For over a decade, Algoriddim developed exclusively for Apple devices. It even won Apple's coveted Design Award in 2016 and previously took an Apple Store Best Of award.
But when the company's VP of Product, Michael Simmons, first saw the Microsoft Surface Studio and Surface Dial, he thought it would be a great fit for the company's djay Pro software. He was right. "This is the best platform we've ever developed djay for," he tells PCMag.
Windows Bridge for iOS enabled Algoriddim to take its Objective C code for the Apple devices and bring it into Visual Studio. There, the Bridge translates iOS APIs to Windows 10 Universal Windows Platform-compatible code, letting a developer reuse about 80 percent of the Apple code in order to create an equivalent Windows 10 app. The result isn't a simple port of the iOS app; rather, it uses native Windows 10 interface elements and capabilities. Bridge is all open source code, so it's not like Microsoft can unilaterally control it.
"Windows has been our No. 1 platform request," Simmons said, and the Bridge made the task easier than building a new app from the ground up.
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But not everyone has the huge music library of a pro DJ. Spotify does, so djay Pro can hook into a Spotify Premium account, for a nearly unlimited selection of tunes to mix and scratch.
With this release, you can only use one Surface Dial, but Simmons admitted that using multiple Dials would be a plus. They retail for $99.99, which isn't much in terms of pro music equipment. Simmons told me djay Pro is the first developer to create an app with "zone awareness" for the Dial, meaning that its function changes depending on where you place it on the screen. For example, the Dial defaults as a cross fader control, but if you put it over one of the virtual turntables, you can scratch on that. If you put it over the tempo indicator, you can speed up or slow down the music's tempo.
The Dial also works if it's not on the screen—that's just another zone. When on a Surface Book or Surface Pro, you don't get this zone awareness, but you can still use the Dial. You can set it to do things like changing the volume or to add an effect such as flange. If the Dial isn't enough physical control for you, the app has plug-and-play support for over 50 standard MIDI controllers. And in the other direction, you could simply forgo external hardware and use the PC's touch screen to work all the apps many controls and effects.
The app doesn't merely let you queue and mix four tracks, but it can sync up both their tempi and their key signatures. The Dial also lets you simply scroll through your song library, which can include not only Spotify tracks, but locally stored music files, iTunes library tunes, and Windows Media Player library. It doesn't yet support the Microsoft Groove on-demand music service or SoundCloud.
The Munich-based company may have top international DJs—including David Guetta and Armin van Buuren—as "Software Ambassadors," but its software is just as well-suited for kids learning about music. "The mission of Algoriddim was to make everyone a DJ or to be inspired by music," said Simmons.
For now, the Windows 10 app lacks the Mac version's video-mixing capabilities, but Simmons said that was on the product roadmap. Even without that, the $49.99 djay Pro app (discounted at launch), is a joy to make music with, and even more so if you're lucky enough to use it on a Surface Studio.