Ableton Link from CDJ and XDJ players
TimecodeLink reads tempo and beat position from Pioneer CDJs and XDJs over the network (PRO DJ LINK) and shares them as an Ableton Link session. Resolume, Ableton Live and other Link apps then follow the DJ's tempo and beat, with no DJ software running on a laptop.
Mac (Intel or Apple Silicon) and Windows.
Who it's for
A VJ beside a CDJ booth
Resolume's BPM-synced effects lock to the tempo the DJ plays on the CDJ-3000s. Nothing gets installed on the players, and the DJ doesn't have to change a thing.
A rig that already runs on Link
If your lights or visuals take their tempo from an app on Ableton Link, that app now follows the CDJs instead of a tap tempo. Timecode from the same deck can run the programmed cues.
A live act sharing the booth
Ableton Live joins the session and runs at the CDJ tempo, so a live set can come in on the beat.
A DJ with an XDJ-AZ
The all-in-one unit and a laptop on the same network. TimecodeLink reads all four decks in standalone mode and puts their tempo on Link for the lights.
Which deck Link follows
Link gets the tempo of the deck that feeds TimecodeLink's master output, the same deck the timecode comes from. With AUTO on, that deck moves with the players' tempo master. With a DJM mixer on the network, TimecodeLink also sees which channels are on air. Click a deck instead of AUTO to keep Link on it.
The XDJ-XZ is the exception: it puts no fader data on the network, so with an XZ the choice comes from the tempo master or from the deck you pick.
Beat and bar position
The players send their beat from the track's beat grid. TimecodeLink lines Link up with that beat when a track starts, after a jump in the track and on a track change. In between, Link runs on its own at the player's tempo, and drift correction, on by default, pulls it back if it slowly wanders during a long mix.
By default only the beat lines up, and where Link's bar starts is left alone. Turn on Follow track bars in the Link settings and Link's beat 1 lands on the track's downbeat, so effects that count four beats start on the one.
Supported players
Every supported player reports its position over the network; newer models do it more often.
- About every 30 ms: CDJ-3000, CDJ-3000X and XDJ-AZ*
- About every 200 ms, smoothed by TimecodeLink: CDJ-2000NXS2, CDJ-2000NXS, XDJ-XZ and XDJ-1000MK2
*All four XDJ-AZ decks in standalone mode. With the unit's Pro DJ Link option on, decks 1 and 2. Details on the Pioneer setup guide.
Setting it up
Put the players and the TimecodeLink computer on one wired network, a plain Ethernet switch on one subnet. Select the CDJ/XDJ input: the players show up within a few seconds (Pioneer setup guide). Then switch on Ableton Link in the master OUTPUTS, and turn Link on in the receiving app. In Resolume that's View → Show Ableton Link, then the Link button.
Link runs alongside the timecode outputs: LTC, MTC and Art-Net for cues programmed per track (CDJ timecode), Link for everything that only needs the beat. How Ableton Link works
FAQ
Which CDJs and XDJs work?
The CDJ-3000, CDJ-3000X and XDJ-AZ, which report their position every 30 ms or so, and the CDJ-2000NXS2, CDJ-2000NXS, XDJ-XZ and XDJ-1000MK2, which report it every 200 ms or so. The Pioneer setup guide lists them with the details.
Do I need a laptop running Rekordbox?
No. TimecodeLink reads the players straight off the network. The computer running it only has to be on the same switch as the players.
Does Link follow the master deck when the DJ switches?
Yes. Link follows the deck that feeds TimecodeLink's master output. With AUTO on, that moves with the players' tempo master, and with a DJM mixer on the network TimecodeLink also sees which channels are on air.
Does Link carry the beat as well as the BPM?
Yes. The beat comes from the player's beat grid, so Link apps hit the beat with the music. Turn on Follow track bars and Link's beat 1 also lands on the track's downbeat.
Can I send timecode at the same time?
Yes. LTC, MTC and Art-Net timecode run alongside Link, from the same deck.
Is Ableton Link limited by license?
No. The trial and every license include Ableton Link, and tempo outputs have no limit. Prices are on the pricing page.
Try it at your next gig
Download the free trial, connect the players, and switch on Link.
Comparing DJ timecode tools? See who TimecodeLink is for.