In this guide
The first time I saw a lighting rig really breathe with the music, I was sixteen, sweaty, and standing in a warehouse outside Munich at 3 a.m. The drop hit, every strobe fired at once, and the whole room went white. I remember thinking: somebody up there is reading the track like sheet music. For years I assumed that kind of show needed a dedicated lighting person, a big budget and a lot of patience. Since late September, a bedroom DJ with a laptop gets a lot closer to it.
On September 24, AlphaTheta announced that rekordbox for Mac/Windows (version 7.2.19) and PRO DJ LINK Bridge now support SoundSwitch, the DJ-focused lighting software. With Halloween rave season right around the corner, I think this is the most fun software news of the fall.
What actually changed
In short, rekordbox can now drive a light show that follows your mix. According to rekordbox's announcement, SoundSwitch can automatically analyze tracks and script lighting for them ("Autoscripted" tracks). You can also build your own custom scripts, fire prebuilt Autoloops and static looks, and trigger things from a MIDI controller. The FADER's write-up explains that the analysis is based on track phrasing and instrumentation. So the lights know the difference between a breakdown and a drop, instead of just pulsing on every kick.
The part I like most is that it's not only for pro DMX rigs. SoundSwitch also works with consumer smart lights like Philips Hue and Nanoleaf. If you have a few smart bulbs in your living room already, you have the beginnings of a light show.
What you need (the honest fine print)
This isn't free, so here is the checklist before you get excited:
- rekordbox 7.2.19 or later on Mac or Windows.
- A rekordbox Creative or Professional plan. The free tier doesn't cover it.
- A separate SoundSwitch license. Neither source lists the price, so check SoundSwitch before you budget.
- Lights. Hue or Nanoleaf work directly. For DMX fixtures you need an interface such as the SoundSwitch Micro DMX Interface.
On the hardware side, rekordbox says all AlphaTheta and Pioneer DJ hardware that works with rekordbox also works with SoundSwitch. For club booths, PRO DJ LINK Bridge brings it to the CDJ-3000X, CDJ-3000 and CDJ-1500X players and the DJM-V10, DJM-V10-LF and DJM-A9 mixers. That means a resident DJ can bring the lights in without a separate lighting operator.
Why this matters right now
October is the month when my calendar fills up with costume parties. The big one in Southern California is Escape Halloween, which runs October 30–31 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, with more than five stages and Zedd, Richie Hawtin and Excision among the headliners. Most of us won't play a stage like that this year. But plenty of us will play a friend's garage, a house party or a small bar night, and that is where a synced light show changes everything. A dark room, a fog machine from the costume shop and lights that hit on the drop make a twenty-person party feel like a festival tent.
Here in Denver it already gets dark early, and my Halloween playlist has been growing for two weeks. If you're trying this for your own party, my advice is to start small. Let SoundSwitch autoscript a dozen tracks you know really well, watch how it reads them, and only then start hand-scripting your big moments. It's the same as learning to mix. Get the basics feeling natural before you go wild.
Gear that fits the setup
Because SoundSwitch support runs through rekordbox, any rekordbox controller is a good starting point. Three I'd look at:
- Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX4 (White): the friendly two-channel starter. It works with rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro, connects to a computer or phone by USB or Bluetooth, and has 16 Performance Pads. A great pick if you're just getting into DJing and want lights to grow into.
- Pioneer DJ DDJ-FLX10 (White): the four-channel flagship controller for rekordbox and Serato DJ Pro, with Track Separation for live mashups. It also has a built-in DMX output, so it can drive DMX lights directly through rekordbox's own Lighting mode without a separate interface.
- Pioneer DJ XDJ-RX3: a two-channel all-in-one with a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a CDJ-style layout. It plays prepared rekordbox sets from USB without a laptop, and it also supports rekordbox Performance mode when you want the computer (and SoundSwitch) in the loop.
If you're putting a Halloween rig together, we ship from California with next-day delivery in the continental US, so there's still plenty of time before the 31st. See you on the dance floor, and maybe under some very well-timed strobes.
Lukas Weber is one of Frontrow's editorial voices, a character our team writes as to bring an outdoor and electronic-music perspective to the gear news we cover.
