Mixxx the open source alternative to virtualDJ
The release of the new version of Mixxx 2.4 was recently announced , and the most important new feature in this release is support for exporting playlists and libraries to Engine DJ OS devices. It also introduces "Effect Chains," a set of effects that can be saved and reloaded, significant improvements to the track menu, and much more.
For those unfamiliar with Mixxx, it's a program that provides a complete set of tools for professional DJs and music mixers. It supports Ogg and MP3 audio formats, and other formats can be played using plugins. Its advantage lies in being a program that can be used by both beginners and advanced users.
What's new in Mixxx 2.4?
In this new version of Mixxx 2.4, as mentioned at the beginning , the main new feature is support for Engine DJ OS devices . This now allows users to export containers, playlists, and libraries. This enables users to prepare tracks on a laptop using Mixxx and then transfer them to individual controllers like Denon and Numark via a USB drive.
Another new feature in this version of Mixxx 2.4 is support for saved looped audio samples, which can be assigned to any slot with hot cues. It's mentioned that this feature is especially useful for those working with Serato DJ tracks that already have saved loops, as Mixxx 2.4 will import them automatically.
In addition, it's now possible to save, reload, import, and export effects chains, including all their parameters and links to Meta Knobs. You can also link an effects chain to a Super Knob to turn it into a Quick Effect. With the ability to create custom Super Knob mappings, users can take creative control with a single knob, offering a more dynamic and expressive mixing experience.
It is also noted that additional features have been added to the track menu , including the ability to select downloaded tracks from a library, analyze the number of beats per minute (BPM) of each track, delete track files from the disk, and search metadata.
Version 2.4 of Mixxx also brings a series of other changes and improvements, among which the following stand out:
- Improved sync lock.
- Added support for manually selecting the sync leader, which is especially useful when tracks have variable BPMs.
- Updated Soundstretcher/Key-Shift algorithms
- The oscillogram (waveform) drawing has been reworked.
- Modernized driver mapping system based on Javascript ES7.
- Added support for Apple systems based on ARM Apple Silicon chips.
Finally, if you are interested in learning more, you can find the details at the following link.
How to install DJ Mixxx 2.4 on Linux?
If you're interested in installing this application, you can do so by following the instructions below, depending on your operating system. To install this application, go to its official website and find the following in the downloads section.
For Ubuntu and derivative users, the application developers provide a repository. You can add this repository by opening a terminal on your system with Ctrl + Alt + T and running the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mixxx/mixxx sudo apt update sudo apt install mixxx
If you are a Fedora user, you can easily obtain the application; you just need to have the RPMFusion repository enabled on your system, and from the terminal you can perform the installation with:
sudo dnf install https://mirrors.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm
If you are an Arch Linux, Manjaro , or any other Arch Linux-based distribution user, you can install it from the AUR repositories. You only need to have this repository enabled, and you can install it from the terminal with:
yay -S mixxx
For the rest of the distributions we must download the source code and compile.
We can download it from git with the following command:
git clone -b 2.4 https://github.com/mixxxdj/mixxx.git
And we must follow the instructions to install the necessary dependencies from this link, which is this one.