LJ Link · DJ waveforms and Pioneer BPM to grandMA for lightjockeysShow your LJ
what the sound does.
Every deck, every waveform, every cue – live in one view. For Pioneer and Denon, with the tempo sent straight to grandMA and Daslight.
Features
Built for the lightjockey
See at a glance what the DJ loads, where each track is and when the next drop comes – even when two DJs play on different gear.
▤All decks in one view
Stacked like the CDJ-3000 display: cover, title, time to the millisecond, remaining time, pitch, BPM, key, master, sync and the model of each player.
≋Waveforms like on the player
Scrolling detail waveform and whole-track overview with hot cues A–H, memory cues, orange loops and the beat grid with red bar starts. RGB, 3-band or blue.
●LIVE frame
The deck that is on air gets a red LIVE frame, so you never light the wrong track.
⇄Every maker, several devices
CDJs, XDJs and Denon controllers appear side by side. A device that joins later is added by itself, one that leaves disappears. Tick devices on or off.
♫Denon with waveforms
Prime 4, Prime 4+, Prime Go and SC6000: title, tempo, exact position, real fader positions and the waveform with beat grid and cues from the Engine library.
♩BPM to the light desk
Sends the tempo to grandMA2 and grandMA2 onPC (Telnet), grandMA3 and onPC (OSC), Daslight, and as an alpha every beat to the Wolfmix (OS2L). The SEND BPM tab picks Auto or one deck.
⎍Mixer tab
One block per mixer with ON AIR per channel; on Denon with the real fader positions. Pro DJ Link does not transmit faders or EQs.
▢Tablet, phone, second screen
Open the same page on any device in the network. Day and night mode, zoom, three views, full screen.
◐Privacy mode
For streams and shared screens: title, artist and cover disappear, on tablets too. Switched only from the program icon.
↻One-click updates
Check for updates from the program icon. On a Mac the app is replaced and restarts, on Windows the installer opens.
✓Simple for everyone
One button finds everything. If it finds nothing, the manual setup checks the network step by step. Demo mode without hardware.
⊘Passive and private
Only listens: no sync, master, tempo or fader commands to the DJ gear. No telemetry, no cloud.
Who it's for
The must-have for clubs and events
Wherever a DJ plays and someone runs the lights: LJ Link brings the decks to front of house – without re-patching the DJ booth and without touching the DJ setup.
◉Clubs
The resident LJ sees every guest DJ live, whether on CDJ-3000 or Denon Prime. Drops, breaks and track changes no longer come as a surprise.
▲Festivals and open airs
Changing DJs with different gear on one stage: Pioneer and Denon appear side by side automatically. Day mode for sunshine at FOH.
★Events and production companies
Corporate party, wedding, club night in a hall: laptop on the switch, tablet at the desk, BPM into the grandMA. Set up in minutes, free for every job.
◎Streams and live streams
Privacy mode hides title, artist and cover, so none of it ends up in the stream or on shared screens.
Screenshots
What it looks like
All pictures come from the real program with real gear; only titles and covers are replaced by test names.
Light desk
Pioneer BPM to grandMA – and Denon too
LJ Link sends the BPM of the leading deck to your desk, so chasers and effects run in time. No tap tempo needed.
- grandMA2 / onPC – over Telnet, with a search for the desk. Speed 1–15 or Speed 16 = BPM.
- grandMA3 / onPC – over OSC as a command line.
- Daslight and other programs – the tempo as an OSC number.
- Wolfmix – every beat over OS2L and WTOOLS (alpha, untested).
- SEND BPM – Auto (master and/or live) or one deck by hand; the sending deck shows a green SEND BPM mark.
| Desk | How | State |
|---|---|---|
| grandMA2, grandMA2 onPC | Telnet, SpecialMaster 3.16 At {bpm} | tested on grandMA2 onPC |
| grandMA3, grandMA3 onPC | OSC /cmd, Master 3.1 At BPM {bpm} | from the manual, not yet tried on a desk |
| Daslight | OSC number via OSC mapping | not confirmed yet |
| Wolfmix (WTOOLS) | OS2L, every beat with its number | alpha, never tried on a real Wolfmix |
| dot2 | – | not possible (no network remote) |
Get started
Live in three steps
- ConnectComputer, players and mixer on the same network switch with cables. Wi-Fi off on the computer.
- InstallDownload and run the installer. An icon appears in the menu bar or next to the clock.
- SearchPress “Search automatically”. Pioneer and Denon are found at the same time. Nothing found? “Set up manually” explains what to do.
Quick start in the wiki · Use cases: club, festival, mobile · Direct cable or router?
Download
Free for macOS and Windows
Everything is included, no Java installation needed.
Install
First start: getting past the warning
LJ Link is not signed with Apple or Microsoft (yet). Signing costs money and says nothing about safety, but both systems warn once on the first start because of it. Here is how to continue – after that the program starts normally.
⌘macOS
Message: “LJ Link” Not Opened – Apple could not verify “LJ Link” is free of malware.
- Open the .dmg and drag LJ Link into the Applications folder.
- Start LJ Link once. The warning appears: click “Done” (not “Move to Trash”).
- Open System Settings → “Privacy & Security” → scroll all the way down.
- Next to “LJ Link was blocked …” click “Open Anyway” and confirm with your password or Touch ID.
- In the next window choose “Open” once more.
- When macOS asks about the local network: “Allow”. Without it LJ Link cannot find any players.
On older macOS versions (up to 14) this also works: right-click the app → “Open” → “Open”.
For experts: with Terminal
After copying to Applications, run this command in Terminal, then the app starts without the warning:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/LJ Link.app"
⊞Windows
Message: “Windows protected your PC” (Microsoft Defender SmartScreen).
- Run LJ-Link-PRO-windows.exe.
- In the blue window click “More info”.
- “Run anyway” appears at the bottom: click it.
- Click through the installer. LJ Link appears in the Start menu and on the desktop.
- On the first start the Windows Firewall asks: tick “Private networks” and choose “Allow access”. Without it LJ Link cannot find any players.
Missed the firewall question? Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → “Allow an app through firewall” → tick LJ Link for “Private”.
Some virus scanners flag unknown, unsigned programs as a precaution. The installer is only offered here and on GitHub; when in doubt, download it there.
Compatibility
Tested gear – older CDJs and mixers too
Not only CDJ-3000 and DJM-A9: every Pioneer player with a LINK port sends its tempo over Pro DJ Link. The CDJ-2000NXS2 and the DJM-2000NXS are tested.
| Device | Status |
|---|---|
| CDJ-3000 | tested: everything, incl. exact position and loops |
| CDJ-2000NXS2 | tested: waveforms, cues, position (estimated between beats) |
| DJM-2000NXS | tested as mixer: ON AIR per channel |
| Denon Prime 4+ | tested: title, tempo, position, faders, waveform, beat grid, cues |
| CDJ-2000NXS, CDJ-900NXS, XDJ-1000, XDJ-1000MK2, XDJ-700, XDJ-XZ, XDJ-AZ, DJM-900NXS, DJM-900NXS2, DJM-A9, DJM-V10 | expected to work, not tested |
| Denon SC6000, Prime 4, Prime Go | expected to work (same protocol), not tested |
| Serato DJ Pro | on the same computer: track, BPM, key, waveform overview, beat grid – no play position |
| Ableton Link | tempo of a Link session (Serato, Traktor, Live), not yet tried with a real session |
| Traktor, VirtualDJ, rekordbox | planned |
Guides
Step by step
Pioneer BPM to grandMA
The tempo of the CDJs on a speed master of your grandMA2 or grandMA3 – with older CDJs and mixers too.
Read the guide →Waveforms for the lightjockey
Every CDJ and Denon waveform live at FOH, on a laptop or tablet.
Read the guide →Denon StageLinQ for lighting
Prime 4+, Prime 4, Prime Go and SC6000: waveforms, faders and BPM to the desk.
Read the guide →Get involved
Want to help out?
LJ Link grows with its community. Join our Discord and offer your help. Ideas, testing, feedback, translations or just questions: everything is welcome and wanted.
- Testing: reports from real grandMA3 and Wolfmix desks are especially wanted.
- Ideas and wishes: which DJ software, which desk, which feature is missing for you?
- Help and exchange: tips from other lighting jockeys and DJs.
FAQ
Questions
What is a lighting jockey (LJ)?
A lighting jockey runs the light show live to the DJ's music – in clubs, at festivals and at events. To match light and music, the LJ needs to know what the DJ is playing and when the next drop comes. That is exactly what LJ Link shows.
Does it work with older CDJs and mixers too?
Yes. The CDJ-2000NXS2 and the DJM-2000NXS are tested. Other Pro DJ Link gear like the CDJ-2000NXS, CDJ-900NXS, XDJ-1000 or DJM-900NXS is expected to work but not tested yet.
How do I get the BPM from the CDJs into my grandMA?
LJ Link reads the tempo over Pro DJ Link (Pioneer) or StageLinQ (Denon) and sends it over Telnet to grandMA2 or over OSC to grandMA3, onto a speed master. Chasers and effects then run in time, without tap tempo.
Can I see the DJ's waveform on a tablet at the light desk?
Yes. Any device in the same network – tablet, phone or second screen – opens the same view in the browser, with day and night mode.
Does LJ Link need internet?
No. For the show it only needs the local network between DJ gear, computer and light desk. No cloud, no telemetry.
Does LJ Link disturb the DJ or the players?
No. It only listens and sends no sync, master, tempo or fader commands to the DJ gear. On Pro DJ Link it joins as a virtual player, like other programs do.
Why do I not see fader positions on a Pioneer mixer?
Pro DJ Link only transmits whether a channel is on air. No DJM sends faders or EQ. Denon devices do report fader positions.
Why does a track have no waveform?
Pioneer: tracks must be analysed with rekordbox and exported to USB/SD; streaming tracks have no waveform data. Denon: the waveform comes from the device's Engine library.
Can I show two DJs with different gear?
Yes. One press of “Search automatically” finds Pioneer and Denon at the same time, and devices that come or go later are added or removed by themselves.
Does it work with my dot2?
Not yet: the dot2 takes neither Telnet nor OSC over the network. A way via MIDI is planned.
My Mac says “LJ Link” Not Opened – is it dangerous?
No, it only means the app is not signed with Apple. How to open it anyway is explained above under “Install”.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free and open source under the Eclipse Public License 2.0.