all the extra gadgets, this alone is unique enough to give pause to any DVS shopper. While I wouldn’t tell a user of Native Instruments Traktor Scratch or Serato Scratch Live to ditch their application, Deckadance makes a very compelling case for anyone who already owns all the pieces needed minus the software and is looking to get into the world of DVS systems, or those looking for a more open system.
Summary
A unique DVS that is finally mature and ready for primetime.
Pluses
• Platform/Vinyl Agnostic
• Very logical interface and layout
• Built-in VST support and Sampler
• Can act as a VST plugin
• Solid Vinyl performance
Minuses
• Playlist support, while improving, isn’t as evolved as other programs
• Still some sticker drift in Relative mode
• Can’t hide mixer (though noted and being worked into future versions)
• Can only currently control 2 decks
