The last thing anyone wants is sluggish response, especially when they have a packed dancefloor and a mix is about to fall apart. This is made even easier by the way Serato emphasises the transients in the waveform display.įrom day one, the manufacturers have managed to get their software working exactly right for DJs. Once two tracks are beat-mixed, their waveforms will move together in unison, making it very easy to spot problems before they become audible. The waveform view can also be used as a visual mixing aid. Serato also provides a waveform that can be set to either vertical or horizontal view, and the waveforms are displayed in full glorious colour to make it even easier to read and pick out kicks, snares or anything else of interest. Visual feedback like this is essential for DJs deep in the mix, and Serato have managed to do this in a slick, non-cluttered way, exactly the way it should be. Another handy visual guide is a circular progress bar that indicates the remaining time left on the track.

As the vinyl turns on the turntable, the virtual deck on-screen turns as well, with a line representing the current point in the track. One of the nicest features in Serato Live’s interface is the way the physical time-coded vinyl is represented on-screen. In a nutshell, Serato provide the software and Rane provide the hardware to make this system work as one, like a marriage made in heaven. Scratch Live will only work with the official Rane soundcards or mixers, as they have an exclusive licensing deal with Serato, but DJs can still use third party controllers and equipment like Pioneer’s new CDJ range or Denon and Novation’s controllers to manipulate certain functions within Scratch Live. Once Serato Scratch Live is taken out of the box, there are a few ways to hook up the DVS system - either by using Rane’s SL1/S元 soundcards, or soon there will be the option to use the new dual USB SL4 interface or one of Rane’s mixers with inbuilt Serato integration. DJs who love using decks and vinyl have to realise that the option to play 12 inch records isn’t as readily available as it once was - a lot of music is only being released in digital format these days - so this is, as they say, “the next best thing” Coincidentally, DMC have partnered up with Serato to open up DVS systems in the DMC World Mixing Championships, as it remains true to the original concept of the competition. We have seen more DJs who exploit Serato opting to use turntables and vinyl to control the software, and DJmag feels that using Scratch Live in this format is the best way to get the true feel and vibe out of Serato’s Scratch. Decks or CD players control the digital audio files that reside on your computer via a time-code, and Scratch Live works out what to play based on that information coming from the wheels of steel or a CDJ player. This is essentially the typical old school set-up of two decks and a mixer, with each channel of Scratch Live going to a channel on the mixer. The set up is simple: DJs use turntables or CDJ decks and a mixer to control the software. Scratch Live is, in its purest form, traditional DJing taken digital. It is a slightly different animal, in that it’s mainly for digital DJs who do not want to use vinyl or CD control and prefer to adopt the wealth of controllers on offer, that come with Itch supplied as standard. Serato also make a product called Itch that takes its lead from their main programme Scratch Live. Serato’s Scratch Live has come a long way since its original inception - with various additions to the main programme for selectors to choose from - but the essential ethos of Serato’s love for traditional good old DJing skills still remains, especially in the Live incarnation of their software. With Native Instruments releasing the T2 version of their popular Traktor software, we thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the other heavyweight pro option for digital DJs using DVS systems. We explore why these jocks love it so much. Serato’s Scratch Live digital DJing software has been popular with DJs such as Jazzy Jeff, A-Trak, Felix Da Housecat and Bonobo.

Serato scratch live setup tables