Engine DJ has announced version 5.0 of its software, available today across both its embedded hardware OS and the Engine DJ Desktop app. The headline feature is on-board stems rendering on the Rane System One, which makes it the first standalone DJ system able to render stems without a computer.
The release also rolls out RGB waveforms – previously exclusive to the System One – to the rest of the Engine DJ hardware range and to the desktop app. Track star ratings can now be added directly on hardware, the Reverb Rise and Reverb Drop FX get longer 32-beat options, and the Source Menu on hardware has had a refresh.
You can see me demo the main new features in our accompanying video.
Stems without a laptop
On the System One, swiping left on a saved track in playlist view now reveals a “Stems” option. A tap kicks off four-part stems rendering on the unit itself, with no computer needed. Tracks can be played while they render, and multiple tracks or whole playlists can be processed at the same time.
For DJs who’d rather prep at home (which is advisable, as it takes a LONG time on the unit), Engine DJ Desktop still handles pre-rendering. A new “Export Stems” tick-box in the Sync Manager lets you skip exporting Stems from the desktop to a drive – handy if you’ve already rendered them on the Ssystem One but not on the desktop, and don’t want the desktop app overwriting your work on sync (this anomaly will be fixed in a future Engine update, we’re told).
First Thoughts
This is a chunkier release than Engine has put out for a while. According to Tom Stoffer at the company, the team’s focus on shipping the System One slowed the usual release cadence, so 5.0 is part catch-up, part groundwork for the open-format direction the platform is heading in. On-board stems rendering is the obvious headline, and it’s a logical next step now that the processing power on standalone gear has caught up with what laptops were doing a couple of years back.
