Djay Pro

The smash iOS app moves to OS X – but does it make the grade?

£39.99 Developer Algoriddim, algoriddim.com

Requires OS X 10.9 or higher

On paper, djay feels like an incongruous candidate for promotion from iOS to Mac. The joy of djay (or indeed djay2) on iOS is being able to spin virtual vinyl on a pair of pretend decks. Thankfully, what djay Pro lacks in tactile fun, it makes up for by doing everything it can to help you seamlessly mix tunes together and make them sound great. It hasn’t ditched the virtual decks, but it doesn’t feel as natural with a mouse.

The app automatically integrates with your iTunes library and features all the tools you’re likely to need: a sync button for automatically matching up BPMs, multiple cue points, flexible looping options, a sample pad and a bunch of audio effects. If you’re feeling ambitious you can even work with four decks.

It can get cramped, though, because djay Pro insists on keeping the file browser on screen at all times. The FX/Loop/Cue points interface is hidden, but can slide in unobtrusively; similarly, the sample pad is hidden but obscures your decks when it appears. Algorriddim boasts that djay Pro has been rebuilt

A combination of performance and price, perfect for messing about at home or taking out to a club.

to take advantage of the power of the Mac; it would be nice if more attention had been paid to the UI, because what works on multi-touch screens doesn’t always work with a keyboard and mouse. These are small quibbles, though. Jim McCauley

Perhaps understandably, the OS X version inspires less spontaneity than its iOS predecessors. A cheap and easy way to DJ Great tools and excellent sound Not enough evolution from iOS Needs a MIDI controller to excel