tinytunes DJ

tinytunes DJ Docs

Keyboard Controls in tinytunes DJ: Setup and Usage

2025-12-17

Control tinytunes DJ with the keyboard: default shortcuts, optional remapping, persistence, and performance tips.

tinytunes DJ is built to feel playable from the keyboard, not just the mouse. This guide covers:

  • The default shortcuts for the decks and mixer,
  • What the settings toggles do (hints/feedback/nudge step),
  • How remapping works and who can edit mappings,
  • How settings are saved (local vs cloud),
  • Tips and caveats for performance use.

1. Default keyboard shortcuts

With default settings (and a typical US-style layout), you can control the decks as follows.

1.1 Transport & cue

  • A - Play/Pause Deck A
  • B - Play/Pause Deck B
  • Q - Cue Deck A (set or jump)
  • W - Cue Deck B (set or jump)

Cue behaviour matches the on-screen buttons:

  • If no cue is set, pressing the key sets a cue at the current playback position.
  • If a cue exists, pressing the key jumps to that cue (and continues playback if the deck was playing).

1.2 Crossfader

  • ArrowLeft - Move crossfader slightly towards Deck A
  • ArrowRight - Move crossfader slightly towards Deck B
  • ArrowDown - Snap crossfader back to the center

1.3 Nudge (micro timing adjustments)

Use nudges to correct small timing drift between tracks without touching BPM or cue:

  • Z - Nudge Deck A slightly backward
  • X - Nudge Deck A slightly forward
  • , - Nudge Deck B slightly backward
  • . - Nudge Deck B slightly forward

Each nudge adjusts the current playback position by a small time slice. By default this is around 0.1s; you can change it with NUDGE STEP in Keyboard controls.

Note: Nudges are available for local tracks. YouTube tracks are not nudged by these keys.

1.4 Sync

  • Shift + Q - Sync Deck A to Deck B
  • Shift + W - Sync Deck B to Deck A

1.5 Load next from queue

  • Shift + X - Load next queued track to Deck A
  • Shift + . - Load next queued track to Deck B

This loads the next playable track from that deck’s queue (matching the current source where applicable).

1.6 UI actions

  • L - Toggle the Set List dialog

1.7 When shortcuts are ignored

Shortcuts are intentionally ignored when you are typing into:

  • Text inputs (e.g. search fields),
  • Textareas,
  • Elements marked contentEditable.

This prevents keyboard control from interfering with search, naming playlists, or filling forms.

2. Settings, remapping, and persistence

2.1 Opening Keyboard controls

Open Keyboard controls in either of these ways:

  • Click Controls (keyboard icon) in the sidebar/menu, or
  • If you're signed in, open the account menu and choose Keyboard shortcuts.

2.2 Toggles and options

At the top of the Keyboard controls panel:

  • ENABLE turns keyboard control on/off. When disabled, shortcuts won’t fire even if mappings exist.
  • HINTS shows/hides the on-screen key labels on deck controls.
  • FEEDBACK shows/hides visual “keypress” feedback (controls pulse when triggered from the keyboard).
  • NUDGE STEP controls how far each nudge press moves the track (e.g. 0.05s, 0.1s, 0.2s).

2.3 Changing a shortcut (remapping)

Everyone gets the default mapping. Remapping may require being signed in and having a plan that includes shortcut customization.

To assign a new key:

  1. Open Keyboard controls.
  2. Find the action you want to change.
  3. Click CHANGE for that row.
  4. Press the key (or key combination) you want to use.

If you change your mind while capturing:

  • Press Esc to cancel without updating the mapping.

2.4 Resetting to defaults

To undo all mapping changes:

  1. Open Keyboard controls.
  2. Click RESET TO DEFAULTS.

This restores the built-in mapping shown above.

2.5 Where settings are saved

  • Guests (not signed in): settings are saved on this device.
  • Signed-in users: settings can follow your account across devices.

If you’ve never customised your mappings, tinytunes DJ keeps using the latest defaults (it does not “lock in” defaults to your account).

If you're offline, changes will still persist on this device.

3. Best practices for performance

Keyboard control can make tinytunes DJ feel much more like a physical controller. Practical tips:

3.1 Avoid browser-reserved shortcuts

Some key combinations are reserved by the browser or OS, for example:

  • Ctrl+R / Cmd+R - reload tab,
  • Ctrl+W / Cmd+W - close tab/window,
  • Alt+Tab - switch apps (OS-level),
  • Cmd+Q - quit app on macOS.

In general:

  • Prefer single letters or arrows without Ctrl / Cmd for core deck actions.

3.2 Keep the mental model simple

For live use, consistency matters more than cleverness. Suggestions:

  • Keep Deck A on the left side of your keyboard (Q/A/Z).
  • Keep Deck B on the right (W/B/,.).
  • Use arrows for crossfader moves.

3.3 Train muscle memory

Practice drills with keyboard-only control:

  • Start/stop each deck using only keys.
  • Set and jump to cue points via keys.
  • Perform basic crossfader transitions using arrows.
  • Use nudges to keep beats aligned without touching the UI.

4. Troubleshooting keyboard control

If keyboard shortcuts don’t seem to work as expected, check the following:

4.1 Focus issues

  • Make sure the tinytunes DJ window/tab is active.
  • If you were typing into a search field or form, press Esc or click outside the input.

4.2 Settings

  • Open Keyboard controls and verify ENABLE is on.
  • If you don’t see key labels or pulses, check HINTS and FEEDBACK toggles.

4.3 Plan limitations

If you can use defaults but can't change them:

  • Confirm you are signed in.
  • Confirm your plan includes shortcut customization (as indicated in the app).