DSS DJ

Pros

• Simple, logical graphical layout
• Professional beat-mixing effects
• Automatic beat matching
• Attractive interface skins

Cons

• No record scratching effect
• No MP3 encoder for recorded files

DSS DJ is a Windows program that lets you mix two songs together in a virtual mixing console that includes powerful DJ effects and features.

While DSS DJ is not free, you can try it for one month by downloading the free trial. The download size is fairly small, but the software itself is quite powerful and requires a somewhat fast PC. After 30 days, you must pay $57.50 to buy DSS DJ, but you should have a pretty good idea of whether it's useful enough to justify the price. To install DSS DJ, double-click the downloaded file to open the Windows Setup Wizard, which guides you through the installation process.

DSS DJ allows you to mix two MP3 files with effects such as echo, bend, reverse playback, record spin, distortion, loop and repeat. You can host an event or provide music for a night club using only your laptop and a pair of headphones. The virtual console is easy to navigate because most of the controls are laid out in a logical manner. When you begin playing a song in channel 1, you can cue up a song in channel 2 so that only you can hear it in your headphones. Once you properly align the beats, you can raise up the volume on channel 2 so that everyone can hear both tracks together.

One of the attractive features of DSS DJ is the user interface themes that you can change from the preferences menu. It's purely a cosmetic feature, but it can add value to the software if you ever project your laptop display onto a screen during a performance. No matter which theme you choose, you can see your MP3 library in the top console, which allows you to be creative when mixing songs together on the fly. It's a standard feature of most DJ tools, but it helps you match the mood of the crowd you're playing for.

DSS DJ is essentially a standalone virtual mixing console, so it lacks some capabilities of some of the more full-featured DJ applications. For example, it doesn't include a synthesizer or drum machine, and one noticeably missing feature is the record scratching sound included with most DJ tools. The software designers may think that not enough DJs use scratching in their performances to warrant including this feature, considering how simple it is to create. If you don't need scratching, DSS DJ's other features more than make up for the omission.

Not only can you use DSS DJ for live performances, but you can set it up for recording high-quality WAV audio in a studio. This feature gives you the option of pre-recording a set for a performance or creating a demo track for potential clients.

Pros

• Simple, logical graphical layout
• Professional beat-mixing effects
• Automatic beat matching
• Attractive interface skins

Cons

• No record scratching effect
• No MP3 encoder for recorded files