Serato Dj Vs Scratch Live Sound Quality
In the standard configuration of Scratch Live an analogue audio source (turnable / CDJ) sends the Scratch Live control signal into a Rane Scratch Live hardware device, where it is digitized, sent to the Scratch Live software and used to control playback of a digital audio file. Aug 15, 2014 Serato vs Traktor vs Virtual DJ. When you decide that you want to DJ with turntables (or CD players), but you also want to be able to take advantage of the new technological developments, a DVS.
Scratch Live 2.5 (Legacy)
Note: Serato Scratch Live has been replaced with Serato DJ.
IMPORTANT: Please read this known issue before updating to Scratch Live 2.5
Serato Scratch Live 2.5 comes loaded with a bunch of key features including: Support for Serato Remote, free Loopmasters sample content, plug-and-play support for Pioneer CDJ-2000nexus and MIDI Output Lighting.
What's in Scratch Live 2.5?
Support for Serato Remote
Serato Scratch Live users have support to download and use Serato Remote - Serato’s first official App for iPad®.
Designed to compliment an existing Scratch Live setup, Serato Remote will connect seamlessly to your Serato laptop software and work with all supported Scratch Live hardware.
Serato Remote lets you see and perform all of your favorite Scratch Live functions without needing to touch your laptop. Control Cue Points, Loops and Samples. Load tracks and manipulate FX in ways that weren’t previously possible. See Serato’s famous Virtual Decks and Track Overviews so you can focus on the crowd and free yourself from your laptop.
Have control at your finger tips and enhance your Scratch Live performance. Serato Remote can be connected wirelessly freeing you to move around the stage or connected over USB for ultra low latency.
Designed with real world performance in mind, using big easy to hit buttons focusing on the most important performance features.
Serato Remote is available now and can be downloaded direct from the App Store℠ for USD 19.99.
To watch Rui from Serato use Serato Remote, and for more information visit serato.com/remote.
Apple, the Apple logo and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
Pioneer CDJ-2000nexus plug-and-play support
With Scratch Live 2.5 you can throw away your control CDs and connect your Pioneer CDJ-2000nexus directly to your laptop.
Tightly mapped software controls give you low latency control over performance features in Scratch Live.
Control your Scratch Live library with your CDJ-2000nexus. See full color album artwork, waveform, cue/loop points and other important track information on the CDJ-2000nexus color display.
MIDI Output Lighting
Now supported with Scratch Live 2.5 MIDI Output Lighting enables the LEDs on your MIDI controller to light up when used with Scratch Live.
We've teamed up with our hardware partners to provide you with some presets for some of the coolest controllers out there.
You can also read this blog post for more information on how to use the presets.
Free Loopmasters Sample Content
Scratch Live 2.5 comes with FREE samples from Loopmasters. Get 24 of the best Beats, Hits, Loops and Sweeps, free to you when you download the Loopmasters sample content installer. Download the sample content from within the Scratch Live 2.5 download and the samples will install straight to your Serato library as a crate.
For more information on how to get the sample content have a read of this Loopmasters blog post.
Scratch Live 2.5 Bug Fixes
Alongside these key features Scratch Live 2.5 also includes bug fixes to continue the unparalleled level of stability and performance that Serato software is known for.
Some examples of the bug fixes are:
The 2i2 has much better connectors. 
- Mixtape .als recordings now work with Ableton Live 9.
- Fixed a bug where the beatgrid lock wasn't being saved and loaded to/from the file; it was only being saved to the database.
- The Sixty-Eight record source is now correctly loaded from preferences.
- Fixed a bug where the CDJ-350 was sending both MIDI and HID messages which meant it could possibly fire two different Scratch Live events at the same time.
- Fixed a bug where the DJFX deck assignments wouldn't save to preferences if going from being 'on' initially, to 'off'.
For a full list of bug fixes see the Scratch Live 2.5 Release Notes
Read the full Scratch Live 2.5 release notes.
In the DJ software industry, there are two adversaries who play cat and mouse, one-upmanship, and generally snap at each others heels to win the hearts and hands of DJs. But there was DJ software before Traktor and Serato, and that software was VirtualDJ, a package that had key features before the others. But one thing that it has never really excelled at is vinyl emulation. Yes, it has been able to do it to some degree, but never at the same level as Traktor Scratch, Serato Scratch Live, and now Serato DJ. That is until now, because their DVS engine has been entirely rewritten, and is more than ready for primetime, and is coming out fighting.
Unlike the others, you don’t need dedicated hardware and software. Indeed, Atomix positively makes a point of using their closed systems. Andrew Van Almen, COO of Atomix says this:
“Several months of development time went into making the best DVS engine on the market, it’s truly a game changer as the first cross platform compatible DVS software that will work with virtually all existing DVS hardware and records on the market.”
Well that’ll ruffle a few feathers in Berlin and Auckland for sure. Check out this video from the VirtualDJ Tips Youtube channel to see a Rane SL2 and Serato timecode vinyl being used just like you would in Scratch Live or Serato DJ but with Virtual DJ 8.
And this one for some controllers:
Dynamic performance capability. With Mixtrack Quad, mixing is an instinctual experience, with the entire control surface, turntables, and pads illuminated and providing real-time visual feedback.16 Chromatic Performance PadsCreate loops, launch samples, and control hot cues with the 16 illuminated rubber drum pads. It all comes together to empower your performance and bring your mix to life.4-Channel Lighted Performance ControlYou get four channels of software control to mix and match tracks, juggle beats, or completely deconstruct, mashup, and remix songs with your unique style. Serato dj.
Given the entirely closed shop that is Traktor, and the small circle that is Serato DJ, will this mean dedicated VirtualDJ mixers and audio interfaces? Will we seem the floodgates opened and a mass exodus away from the top two and more interest in VirtualDJ? It suddenly became a considerably more compelling piece of software for a lot of users.
At this point, the total extent of compatibility and performance is unknown. I wouldn’t expect absolutely everything to work with zero latency, but it certainly will be fun trying to get things to play ball. I suspect that owners of Traktor and Serato gear might not be in a hurry to jump ship from their tailored solutions though. And given that VDJ8 claims to work with a very wide range of control vinyl, it’ll be interesting to see if they come out with any of their own.
At BPM, we were excitedly ushered to the VDJ stand to test out the new DVS features. Obviously being the not at all easily impressed hacks that we are, we tried to break it. After a sustained period of lasers, tears, slow drags, and repeated spinbacks, VDJ8 held up amazingly well. So right away, we’re giving it a tentative thumbs up.
Of course, the best way to show off the quality of any new product is to get skilled DJs to give it a proper workout. So Atomix took a trip to the Scratch DJ academy in Chicago to create some videos for the Atomix Power Room series. Instructors Boi Jeanius and J. Marz roll out a couple of short sets for the Atomix cameras, and as we found at BPM, VDJ8’s DVS chops are up to scratch. Yeah I cracked a cliche funny.
Finally our man arkaei was tasked with making the video you see at the top of this story for VirtualDJ — to find a gifted scratch DJ and film them using the new DVS software. Given our experience with VDJ prior to BPM in the past, you can imagine our trepidation entering into a project like this i.e. not managed and controlled by VDJ themselves. But once again, it came up trumps and DJ FU pulled off tricks usually reserved for the big two, showing that perhaps the days of less than stellar scratch performance from VirtualDJ 8 are a thing of the past.
Scratch Live Download
We’re happy to report that VirtualDJ 8 seems ready to be taken seriously by people most accustomed to turntables. And while the videos above do seem to back this up, the only way to find out for yourselves is to test it. So essentially Atomix is challenging you to try it out for yourself by downloading the demo version. Expect teething troubles, but do persevere and see if you can get the same performance that we’ve experienced first hand. From a DJWORX perspective, we’d love to get some feedback on your experiences.
Serato Scratch Live 2.5
Are you going to download VirtualDJ 8 and give the DVS portion a spin? I cracked another cliche funny. Will you just sit back and say it’s crap without even trying because it’s Virtual DJ? Or are you willing to remove the blinkers and give it a go to see if there is a viable alternative?