Stem control and custom screens for your XDJ-XZ.

The 0.2.0 release for Windows and Mac.

0.2.0 includes the current feature set, with lossless FLAC stems, lower memory use on long tracks, batches of up to 100 tracks, the Mac preview, optional games and 24 themes. Signed updates install it on Windows and Mac.

Windows 0.1.8, 0.1.9 or 0.1.10 and the Mac 0.1.9 or 0.1.10 preview can update to 0.2.0 inside the app. Installing it does not change your USB, so then use Back up and update loader. Layered waveforms, the games and the Mac preview are still experimental; see the testing notes.

Make your own stems, prepare whole crates and set up from a Mac.

Stem generation now writes the format current OverCue tracks use, handles long tracks with less memory and runs across big selections. A Mac preview and optional games join the release.

• Prepare stems in the current FLAC format. Generate and Import write lossless FLAC stems beside your Rekordbox export and check the source, every page and the full audio. Tracks prepared with current OverCue Desktop and older bundles both play.
• Prepare long tracks with less memory. Preparation works through files on disk instead of holding the whole track in memory. Leave some free disk space for temporary files.
• Prepare a whole selection. Select up to 100 tracks, follow progress for each, reuse verified stems, cancel at any time and retry only the tracks that failed.
• Set up from a Mac. Preview DMGs for Apple Silicon and Intel on macOS 14 or later, with no separate Python. Apple Silicon also generates stems. Both are ad-hoc signed and not notarized by Apple.
• Take a break with optional games. Beat Arcade and Wave Rider sit in MODS → Extras → Games, and USB setup can add free Doom shareware, Chex Quest and Freedoom data. Games open only when you select them; the XZ still starts in the DJ view.
• Try layered scrolling waveforms. Prepared beside each track, they show either low, mid and high frequency bands or Vocals, Drums and Harmonics stems. The original bottom overview and live playhead stay.
• Keep connection controls accessible. VJ.Tools connection controls stay accessible in the MODS menu, even offline.

At release, Windows 0.1.8 or 0.1.9 and the Mac 0.1.9 preview received 0.1.10 through the app at startup. Installing it did not change the USB, so the next step was Back up and update loader. Format writing, checksums, small batches and game data checks passed in the app. Layered waveforms, the games and the Mac preview are still experimental; see the testing notes.

Read your decks clearly, in the style you chose.

Theme artwork now reaches the native player screen, with clearer titles and stronger waveform and cue colors.

• More complete retro screens. Game Boy, Super Nintendo, Windows 95, Game Boy Color, Aqua and DMG gain native player artwork and distinct title treatments.
• Clearer information at a glance. Glass gains readable panels and focus states. LCARS gains connected rails, richer colors and corrected deck-2 titles. DMG gets separate green LCD waveform areas.
• Keep your setup. Saved theme selections retain their meaning, and cue regions, playheads and tempo readouts stay protected.

Renderer and build checks passed. A live visual check of every theme remains pending.

Set up faster. Make the controls fit your set.

This release brings the USB update tools, stem preparation and configurable controller controls into one installed Windows app.

• Less update work. A Windows installer, startup update checks and signed updates replace manual app replacement. Read the release notes before installing.
• Update the USB you already use. Back up and update a loader, restore it if needed, and edit saved settings in the app.
• Jump useful musical distances. Set four backward/forward Beat Jump pairs on each of two pages. Shift opens page 2, with 16, 32, 64 and 128 beats by default. Labels show beats and bars.
• Prepare tracks from your USB library. Browse Rekordbox exports and stem status, run Open-Unmix HQ or Vocal focus, or group imported instrument stems into Drums, Vocals and Harmonics.
• Personalize once. Choose from 24 themes, assign stem shortcuts on an eight-pad diagram, and save theme, pad and Beat Jump settings on a writable USB.

At the time of this release, the separate new-track exporter had passed a controller test but was not connected to the app, and the built-in separation path did not export the current OverCue format. OverCue Desktop was the recommended preparation route then. 0.1.10 writes the current format from the app.

Spend less time finding tracks and fixing preparation.

• Work from the exported library. Automatic drive selection, free-space and stem-status readouts make it clearer which USB and track you’re preparing.
• Use your existing stem files. Import multiple instruments and combine them into the three groups the XZ controls.
• Finish preparation on Windows CPUs. Open-Unmix model loading and Vocal focus processing were repaired. exFAT music libraries work in the browser and importer.
• Move on after a job. Finished jobs release files before another operation or update. Setup instructions and the narrow preparation card were corrected.

Keep your preferences and update without starting over.

• Keep a way back. Existing-loader updates gain verified backups, changed-file checks and restore.
• Edit the controller from your computer. The USB settings editor covers themes, stem shortcuts, stem-row visibility and both Beat Jump pages.
• Find controls where you expect them. Themes share menu positions, Close moves to the top right, and Stem Shortcuts and Beat Jump get separate pad setup views.
• Keep choices between restarts. Preference saving and LCARS/Analog title contrast were fixed. Page 2 keeps distinct red/orange pad shades.

Prepare the loader with one USB selection.

Choose a suitable FAT/FAT32 USB and the app downloads the official 1.26 inputs, checks them and builds the loader. You no longer need to gather firmware and boot-support files yourself.

• Protect the destination. Unsuitable drives are rejected before downloading. Music stays in place, and preparation refuses to replace an existing loader.
• Avoid repeat downloads. Verified inputs are cached for later builds. Local firmware and staging-folder options remain in Advanced.

The owner prepared a USB with this version and cold-booted the XDJ-XZ with MODS running. Extended performance and experimental controls remain separate testing work.

Get past the Windows-built USB startup failure.

A checksum-file line-ending fix lets startup continue to MODS. The audio runtime, stem controls, themes and pad colors from 0.1.3 stay the same.

USB loaders made with 0.1.3 need rebuilding. The repair is also included in 0.1.5 and later.

See both decks, with clearer stem controls.

• Mix from the player screen. Two compact stem rows sit below the waveforms. Tap to mute and drag horizontally to adjust volume.
• Recognize pad actions. Both pad banks get corrected brightness and primary stem colors that remain independent of your screen theme.
• Get a consistent loader. The standalone builder and Library use the same checked runtime. XZ Mods splash artwork is applied in RAM.
• Have a guide beside you. Real XZ screenshots and an illustrated user guide explain the controls and preparation.

Stem rows, clean playback and pad colors were checked in RAM trials. The USB startup issue in this version was repaired in 0.1.4.

Choose your stem pads and keep the other bank’s hot cues.

• Choose A–D or E–H. The saved pad-bank option puts Vocals, Harmonics, Drums and Bypass on your chosen bank. The inactive bank keeps its normal hot cues.
• Match what you see and press. Screen controls, stem waveforms and pad colors use the same ordering, with brighter default colors.
• Switch views deliberately. In this version, the VJ.Tools corner button appeared only with a live, enabled connection. Touches stay with the active native or video view.

Alternate-bank and full physical playback acceptance remain separate from packaged-file checks.

Play prepared OverCue stems on the XZ.

• Use stems you prepare on your computer. The runtime reads OverCue bundles beside the matching Rekordbox export. Check OverCue track verifies the original and all seven prepared mixes without changing the USB.
• Control each deck independently. Touch and pad mute state agree, both deck waveforms stay visible, and hiding the stem rows leaves audio settings independent.
• Keep the chosen mix through loops. Background streaming and prepared combinations reduce decoder work and prevent a loop wrap from restoring a muted stem.

This established the OverCue playback path. Prepared-file verification does not prove audible alignment or sustained two-deck performance.