Everyone is going crazy over Denon gear at the moment! So we thought it was definitely time to pop the hood on Denon’s Engine Prime software!
We all know that music management software allows DJs to prep their music so that when they go from gig to gig they are ready to play their music, all vital information for their performance is embedded into the audio files ready for them to play on a specific piece of hardware.
Which means that they only have to focus on playing a killer set instead of analysing tracks, finding hot cue positions, setting up loop points et al.
Denon DJ Engine Prime is one such software, whilst other manufacturers have their own versions we take a look at why Denon DJs Engine Prime stands out, in more recent times, amongst the pack.
Denon DJ has come a long way with their Engine Prime software and ecosystem, but what is it and what are the benefits? We take a look at the software and OS combination and deliver a concise rundown into it.
Introduction
Denon DJ Engine Prime is a music management software for auditioning, managing and preparing your tracks, it allows DJs not only to listen to their music but to also set up hot cues, loop points, meta data (information about a track stored on the audio file) as well as the ability to organise their music into playlists.
DJs can use the metadata filters to browse tracks by certain categories including genre, BPM, and key which is a useful tool when it comes to searching for tracks that could sit together nicely in the mix.
Launched in 2017, the Engine Prime software now at version 1.6 has come a long way since its launch and has become a very powerful tool for DJs who are using the Denon DJ workflow, be it in hardware or software form.
Just to note that DJs using Denon DJ’s SC6000 (SC5000) multimedia players can skip prepping their tracks in Engine Prime as the players using the Engine Prime OS can analyse your music for you, but to get the most out of a performance and the gear it is best to utilise the Engine Prime software to unlock the full potential of the Denon DJ set up.
1. Immediate Benefits
One of the main benefits of the Denon Engine Prime software is that it has a very clear and simple layout making it quite easy to navigate, which results in a faster workflow. This management software has a suite of preparation tools that allows a DJ to deep dive into their music and get their tracks ready for their gigs and performances.
When talking about the benefits of Engine Prime over other music management software we have to highlight the fact that it also allows DJs to access other manufacturers music management preparation data to be used on Prime enabled hardware.
This is something that other music management programs can’t do natively, there are third party options to do this, but the ability to do it from one software platform is welcomed over having to use additional pieces of software.
If you’re switching or using both the Serato and Denon DJ platforms it is easy to access your Serato DJ Crates in the Engine Prime software, not only can you access your existing Serato Crates and music but all your hot cue and saved loop information can be accessed as well. As a user you don’t have to go back and rebuild these into your tracks.
It is not just Serato DJ of which you can migrate and convert your pre-existing playlists and music as the Engine Prime software will also allow for Pioneer DJ’s rekordbox, Apple Music App/iTunes, Native Instruments Traktor, all to be migrated and converted into Engine Prime format in the software. It is an easy process that takes seconds and isn’t complicated to do. This in itself is a major coup for the software, and for Denon DJ as it means that DJs using any of the other major platforms or music management software can easily switch to a Denon DJ setup (hardware or software) with a minimum of fuss.
The versatile nature of the Denon DJ Engine Prime software in itself allows for Denon DJ to position itself firmly amongst its competitors in this very competitive environment.
Engine Prime can also connect directly to your Dropbox account allowing the user to store their music collection in the cloud of which can then be accessed remotely from Engine OS hardware, again with all the vital information stored and ready to go.
2. Workflow
In terms of customizing your workflow and how the software and then the hardware works for you, a DJ can set up and save a user profile in Engine Prime allowing them to tailor their personal settings to their workflow. Thus meaning that each DJ can set up Engine Prime exactly how they like and or want to use it. With the settings then being able to be recalled on to the hardware once the personal profile is loaded into it.
This is handy for configuring your hardware set up across different Prime enabled players so that when moving from one to another your preferred settings can be used no matter what piece of kit you are using.
3. Streaming and Wi-Fi Capabilities
DJs using Engine Prime also get Beatport Link and Beatsource Link streaming capabilities, opening up a whole world of access to Beatport’s and Beatsource’s music catalogue.
Denon DJ were the first manufacturer to have this implemented into their hardware and software in fact they were the first brand to have Wi-Fi enabled kit meaning that DJs only need an active Wi-Fi connection to take advantage of the ability to use Denon DJ Engine Prime hardware for direct streaming from these platforms and to utilise Engine Prime cloud capabilities.
As from August 2021, a Wi-Fi connection will also allow version 1.6.0 Engine OS devices to connect and install the next available update directly to the unit itself.
You can read more about this feature release over at Denon DJ here.
4. Engine OS
The other side to Engine Prime is the Engine OS operating system which is at the beating heart of the Denon DJ hardware, the OS sitting inside your Prime Media players and controllers allows for the complex operation of these pieces of kit and also enables Denon DJ to incorporate and update features at will to their hardware players.
The combination of Denon DJ Engine Prime and Engine OS makes the Denon DJ ecosystem very feature-rich and also means that the system can keep on growing with new features and technology incorporated into it by firmware and OS updates.
Finishing Thoughts on the Engine Prime DJ Software
We fully appreciate how difficult it is for any company to create or ‘change the game’ in DJ software, especially in this seemingly over-saturated market. However, we truly do believe that Denon DJ has made a huge leap with the Engine Prime software. It truly delivers on all aspects of DJ’ing and demonstrates limitless possibilities for anyone’s creativity when using the software.
This is just our thoughts, we now want to hear yours. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think of the software – Do you find it easy to use? Does it satisfy your creative needs? Get writing!
