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Topic: Virtualdj Vs Torq

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I was ask the following question:

So what do you use Chachi? VDJ or Torq?

Which one do you like better?

This was my answer;

Ok, that’s a very good question.

I use them both. But because I have some issues at the time with the TCV on virtualdj I’m using Torq a little bit more. Also I’ve been using Virtualdj for 3 years, so I’m using Torq more often to be as fluid with Torq as I am with Virtualdj. Now when I want to practice beat juggling or I know that I’m going to show off that night on that gig by doing beat juggling and other tricks with turntables I use Torq. At the beginning I didn’t like Torq but after using it for a while I started to like it more and more or maybe I’m just getting use to it. , I like more Virtualdj it has much more features I just need to fix the TCV issue that I’m having. I need it to be as responsive as Torq or Serato.


The Browser:

Virtualdj’s browser is 100% better than Torq. You can add or remove columns in virtualdj, you can’t on Torq, sense you can’t remove columns in Torq what I do is I arrange them until some of the ones that I don’t want are hidden under the other columns.

The search:

On virtualdj you search for a song and you drag it to the deck and after that you can click what ever button on the program, if you click on the search box again it resets and you can immediately do another search. On Torq you do a search, drag the song to the deck and after that you want to hit the play shortcut on your keyboard and it doesn’t work, because the search has the attention, as a matter fact the keyboard is going to be type on the search box, that doesn’t happen on Virtualdj.

AutoMix:

This is simple. Torq doesn’t have an auto mix. I love the auto mix of Virtualdj and I’ll tell you why: Where I live (Latin country, an island to be exact) I have to work with lots of different music gene on a single night, salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton, Techno, Trance, hip hop you name it we’ll dance to it here. At the beginning I had a friend who used to help me, so he used to play the Latin music and I used to take care of the rest, but now I work by my self since he left to the states. That’s when auto mix comes in; it plays the Latin music for me while a take a break.

Ahh not to mention that you can edit the AutoMix mix points. That’s a very cool feature.

The Rhythm Window:

At the beginning I didn’t like at all the Idea of having the wave form one on top of the other, like Torq. I kind of like more the way Virtualdj displays it, one behind the other. When the two colors where match the music was on perfect sync, but… yea but… Torq isn’t perfect you know, so it has a small % of drift when you start doing very super fast back spinning so I couldn’t depend on the markings on the record as cue because of the small drift, so I started looking at the Rhythm window for the cue on the wave form instead of the markings (labels) on the record. In this case is better visually to have the wave form one on top of the other one instead of one behind the other because you loose eye sight.

Playlist:

One thing I don’t like about the playlist in Torq is the following: Once you select all the songs you want on the playlist the only way to change the order of the songs is dragging and arranging them song by song. Maybe M-Audio does it that way because they think when you do a playlist you already know the order you are going to play them, which is not true. On Virtualdj just click on the top of the column you want the play list to be arranged by, Artist, Title, BPM, etc, etc. So I like 100% more the way Virtualdj playlist was done.

File System / Folder Structure:

Well I like both of them. They have there differences but the bottom line is that they are both good. One thing I like about Torq is that if you already have the program running and for some reason you plug a memory stick with a couple of MP3’s all you have to do is hit the F5 function key and immediately refreshes the File System Windows showing the removable drive.

ID3 Tag Support:

Torq doesn’t have any.

That’s a must have on any MP3 Dj software. So if you what to edit any tag you have to end up using another third party program, like Tag&Rename or what ever. On Virtualdj you can do it on the fly.

BPM Analysis and Key Detection:

Well both of them do BPM analysis and they both do a good job, but Virtualdj also does the Key detection, Torq doesn’t. I have to cheat on that one; I scan all my files with Virtualdj and then use the key information to write it down in Torq, just the key information, the BPM I do with Torq. I don’t use the key for mixing or harmonic mixing like they call it, I just like seen it there. It might be useful (I know is useful for lots of Dj’s)

Cue Points:

Virtualdj when nuts on that one. You have infinite number of cue points saved per songs on virtualdj plus you can delete them on the fly, I like that, +1 on the programmers of Virtualdj. Torq has only 5 cue points that are saved per songs on each deck. I think that 5 are sufficient, but I like the Idea of infinite. Plus you can’t delete the cue points on Torq, at least not on version 1.0.7. The only way is re analyzing the file or erasing the .tqd file that saves the analysis information.

Beat Grid Vs Phase Grid

Virtualdj calls it Beat Grid; Torq calls it Phase Grid, basically the same thing. Virtualdj marks the downbeat with a fat square and the beats that follows with a square that’s half the size, pretty cool. Torq uses a thick gray line for the down beat and a thinner line (also gray) for the beats that follows. What’s really cool about Torq is that when a mis-alignment occurs It can be fixed on the fly by holding the shift key on the keyboard and dragging the Phase Grid right on the rhythm window, and we all know how often we have to do that when freestyle music is analyzed (imagine on Latin music). On Virtualdj can also be align on the fly but you have to click the BPM button select the correct tab and move the phase slider. I like Torq’s way.

Manual BPM correction:

Virtualdj has more options for BPM correction, far more. But what I like about Torq is that you can correct the BPM on the fly by just clicking the tempo with the mouse on the BPM display or by double clicking and writing down the BPM, information is save to the file on the fly (not to the ID3 tag, Torq doesn’t write to the ID3 tag). Virtualdj on the other hand has a very cool option that lets you copy the BPM from the other deck, so you can correct the BPM by beat matching both songs and coping the BPM from one deck to the other, that’s very, very cool.

Skins:

Instant Doubles:

Effects:

Sampler:

Record:

Etc, etc:

To be continued: I got to Sleep!!!!!



Ahh remember Torq 1.5 is coming and that can make a very big difference of what I feel and think at the moment.
 
Posted Fri 28 Nov 08 @ 12:02 am
Torq 1.5 was announced more months ago but where is?
 
You can say that again. They divide the development on 12 stages. They recently got to stage 6 and they stood on stage 5 for a little to long a may say. Also they announced the update for January 2009, but I don't think they are going to jump 6 more stages in just two months.

Torq 1.5 Development Status:

Torq-dj.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.Torq-dj.com/
 
Dj Chachi wrote :
The Rhythm Window:

At the beginning I didn’t like at all the Idea of having the wave form one on top of the other, like Torq. I kind of like more the way Virtualdj displays it, one behind the other. When the two colors where match the music was on perfect sync, but… yea but… Torq isn’t perfect you know, so it has a small % of drift when you start doing very super fast back spinning so I couldn’t depend on the markings on the record as cue because of the small drift, so I started looking at the Rhythm window for the cue on the wave form instead of the markings (labels) on the record. In this case is better visually to have the wave form one on top of the other one instead of one behind the other because you loose eye sight.


You can split them on VDJ if you set the skin up to do it. I have a toggle on my skin to go between overlayed and split, and on the split I have a ghost shadow of the other waveform on each individual one as well.

Dj Chachi wrote :
Virtualdj calls it Beat Grid; Torq calls it Phase Grid, basically the same thing. Virtualdj marks the downbeat with a fat square and the beats that follows with a square that’s half the size, pretty cool. Torq uses a thick gray line for the down beat and a thinner line (also gray) for the beats that follows. What’s really cool about Torq is that when a mis-alignment occurs It can be fixed on the fly by holding the shift key on the keyboard and dragging the Phase Grid right on the rhythm window, and we all know how often we have to do that when freestyle music is analyzed (imagine on Latin music). On Virtualdj can also be align on the fly but you have to click the BPM button select the correct tab and move the phase slider. I like Torq’s way.


You can also assign keyboard/MIDI shortcuts or skin buttons to alter the CBG which can make things quicker for you :)
 
Dj Chachi wrote :
You can say that again. They divide the development on 12 stages. They recently got to stage 6 and they stood on stage 5 for a little to long a may say. Also they announced the update for January 2009, but I don't think they are going to jump 6 more stages in just two months.

Torq 1.5 Development Status:

Torq-dj.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.Torq-dj.com/


I have personally have a on going Joke with maudio about this at tradeshows for the last year im yet to have a set date or some sort of comment.

I like Torq (credit where its due) i use it occasionally with an Xponnent (it has its uses particularly with protools) but am starting to worry about whats going on.

I will excitedly await the update.

I personally own and test all DVS systems to compare features.
 
SBDJ wrote :

You can split them on VDJ if you set the skin up to do it. I have a toggle on my skin to go between overlayed and split, and on the split I have a ghost shadow of the other waveform on each individual one as well.



How can I split the wave form in the 4.xx Skin?

4.xx Is my favorite skin, it has everything I need and use right on the main skin, instant doubles or clone I may say, all types of loops sizes, effects, sampler, cues, etc, etc. The only thing it doesn’t have that I need is the TCV quality indicator, which I really need until I fixed the issue I'm having
 
Dj Chachi wrote :

I use them both. But because I have some issues at the time with the TCV on virtualdj I’m using Torq a little bit more. Also I’ve been using Virtualdj for 3 years, so I’m using Torq more often to be as fluid with Torq as I am with Virtualdj. Now when I want to practice beat juggling or I know that I’m going to show off that night on that gig by doing beat juggling and other tricks with turntables I use Torq. At the beginning I didn’t like Torq but after using it for a while I started to like it more and more or maybe I’m just getting use to it. , I like more Virtualdj it has much more features I just need to fix the TCV issue that I’m having. I need it to be as responsive as Torq or Serato.


This is an old post I just want to add something in case someone from this forum or not from this forum reads:

All my issues with Virtualdj are gone, is history. Virtualdj is running flawlessly that means I can beat juggle, scratch and do all sort of tricks with it with no problem using Virtualdj TCV or Serato TCV. Programs is as or even more responsive than Serato or Torq. I'm back to using Virtualdj 95% of the time I have to Dj.
 


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