Last week I wandered through a department store in a nearby shopping center; a store where I haven’t been for a few years. Just inside the entrance is a radio station. Or, rather, a radio station studio; a DJ booth with an announcer, audio mixer, and a couple of Macs; all facing a guest area with multiple microphones on flexible boom arms. Shoppers passing by could see the on-air DJ and guests through large plate glass windows.

What caught my eye was the microphones (the same as I use at home), the Macs (similar to my iMac), and the flexible mic boom arms (the style I want but can’t afford). After ogling their studio setup for a few minutes my attention turned to the app running on the Macs. The station was live on the air, and all the microphones ran to a mixer which then plugged into the main Mac.

I waited for what I thought might be a lull then stepped through the door to talk to the DJ. He was friendly and inviting but cautious. I asked about the app running on the Mac. It turned out to be Radiologik DJ; a Mac app that’s been around a few years and in use on many radio stations around the world.

At the basic level Radiologik DJ is for disk jockeys and on-air announcers. It features a music playlist and can be setup to run audio commercials. Gone are the days of large reel-to-reel tape decks and audio cartridges. Radio control has been reduced to a few clicks on a Mac app.

At first glance Radiologik DJ may seem daunting; cluttered with lists and controls. Granted, there are plenty, but we’re talking about running a complex audio stream on a radio station.

The Program Queue handles the live stream. The Library & Song Ending controls pull up songs or commercials, each timed and with information detail. Preferences are extensive and cover the Audio I/O, keyboard controls (MIDI controls if needed), and other advanced settings.

There’s a built-in scheduler which allows programming to run automatically and, if needed, unattended (at least, for awhile). Audio programs can be pre-recorded and schedule to run as needed.

Audio tracks, whether commercials, news, programs, interviews, or music can be enhanced through the Track Prep mode which controls overlap threshold and pad, fade, start and trim properties.

Radiologik DJ features three main players and one library player, each with individually selectable audio outputs and iTunes integration. Whether live or in recorded automation, this app is rock solid and dependable. Additional hardware is required, of course- to bring microphones to the Mac, and to output audio to station broadcast equipment (or, to a DJ studio sound system).

What is especially impressive to me- I come from old school radio where back playing songs to play right up to a network newscast on the hour was a required art form- are the options to search for songs to fit time allocations. Being a Mac app, Radiologik DJ plays about any modern audio source, including AAC, MP3, AIFF, WAV, and even Apple Lossless.

Considering the capability Radiologik DJ is a bargain, despite multiple license options to cover everything from a home station to a fully commercial station with multiple users.