Helm DJ
Helm DJ is a macOS desktop app that sits between Pioneer CDJs and the rest of your rig. It listens to Pro DJ Link on the local network, follows every deck in real time, and turns what the DJ does into signals your lighting desk, media server, or visuals rig can consume:
- LTC (audio timecode) and MTC (MIDI timecode), locked to the playing deck
- MIDI notes / CC fired by cues you program per track
- MIDI Clock (BPM) for apps like Resolume Arena
- Live deck monitoring — waveforms, playheads, on-air state, BPM, loops
The core idea: you build a setlist of tracks, attach cues to each track (fire this MIDI note when the track loads, ramp this CC at 1:32, mark the drop…), and Helm DJ fires them automatically as the DJ plays — no operator busking required, but full manual override when you want it.
How these docs are organised
Section titled “How these docs are organised”| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Getting started | Install, licence, network setup, seeing your first deck |
| UI tour | Every page and control — what is where |
| Building a show | The end-to-end workflow, from empty setlist to show-ready |
| Tracks & setlists | Capturing tracks, managing setlists, import/export, USB workflows |
| Cues & triggers | The cue editor in depth — trigger types, MIDI actions, per-deck overrides |
| Timecode & MIDI | LTC, MTC, and MIDI Clock configuration and routing |
| Monitoring & diagnostics | Watching the show run, the health bar, and troubleshooting tools |
| Event pipeline | Technical: how Pro DJ Link data flows through the app |
| Updates | Technical: how the in-app updater works |
Requirements at a glance
Section titled “Requirements at a glance”| macOS | 12 Monterey or later, Apple Silicon and Intel |
| Network | Mac on the same Layer-2 switch as the CDJs |
| Hardware | Pioneer CDJ/XDJ with Pro DJ Link (CDJ-2000NXS and newer confirmed), DJM mixer for on-air detection |
| Licence | Helm account with a DJ licence key |