DJ Software Tutorial Video – Importing Playlists From DEX 2 Into DEX 3
Our DEX 3 DJ software just hit the street a couple days ago and user feedback so far has been tremendous. It’s clearly a major upgrade to DEX 2, and as noted numerous times it’s just the start of things to come. Users have
already submitted some interesting suggestions for future updates, which will come often.
One question we’re hearing a lot right now while DEX 2 users make the transition to DEX 3 is how to import their custom user playlists from DEX 2 into DEX 3. Even though the new browser included in DEX 3 has been totally redesigned with many notable improvements, we’ve ensured users can import the older style lists into DEX 3. Playlists can be a DJs best friend (although we feel when it comes to mixing, a playlists should be more of guide than a rule) and can take a lot of time and effort to create, thus one of the “must-include” features when designing DEX 3 was the ability to import playlists.
This feature doesn’t just work for DEX 2 playlists, it will work for RED Mobile 2 playlists (RED Mobile 2 users can upgrade to DEX 3 for only $149) and any M3U playlist created by other audio applications. For instance, you can create a M3U playlist in Windows Media Player and import into DEX 3 using this same method demonstrated in the tutorial video below.
I have dozens of playlists… any way to import all the Playlists at one time? Without having to type in each Playlist? Just drag and drop? Or import? Or “send to”?
No sir, I’m not aware of any software that has “batch playlist import”, of M3U or otherwise. So a bit tedious but it will work!
OK… any way we can right click and add playlists without having to type in each individual playlist and then add the file, as we are doing now.
For instance… in the old worn out, outdated Winamp… I can click on “playlist” and it’ll provide several options… one being… “import playlist from file”… then I click on the file/playlist I want… and wha-la… the playlist is added to the left side column using the title already existing to that file/playlist.
A really super nice feature… boom boom bam… quick and easy…
Then a simple click and drag and those playlists can be rearranged in any order chosen.
The downfall is… you have to literally save the playlist each and every time when a new track is added to the playlist. If it isn’t manually saved… then it won’t be updated.
Now then… with PCDJ… I click on “list” and the only option it gives me is to create “New Playlist”… Then I have to type in the playlist absolutely identical to the original… or it will unfortunately create a new playlist because of some simple typing difference.
And then you won’t know it until PCDJ is closed down and saved. And then… one day down the road you open up your “documents” file and find several duplicated “playlists” (all caused by some simple typing difference) and you have to create a third file to search through each and every one of them to determine which one is the old one and which is the new. And careful! Deleting the wrong one can mess up an entire day… change that… an entire month.
Also… I have to minimize PCDJ each and every time to make certain the spelling is exactly identical. And there ain’t no copy and paste… because the playlist hasn’t been created yet. Right.
See… this will be the fourth time I’ve had to re-do all my playlists this year…
1) When I bought the new computer
2) when the new computer was exchanged for another 2nd computer
3) When the second new computer had to have a complete re-boot
4) Now with upgrading to Dex3
Certainly I’m not the only one who encounters such problems with creating playlists?
Personally I was looking forward to seeing a change in Playlists on Dex3… and with my 208 different playlists as of today… I haven’t even begun using DEX3 yet… and I could really use the HD/high pixel, four deck system.
Don’t get me wrong… I love my PCDJ… and won’t leave home without it. But golly guys… that far left column dealing with playlists needs an update… like seriously…
Mark, I think you’re missing one thing here: When you create a new playtlist, you don’t have to name it the same as the original. Right click, new playlist – call it whatever you wish. Then click ADD -> Import playlist etc. You don’t need to make sure the “empty list” you just created has the exact name as the playlist you import – it’s not even using the name, but rather just the data within the XML to generate the new list under the name you created in DEX 3.
Keep in mind too, now that you can nest folders as favorites, and they display all tag info just like user lists (unlike DEX 2) – and that if a favorite (or any explorer folder) is opened one time, the contents are added to the internal search cache/db. So many users will not even use “lists” unless for set lists – now that using “favorites” has all the functionality of user lists. If you stuff is organized on your drive, this is the easiest method to build your library in DEX 3 (And those folders are dynamic, so will display any new songs added to the directory on your HD upon opening).
You could also build playlists in iTunes of course, which will show in DEX 3 on startup additionally.
I think the only thing that could make this smoother is removing the need to even type in a list name at all first – just click import playlist, and it will use the old name and simply display under user lists.
Thanks again for all the feedback Mark!
Your welcome Ryan…
Yes… having the option of either creating a new playlist or importing an existing playlist with the exact file/playlist name, title and all, would be perfect.
In fact… it would be superb!