NeoN VJ User Guide

For Beginners - A Guide for First-Time Users

Please Read Before Purchase

1. Introduction

What is NeoN VJ

NeoN VJ is an iOS/iPadOS app that automatically recognizes music playing at DJ events and displays song titles, artist names, and album artwork in real-time.

It supports external monitors and projectors, designed for use in VJ performances and live streaming.

System Requirements

• OS: iOS 15.6 or later
• Devices: iPhone / iPad
• Internet Connection: Required
• Microphone Access: Required (for music recognition)

Features

• Automatically recognize and display playing music
• Output to external displays and projectors
• NDI Output: Send song info wirelessly to VJ software and OBS (transparent layer support)
• Customize event logos and backgrounds
• Display DJ names
• Customize layouts (7 preset options)
• 8-language support (Japanese, English, Spanish, French, Korean, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese)

Limitations

• No offline music recognition
• Cannot recognize songs not in Shazam database
• Cannot analyze recorded audio files (real-time recognition only)

2. Quick Start

Initial Setup

Important steps when launching the app for the first time.

1. Launch the App

When you launch the app, a welcome tutorial will automatically appear after 3 seconds on first launch.

• The tutorial introduces basic usage in 3 steps
• You can skip it using the "Skip" button
• You can view the tutorial again later from the settings screen

2. Grant Microphone Access

On first launch, or when you first press the "Start" button, you will be asked for microphone access permission.

3. Test Operation (Recommended)

We recommend using the "Mic Test" button to verify that audio input is working properly.

Start Music Recognition

1. Tap the "Start" button
2. Wait in an environment where music is playing
3. When recognition succeeds, song title, artist name, and album artwork will be displayed

Stop Music Recognition

Tap the "Stop" button to stop recognition and return to the "Searching..." screen

3. Basic Operations

Understanding the Screen

Control Buttons (Left Side)

• Mic Test: Check audio input operation
• Start/Stop: Start or stop music recognition
• Retry: Re-attempt music recognition (shown only after recognition starts)
• Settings: Open detailed settings screen
• Position Adjustment: Shown only when external display is connected
• Hide Menu: Hide control buttons and logs to maximize display area

Control Buttons (Right Side)

• Full Screen: Switch to full-screen display mode

Status Display (Bottom)

• Green dot: Recognition active and song is displayed
• Orange dot: Recognition active but no song recognized
• Gray dot: Recognition stopped

How to Use Retry Feature

The Retry feature is used when song recognition is difficult or when the display doesn't switch from the previous song.

When to Use

• When song changes are not recognized
• When you want to continue recognition before returning to the "Searching..." screen

How to Use

1. Tap the orange "Retry" button on the left side of the screen
2. The timeout period is reset and enters high-speed recognition mode for 5 seconds

4. Recommended Settings for Beginners

Open the settings screen from the "Settings" button on the left side of the screen.

Change Layout

You can select the display position of music information from 7 presets.

1. Find the "Layout" section in settings screen
2. Tap "Preset Selection"
3. Select your preferred layout

Layout Presets

• Center: Album artwork and music info centered (default)
• Minimal: Simple and compact display
• Sidebar Left: Music info aligned to left
• Sidebar Right: Music info aligned to right
• Bottom Left: Album artwork at bottom (left-aligned)
• Bottom Center: Album artwork at bottom (centered)
• Bottom Right: Album artwork at bottom (right-aligned)

Set Event Logo

You can display an event logo at the top right of the screen.

1. Find the "Event Logo Settings" section in settings screen
2. Tap "Select Logo Image"
3. Select logo image from photo library
4. Adjust "Logo Size" as needed

Display DJ Name

You can display custom DJ names in place of "Powered by NeoN".

1. Find the "DJ Name Display Settings" section in settings screen
2. Turn ON "Enable DJ Name Display Mode"
3. Enter DJ name(s) to display in the DJ name field (up to 20 names can be registered)
4. Select the DJ name to display using radio buttons
5. Adjust the switching interval between "Powered by NeoN" and DJ name with "Switch Interval" (3-60 seconds)

Usage Examples

• "DJ Chromaty Yuya Playing"
• "DJ SMYLE Playing"

Adjust Recognition Accuracy

You can adjust the balance between recognition accuracy and speed according to the situation.

1. Find the "Music Recognition Settings" section in settings screen
2. Select one of the following from "Recognition Preset Selection"

Recognition Presets

5. Outputting to External Display

NeoN VJ automatically detects external display connections and starts dedicated display output.

Wired Connection Method (Recommended)

1. Connect to projector or monitor using iPad HDMI adapter
2. External screen display starts automatically upon cable connection
3. iPad becomes control device, external screen becomes display-only automatically
4. When connection succeeds, bottom log shows "Started display on external screen"

How to Use Position Adjustment

When video is slightly cut off on projector or external monitor, you can fine-tune the overall display position.

Operation Method

1. Launch the app with external display connected
2. Tap "Position Adjustment" button in left control panel (turns green)
3. A cross-key-like adjustment panel appears
4. Fine-tune video position with each button (moves 5% of screen per tap)
   • Up arrow: Move entire video up
   • Down arrow: Move entire video down
   • Left arrow: Move entire video left
   • Right arrow: Move entire video right
   • Center button: Reset position to initial state (center)
5. Tap green "Done" button to exit adjustment mode

6. Source Mode (NDI / HDMI Output)

Source Mode sends song information to external VJ software (OBS, Resolume, etc.). Using the NDI protocol, PCs and Macs on the same network can receive the output directly.

Display Mode vs Source Mode

NeoN VJ has two operating modes.

• Display Mode (default): Shows a complete screen with background, logo, and effects on the iPad or external display. Use this for standard operation
• Source Mode: Sends song information (title, artist, album art) to external software via NDI. The receiving VJ software can freely composite the content. When HDMI is connected in Source Mode, the Source Mode screen is also shown on the external display, but the background will be black

External Output Behavior Comparison

Display Mode and Source Mode behave differently for external output.

Display Mode + HDMI

• The complete screen with background, logo, and effects is displayed directly on the HDMI-connected external display
• The iPad serves as the control device, while the external screen is display-only
• Ideal for projecting directly to a projector or monitor

Source Mode + NDI (Recommended)

• Song information is sent as a transparent layer (with alpha channel) over the network
• The receiving VJ software can overlay just the song information on top of its own visuals
• Since the background is transparent, only the text and album art are visible

Source Mode + HDMI

• When HDMI is connected with Source Mode active, the Source Mode screen is also shown on the external display
• However, HDMI does not support transparent layers, so the background appears black
• Song information is displayed on a black background

Activating Source Mode

1. Open the Settings screen
2. In the "Operation Mode" section, turn ON "Enable Source Mode (NDI/HDMI) [Beta]"
3. The screen switches to the Source Mode view and NDI transmission starts automatically

Source Mode Screen Layout

Preview Area

The center of the screen shows a real-time preview of the video being sent via NDI. You can see the song information rendered on the transparent layer.

Status Bar

The top of the screen displays real-time transmission status.

• NDI (green dot): NDI transmission active
• fps: Frame rate
• ms: Capture latency
• Receiver icon + number: Number of connected NDI receivers
• Resolution: Output resolution (1920x1080)

Control Buttons

• Display: Return to Display Mode
• Start / Stop: Start or stop music recognition
• Hold Display: Lock the currently displayed song info (maintains display even when the song changes)
• Retry: Re-attempt music recognition
• Blackout: Temporarily hide video output while maintaining the NDI connection
• Settings: Open Settings screen

Output Element Selection

You can individually toggle ON/OFF the elements sent via NDI.

• Album Art: Album artwork
• Song Title: Song title
• Artist: Artist name
• Powered by / DJ: Credit display / DJ name
• Searching Text: "Searching..." text during recognition

Layout Presets (9 Types)

Source Mode has dedicated layout presets to position the output elements.

• Center: Center placement (default)
• Center Top: Center, top-aligned
• Center Bottom: Center, bottom-aligned
• Center Left: Left, center-aligned
• Center Right: Right, center-aligned
• Top Left: Top-left corner
• Top Right: Top-right corner
• Bottom Left: Bottom-left corner
• Bottom Right: Bottom-right corner

NDI Receiver Setup

Requirements

• iPad and receiving PC/Mac must be on the same network
• NDI-compatible software (OBS + NDI plugin, Resolume, vMix, etc.)

OBS Setup Example

1. Install the OBS NDI plugin
2. In OBS, add "Sources" → "NDI Source"
3. Select "NeoN VJ" from the source name list
4. The video is received as a transparent layer and can be composited on top of other sources

Source Mode Troubleshooting

NDI source not found on receiver

1. Verify iPad and receiving device are on the same Wi-Fi network
2. Verify Source Mode is active (green "NDI" indicator in status bar)
3. Check that the firewall is not blocking NDI communication
4. Refresh the source list in NDI receiver software

Video stuttering or lagging

• Check Wi-Fi signal strength (5GHz band recommended)
• Reduce other network traffic
• Check if "drop" (dropped frames) count is increasing in the status bar

7. Useful Features

Custom Background & Filter Settings

Set event background images and adjust with filters.

Background Image Setup

1. Find the "Custom Background Settings" section in settings screen
2. Set event background image with "Select Background Image"
3. Turn ON "Enable Custom Background"

Filter Adjustments

Adjust text readability.

• Brightness: Background brightness
• Contrast: Background contrast
• Saturation: Background color vividness
• Blur: Background blur level
• Hue: Background hue
• Opacity: Background transparency

Video Background (iPad Only)

You can display videos as background.

Uploading Videos

1. Find the "Custom Video Settings" section in settings screen
2. Turn ON "Enable Video Background"
3. Upload video files to slots 1-5 (tap "Add" button for each slot)
4. Supported formats: MP4, MOV, M4V
5. Toggle each slot ON/OFF: After uploading, enable/disable each video individually

Playback Modes

• Single Play: Repeat one selected video (select video with radio button)
• Sequential Play: Auto-switch active videos in order
• Random Play: Auto-switch active videos in random order

Switch Interval Settings

Set auto-switch time for videos in 5-60 second range with "Switch Interval" (only for sequential/random play)

Capacity Limits

• Maximum 100MB per file
• Maximum 400MB total for all videos
• Recommended resolution: Full HD (1920x1080) or lower
• Supported formats: MP4, MOV, M4V

Language Settings

You can change the app's display language.

1. Find the "Language Settings" section in settings screen
2. Select your preferred language

Supported Languages

Japanese, English, Spanish, French, Korean, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

8. Troubleshooting

When Songs Are Not Recognized

Checklist

1. Is the device connected to the Internet
2. Check audio input with Mic Test button
3. Is music volume sufficient
4. Is ambient noise too loud
5. Verify microphone access permission (Settings → Privacy → Microphone)

Solutions

• Check recognition stabilization settings: Improve recognition speed with "Shazam Native" mode
• Use "Retry" button: Manually re-attempt recognition during recognition

When Microphone Access is Denied

A "Microphone Access Permission" alert appears on screen.

1. Tap "Open Settings" button
2. Turn ON microphone access for "NeoN VJ" in iOS settings screen
3. Return to app and retry "Start"

When Display is Hard to Read

• Switch between white/black text in text color settings
• Adjust brightness/contrast when using custom backgrounds
• Adjust font size appropriately
• Improve readability by adjusting Custom Info image size

When External Display Shows Nothing

1. Check cable connection
2. Check external display input selection
3. Verify iPad recognizes external display
4. Check for "Started display on external screen" message in log display

When External Display Video is Cut Off

1. Use Position Adjustment feature: Tap "Position Adjustment" button on left side
2. Fine-tune video position with cross keys (up to 20% in all directions)
3. Reset position with center button
4. Tap "Done" button after adjustment

When Videos Don't Play (iPad Only)

1. Verify video file is supported format (MP4, MOV, M4V)
2. Verify file size is within limit (100MB or less)
3. Verify video slot is "Active"
4. For single play mode: Verify video is selected with radio button
5. Verify operation on iPad (video feature not available on iPhone)

When App Crashes

1. Restart device
2. Completely quit app and restart
3. Check sufficient storage space in iOS settings
4. Update app to latest version
5. If using many videos: Reduce number of videos to lighten load

9. Advanced Features

Operation Mode Settings

You can switch the app's operation mode.

iPhone Mode

• Can use display sizes optimized for smaller screens like iPhone or iPad mini
• Suitable for small screens and close-range display

Normal Display Settings

You can fine-tune the size of each display element.

Adjustable Items

• Album Artwork Size: Adjust in range 120-800
• Song Title Font Size: Adjust in range 50-150
• Artist Name Font Size: Adjust in range 30-120
• Logo Size: Adjust in range 30-200
• Credit Font Size: Adjust in range 10-50
• Custom Info Image Size: Adjust in range 50-500

Large Text Display Mode

Text-only large display mode.

• When "Enable Large Text Display Mode" is ON, album artwork is hidden for text-only large display
• More visible from distance
• Suitable for large floors or spacious venues

Video Background (iPad Only)

Video background is an advanced iPad-only feature. Displaying videos as background enables more spectacular effects.

External Display Settings

Access advanced external display settings.

Settings Items

1. Find the "External Display" section in settings screen (need to turn ON "Show All Settings Menu")
2. Toggle "Auto External Display" ON/OFF
3. Check connection status (connected external display info is shown)

Detailed Recognition Parameter Adjustments

When "Custom" preset is selected, you can adjust the following items individually.

• History Retention Period: Set 5-60 second range for referencing past recognition results
• Judgment Threshold: Set 10-100% range for confidence level to confirm songs
• Minimum Recognition Count Before Judgment: Set 1-10 range
• Instant Change Count for Continuous Recognition: Set 2-5 range for response speed when same song is continuously recognized
• Silence Timeout: Set 10-120 second range for time until returning to "Searching..." when no music is recognized

10. How to Exit the App

Normal Exit Procedure

1. Stop Music Recognition: Tap "Stop" button to end recognition
2. Confirm Settings Saved: If settings were changed, always save with "Save" button
3. Home Button/Gesture: Exit app normally

When Exiting After Extended Use

• When using video backgrounds or many effects, the device may be under load
• We recommend letting the device rest after exiting the app

When Force Quit is Necessary

If the app becomes unresponsive:

1. Open app switcher (double-press home button, or swipe up from home bar)
2. Swipe NeoN VJ app upward to force quit
3. Recommend restarting iPad

11. Support Information

App Updates

Check for updates regularly. They include new features and bug fixes.

• Check for latest version in App Store's "Updates" tab
• We recommend enabling automatic updates

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact us at:

neondjcrew.contact@gmail.com

Final Notes

Thank you for using NeoN VJ!

The app has various features, but it's perfectly fine to use only the features you want to try!

Please customize NeoN VJ to your liking and enjoy!