Community hub
0 subscribers7 pages, 0 posts
Recent from talks
All channels
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Welcome to the community hub built to collect knowledge and have discussions related to EJay.
Nothing was collected or created yet.
from Wikipedia
| eJay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developers | Empire Interactive Unique Development Software (PlayStation 2) Yelsi AG |
| Publishers |
|
| Series | eJay |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 2 |
| Release | (PlayStation 2) |
| Genre | Music |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer (PlayStation 2) |
eJay is a series of musical arrangement[1] software, and video games, primarily for Microsoft Windows. The first edition, Dance eJay, was released in 1997.[2] It supports eight tracks of audio and, as with its successors, permits the arrangement of sound bites by a drag-and-drop interface.[1][3] Since the original Dance eJay, there have been many releases catering to different music genres and users, including techno[4] and hip-hop,[5] as well as a PlayStation 2 edition called eJay Clubworld.[6]
In the PlayStation 2 edition, Carl Cox is featured in the game and gives an introduction during the opening FMV sequence with a quick start guide on how to put together a mix while travelling to the real-world clubs to be a special guest DJ and showing off what the clubs are like at the locations and what genres of music they play at the clubs. There are genres of music to choose from which correspond to a club in a particular real-world location (hence the subtitle Clubworld) that plays that particular genre of music even though in the real world the clubs are not necessarily restricted to just one genre of music, but the clubs play many different genres of music, for example in the game in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, The United States of America, the club would be called Brooklyn and the club would play hip hop music, in the real world, New York is where hip hop music was born, but in another Borough of the city called Bronxville (The Bronx) in 1973 and the player would make and play back hip hop music should the player select the club/genre. Each genre of music has a theme of a real-world club.
In May 2009, a note posted to eJay's official Facebook page stated that Empire Interactive Europe Limited, the company that owned and developed the eJay products, was in administration.[7]
On October 15, 2010, three eJay products were reissued in editions: Hip Hop 5, Dance 6 and DJ Mixstation 4, with Hip Hop 5 and Dance 6 now having twice the number of sound samples than they had originally (10,000 instead of 5,000). Also on the same date, a new software called Video & Music Exchange was released.
Currently eJay is a registered trademark of Yelsi AG.
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Multimedia-Rave eJay Fast Trak". The Daily Telegraph. June 25, 1998. p. 84. Retrieved May 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "About us". eJay. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
- ^ Woodcock, James (June 27, 2006). "Dance 7 – Virtual Music Studio". Retrieved September 12, 2008.
- ^ Lynn, Andy (November 11, 2003). "Techno Ejay 4". Pocket-lint. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
- ^ Williamson, Ben (February 18, 2003). "Musical science". The Guardian. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
- ^ Hwang, Kaiser (August 2003). "eJay Clubworld: The Music Making Experience (PS2)". IGN. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
- ^ "The future of eJay..." "eJay official" on Facebook. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
 | This music software article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
from Grokipedia
eJay is a series of music arrangement and production software designed for Microsoft Windows, first released in 1997 with Dance eJay as the inaugural edition.[1] This software allows users, particularly beginners, to compose original tracks by selecting and sequencing royalty-free samples, loops, beats, and sound effects through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.[2]
The eJay series originated in the late 1990s amid the rise of personal computing and digital music creation tools, developed initially by German company PXD Musicsoft.[3] Early versions like Rave eJay (1998) and subsequent releases such as Techno eJay and Hip Hop eJay expanded the lineup, each focusing on specific electronic and urban music genres with thousands of pre-loaded sounds.[4] By the early 2000s, eJay had become a staple for hobbyists and educators, with editions tailored for school use that facilitated collaborative music projects in classrooms.[5]
Key features of eJay include multi-track sequencing, built-in effects processing, and sample editing tools, making complex music production accessible without advanced musical theory or hardware.[6] Genres covered span dance, techno, house, R&B, and hip-hop, with libraries containing over 3,500 sounds in some versions, all royalty-free for user creations.[7] The software's simplicity contrasted with more professional digital audio workstations of the era, appealing to a broad audience including children and non-professionals.[1]
Today, the eJay brand is maintained by a Swiss-based company founded in 2004, which has updated legacy titles for compatibility with Windows 10 and continues to sell digital downloads, sound libraries, and related media tools.[8] Efforts to revive the series for mobile platforms, such as the 2013 eJay Pure Kickstarter for iOS and Android, highlight its enduring nostalgic appeal among early digital music enthusiasts.[2]
Overview
Concept and purpose
eJay is a series of music arrangement software programs designed as drag-and-drop tools for composing tracks, with the inaugural edition, Dance eJay, launching in 1997 for Microsoft Windows platforms.[9] This series emerged as an innovative approach to music production, emphasizing simplicity and accessibility over technical complexity.[10] The primary purpose of eJay is to empower non-musicians and beginners to create original tracks in electronic genres such as dance and house by assembling pre-made audio loops and samples, eliminating the need for advanced musical skills, notation reading, or instrument proficiency.[10] By providing royalty-free sound libraries and an intuitive interface, the software allows users to experiment with rhythms, basslines, and effects in a straightforward manner, fostering creativity without the steep learning curve associated with traditional composition methods.[11] Initially targeted at home PC users in the late 1990s, eJay positioned itself as an approachable entry point into music production, serving as an accessible alternative to professional digital audio workstations (DAWs) that often require specialized knowledge and hardware.[2] Its design catered to hobbyists, aspiring DJs, and casual creators seeking to produce club-style music on consumer-grade computers, thereby broadening participation in electronic music-making during the era's rise of personal computing.[10] A key innovation of eJay lies in its reduction of barriers to music creation by prioritizing loop-based assembly over synthesis or recording from scratch, enabling rapid prototyping of full tracks through simple arrangement techniques.[11] This focus on modular building blocks democratized the process, making it feasible for users without formal training to achieve professional-sounding results in genres dominated by repetitive beats and samples.[10]Core mechanics
The core mechanics of eJay revolve around a loop-based composition system designed for straightforward music production without requiring advanced audio engineering skills. Users begin by selecting pre-recorded audio samples, such as drum loops, bass lines, or melody riffs, from a built-in library and arranging them on a timeline grid via a drag-and-drop interface. This process supports up to 8 tracks in early versions, allowing simultaneous layering of elements to build a complete song structure, with each track dedicated to specific components like percussion or vocals.[12] Once arranged, tracks can be previewed in real-time during editing, enabling immediate auditory feedback as users adjust the sequence. Mixing involves basic controls for volume and panning per track, often via simple sliders, alongside application of effects such as reverb or echo to enhance spatial depth or rhythmic repetition. These effects are typically accessed through intuitive sliders or presets, providing entry-level processing without complex parameter tweaking.[13] Completed compositions are exported primarily as WAV files for high-quality audio preservation, with options to convert to MP3 for easier sharing and distribution. Early versions emphasize this loop-centric workflow, lacking MIDI support for instrument control or full waveform editing capabilities, which limits customization to sample placement and basic adjustments rather than note-level manipulation or detailed audio manipulation.[13][14][15]History
Origins and early development
eJay originated in Germany, where Helmut Schmitz founded eJay AG in Stuttgart in 1994, with the goal of creating accessible digital tools for music production. Schmitz, a musician proficient in piano, bass, and guitar, envisioned software that would democratize music composition amid the growing popularity of personal computers and multimedia applications in the mid-1990s. The company's early efforts focused on developing intuitive programs for electronic and dance genres, reflecting the rising influence of club and rave scenes in Europe. The debut product, Dance eJay, launched in 1997 as a Windows 95/98 application, marking eJay's entry into the consumer market. Developed by PXD Musicsoft, a German software firm specializing in audio tools, the program was published in the UK and Europe by FastTrak Software Publishing Ltd., a British company known for distributing educational and entertainment software. Dance eJay introduced users to loop-based music arrangement, featuring drag-and-drop functionality for assembling tracks from pre-recorded samples, which simplified DJ-style mixing for non-professionals.[16][17] Early marketing emphasized eJay's role in empowering home users to produce professional-sounding dance music, positioning it as an innovative gateway to creative expression during the PC boom. Bundled with CDs containing thousands of loops, beats, and effects tailored to house, techno, and trance styles, the software targeted teenagers and hobbyists eager to experiment with electronic sounds without needing expensive studio equipment. This approach capitalized on the era's multimedia adoption, making music production approachable for a broad audience beyond traditional musicians.[1][10]Evolution and company changes
In the early 2000s, eJay expanded its genre offerings beyond dance music, with releases like Techno eJay in 1999 introducing specialized tools for techno and rave production.[18] This diversification catered to emerging electronic subgenres, building on the core drag-and-drop interface to attract hobbyist producers. Concurrently, the series ventured into console gaming with eJay Clubworld for PlayStation 2, released in Europe on August 30, 2002, and in North America on July 30, 2003, allowing users to create tracks in virtual club environments.[19][20] Empire Interactive, which had acquired the eJay assets in 2002 following the insolvency of the original developer eJay AG, served as the primary publisher through the mid-2000s, overseeing multiple PC and console iterations.[21] The company's role ended abruptly when it entered administration on May 5, 2009, leading to the redundancy of 49 staff and the sale of its intellectual property portfolio to New World IP, LLC.[22][23] Following the administration, the eJay brand was acquired by Yelsi AG, a Swiss-based digital media company founded in 2004, which revived and reissued several titles starting in 2010.[8] On October 15, 2010, Yelsi released updated versions including Hip Hop eJay 5 Reloaded and Dance eJay 6 Reloaded, each expanding the sample library to 10,000 royalty-free sounds for enhanced production options, alongside a refreshed DJ Mixstation 4.[24][25] These reissues maintained compatibility with modern Windows systems while preserving the series' accessible workflow. Post-2010 developments under Yelsi included an unsuccessful attempt to adapt eJay for mobile platforms via a 2013 Kickstarter campaign for eJay Pure, a touchscreen app for iOS and Android aimed at simplifying beat-making for beginners.[2] By the late 2010s and into the 2020s, Yelsi focused on updating the Virtual Music Studio (VMS) lineup, with releases like Dance eJay 6 Reloaded featuring 48-track mixing capabilities, virtual instruments, and effects to support more complex compositions.[26][27] These modern iterations, compatible with Windows 10, emphasize expanded sample libraries—such as over 10,000 sounds in Hip Hop variants—for genre-spanning creativity.[6]Versions and editions
Windows PC series
The Windows PC series of eJay software encompassed genre-focused music creation programs designed for Microsoft Windows operating systems, beginning with the pioneering Dance eJay in 1997. This initial release targeted dance and electronic music production, establishing the template for subsequent editions that emphasized drag-and-drop sample arrangement for novice users.[28] The Dance series expanded through multiple iterations, including Dance eJay 2 in 1999, which featured a dedicated Techno Edition variant with specialized samples for techno and rave styles. Later entries comprised Dance eJay 4, released in 2001, and Dance eJay 6 in 2003, with the lineup concluding at Dance 7 in 2005; educational variants such as Dance eJay for Schools and its Home Edition were also produced for classroom and personal use on Windows 95 through XP.[18][29][30][6][31] Parallel to the Dance line, the Techno series debuted with Techno eJay (also marketed as Rave eJay) in 1998, followed by versions up to Techno 5 in 2006, each building on electronic and rave-oriented sample libraries.[3][6][32] The Hip Hop and R&B series emerged in the early 2000s, starting with Hip Hop eJay in 2000 and progressing to Hip Hop 6 in 2006, alongside the standalone R&B eJay 1 released in 2002, all tailored for urban and soulful music styles on Windows platforms.[33][34][6][35] Additional PC titles included Club eJay in 2002, focused on club and house genres, and Rock eJay for rock music production, while add-ons like Sound Collection #1—a 4-CD sample pack with over 7,500 royalty-free sounds across electronic, hip hop, rock, and other styles—were issued in 1999 to supplement core software.[19][6][36]| Series | Key Releases | Release Years | Platform Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | Dance eJay, Dance eJay 2 (incl. Techno Edition), Dance eJay 4, Dance eJay 6, Dance 7; School/Home Editions | 1997–2005 | Windows 95–XP |
| Techno | Techno eJay (Rave eJay), up to Techno 5 | 1998–2006 | Windows 95–XP |
| Hip Hop & R&B | Hip Hop eJay to Hip Hop 6; R&B eJay 1 | 2000–2006 | Windows 98–XP |
| Other | Club eJay, Rock eJay; Sound Collection #1 (add-on) | 1999–2002 | Windows 95–XP |