Which Software?

Engine DJ Software Engine DJ (Mac & PC)
, , , ,
1

Does everyone use the engine os software to create playlists etc or are some of you using software like record box?

2

I use Engine DJ. It’s far from perfect, but if you mostly use Engine OS, its the best option: it syncs back loops and additions to playlists, which rekordbox doesn’t (Engine OS can convert a rekordbox USB stick one way).

Furthermore Pioneer once tried to lock in their customers database, by removing the XML export feature. Following a small internet riot they opened this up again, but they still encrypt their database. This leads me to be very hesitant to maintain my library in rekordbox: If Pioneer wants to, there is no way out for my data! I simply lost my trust in Alpha Theta’s business ethics.

The Engine DJ database format is not encrypted and in an open format, so there will always be a way to export data out of it.

(See: https://forums.pioneerdj.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360061283351-Rekordbox-6-Export-XML, and here on the Inmusic forum there’s a whole topic about it as well… It was around 2000 when rekordbox 6 was released)

2 Likes
3

Primary I use the Engine software but for In/export of Spotify and Tidal playlist information I use Lexicon. (though I think its a bit of an expensive tool for this :frowning: ) To clean and maintain my collection and to build playlists I use Beatunes.(and MP3tag)

4

Been using Engine DJ primarily since 2017, when the SC5000’s first came out. Engine is a preparation application, not a performance application. It does a pretty good job w/ this. I buy my music and don’t stream, or import from other apps.

That said, it has loads of shortcomings, some of which are extremely frustrating and some of us have needed to write software & tools to workaround these limitations. Example is the deletion or moving of files that have already been analyzed by Engine. Engine doesn’t have the ability to intelligently search for those missing files, etc…

Other shortcomings include exporting playlist problems & errors silently being swallowed by Engine.

All that said, i still use Engine solely.

5

I really hope Denon doesn’t plan on doing this in the future. Being able to dive into the DB schema has helped me deal with many issues that I’ve had w/ Engine specifically.

1 Like
6

Use Engine Desktop to organise and analyse music, with largely zero issues.

1 Like
7

I envy you so badly :sob:

8

TBF i only buy music once every couple of months, or at least only sync my drive that often, have a basic 6500ish collection of tracks and it rarely changes once ive loaded a track.

2 Likes
9

Strictly Engine.

10

I use Rekordbox as I find adjusting beatgrids in RB to be a lot easier than in Engine DJ, and beatgridding tracks with an unsteady tempo in Rekordbox is much easier than Engine. In addition, the Smart Playlist funtionality is more flexible in Rekordbox (for example you can set a rule based on number of days since a track was added to the library - it makes filtering down recent tracks much easier).

After grids and cues are set in Rekordbox I export the collection to XML and import it into Engine. Whenever I add new tracks to Rekordbox I delete the playlists from Engine and report the import.

11

That’s a nice workflow. However I do most beatgrid maintenance when playing my set… So syncing back is valuable to me.

To each their own. For anyone stilll choosing a workflow, it is important to realise the good and the bad of each possible workflow when one chooses a specific workflow….

12

Hi,

I use Engine DJ as a library software for the preparation of tracks and the curation of my collection. Additionally, I analyse the key by ear with a keyboard synth … I love Engine DJ a lot and I have even used it as a performance software once:

I use rekordbox only if I have to, in the case that I know that I will be using Pioneer equipment. I select tracks in Engine DJ, copy them, convert them down to 16 bit with 44.1 kHz in Audacity and sometimes even to wav format — because old Pioneer gear often cannot read high quality flac files — , and then I drop them into rekordbox for minimal analysis and export a playlist to USB … I do not like rekordbox so much :pensive: … the limits of file format compatibility was, what brought me to Denon DJ instead of Pioneer DJ. And I prefer the futuristic look of Denon DJ gear, I love everything that looks like it’s been invented in a Borg cube …

Other software that I have used in the past: Serato and Mixed in Key … but now I use only Engine DJ. The software mp3tag is very useful too.

1 Like