Hercules djay Affordable DJ Controller for Android interface User Manual
- June 9, 2024
- Hercules
Table of Contents
Hercules djay Affordable DJ Controller for Android interface
Introduction
This user manual sets out the main features available with the free version of djay for Android. Additional features are available in the paid version of djay for Android. The complete user manual for the app is available here: https://help.algoriddim.com/hc/ (in English only). The djay for Android interface may vary depending on the version of the app being used.
Interface
The djay for Android interface lets you access two virtual music decks, a
crossfader, transport controls, and a music library browser..
- Track selection button. Tap to access your music library and select a track. Displays the cover artwork for the selected track.
- Track name (below) and artist name (above).
- Time remaining/elapsed. Tap to toggle between one display and the other.
- Dashboard button. Tap to access the user menu and app settings.
- Deck playhead.
- Track overview waveform.
- SYNC button. Tap to sync the BPM values of the two tracks.
- Track BPM. Tap to open the BPM/Tempo window.
- Tempo bend +/– button. Tap and hold + or – to temporarily speed up or slow down playback of the track.
- Scrolling waveform button. Tap to display the scrolling waveforms for each deck.
- Looper/Sampler button. Tap to display the Looper or Sampler panel.
- Tempo fader. Slide the fader to increase or decrease the track’s BPM.
- Key lock button. Tap to lock the track’s musical key.
- Virtual deck.
- FX/Loop/Cue/EQ button. Tap to access the panel for effects, loops, HOT CUE points and the equalizer.
- Play/Pause button.
- Cue Set button. Tap to set a CUE point at the current location of the deck playhead.
- Cue Jump button. When the track is paused, tap to move the deck playhead to the CUE point. When the track is playing, tap to resume playback from the CUE point. If no
- CUE point has been set, tap the button to move the deck playhead to the start of the track.
- Crossfader. Slide the crossfader to transition between the two tracks. Tap the arrow to the right or to the left of the crossfader to start an automatic transition in the direction of the arrow.
- Mixer button (only accessible when the display is in portrait view). Tap to display the mixer section and adjust the volume, the gain and the filter, as well as the EQ (low, mid and high frequencies
Features
Waveforms The djay for Android app displays the track overview waveform
of each track. You can also display a detailed zoom of the waveform that
automatically scrolls along with the track, by tapping the scrolling waveform
button (10). The different audio frequencies are represented by way of a color
code: red for low frequencies, yellow for lowmid frequencies, green for high-
mid frequencies, and blue for high frequencies. A red deck playhead bar shows
you where you are in the track. The CUE point (white triangle) and HOT CUE
points (different colored triangles) also appear on the two
waveforms
In addition, the scrolling waveform moves forward or backward depending on how you manipulate the track (scratching, moving to the CUE point or a HOT CUE point…). To increase or reduce the size of the scrolling waveform, tap The Waveforms pop-up window appears. Tap the – and + buttons to modify the size of the waveform. To return to the default display, tap Reset.
Beatgrid
A 4-beat grid is superimposed on the scrolling waveform. The first beat of a bar (the down beat) is represented by a yellow line. The following beats (intermediate beats) are each represented by a gray line. Occasionally, the beatgrid will not correspond to the rhythm of the track and will require manual editing.
To correct the beat grid:
- Make sure that djay for Android has finished analyzing the track.
- Position the deck played at the spot where the first beat of the first bar should be located.
- Tap . The beat grid editor appears.
- In the Downbeat tab, tap Set Grid Start when the deck played is at the correct location to move the beatgrid.
To return to the default beatgrid, tap Restore.
BPM and tempo
Adjusting the BPM
Occasionally, the BPM detected by djay for Android will not correspond to the
track’s actual BPM value. The BPM will then have to be adjusted manually.
To correct a track’s BPM:
- Tap Track BPM (8). The BPM/Tempo pop-up window is displayed Select the BPM tab.
- HALF button: divide the BPM value set by djay for Android by two.
- DOUBLE button: multiply the BPM value set by djay for Android by two
- TAP button: when the track is playing, tap the TAP button several times to the beat of the track. Next, tap Apply to correct the BPM
Tempo sensitivity
You can modify the tempo range and the settings for the tempo fader:
- Tap Track BPM (8). The BPM/Tempo pop-up menu appears.
- Select the Tempo tab.
- Select Invert: invert the direction of the tempo fader’s travel.
- Range ± drop-down menu: select a percentage range the tempo fader controls.
Track synchronization
The djay for Android app offers two ways to sync tracks:
- Tempo sync: only synchronizes tracks’ BPM.
- Beat sync: synchronizes tracks’ BPM and aligns the beats.
To modify the sync settings:
-
Access the djay for Android settings: tap the Dashboard button (4), then tap Settings and General.
In the Sync mode section, you can modify the sync type and interval:- Sync type: choose between tempo synchronization (BPM only) or beat synchronization (BPM and Beats).
- Beat Sync Interval: choose whether beat synchronization is carried out on one or four beats.
Slip mode
In Slip mode, the deck playhead continues to advance in the background when you apply an effect or a loop, place a CUE point, or when you use the Skip function or the jog wheels. When you stop applying an effect, playback resumes from the point where the track would be if it had kept playing. To enable Slip mode, tap or in the scrolling waveform display. The Waveforms pop-up menu appears. Toggle the Slip selector to the right.
Effects
The djay for Android app offers four modes that help you liven up your mix. To access the different modes, tap the FX/Loop/Cue/EQ button (15
FX
To access the effects panel, tap
- FX Pad tab
Five effects are available: Echo, Flanger, Phaser, Bit Crusher and Gate. Select an effect, then use the pad to apply the effect and modulate it.
- Instant tab
Six effects are available: Absorb, Drift, Sway, Crush, Punch and Twist. To
apply an effect, tap and hold the name of the effect. The effect stops when
you stop holding the name of the effect.
- Manual tab
Five effects are available: Echo, Flanger, Phaser, Bit Crusher and Gate. You
can apply up to three effects on the same deck. Select an effect and enable it
with the ON button. Next, adjust the effect’s intensity and the Wet/Dry
level
Loops
To access the loops panel, tap
Auto tab: manually determine the length of the loop Tap IN ① to indicate
the start of the loop, then tap OUT ② to indicate the end of the loop. The
loop starts playing automatically. Alternatively, you can select the length of
the loop using the arrows (from 1/32nd of a beat to 32 beats), then tap the
number representing the length of the loop ③ to apply the loop. The Loop
symbol turns blue when the loop is enabled. In both cases, to disable the
loop, tap the number representing the length of the loop
③
- Bounce tab: create loops from 1/16th of a beat to 2 beats
- Tap and hold a pad to apply a loop
- Pad tab: apply a loop and a high-pass filter (top of the pad) or low-pass filter (bottom of the pad) at the same time
Tap the left of the pad to apply a 1-beat loop. The farther you move towards
the right of the pad, the shorter the loop will be. At the right of the pad,
the loop applied will be 1/16th of a beat
HOT CUE points
- To access the HOT CUE panel, tap
- Cue tab: add up to eight HOT CUE points per track
- HOT CUE points stay saved on a track, even after you quit djay for Android.
To add a HOT CUE point, place the deck play head at the spot where you want to
insert the HOT CUE point, then tap a CUE button (letters from A to
H).
- To remove a HOT CUE point, tap , then tap the X corresponding to the HOT CUE point that you want to remove.
- Skip tab: move quickly and precisely within a track You can determine the length of the skip using the single arrows ①, and use the double arrows ② to skip forward or backward within the track.
Equalizer
To access the equalizer panel, tap . Adjust the filter and the gain, along
with the low, mid and high frequencies.
Monitoring
Feature available in djay PRO for Android. Monitoring on headphones is an important step in a DJ’s mix. This involves listening to a track on your headphones in order to prepare the transition with the track that is currently playing, without your audience noticing anything.
If you want to monitor the track:
- Connect the speakers/headphones DJ splitter cable (included with DJControl Mix) to the headphones output on your smartphone or tablet.
- In djay for Android, tap the Dashboard button, then tap Settings to access the app’s settings.
- Enable Split output – Enable split output for precueing with audio adapter.
- Connect your headphones to the green output on the speakers/headphones DJ splitter cable, and your speakers to the black output.
- When you want to monitor a track, simply push the Monitoring button on the DJControl Mix controller corresponding to the track that you want to monitor.
Other
Settings
To access the settings for the djay for Android app, tap the Dashboard button
(4), then tap Settings.
FAQs and technical support
Do you have questions regarding the djay for Android app, or are you
encountering technical problems? If so, please visit the Algoriddim technical
support website: https://help.algoriddim.com/hc/ (available in English
only).
djay PRO for Android unlock
Need the advanced features in djay PRO for Android? In the pop-up window that
appears when you start up the app, tap Buy Now to unlock pre-cueing, mix
recording, Automix AI, and more