Virtual DJ software gives users the ability to simulate a traditional DJ setup of two turntables and a mixer. It includes several advanced features including effects, scratching and play lists. It is preloaded with several audio and video effects. There are two editions of the software: the pro edition and the home edition.
Accessing Effects
Some effects are simple and self-explanatory. Others vary in usage difficulty. Adjustable parameters and controls become available when an effect is selected. It is necessary to own the professional version of Virtual DJ in order to download new effects and samples free of charge.
Categories
There are four categories of effects: Sound, Video, Video Transitions and External Devices. External Devices can add an effect if an external controller is connected to Virtual DJ. This feature is only available in the professional version.
Default Sound Effects
Sound effects simulate actions DJs apply to vinyl records. The default sound effects are: backspin, beat grid, brake, echo, filter, flanger, FlippinDouble, KeyChanger, overloop and vocals+. Back spinning occurs from the quick motion of pulling a disc backwards immediately before ending play; a beat grid is a digital drum machine.
Default Video Effects
The default video effects are: Boom, Boom_Auto, Camera, ClipBank, Karaoke, Negative, SlideShow, Sonique, Strobe, Strobe_Auto, Text and Titler. Camera plays video from an attached video camera. ClipBank is a set of user defined clips. SlideShow displays bitmap images; Sonique plays animation plug-ins.
Video Transitions
Transition effects allow the DJ to transition videos in sync with audio mixes. VirtualDJ has several built-in video transition styles. It also has an internal DVD ripping utility for DJs to add other videos to the list of transitions.
