Screwlab Pro

Working with music doesn’t just mean being able to play an instrument. As time has it, you can now mix different songs, or sounds through different synthesizer to create live, cool shows. Some effort is required, but with the help of specialized applications like Screwlab Pro you can be on your way to become a DJ.

A neat thing about it is that you’re not limited to using the PC, with the possibility to extent input methods by hooking up other MIDI, or recording devices. The application can even work with speaker sound for both playback, and recording, with settings easy to configure at just the right quality.

The main window can feel a little overwhelming at first, but a few seconds in and you realize it’s actually quite intuitive, and pleasant, thanks to effort invested in the visual design. There are two built-in players to fill up with songs, and each with its own set of controls, so you don’t accidentally mess up the other one.

The only thing missing here is a playlist editor, so you need to know in advance when a song is about to end. Sure enough, there is a third player, and even a sound recorder which can play its own files, but considering drag and drop is not supported, changing songs can easily become frustrating.

On the other hand, the application manages to present quite the variety of features. Common elements such as volume and pan sliders let you easily adjust volume. Tempo is set by adjusting a slider, with a cool feature to synchronize them. You can use three types of crossfaders, one of which toggles directly while holding down the left mouse button.

It’s best to work with lengthy audio files from the start, especially because of the variety of effects you’re busy with. A couple of equalizer helps you adjust frequencies for a better tone, while the list of effects make it easy to apply, and configure chorus, compressor, distortion, echo, flanger, gargle, and more, for either both players, or for each.

To sum it up, Screwlab Pro manages to live up to expectations, sporting a cool interface which is sure to blend in any environment, quickly get you up and running. The variety of effect, and separate equalizers leave a good impression. The only things missing are progress sliders, or at least vinyl icons for time management, and playlist editor for quick selection of songs.