Are you skipping past Rekordbox updates? Maybe don’t pass on this one – AlphaTheta finally stopped deleting histories when you import them from USB sticks.
After some bumpy issues with that first release or two, I’m exceptionally happy with AlphaTheta (Pioneer) Rekordbox 7. Pioneer has addressed the performance and UI wrinkles that had constantly given me issues, and even if you do your actual DJing with other tools, it’s absolutely worth keeping Rekordbox around for library management.
All of that works perfectly well even without a paid subscription. (I’ll leave ranting about what the heck AlphaTheta is doing with subscription pricing for somewhere else, but the short version: can’t we just pay to unlock recording permanently rather than deal with all this complexity, especially when we own your hardware? Okay, enough.)
7.0.6 caught my eye with one very important feature. Well, two – I’m also glad to switch over to FLAC on Beatport purchases. New in this release (emphasis mine):
NEW
- On the OPUS-QUAD/OMNIS-DUO, added the single sign-on function, which allows the use of TIDAL with a TIDAL account logged in via rekordbox.
Note: Update the firmware of your DJ equipment to the latest version.
OPUS-QUAD: version 1.22 or later
OMNIS-DUO: version 1.11 or laterIMPROVED
- Lossless (FLAC) is now selectable when using Beatport and Beatsource.
- TIDAL tracks are now available in Export mode.
Note: it’s not possible to load/play TIDAL tracks on a CDJ/XDJ or all-in-one player via USB EXPORT or LINK EXPORT.- Added an option to import Histories from a USB/SD device into rekordbox without deleting them from the device.
FIXED
- Improved stability and fixes for other minor issues.
For more on formatting USB sticks, I refer you to the comprehensive guide I wrote (with some feedback from Pioneer’s own engineers, in fact):
I am a little torn on Device Library Plus, however. If you’re in a hurry, turning it off remains an okay idea for now, as you’re honestly not likely to get much out of it for the time being. Leaving it on in fact future-proofs your USB sticks, in theory, but it does mean a longer format. For now, I do have it on and it hasn’t caused much trouble. The main advice remains – buy fast SanDisk USB sticks. I buy them like candy. The label to look for is “SanDisk Ultra 64 GB USB 3.0” – that’s the quick and reliable one. Lately, I’ve been buying them in orange and blue just because they’re easier to spot in the dark, including when you’re leaving a booth.
They’re cheap enough that if you do lose them, it’s not a big deal. I just bought another orange one while writing this. That way, you leave duplicates/backups in multiple bags and pockets, and they’re just always there, even when you show up at a place with CDJs or someone has a computer and a controller and you didn’t expect to play. (I know someone who got a gig at Tresor just by being there when a DJ unexpectedly missed arriving.)
And now Rekordbox will stop deleting your histories from them. Who said we don’t live in the future?
