App Review: The Mixvibes Cross DJ Free

I was first introduced to the Mixvibes product line several years ago when working with Behringer. I was given a free copy of Cross DJ to demo while we were looking for a product to pair with our CMD line of MIDI controllers. Initially, I was hesitant to use a product that wasn’t the industry standard Traktor program. Once I got over my stigma, I found that Cross DJ was a very capable program with features that even Traktor did not have. This let me know that the Mixvibes product was not a toy but a product that I would consider using professionally. Recently when looking at some of the top DJ apps, I saw the Mixvibes Cross DJ Free app for iPhone, and after using the desktop version I had to try it out.

Setup

The App itself is rather small, weighing in at 50.9 MB. This means that you can download the App onto your phone anywhere, without using a Wi-Fi network. This is huge for users on the go, for some larger apps require download strictly over a Wi-Fi network. Upon downloading, the app installed automatically and did not require further setup to get running.

The opening screen uses a traditional setup by using records to represent the music playing, and a crossfader in the middle of the standard transport controls (play, cue & sync.) All of the touch controls are very sensitive and responsive. The layout of the buttons is big enough that my fingers don’t hit the wrong controls, as I do when using some other DJ programs on the iPhone.

Music Library

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The Mixvibes Cross DJ Music Library screen

Just like most of the other DJ Apps on the market, Mixvibes Cross uses the music found on the iPhone and makes it available for use in the program. It also features the ability to use the playlists you have created on your phone for organizational purposes. I DJ many different genres, and I usually keep different playlists of genres on my phone to prepare for my next gig. You can also sort your music by Song, Artist, Album and Genre.

Mixing

Initially, I thought I would have a difficult time using Mixvibes Cross, but after just a few minutes I found mixing songs together was easier than its main competitor Traktor DJ. When playing a song, the Sync feature was very responsive and instantly put the song on tempo. One thing it was lacking was the ability to fine-tune the “beat grid” as you can in Traktor. I didn’t find the need to use this feature, but it may be something I’ll need down the road.

Mixvibes Cross DJ mixing interface

Mixvibes Cross DJ mixing interface

The main interface has 3 sections: Looping, Mix, and FX.  The Looping section can perform a 1/32 beat up to a 32 bar loop. The loop function created seamless loops, I could not hear any clipping when the loop started over, which really impressed me. In addition to looping this section also features a “Slip” button, which lets you do a real time loop that engages when is pressed and then returns back to the normal playback position when released. You can select gradients from 1/16 notes to a 2 bar loop.

Mixvibes Cross DJ looping interface

Mixvibes Cross DJ looping interface

The Mix section is a standard 2-channel mixer with Volume, Lo, Mid, and Hi controls. The layout of this section was very simple, but provided enough functionality without too much clutter.

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Mixvibes Cross DJ mixing interface

The FX section is very reminiscent of the FX used in the Traktor DJ app. It seems that using an X/Y pad to control the main functions of FX is the new direction that apps are going in. In the free version you are given the Echo and Flange FX, but for an additional $0.99, you can purchase the Hi-Pass Filter, Low-Pass Filter, and Delay FX (to name a few.)

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Mixvibes Cross DJ FX interface

Additional Features

While the initial program is Free, the paid add-ons you can get for this program are very extensive. For an additional fee, you can get features such as Keylock, Recording, and Social Media Sharing (Soundcloud & Twitter.)  Getting this add-ons make the program very powerful and still more affordable than it’s competitors.

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In addition to the add-ons, the Settings section is very robust with many features such as Quantize, Master Limiter, and Autogain. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to get a good introduction to digital DJing and even those who already know about the craft and want to play their music on the go.

Mixvibes Cross DJ settings screen

Mixvibes Cross DJ settings screen

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