Audomate

Music is not just a pleasant way of passing some time, but is now one of the most successful businesses out there. This doesn't mean just making music, but mixing is also heavily rewarded, but at the cost of great effort and a keen sense for music. If you happen to be looking for a new or alternative mixing station, Audomate might just be equipped with the necessary playlist editor, knobs, sliders and more so you make the audience reach for the sky.

Upon deployment, the application delivers two counterparts that can be used separately and combined as well. One of them is a database manager, with a built-in player to use while setting up the songs to mix, while the other is a more advanced version of the first, but putting you in control of two mixing decks and various corresponding controls and effects.

In terms of visuals, everything is clean and polished and although there aren't any other themes or customization options, the interface is sure to blend in with any environment. Elements are fitted with detailed textures and real time updating animations for different areas, as well as progress, volume, time and more.

The database manages is easy to use and it's best you start here to avoid getting stuck in the mixer with no songs to mix. Unfortunately, it's not possible to drag files over the main window, but the built-in explorer is pretty intuitive, letting you select just the directory, while also scrubbing the whole structure for any MP3 file it can find, since it's the only supported format.

Multiple details are displayed in the list, such as artist, title, genre, album and more. For a fully-featured experience, the application lets you add cover art, artists, stats. This is for management only, with options to bring up a folder view instead of details. As mentioned above, a compact toolbar fitted with playback controls lets you enjoy songs while creating lists.

Regardless of the component you're using, a toolbar button is there to quickly bring up the other. This comes in handy, especially after you just created a playlist and want to start experimenting with a few audio tricks. What's more, the playlist component also gives you the possibility to add and manage songs in the DJ counterpart.

Just like any self-respecting mixing station, this one puts two, fully-functional mixing decks at your disposal, connected by a clever fade tool you can customize and trigger at any time for a smooth transition between audio layers.

There aren't many presets to work with so you have to use your own audio resources. Up to six jingles can be created, even on the spot with the help of built-in recording tools. Sliders for volume and pitch let you work with a few effects, with more options brought by an equalizer.

However, unless you pay a visit to the online help manual you have a hard time getting acquainted with all effects and tools, even some of the basics. This is because no all options are fitted with a name, but rather a simple button that doesn't always speak for itself. For more frustration, tooltips mostly pop up for simple functions, with some effects, buttons and sliders leaving you to find their purpose by yourself.

Taking everything into consideration, we can say that Audomate comes with good intentions and puts a powerful set of both audio management and mixing tools at your disposal. Although it feels a little rough around the edges here and there, with accommodation being a little difficult, it's sure to keep your DJ skills in good shape, providing a powerful environment for practice.