DubStemMix is made for the dub version: one tune’s stems on six faders of the Akai MIDImix, a tape echo and a spring on sends, the throws ready. Free. VirtualDJ is an all-round DJ app with real-time stems and effects per stem.
Facts about VirtualDJ come from virtualdj.com (VirtualDJ 2026), checked in October 2026.
Why DubStemMix for a dub version
- Six faders for the parts: drums, bass, skank, keys, horns, vocal from your own multitracks (a split gives four): The board.
- Dub sends, shared buses: tape echo, plate or spring, phaser, patchable into each other.
- The dub moves: throw, drop, hold, crash, pull-up.
- Free and open source: MIT.
At a glance
| DubStemMix | VirtualDJ | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | a dub console for one tune’s stems | an all-round DJ, video and karaoke app |
| Stems | up to 6 strips; split built in (4 stems) or your own files | real-time: vocal, instruments, bass, kick, hi-hat |
| Effects on stems | 3 sends per strip: tape echo, plate or spring, phaser | any effect on one or more stems |
| Akai MIDImix | factory mapping, nothing to set up | controller mapping (the free edition is limited to entry-level controllers) |
| Platforms | macOS 15+, Apple Silicon | macOS and Windows |
| Price | free, open source (MIT) | free for home use; paid plans from €4/month |
What VirtualDJ does well
A do-everything DJ app: audio, video and karaoke, a huge controller list, real-time stems with effects on any stem, free for home use.
Which one for you
- Pick DubStemMix to dub one tune at a time on a MIDImix, part by part, for free.
- Pick VirtualDJ to DJ, with video and karaoke, on almost any controller.
Cut your dub versions in DubStemMix, record them, and play them in VirtualDJ.
Try DubStemMix
Free, one line in the Terminal, on an Apple Silicon Mac:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yoanbernabeu/DubStemMix/main/install.sh | shThen follow your first dub, step by step: ten moves, from the stems to your recorded version.