The Best iPad DJ Apps - Our Top Three

With the release of the iPad, it was inevitable that there would soon be a glut of iPad DJ apps being released. After all, the iPad is about the same size as a vinyl record or a CDJ deck. There have been iPad DJ apps released for the iPhone, but the small size of the screen didn't really make them viable as anything much more than a toy. In this article I am going to look at the three best iPad DJ apps I have seen to date.

In third place we have midiPad. This is a paid app that mimics the layout of a typical digital controller. MidiPad is able to communicate wirelessly by network-MIDI-protocol, thereby enabling the controller to link to and control the DJ software on your Mac or PC. It has a clean, minimal interface and features controls such as sliders, trigger pads, buttons, etc.

As of the date of writing, the midiPad app is "available soon".

In second place is Groovemaker for iPad from IK Multimedia. This is the software used by Rana Sobhany, the so-called first ever iPad DJ. It allows you to select from a library of loops and then to layer them together and make a recording of your mix. Groovemaker comes in various versions, including house, drum and base, and hip-hop. There are both free and paid versions.

By far the best looking iPad DJ app is Mixr, the first iPad DJ app to be aimed at the professional DJ market. Mixr runs on a single iPad and features two realistic decks with pitch control and mixer functions. The virtual vinyl can be manipulated by hand, in exactly the same way we do on a standard DJ turntable. Mixr has a host of features including live EQ and effects, and track drag-and-drop selection. It is possible to cue tracks and to precisely beat match them together. It is the closest thing, by far, to a real DJ experience. Mixr will be available for download from the App Store from "Fall 2010".