Guide · DJ waveforms at the light deskWaveforms for the lightjockey
See the waveform of every CDJ and Denon deck live at front of house: where the track is, where the drop comes and which deck is on air – on a laptop, a tablet or a second screen.
Why the lightjockey needs the waveform
From the light desk you rarely see the DJ's screens. The waveform shows what is coming: the breakdown, the build-up and the drop. So the blinders, the strobe or the blackout hit exactly on the one – and you never light the wrong track after a change.
What you see
- A scrolling detail waveform like on the CDJ-3000, and the whole track as an overview with the playhead.
- Hot cues A–H, memory cues and loops in orange.
- The beat grid with bar starts in red, so you can count phrases.
- A red LIVE frame around the deck that is on air.
- Time, remaining time, BPM, pitch and key of every deck.
- Colors in RGB, 3-band or blue, day and night mode, zoom.
Where the waveforms come from
- Pioneer CDJs and XDJs: the waveforms rekordbox wrote onto the USB stick or SD card, shared by the players over Pro DJ Link. Tested on CDJ-3000 and CDJ-2000NXS2.
- Denon Prime and SC6000: from the Engine library on the device, over StageLinQ.
- Serato DJ Pro on the same computer: the overview and the beat grid, without a playhead.
Tracks from streaming services have no waveform data, and tracks need a rekordbox analysis.
On a tablet or phone at the desk
Every device in the same network opens the same view in its browser. Put a tablet next to the grandMA or use a second screen at FOH. Day mode helps at open airs.
Live in three steps
- Connect the computer to the DJ network switch with a cable, Wi-Fi off.
- Install LJ Link (macOS or Windows).
- Press “Search automatically”: Pioneer and Denon appear side by side.
Want the tempo on the desk as well? See Pioneer BPM to grandMA.
Questions
Why does a track have no waveform?
Pioneer: the track must be analysed in rekordbox and exported to USB or SD; streaming tracks have no waveform data. Denon: the waveform comes from the Engine library of the device.
Do I need rekordbox on my computer?
No. The players share the waveforms over the network. Do not run LJ Link on the computer that runs rekordbox.
Does it work with older CDJs?
Yes. The CDJ-2000NXS2 is tested with waveforms and cues. Other Pro DJ Link players like the CDJ-2000NXS or XDJ-1000 are expected to work but not tested yet.
Can I see two DJs with different gear?
Yes. Pioneer and Denon are found at the same time and shown side by side.
Can I hide the track titles in a stream?
Yes. Privacy mode hides title, artist and cover on every screen; waveforms and times stay.
Free for macOS and Windows
LJ Link is free and open source. Install it, press “Search automatically” and you are live.
More guides
Pioneer BPM to grandMA
Send the tempo of Pioneer CDJs to grandMA2 and grandMA3
Denon StageLinQ for lighting
Denon Prime and SC6000 with grandMA and waveforms
The LJ Link wiki
Every setup step by step: network, light desks, use cases, troubleshooting.