ROLAND DJ-808





for VirtualDJ 8.2
Last Update : May 2017


 

SETUP


Firmware & Drivers


Firmware : Update the firmware of the unit to the latest available version from https://www.roland.com/global/support/by_product/dj-808/updates_drivers/

Drivers : (for both Windows and Mac OSX) .Download and install the latest drivers from https://www.roland.com/global/support/by_product/dj-808/updates_drivers/ .

VirtualDJ Setup


Download and install VirtualDJ from https://www.virtualdj.com/download/index.html (in case you have not done already)

Once VirtualDJ is opened, a Connect Window will appear. Login with your virtualdj.com account’s credentials.

A Pro Infinity or a Pro Subscription License is required to use the Roland DJ-808. Without any of the above Licenses, the controller will operate for 10 minutes each time you restart VirtualDJ.
https://www.virtualdj.com/buy/index.html



A detection window will appear next verifying proper connection.

Click on the DJ-808 button in order VirtualDJ to apply the pre-defined audio configuration (speakers need to be connected to the rear side of the unit in this case)

Click to OK



The unit is now ready to operate.


MIDI Operation


The unit should be visible in the MAPPING tab of Settings and the “factory default” available/selected from the Mappings drop-down list.



The factory default Mapping offers the functions described in this Manual, however those can be adjusted to your needs via VDJ Script actions.
Find more details at https://www.virtualdj.com/wiki/VDJ8script.html


AUDIO Setup


The unit has a pre-defined Audio setup and a special button in the AUDIO tab of Config to provide that.



See also Advanced Setup for further Audio settings





For further software settings please refer to the User Guide of VirtualDJ.
https://www.virtualdj.com/manuals/virtualdj8/index.html
 

LAYOUT





S SHIFT. Hold this button down to access secondary functions of the Roland DJ-808

The functionality of each button, knob and slider per section (as shown in the image above) will be explained in detail in the following chapters

A Mixer & Browser Controls
B Deck Controls
C Performance Pads
D Effects
E TR Sampler
F Microphone
G Front & Rear Panels
 

MIXER & BROWSER CONTRLOLS




  1. CROSSFADER: Blends audio between the left and right assigned channels.

  2. VOLUME: Alter the output Volume of each Mixer Channel.

  3. TRS SAMPLER VOL: Alter the output Volume of both the TRS and software Sampler.

  4. CUE (CH PFL). Press this button to send this channel's pre-fader signal to the Headphones Channel for monitoring. When engaged, the button will be lit.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use the CUE buttons to select a Deck for the Vocal/Pitch unit

  5. CUE (SAMPLER PFL). Press this button to send Sampler signal to the Headphones Channel for monitoring. When engaged, the button will be lit.
    Hold SHIFT down and press this button on tempo to manual adjust the BPM of the TR Sampler (requires firmware update 1.1 or above)

  6. CHANNEL FX KNOB. Use this knob to adjust the Dry/Wet and High/Low Pass parameter of the selected Hardware Effect on each Channel. (middle position is Off position).

  7. CHANNEL FX BUT. Use these buttons to select a Hardware Effect for the Channels (Echo, Jet, Noise and Filter). 4 additional Hardware Mixer Effects are available (require firmware version 1.1 or above) by holding SHIFT down and pressing one of the 4 buttons (led will blink).

  8. * EQ-LOW. Adjust the Low (Bass) frequencies of each mixer channel.

  9. * EQ-MID. Adjust the Mid (Middle) frequencies of each mixer channel.

  10. * EQ-HI. Adjust the High (Treble) frequencies of each mixer channel.

    * Note The device is offering Full Stems controls. See details at EQ Modes

  11. TRIM: Adjusts the pre-fader output level (gain) of each channel mixer.

  12. CHANNEL VU: Indicates the pre-fader output volume of each channel mixer.

  13. MASTER VOLUME : Adjusts the Master Output Volume (Hardware operation - not visible on VirtualDJ GUI)
    The VU meter below this knob indicates the level of the Master Output.

  14. BACK: Set focus to Folders list. If focus is on the Folders list, use this button to open/close sub-folders.

  15. ADD PREPARE: Use this button to add the selected track from the Files List to the Automix List of Sideview.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to cycle through the available views of Sideview (Automix, Sidelist, Sampler and Karaoke)

  16. BROWSE Knob/push :
    Knob: Scrolls through files or folders. When SHIFT is pressed it scrolls faster (+/- 5 tracks/folders)

    Push the knob to select (focus) the next Browser window (Folders List -> Files List -> Sideview and cycle back).
    Hold SHIFT down and then push the BROWSE knob to toggle between the Normal and Zoomed Browser view

  17. LOAD CH3: Press this button to load the selected track from the Browser to Deck 3. Press and hold the same button for more than 1 second, to clone the Track from the Master Deck to this deck.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to sort the tracks of the Files list by Key (toggles between descending and ascending order).

  18. LOAD CH1: Press this button to load the selected track from the Browser to Deck 1. Press and hold the same button for more than 1 second, to clone the Track from the Master Deck to this deck.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to sort the tracks of the Files list by BPM (toggles between descending and ascending order).

  19. LOAD CH2: Press this button to load the selected track from the Browser to Deck 2. Press and hold the same button for more than 1 second, to clone the Track from the Master Deck to this deck.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to sort the tracks of the Files list by Title (toggles between descending and ascending order).

  20. LOAD CH4: Press this button to load the selected track from the Browser to Deck 4. Press and hold the same button for more than 1 second, to clone the Track from the Master Deck to this deck.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to sort the tracks of the Files list by Artist (toggles between descending and ascending order).

  21. BOOTH MONITOR: Adjust the volume of the Booth Output (connection at the rear panel)

  22. PANEL: Cycles through the Mixer panels of the default VirtualDJ GUI (Mixer, Video, Scratch and Master)
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to open/close the Sideview List of Browser

  23. Q: Quantize On/off When enabled, Hotcues and Loops will be quantized (applied to the nearest beat) on all 4 decks





 

DECK CONTROLS




S SHIFT.Hold this button down to access additional functionality for several buttons/knobs as described in this manual.
  1. PLAY: Play/Pauses the track. Hold SHIFT and then press this button to play the track in Stutter mode (while pressed)

  2. CUE: When the Deck is paused, you can set a temporary Cue Point by moving the Platter to place the Audio Pointer at the desired location and then pressing the Cue Button. During playback, you can press the Cue Button to return the track to this Cue Point. (If you did not set a Cue Point, then it will return to the beginning of the track.). If the Deck is paused, you can press and hold the Cue Button to play the track from the Temporary Cue Point. Releasing the Cue Button will return the track to the temporary Cue Point and pause it. To continue playback without returning to the Temporary Cue Point, press and hold the Cue Button, then press and hold the Play Button, and then release both buttons.
    Hold SHIFT and then press this button to return to the beginning of the track

  3. SYNC: Syncs the deck with the Master Deck. The Master Deck selection is made automatically by VirtualDJ, mostly depending on the Deck that is playing out in Master.

    Hold SHIFT and then press this button to manually set a deck as Master Deck and force all other decks to sync to the Master Deck when SYNC is used. To return to the automatic selection, press again the button on the deck that is currently lit.

  4. DECK SELECT: Use these buttons to select a Deck for the left and right side to control. The Left side of the DJ-808 can control decks 1 or 3, and the Right side can control decks 2 or 4.
    Press both 1,3 or 2,4 buttons at the same time to select the Dual Deck mode. When both buttons are list, several operations, such as Jog, Play etc will apply to both decks of the same side.

  5. JOG: Touch sensitive platter for scratching or bending. When in Vinyl mode, use the upper part of the jogwheel to scratch and the outer part to bend. When in Bend mode (Vinyl mode is disabled), use any part of the jogwheel to bend.
    Hold SHIFT and use the JOG in Seek (Search) mode.
    The outer LED ring will indicate the platter position and the inner ring the song progress

  6. GRID SLIDE: Hold this button down and then use the Jogwheel (22) to slide the Beat Grid (CBG) of the track to left or right.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to re-analyze the loaded track (re-calculate BPM and phase) and undo any manual adjustments

  7. GRID ADJUST: Hold this button down and then use the Jogwheel (22) to increase/decrease the width between 2 beats in the pattern and fine-adjust the BPM of the track.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to set the current track's position as First-Beat Anchor

  8. CENSOR: Press and keep this button down to play the track in reverse. Once the button is released, the track will resume playing from the position it would have been, if the reverse was never triggered (Censor)
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to toggle between normal and reverse play.
    The LED of the button will blink while the track is playing in reverse

  9. SLIP: Enables Slip Mode on each deck. Several software functions (such as Jogwheel movements, HotCues and Loops) will apply temporary on the track, and the track will return to the position it would have been when those functions are not triggered.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to toggle between the CD (Bend) and Vinyl (Scratch) modes for the Jogwheel

  10. PITCH : Pitch fader to adjust the Tempo of the track.
    The leds at the top and bottom of the Pitch fader will blink to indicate the direction you need to move the Pitch fader in order to regain control, in most cases when SYNC is used or Decks are swapped and have different pitch value.

  11. KEY SYNC: Press this button to match the Key of the deck with the one that the Master Deck has. Hold this button down for more than 2 seconds to reset the key of the loaded track back to its original value.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to enable/disable Master Tempo (Key Lock) and allow the Key of the track to retain its value when in Tempo changes.

  12. DOWN : Use this button to move the Key of the loaded track down by 1 semitone
    Hold SHIFT and then use this button to select the previous available % range for the Pitch fader

  13. UP : Use this button to move the Key of the loaded track up by 1 semitone
    Hold SHIFT and then use this button to select the next available % range for the Pitch fader

  14. AUTOLOOP: Press this button to enable/disable a seamless Loop of the selected size in beats.
    Use the same button to exit a manual loop (when IN/OUT were used)

  15. 1/2: Use this button to half the size of the Loop
    When a Loop is enabled, hold SHIFT and then use this button to move the Loop back in time in steps equal to the size of the Loop.

  16. X2: Use this button to double the size of the Loop
    When a Loop is enabled, hold SHIFT and then use this button to move the Loop forth in time in steps equal to the size of the Loop.

  17. IN: Use this button to set current track's position as the start point of a manual loop
    When a Loop is enabled, use this button to enable the Loop In adjust mode and then use the Jogwheel to fine-adjust the start point of the Loop. Press the same button again to disable the adjust mode (will be also disabled if the loop is turned off via the AUTOLOOP button)
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to enable/disable Smart Loop. When Smart Loop is enabled, a manual loop using the IN and OUT buttons will automatically snap to the nearest size in beats and become a seamless loop.

  18. OUT: Use this button to set current track's position as the ending point of a manual loop and complete a manual loop. When a Loop is enabled, use this button to enable the Loop Out adjust mode and then use the Jogwheel to fine-adjust the ending point of the Loop. Press the same button again to disable the adjust mode (will be also disabled if the loop is turned off via the AUTOLOOP button)
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to trigger (enable and jump to) the last triggered Loop.


 

PERFORMANCE PADS


The 8 RGB Pads offer various functions, depending on the selected Pad mode. Each of the 4 Pad mode buttons offers 3 individual modes. One with 1st press of the button, an additional mode with 2nd press of the same button and a 3rd one while SHIFT is held down. The modes (except the ones offered from the TR button) represent a page of the PADS section on the default VirtualDJ GUI.

  1. PAD MODE. Press any of the 4 available Pad mode buttons to set the Pads to Hotcues, Loop Roll, TR or Sampler mode.
    Press the same buttons twice to select the additional modes (Saved Loops, Loop, TR Velocity and Sampler Velocity)
    Hold SHIFT and then press any of the 4 available Pad mode buttons to set the Pads to Cue Loop, Slicer, TR Pattern and KeyCue mode. All 12 available Pad modes are explained in details in this page

  2. PADS. The 8 Pads offer different functionality depending on the selected mode.

  3. PARAMETER. Use these buttons to adjust the Parameters of the selected Pad mode.




Note Due to firmware limitation, Split Pages are not offered from the device's Pad mode buttons.

Read further details about Pads in the VirtualDJ manual

HOTCUES


Press the HOT CUE mode button to set the PADs to Hot Cue mode (button will be lit in white) and automatically load the Hotcues Pads page in VirtualDJ GUI

Each one of the 8 pad assigns a Hot Cue Point (1 to 8) or jumps the track to that Hot Cue Point (if assigned).
When a Hot Cue Button is unlit, you can assign a Hot Cue Point by pressing it at the desired point in your track. Once it is assigned, the Hot Cue Button will light on.
The color of the Pad depends on the setting nonColoredPOI or the assigned color from the POI Editor

Hold SHIFT and then press a pad to delete its assigned Hot Cue Point.

Use the PARAMETER buttons (44) to jump the song to the previous/next assigned HotCue point.
Hold SHIFT and then use the PARAMETER buttons (44) to jump 1 beat backwards/forward.



Hotcues Pads Page – VirtualDJ GUI



SAVED LOOPS


While the Hotcues mode is selected (white led), press the same HOT CUE mode button again to set the PADs to Saved Loops mode (button will be lit in orange) and automatically load the Saved Loops Pads page in VirtualDJ GUI

Each one of the 8 pad represents a slot to save and recall a loop. Press a Pad to save (and trigger at the same time - if not already) a Loop at the current position. Hold the same Pad down for more than 2 seconds to delete the saved loop from the slot.
When a Loop is saved to a slot, use the same Pad to load* (enable) the saved loop, but not jump to its position if the loop is saved to a later position than the current one (load and prepare).

Hold SHIFT and then use the same Pad to load* (enable) the saved loop, and jump to its position.

*Note that only 1 Loop can be enabled each time.

Use the PARAMETER buttons (44) to half/double the size of the Loop.
Hold SHIFT and then use the PARAMETER buttons (44) to move the Loop back/forth in time by 1 beat steps..



Saved Loops Pads Page – VirtualDJ GUI




CUE LOOP


Hold SHIFT and then press the HOT CUE mode button to set the PADs to Cue Loop mode (button will be lit in blue) and automatically load the Cue Loop Pads page in VirtualDJ GUI

In this mode each one of the 8 pads assigns a Hot Cue Point or jumps the track to that Hot Cue Point, but in both cases, it also triggers a Loop at that point (momentary or toggle depending on the selected mode from the Page menu).

Hold SHIFT and then press a pad to stutter/jump to the Hotcue (loop will remain triggered)

Use the PARAMETER buttons to half/double the size of the triggered Loop.

Hold SHIFT and then use the PARAMETER buttons to select the On/Off (Toggle) or Hold (momentary) Loop trigger mode.

By default the Cue Loops will be quantized. This can be turned off/on from the Page Menu on the GUI..



Cue Loop Pads Page – VirtualDJ GUI




ROLL


Press the ROLL mode button to set the PADs to Loop Roll mode (button will be lit in cyan) and automatically load the Loop Roll Pads page in VirtualDJ GUI

Press one of the 8 pads to trigger a momentary Loop Roll. Once the Pad is released, the track will resume playing from the position it would have been if the Loop Roll was never triggered. The exit point will be visible on the waveform of the VirtualDJ GUI with an additional “running” play marker.

Hold SHIFT to get a ½, ¾, 1 and 2 beats Loop Roll sizes for the 4 low pads.

Use the Page menu to apply the Loop Rolls to Video.

The PARAMETER buttons don't have any functionality in this mode.



Loop Roll Pads Page – VirtualDJ GUI




LOOP


While the Roll mode is selected (led is lit in cyan), press the ROLL mode button again to set the PADs to Loop mode (button will be lit in green) and automatically load the Loop Pads page in VirtualDJ GUI

Press one of the pads to trigger an Auto Loop of a different size in beats, depending on the selected page. There are 6 different pages available with sizes starting from 1/32 up to 128 beats.

Use the PARAMETER buttons to select the previous/next page with the desired Loop sizes

Hold SHIFT and then use the PARAMETER buttons to change the behavior of the Loop pads, by selecting the On/Off (toggle), Hold (momentary – while pad is pressed) or the Roll mode (track will resume to the position it would have been once the pad is released)



Loop Pads Page – VirtualDJ GUI




SLICER


Hold SHIFT and then press the ROLL mode button to set the PADs to Slicer mode (button will be lit in red) and automatically load the Slicer Pads page in VirtualDJ GUI

The 8 pads represent eight sequential beats—"Slices"—in the Beat Grid. The currently playing Slice is represented by the currently green lit pad. The light will move through the pads as it progresses through each eight-Slice phrase. Press a pad to repeat that Slice (hold it down if you want to keep looping it).
Once the Pad is released the track will continue to play from the position it would have been if the pad was never pressed.

Hold SHIFT and then use the Pads to repeat the memorized Slices (the Slices played/repeated last time)

Use the PARAMETER buttons to adjust the length of the Loop applied to the slice. Hold SHIFT down and then use the PARAMETER buttons to adjust the step of the Slices



Slicer Pads Page – VirtualDJ GUI



SAMPLER & SAMPLER VELOCITY


Press the SAMPLER mode button to set the PADs to Sampler mode (button will be lit in violet) and automatically load the Sampler Pads page in VirtualDJ GUI

Each one of the 8 pads triggers a sample from the selected Sampler Bank of VirtualDJ. If a bank has less than 9 samples, both sides of the DJ-808 will control the same samples. If a bank has more than 8 samples, the left side of the DJ-808 will control samples 1 to 8 and the right side samples 9 to 16. The PAD will be lit if a sample slot is loaded and will blink if triggered.
Press the pads to trigger a sample. Depending on the selected trigger Pad mode, use SHIFT and the same pads to stop the sample.

Use the PARAMETER buttons to select the Sampler Bank (previous/next).

Hold SHIFT down and then the PARAMETER buttons to select the Trigger Pad mode (on/off, hold, stutter, unmute)



Sampler Pads Page – VirtualDJ GUI


While the Sampler mode is selected (led is lit in violet), press the SAMPLER mode button again to set the PADs to Sampler Velocity mode (button will be lit in magenta) and automatically load the Sampler Pads page in VirtualDJ GUI

Same as in the Sampler mode, the Pads trigger a Sample from the selected Sampler Bank of VirtualDJ, but at the same time the output volume of each sample is controlled by the pressure applied on the Pad


Key-Cue mode


Hold SHIFT and then press the SAMPLER Mode button to set the Pads to Key-Cue mode (the led of the SAMPLER button will be lit in green color). The KeyCue page will be then selected and displayed in the Pads section of the VirtualDJ skins.


Keycue Page - VirtualDJ default skin


Keycue Page when SHIFT is pressed - VirtualDJ default skin


In this mode, the Pads trigger a selected Hotcue point (or the Temporary Cue if none selected or not available) at a selected Key semitone (from -7 to +7).

8 different pages/banks are offered with various semitone values to use and a 0 value (reset key to tis original value) is always offered in all pages.
Hold SHIFT and then select a Hotcue for the Key pads to trigger. Each time a Pad is pressed, the track will jump to that Hotcue point and will also alter the Key of the track to the value designated by it assigned value.

Use PARAMETER buttons -/+ to adjust the Key of the track without trigger a Hotcue.
Hold SHIFT and then use the PARAMETER buttons to select a different page/bank with different key semitone values.


TR


Press the TR mode button to set the PADs to TR mode (button will be lit in red).
This mode is a Hardware one and no Pad page will be loaded in the VirtualDJ GUI, nor the Pads in this mode send any MIDI signal, so cannot be assigned to any VirtualDJ operation.

In this mode the Instruments of the TR Sampler are assigned to the upper performance pads as follows.
Pad 1 : Bass Drum (BD)
Pad 2 : Snare Drum (SD)
Pad 3 : Closed HiHat (CH)
Pad 4 Open HiHat (OH)
The lower row of pads lets you play a roll on the instrument assigned to the Pad above it..

Press or hold down a performance pad. Pressing a pad in the upper row plays the instrument. Holding down a pad in the lower row plays a roll on the instrument. The spacing of the roll depends on how strongly you press the pad. The more strongly you press the pad, the shorter the spacing between strikes of the roll. You can use the PARAMETER [−] [+] buttons to change the roll variation.

TR VELOCITY


While the TR mode is selected (led is lit in red color), press the TR mode button again to set the PADs to TR Velocity mode (button will be lit in orange).
This mode is a Hardware one and no Pad page will be loaded in the VirtualDJ GUI, nor the Pads in this mode send any MIDI signal, so cannot be assigned to any VirtualDJ operation.

The upper 4 Pads operate exactly the same as in TR mode, with the difference that the volume of the Instruments depends on how strongly the Pads are pressed. The stronger you press the Pad, the louder the instrument’s volume.

While you hold down a pad in the lower row, the instrument plays a roll. The spacing of the roll depends on how strongly you press the pad. The more strongly you press the pad, the shorter the spacing between strikes of the roll.


TR PATTERN


Hold SHIFT down and then press the TR mode button to set the PADs to TR Pattern mode (button will be lit in green)
This mode is a Hardware one and no Pad page will be loaded in the VirtualDJ GUI, nor the Pads in this mode send any MIDI signal, so cannot be assigned to any VirtualDJ operation.

Use Pads 1 to 8 to select Patterns 1 to 8 for the TR Sampler.
Hold SHIFT down and then use the same Pads to select Patterns 9 to 16.

The same functionality if offered from the 16 TR buttons at the top when the PATTERN button is enabled.

 

EFFECT CONTROLS



Each one of the left/right FX unit offers Effect controls for the Left and Right assigned decks or TR Sampler and can operate in 2 modes. The Single Effects mode offers one effect slot but more parameters controls per effect. The Multi Effects mode offers 3 effect slots (to trigger more than 1 effect at the same time – chained effects). The selection between those 2 modes is done by pressing the TAP (51) button while SHIFT is held.



Single FX mode


Hold SHIFT down and then use the TAP (51) button to select the Single FX mode in the default GUI. The Single FX mode is selected by default on first launch


Single FX mode - 2 Decks Default skin


Single FX mode - 4 Decks Default skin


In this mode a single Effect is controlled with up to 6 Parameters and 3 Effect buttons. Only the first 2 Parameters are visible on the GUI. More Parameters and Effect buttons can be viewed in the FX GUI (opened from the + button on the GUI or using SHIFT+FX1 ON from the DJ-808)

  1. FX1 ON. Press this button to enable/disable the selected effect to the Left/Right selected deck.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button, to open/close the FX GUI of the selected Effect.

  2. FX2 ON. Press this button to select the previous effect from VirtualDJ Effects list. Hold SHIFT down and then use this button, to enable/disable the 1st effect button of the selected effect (if available).

  3. FX3 ON. Press this button to select the next effect from VirtualDJ Effects list.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button, to enable/disable the 2nd effect button of the selected effect (if available).

  4. FX1 knob. Controls the 1st effect parameter of the selected effect.
    Hold SHIFT down to control the 4th effect parameter of the selected effect (if available).

  5. FX2 knob. Controls the 2nd effect parameter of the selected effect.
    Hold SHIFT down to control the 5th effect parameter of the selected effect (if available).

  6. FX3 knob. Controls the 3rd effect parameter of the selected effect.
    Hold SHIFT down to control the 6th effect parameter of the selected effect (if available).


Multi FX mode


Hold SHIFT down and then use the TAP (51) button to select the Multi FX mode in the default GUI.


Multi FX mode - 2 Decks Default skin


Multi FX mode - 4 Decks Default skin


In this mode 3 different Effects can be applied and controlled with up to 2 Parameters for each FX slot. Only the first Parameter is visible on the GUI (and the 2nd Parameter while SHIFT is held on the DJ-808). More Parameters and Effect buttons can be viewed in the FX GUI (opened from the + button on the GUI)

  1. FX1 ON. Press this button to enable/disable the selected effect of FX slot 1.

  2. FX2 ON. Press this button to enable/disable the selected effect of FX slot 2.

  3. FX3 ON. Press this button to enable/disable the selected effect of FX slot 3.

  4. FX1 knob. Controls the 1st parameter of the selected effect of FX slot 1.
    Hold SHIFT to control the 2nd parameter of the selected effect of slot 1.

  5. FX2knob. Controls the 1st parameter of the selected effect of FX slot 2.
    Hold SHIFT to control the 2nd parameter of the selected effect of slot 2

  6. FX3 knob. Controls the 1st parameter of the selected effect of FX slot 3.
    Hold SHIFT to control the 2nd parameter of the selected effect of slot 3.


OTHER FX KEYS


  1. TAP While track is playing, tap this button on beat - at least 4 times - to manually set the tempo (BPM) of the loaded track.
    Hold SHIFT down and then this button to toggle between the Single and Multi Effect modes.

  2. BEATS Use this knob from the left side to select a Video Transition. Hold SHIFT down to adjust its Parameter (if available).
    Push the left side knob to trigger the selected Video Transition.

    Use this knob from the right side to select a Video Effect on Master. Hold SHIFT down to adjust its Parameter (if available).
    Push the right side knob to trigger the selected Video Effect on Master.



  3. FX ASSIGN Use these buttons to copy the selected effects from the left/right deck to the corresponding one.
    E.g. press the FX1 ASSIGN button of Mixer channel 2 to copy the effects from the Left assigned deck to Deck 2.

    Hold SHIFT down and then use these buttons to assign a deck as left/right side to the Video Crossfader. Use the [1] labeled buttons to assign a deck as left side of the Video crossfader and the [2] labeled buttons to assign a deck as right side of the Video crossfader. Note that only 1 deck can be assigned to each side.

 

TR SAMPLER





This is a 16-step sequencer. It lets you create a rhythm track using the sounds of the Roland TR-909/TR-808/TR-707/TR-606 rhythm machines or samples from the selected VirtualDJ Sampler Bank, or perform rhythms by striking the performance pads.


  1. VALUE. Changes the value of settings such as tempo, pattern scale, or shuffle.

  2. SCALE Selects one of the following choices as the time value of one step.
    8th note triplet : Three steps will be one beat.
    16th note triplet : Six steps will be one beat.
    16th note : Four steps will be one beat.
    32nd note : Eight steps will be one beat.
    Hold SHIFT andt hen press the button to specify the last step.

  3. SHUFFLE Adjusts shuffle (rhythmic swing).

  4. SYNC Synchronizes the tempo of the TR rhythm to the tempo of the VirtualDJ Master Deck
    Hold SHIFT and use this button to enable/disable Midi Clock synchronization. When enabled, the TR sequence will start/stop playing following the playing status of the Master Deck of VirtualDJ.

  5. TRIM Adjusts the volume of the instrument selected by the [BD] / [SD] / [CH] / [OH] buttons.

  6. ATTACK Adjusts the strength of the attack if the [BD] button is selected, or adjusts the sound of the snare rattle if the [SD] button is selected. * If the [CH] or [OH] button is selected, this knob does nothing.

  7. TUNE Adjusts the tuning (pitch) of the instrument selected by the [BD]/[SD]/[CH]/[OH] buttons.

  8. DECAY Adjusts the decay of the instrument selected by the [BD]/[SD]/[CH]/[OH] buttons.

  9. TR-REC Lets you step-record a pattern.
    Hold SHIFT down and then use this button to realtime-record a pattern using the performance pads (INST REC).

  10. PATTERN Lets you select rhythm patterns 1–16.

  11. FX [1], [2] Use these buttons to select which of the FX1, FX2 effect units will be used to apply a VirtualDJ effect to the TR Sampler.
    When FX [1] is selected, use the Effect unit on the left side of the DJ-808 to apply a VirtualDJ effect to the TR Sampler.
    When FX [2] is selected, use the Effect unit on the right side of the DJ-808 to apply a VirtualDJ effect to the TR Sampler.



    At the time this manual is written, the effects applied to the Sampler (both TR and VirtualDJ) are not offered in the default GUI of VirtualDJ. Hold FX1/FX2 buttons down for more than 2 seconds to load a special Sampler FX Pad page in the PADS section of the left/right deck.
    Use either the Pads on the DJ-808 to control the assigned actions of the Pad page or the left/right FX unit's controls.

  12. START/STOP : Plays/stops the pattern.
    [SHIFT] +[START/STOP] : Replays the currently-playing pattern from the beginning.

  13. [BD], [SD], [CH], [OH] Select the instruments when using TR-REC.
    [[SHIFT] + [BD] : Assigns the instruments of the TR-909.
    [SHIFT] + [SD] : Assigns the instruments of the TR-808.
    [SHIFT] + [CH] : Assigns the instruments of the TR-707.
    [SHIFT] + [OH] : Assigns the instruments of the TR-606.

  14. [1]–[8] Assigns a VirtualDJ sample (1 to 8) of the selected Sampler Bank as instrument.
    [SHIFT] + [1]–[4] Selects a Sampler Bank (1 to 4) of VirtualDJ

  15. ACC Adds an accent to the step when using TR-REC.

  16. CLEAR Deletes the content recorded by TR-REC for a specific instrument, or deletes the pattern.

  17. TR-S pads [1]–[16] Use these buttons to turn steps on/off or to select patterns.

  18. TR FADERS Adjust the output level of the instruments (bass drum, snare drum, closed hi-hat, open hi-hat).



Note : Most of the following information have been copied from the official Roland DJ-808 Manual


Read further details about the TR Sampler in the Roland DJ-808 manual
 

MICROPHONE - Voice Transformer


This section offers Pitch/Volume/Effect controls for the Microphone Input




  1. MIC SWITCH Turns the microphone input on/off, or selects ducking (a feature that lowers the output volume of non-mic sound when the mic input is active).
    The PEAK indicator lights when the mic input level is excessive.

  2. AUTO PITCH When enabled (led is list solid) the sung note is corrected to the nearest note chromatically.

    Use SHIFT+ AUTO PITCH, to use the Key of a VirtualDJ deck for the pitch correction. This will correct the sung note into notes that are in "Key" with the song playing. The pitch is corrected according to the key data of the channel selected by the [SHIFT] + [CUE] buttons.

  3. LEVEL Adjusts the output volume of the microphone input

  4. HI Adjust the volume of the high-frequency region.

  5. LOW Adjust the volume of the low-frequency region.

  6. PITCH Adjusts the pitch of the voice.

  7. FORMANT Adjusts the formant of the voice. Turning the knob in the “-” (minus) direction gives the sound a more masculine character; turning it in the “+” (plus) direction gives the sound a more feminine character.

  8. REVERB Adjusts the amount of the reverb effect to the Microphone input signal




Note : Most of the following information have been copied from the official Roland DJ-808 Manual


Read further details about the VT - Microphone in the Roland DJ-808 manual
 

FRONT & REAR PANELS





  1. POWER: Use the included power adaptor to connect DJ-808 to a power outlet. Use the Power Switch to turn the unit on and off. Turn on DJ-808 after all input devices have been connected and before you turn on amplifiers. Turn off amplifiers before you turn off the DJ-808

  2. MIC SENS Adjusts the mic input sensitivity.

  3. MIC INPUT. Connect your microphone to this socket using any of three types of plugs (XLR, TRS, phone).

  4. MASTER OUT 1 (L / R) connectors, 2 (L / R) jacks Connect your powered speakers or power amp here. The level of this output is controlled by the MASTER LEVEL knob at the top panel

  5. BOOTH OUT (L / R) jacks These are the output jacks for booth monitoring. The level of this output is controlled by the BOOTH MONITOR knob at the top panel

  6. INPUT (CH 1–CH 4) These sockets input sound to mixer channels 1–4. The CH1 and CH2 inputs support phono input from MM-type cartridges. Set the [INPUT SELECT] switch appropriately for the device you’re connecting.

  7. MIDI OUT This connection outputs MIDI messages such as MIDI clock.

  8. USB HOST These are USB audio input ports. Both ports 3 and 4 can supply USB bus power. For more about devices that can be connected, refer to the Roland website.

  9. USB. This USB connection sends and receives audio and control information from a connected computer.




  10. HEADPHONES SOCKET. Connect your 1/4" or 1/8" headphones to this output for cueing and mix monitoring.

  11. HEADPHONES VOLUME. Adjusts the volume level of the headphone output.

  12. HEADPHONES MIXING: Turn to mix between Cue and Program in the Headphone channel. When all the way to the left, only channels routed to Cue will be heard. When all the way to the right, only the Program mix will be heard.

  13. HEADPHONES SPLIT. When this switch is in the ON position, the headphone audio will be "split" such that all channels sent to Cue are mixed to mono and applied to the left headphone channel and the Program mix is mixed to mono and applied to the right channel. When the switch is in the OFF position, Cue and Program audio will be "blended" together.

  14. CROSSFADER ASSIGN: Routes the audio playing on the corresponding channel 1 to 4 to either side of the crossfader (A or B), or bypasses the crossfader and sends the audio directly to the Program Mix (center, THRU).

  15. INPUT SELECT: Select the input source for each mixer channel.
    CH1, CH2
    PC : The sound loaded into VirtualDJ deck 1/2 is the source. Select this if you’re using DVS (Timecodes).
    LINE : The line level input is the source.
    PHONO : The phono level (MM type cartridge) input is the source.

    CH3, CH4
    PC : The sound loaded into VirtualDJ 3/4 deck is the source. Select this if you’re using DVS (Timecodes).
    LINE : The line level input is the source.
    USB : The input from the USB HOST port is the source.

  16. CROSSFADER CURVE. Switches the response curve of the cross fader.

  17. CH FADER CURVE: Switches the response curve of the channel faders.



















 

ADVANCED SETUP



SAMPLER


The TR Sampler Output in the DJ-808 is a mix of the Hardware TR Sampler and the VirtualDJ Sampler and a sequence can include a combination of both. We found the TR Sampler input signal a bit low during our tests, so we increased its input gain. If for any reason you need to change this (decrease or increase), and you find that the Software and the Hardware Samples are not in the same output level, you can modify the multiply parameter (sampler_inputgain value) in the ONINIT key of the Roland DJ-808 mapping.


TR Sampler Input - Gain Adjust



MICROPHONE


The signal of the Microphone Input is directly routed to the Master Output of the Roland DJ-808 and it is also included in the special Record Input, so you will find that the Microphone is working properly (and recorded as well), regardless if you have enabled this via the MIC ON button from the Master panel of VirtualDJ or not, or even if you exclude the "mic" line from the default audio configuration of VirtualDJ.

The microphone input is necessary to be included in the Audio setup and enabled from the ON button in VirtualDJ, only in case you need to apply software Effects to this input.
In order to do this, you will need to route the Microphone input to a VirtualDJ deck, by assigning the action deck x linein 'mic' (where x is the number of the deck that you wish to route the mic to) to a keyboard/custom button


Apply software effects to Microphone


STAND-ALONE MIXER


Audio from devices such as a DJ player or turntable (analog) can be input directly to the rear panel INPUT (CH 1–CH 4) jacks, and mixed by the DJ808’s mixer section. The input is routed to a VirtualDJ deck*, so you can also apply VirtualDJ effects to the external audio inputs and also include to your recording via VirtualDJ.


When a Channel is set back to PC, the track which was loaded when the same channel was set to LINE/PHONO, will be loaded again.

In a recent firmware update (version 1.1) an additional AUX Input mode was added, which is offering the ability to route the audio signal from the CH Inputs directly to the Master Output, even if the CH Inputs switches at the front are set to PC. Of course this is not wanted if you are using DVS (Timecode), but can be useful to output an auxiliary source without switching the SOURCE (as an emergency backup - press PLAY on the auxiliary source).

To enable this mode, you have to ..



Keep in mind that when VirtualDJ is running, Line-Ins need to be present in Audio config (pre-defined default setup) in order the auxiliary audio signals (connected to the rear CH Inputs sockets) to be heard when in LINE/PHONO position.

TIMECODE (DVS)


The audio interface of the Roland DJ-808 offers 4 stereo inputs, that can be used as Timecode Inputs (DVS)*. Any of the 4 available INPUTS at the rear pane can be used, along with any combination of Timecode and Analog media source.

In the following example we are using 2 mixer channels for DVS and the other 2 for potential analog sources.


Roland DJ-808 - VirtualDJ Audio configuration with 2 Timecode Inputs


*Note : Line Inputs and Timecode (DVS) require a Pro Infinity or a Pro Subscription license



For further Technical features and specifications, visit

Roland DJ-808
Product's Page





Hardware Integration Department
2017 - ATOMIX PRODUCTIONS



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