About Mixvibes

Founded in 1999 by Eric Guez in Paris, France, discover the story of Mixvibes below!

From idea to inception (1995-2002)

The very first seeds of Mixvibes were sewn around 1995 in the mind of CEO and founder Eric Guez, when he conceptualized different pieces of software born from witnessing firsthand the advances in both computer audio as well as DJing that were happening in the mid-1990s.

These ideas coalesced into two distinct products that would shape the output of Mixvibes as a company for the decades to come:
• one was a digital DJing solution that would allow people to mix their music entirely within the confines of their computer, allowing as-of-then unprecedented control over what the DJ wanted to play.
• the other was to be a loop launcher that could allow people to play with automatically synchronized loops, in order to create music simply and with an unheard-of level of immediacy for the time.

A screenshot of one of the first LoopTrax versions showing a custom skin made to look like a keyboard controller.

The very first LoopTrax version, featuring a custom user skin.

A screenshot of version 2.0 of Mixvibes Pro, Mixvibes' very first digital DJing software, showing the main view with the 16 decks and the detached crossfader window to the side.

Mixvibes Pro, one of the first versions of Mixvibes, showcasing the interface.

The first software to start development was the DJing software, in 1997. It was to be called Mixvibes, and ended up being released in July of 1999 for Windows computers. In parallel, the loop launcher, now called LoopTrax, was also being developed and was released around that same time in 1999, two years before the first version of Ableton's Live which would further iterate and popularize this very concept. As grid controllers were a thing of the future at that time, the loops could be launched using a piano keyboard interface, and the software could be customized using a system of skins similar to that of Winamp and other popular software of the era.

During this time, both pieces of software garnered a lot of acclaim and a dedicated fanbase. One of the reasons for the popularity of Mixvibes 2.0 (the first commercialized version) in particular was how lightweight and optimized it was: weighing around 160ko thanks to its vector interface, it could run four concurrent decks playing MP3 files on a Pentium 133! This early success would lead in 2003 to the founding of the company proper, under the Mixvibes name, with Eric Guez and Patrick Vantroeyen as shareholders.

First years and first breakthroughs (2003-2008)

As soon as the company started to take off, the team lead by Eric wasted no time further refining the ideas brought to the fore by the Mixvibes software, already a few versions-deep by this point.

In 2003, an important development was released to the public: the very first version of Mixvibes with DVS was launched. DVS (or Digital Vinyl System) allowed DJs to link up any vinyl DJ turntable to the Mixvibes software using a special record tuned to a frequency that the software could recognize, in order to bring digital DJs the feel, sound and unique workflow that vinyl DJs enjoyed, with none of the hassle of having to lug expensive and heavy crates of records around with them. Mixvibes DVS was also particularly user-friendly in that it was the first DVS software that could run without a proprietary, dedicated sound card.

A product shot of the Mixvibes DVS Pack MK2 showing the software, U44 sound card, timecode CDs and vinyl records and the box they came in.

The all-inclusive DVS Pack MK2, that housed the Mixvibes DVS software, two timecode vinyl records, two timecode CDs and the U44 MK2 sound card.

A screenshot of Mixvibes Producer version 7 showing the main view of the software with multiple decks running, the library and file tree open as well as the sampler window.

Mixvibes Producer, a complete DJing suite that went beyond mixing into the realm of production.

On the other end of the spectrum, Mixvibes started targeting the consumer market by partnering with French company Hercules, which led to the joint release of the first mass-market DJ controller in 2003. This very first venture into DJing interfaces for computers would only be the beginning for Mixvibes.

During this period the company kept on refining their own software, the culminating point of this era came in 2005 with the release of Mixvibes Producer 5, that included many forward-thinking features: up to 16 concurrent players, in-built sampler, per-channel effects, automatic looping, 4-deck DVS compatibility, video mixing, and more were crammed into an extremely impressive piece of software that went beyond DJing and into the realm of music creation.

The innovation poured into this main software paved the way for version 1.0 of what would become Mixvibes' flagship digital DJing app, Cross, in 2007. Cross, as the name implies, was made specifically to be available on both PC and Mac computers, bridging that gap as —up to that point— Mixvibes software had only ever been available on Windows.

People were clearly starting to take notice of this, with Japanese juggernaut Pioneer, already well-renowned for their industry-leading CDJ suite of products and DJ mixers, contacting Mixvibes around that time. This led to an agreement in 2008 to create a certain piece of software for them…

A pack shot of the first version of Cross showing the software, U44 sound card, updated timecode CDs and vinyl records as well as the box they came in.

Cross was the very first Mixvibes software to be available on both Mac OS and Windows.

Creating Rekordbox: the vanguard of digital DJing (2009-2013)

A screenshot of the very first version of Rekordbox, 1.0.1, developed by Mixvibes for use with Pioneer's CDJs.

Rekordbox version 1.0.1, developed by Mixvibes for Pioneer.

2009 was the year that the agreement with Pioneer took form, with Mixvibes developing and then releasing the very first version of Rekordbox: what has now become the standard upon which is based the newest CDJ's internal software started life within Mixvibes' offices. This fruitful partnership lead to a few years of both companies working together on the Rekordbox project.

During this time, Mixvibes expanded their presence in the DJ controller market: having seen a degree of success with their Hercules collaboration, they went further into the direction of seamlessly integrating controllers with software.

This resulted in important products for the company, such as the 2010 release of the VFX Control, a video mixing software coupled with its own dedicated controller. The brand also collaborated with cult-favorite Japanese manufacturer Vestax for a Mixvibes version of their own VCI-100 controller.

The pinnacle of this controller focus was reached in 2011 with the release of the Cross-dedicated controller, the U-Mix Control Pro, which was bundled with Cross DJ, a true all-in-one solution that would allow budding DJs and professionals alike to experience the joys of digital DJing. Mixvibes ended up selling thousands of U-Mix Controls across the different revisions, alongside the U44 sound card and the VFX Control.

A product picture of the VFX Control controller, a slim rack-mountable controller with jogs, crossfader, volume sliders, various buttons for transport and launching of video loops and samples.

The VFX Control was one of Mixvibes' own controllers, dedicated to mixing video with its own version of the software, also called VFX Control.

A product render showing version 3.0 of Cross DJ Mobile running on different devices, including an iPad, iPhone and Android tablet.

Cross DJ would start hitting mobile platforms starting in 2012.

Feeling the wind turning, and in a move that would anticipate the future of the company, Mixvibes also decided in 2012 to bring their flagship Cross DJ app to the then-nascent market of iOS apps. A year later, Cross DJ would then make the jump to Android devices, in a move seldom replicated by other developers, as the Android platform presents many challenges to developers of audio software.

That same year, the collaboration with Pioneer would end, and as the two companies parted ways, heralded the beginning of a new chapter for Mixvibes.

Fostering innovation in mobile music software (2014-Today)

Emboldened by the successes found through their constant innovation displayed in the digital DJing space, Mixvibes would seek out to make good on its promises to turn DJs into producers. This transition, already sketched out in past products such as LoopTrax and Mixvibes Producer 5, would find its logical next step with the creation of Remixlive.

Wanting to take the LoopTrax concept and run with it, Remixlive came out in 2016 for both iOS and Android with a strong, clear vision: to make music creation accessible to many. With the starting point of synchronized loops being made accessible with a simple interface, this loop-launcher would quickly become a household name on both of its main platforms, being embraced by the mobile community for its ease of use and focus on quality sample packs.

A product photograph of the very first version of Remixlive, showing the software running on an iPad and iPhone with one of the earliest sample packs available for the app.

Remixlive's first version came out in early 2016.

Following the users' feedback, Remixlive would quickly evolve to include more and more advanced and varied features, to make it into a strong and cohesive package: Finger-Drumming Grid, Sequencer, Live Keyboard, and more… The Live Set feature would further increase Remixlive's capabilities as a truly intuitive, robust live-ready app that would cement its place as a fully mobile live performance powerhouse.

As Mixvibes enters its 20th year of existence, the company's ethos of offering software for music lovers is true now more than ever, with the Remixlive catalogue growing with each passing year and its continuing commitment to quality bearing fruits. Celebrations will be underway for the end of 2023 and into the next year, while the team continues to build upon its legacy and expertise to bring Mixvibes' vision to an ever-growing number of people around the globe.