After a long battle I decided to switch from Virtual DJ to Serato. I am about to order the mixer, 2 CDJ 800s and a mac book pro.

Is the CDJ the best CD players to use with serato?

A problem I am having is with updating the record case. Is there a simple way of adding ur music from ur HD. My music is sorted on my as I would want it. VDJ has spoilt me, is there anyway to automatically add them without spending hrs building crates and sub crate.
The biggest problem I have is monitoring my record case. When I add new music to my folders do i have to manually add them to Serato.

I appreciate ur your help and I am really looking for to using Serato.

I hate to be the frist one to say it but you can search for all your answers on this forums. You can download the software and the users manual to start working with it befroe you get it.

What is the name of the program to arrange crates.

LOL do a search. Scratchlive tools or something like that.

I will give you a tip though. I would make sure that all your folders are made on PC before you move them into the program which would make it easier for you as all you have to do is create the crates then drag the folders them them. Meaning your crates should mirrow you folders. SO nothing changes, then build overviews and your done. As far as adding new songs the Scratchlive tools will do the work for you or you could just redrag folders see what doesn't have bmp and drag them to overview.

sorry bout my bad typing.......

Yo Elite! I will see you next week.
Why not buy Technics turntables? I'm sure they will be cheaper than CDJs.

For your crates, if all your music is sorted by folders, just drag and drop the whole folder into SSL and each folder will have it's own crate. The searching function in SSL is way better than VDJ.

Yea man...Things ruff here. As soon as you land give me a call. Anything you need just let me know.

D- Twizzle
When I do that it does not seperate the folders it just at all the songs to one main crate. For instance I have hip hop as a main folder then that folder is sorted by year. When I drag the hip hop folder into serato it just gives me one folder with all the tracks

You will have to make subcrates and then drag each of the folders to them. Create a crate called hip-hop and another called old-school hip-hop drag te old school hip hop to your hip-hop folder in then it will be a sub create.

If you have a lot of songs I hope your using a quad or something to build your overviews as it will take a while. I redone mine about 4 months ago and it took about a day and some to do all videos and songs. Hell I only have bout 800 videos but it only does the music. If an extrenal drive like most the information no matter what will be stored on that drive. That's good because that means you can build overviews on any computer and they will be there even if you use another Dj's laptop. Best thing they have ever done.

I am new...whats a "quad." I am in the process of converting my .vobs to mp4...really time consume. I have 2 computers going at this. I must complain that the process of adding the record case needs to be improved and monitor folders should be a must.

Thanks a mil for your help.

Quad = Quad-Core Processor

Yeah it's a pain in the ass compared to Vdj but you must remember that this is their first year in the video biz so it will get better. Nik39 has made scratlivetools which has been a great help to many. You need any help hit me up many people here have helped me at one time or another so I pay it forward. Big thing on this forums is that if you don't do a search to find out what you want people will not answer or will say do a search. Are you using PC or Mac to convert. If using PC I suggest mediacoder it works pretty well.

I do appreciate the help. I am going to use both PC and Mac. Just bought my new mac book pro I now need to find an adapter to convert the video ouput to s video.

I have a question for you why switch? VDJ working for you why switch?

I can't answer for him but I can tell you why I pretty much switched.

- solid timecode (better response)
- mp4 video tag support
- plug-in play... not messy configurations
- works great on a MAC
- simplicity with equipment (ttm57sl/turntables/laptop)
- seeing a lot of clubs in Vegas setup a ttm57sl as their main mixer now
- VDJ seems to be focused on mobile dj/midi controller using dj's rather than club dj's

Phat you still having PC issues?

I am still using VDJ for video instead of Serato simply because of the compatibility that you get from VDJ - I have about 10,000 videos and they're in DivX, XviD, MP4, MPG, VOB, and so on.

You CAN use the SSL box as a soundcard with VDJ and I do that. Works fine although you do have to use VDJ timecodes.

I am still asking myself why am I switching. Just the process of setting up Serato to work is tedious. I have to reconvert my videos to mp4. My videos are currently .vob and when I convert them they look crappy. I am impressed with Virtual has soooo much more features than Serato. I am now seeing that serato is over rated and is not as good as it is hyped to be. I am going to buy equipment next week but I am really having secon d thoughts.

Elite what are you using to convert. Also I did notice that on the Mac the picture looks better, I have yet to understand why as I have the same Video card on Pc and Mac.

mp4 video tag support...

simply explained..

like mp3 ID3 tags...
you can do the EXACT SAME THING with mp4 videos!!

That means tag your files with all the necessary info like BPM, artist, title, remix, album, etc... and when you load it into Serato Video... "POOF" all the info is in the correct places. In VDJ you have to MANUALLY put that info in.
Sure you can name your files like "artist - title (version) (bpm).mp4" But you still HAVE to SCAN EVERY FILE IN before you get the BPM field. otherwise... manually type it in...

I am not sure about you guys... but I looking to work smarter and not harder. Why not put all the info in ONCE... and then go from there.


Sure VDJ supports all those video formats but I personally keep all my video files now in MP4 video. All are encoded to look good and all are tagged. I don't have mixed formats... I am picky like that.


--- and nope... I gave up on trying to get Serato Video working on a PC. Just using my MAC. Might try one more time to get it working on my PC laptop... but to do that I have to do a system restore back to what it was like when I bought it... then go through the whole un-install this... install this.. etc.. etc.. I am not up for that right now.

-------

believe me... I loved VDJ at one time... couldn't stop preaching about it. I used it about 3 years doing video on timecode. But after they improved many things with Serato video I was sold on most everything they offer.

My only complaints are:

- not able to update crates easily.
- video is not MIDI. Only use ttm57sl
- video output quality could be a little better
- not able to customize shortcuts
- doesn't work on a PC that well.


I am sure they will improve these things.... it has only been out less than a year.

LOL is that you Phat Al...Wow times have changed. Like you I brought a Mac and I know you were dead set against it just like me. I must admit the only diffrece that I have found is that the picture is a little better on Mac and I don't get that short pause that I get sometimes when loading a video on PC. Other than that I love my PC. You get yours up and going you will too. My Mac and PC have the same specs. 2.5ghz with 4 gig of ram 512 8600 nivida vid card. PC Running Vista with everything on (bluetooth, internet) runs real smooth I have thought to downgrade to XP as I am told it runs VSL the best. Since I have a Mac I am no longer thinking of that. I just use the Mac as a Back up and for doing edits in Final Cut...only done one so far. I will wait until the improve as I have no choice once they are able to do VOB's and add a third screen then I will be in HOG HEAVEN....

I use a laptop made by Sager. It's custom built - Vista, 4 GB of RAM, an Intel T9300 Penryn Core processor, 512 mbs of RAM in a NVidia 8700. I use a few things - CDJs for mixing and sometimes I use the Pioneer 800, other times the new Behringer DDM4000.

I have had one crash in 8 months of using the machine, and I'm ecstatic about that.

Absolutely! All my videos are H.264 MP4, more of a consistency thing for me, and now that Snow Leopard is going to support hardware H264 decoding, using any other format will simply slow down your performance.

Al, glad to hear you preachin about Serato now, and your insight into VDJ's problems will help me sell Serato at work too

Thanks guys...this discussion is making me lean towards Serato.

Problems I face. I have to convert all my files to MP4. When I use visual hub to convert already tagged .VOB files they cannot be opened in tag and rename. So I have to manually retype them in Serato. Also when I use visual hub the videos have lines ..would seem like pixel distorton when videos are playing...it is not blatant but somewhat visible.

Elite the good thing is that you have Mac and PC so I suggest you try doing this on the PC Side.
Frist download this lmoffice.com

Second Download MediaCoder mediacoder.sourceforge.net and download this file myfreefilehosting.com load it as setings in MediaCoder Thanks goes to Itchie

Also go here..forum.scratchtools.de useful stuff. Thanks goes to Nik39

I should have told you what they do. Imoffice tags them fro you
Mediacoder converts them and scrathtools are what its says tools..Peace

They usually are cheaper, mine have been going strong and have been alive longer than I have! My CDJ-1000s, got rid of those years ago. They crapped out on me three times over a 5 month span. Besides cutting and scratching video with vinyl is so much more fun!

Funkytownstopsix,

imoffice.com is a dead link
myfreefilehosting.com the file was removed.

Can you send me the files by uploading them to this link

www.filesanywhere.com

The reason for not using the turn tables is that I have never used a CD player or turn table before. I started with PCDJ and moved to Virtual DJ. Before everyone start telling me that I a press button DJ (LOL), that is why I will pay my dues and start with the CDJ 800s. Another reason is because of mobility.

I've had VDJ for years but never got into using it.
Last night I downloaded the latest version and the new skin with the video screens is dope.
It has so much more to offer than Serato Video (I don't know if it is as stable).

It recognizes the TTM57 sound cards but not timecode vinyl.
I'm thinking about buying the M-Audio Xponent controller as a Xmas present for my son so he can mess with VDJ.

When it com to videos VDJ has some really cool features. It is somewhat stable.

just click on the link and then download it.

when I click on the link Imoffice it says page cannot open. Myfreefileshostings.com they removed the file. Check them ..you will see

my bad....pm me with your email and when I get home and will email the mediacore settings to you to you. Depends on how big DJ Extractor is if not to big I will email it to you as well. Sorry about that those links they have always worked some things do change.

The only way to pay your dues, man is to get a set of turns and carry those plus 8 or 9 milk crates filled with vinyl up three flights of stairs, do a six hour show, and carry them back down those stairs at 5am. You’ll know then how us oldschoolers did it and will really appreciate the innovations we have now. And besides, chicks dig the vinyl, hands down.

Lol...Well I will pass on that Sonar. But I will take the chicks if they r alot of problems for ya..

U tell him Sonar.. I remember those days that's the reason I went to CDJ's.

I started with some cheap nemarks...then brought 1200's then brought 1210's then cdj 500's then cdj 1000's. I love my 1210's and now wish I still had them. What I don't miss is buying needles.

don't be fooled, dues cannot be payed on CDJs

Sonar was right

don't let that run your decision. buy what you think will work best for you

one day maybe i will get TTs just for the fun of it..lol

I prefer the TTs, but I also have a hard time seeing people with new techs and they only have two records. TTs are practical to me and will be for a long time because I have 10,000 records and still buy more every year. Where CDJs might be a better fit for someone with a big CD collection.

I really only enjoy watching or listening to DJs using TTs and Serato if they had some previous "strictly vinyl" experience.

The cool part for you, is that the jury is still out on what it means to pay dues as a DJ in this time. The art will evolve and one day there will be people at the top of the game that started their career with a computer and no TTs.

Who knows, paying dues may just be surviving your first thread on this forum...

Bump that paying dues is carrying crates trust me.. Milk crates full of records...Many crates makes you strong just like milk... LOL

Does anyone else have the settings for media coder and Imoffice? Please upload it to this link

www.filesanywhere.com

not always...

torrentpond.com to seach.
bittorent.com

VJ Elite, I use lmoffice to rip to .vob, than I use tmpgenc 4 to convert to .mp4

I've been djing since '74 and it makes know sense at all to say that the only way to pay dues is to carry crates. I play bass guitar and that's like saying the only way to play dues on bass is to carry a big upright bass around for years and hurt my back. Embrace the technology and pay your dues by getting out there hustling up gigs where you can, while trying to figure out how to keep the dance floor moving. All this carrying crates and using vinyl and not using cdj's is a bunch of crap. When your in the dj booth, people really only care about whether you can rock the party or not. Don't try to impress other dj's they don't get you paid!!!!

Paying dues (in my eyes) isn't about carrying records. It's about practicing, putting in the effort to learn the history of DJing and those who paved the road for new jacks... among a list of other very important stuff.

its dues, not due

theres so many things that "used" to be the bitch work, or the tedius work that was sunday-thursday.

Sure, theres the physical work of lugging records, speakers, a coffin.
but driving all over the city, even driving to different states to goto record stores
all to find those elusive tracks, those tracks that the joes in your hometown didnt
have because they were getting a steady diet of ultimix and what ever cd complilation they picked up at wal mart.
Doing the shit gigs for short money, doing gigs for exposure.
now, we arent talking about stealing/undercutting experienced djs.
but you and some people throwing a house party, or huff it to clubs and talk to the
existing djs and offer a fill in (not trying to steal a gig... just trying to cut your teeth)

theres so many things you do the first few year out you learn from.

of course now, with the internet the learning curve has been drastically shortened.
It was a good 6 years before someone showed me how to mod a 1200mk3.
now, people now how to do that before they know how to mix.

"hustle" or "dues" now is completely different... and based more around viral videos
and huge twitter lists.
Ive spun with some folks that have over 5000 facebook friends and have 5 or so years
under their belt and still dont know how to trouble shoot a bad tone-arm connection...

Im not saying I hate the progress, I embrace it.
Im just waiting it to come full circle and people start calling out the wavies for
what they are.
we ALL were new at some point, made our rookie mistakes, both ethical and physical....

its funny.I was at the club last night the dj was using cdj's well his shit started skipping the the music stopped. he was at the bar, and the MC say's hey all you ladies with the big ass don't bump the DJ booth.funny cdj's in a case don't skip. his laser is about to go out soon. but the DJ was at the bar. now other dj's was laughing cuz we know that cdj's don't skip when the dj booth is solid as hell and the booth is closed and elevated above the dance floor.thats why TT are much better.

Welcome to Serato VJ Elite,
I used virtual DJ (albeit a friends copy) for about 3 months & it was cool (better picture quality, played VOBS, text effect, etc). Problem was I didn'y have good time code control, couldn't scratch properly etc (some people got it to work for them but i couldn't). Anyway, I bought the VSL plug-in & went through the pain of converting 2000 plus VOB videos to MP4 (I already had some mp4's from Smash Vidz & 8th wonder). I used handbrake & afterv some tweeking I found the settings that worked for me. I am using a PC & plan on upgrading to a mac soon.

To be honest with you, I have been deejaying for 16 years & started beatmatching consistently (no train wrecks) within months of learning to mix in 1993. I enjoyed the auto-sync function of virtual DJ because I know that I can beatmatch without it (did that for 15 years). After 3 months however, I started to mkiss the challenge of beatmatching. This was one of my reasons for switching back to serato. It's more fun.

Virtual DJ was fairly stable. Serato has crashed on me about twice in about 7 months or so. Anyway, I like both virtual DJ & serato & may even buy my own copy of virtual DJ.

I think with time Serato will improve. I for one do not care for VOB support becaus most of my vids are MP$ & all the record pools are servicing MP4 as of now. I WOULD LIKE
S-C-R-O-L-l-I-N-G TEXT SUPPORT on the screens as well as an inmproved picture.

My advice to you, before U proceed to convert thousands of files, find the settings that work for you best & then convert the files once & for all.

Welcome once again & you will be hearing from me soon via PM regarding something else.

VJ Graham

text is here....

alternative to text on screen... a mic

man u must old skool [jk]

no, if he was wanting to pull the old school card he would have
said to plug the headphones into the mic jack and yell into that shit

I still do that...

That's not old school. That's just ghetto.

You need to de-interlace the videos when encoding.

Thanks all for your help with the transition. I am a Serato fanatic now...love it. Just stability is enough for me...

Some threads I refuse to post in. This is one of them.

BUT YOU DID

Sorry. That was me. I didn't know a-swift hadn't logged out from his computer.

Jammy Jam at a-swifts! :P

and be ecstatic about that too if I wasntusing my Mac and havent had a sigle issue wuith it lol

I love how all these DJ's say "Oh, well VDJ has more features" Then when I see them at their gigs (the few VDJ users that actually have a residency) all they do is crossfade their video anyway! What good are all these features if you don't use them anyway?

Who cares how many features you have if most of them really don't have any practical application?

Stability is key...Serato it is!

Right! We are DJ's after all!

I love how all these DJ's say "Oh, well VDJ has more features" Then when I see them at their gigs (the few VDJ users that actually have a residency) all they do is crossfade their video anyway! What good are all these features if you don't use them anyway?

Who cares how many features you have if most of them really don't have any practical application?

Stability is key...Serato it is!

I love how all these DJ's say "Oh, well VDJ has more features" Then when I see them at their gigs (the few VDJ users that actually have a residency) all they do is crossfade their video anyway! What good are all these features if you don't use them anyway?

Who cares how many features you have if most of them really don't have any practical application?

Stability is key...Serato it is!

I dont even use all the SERATO features!

I understand embracing technology.

but just like when EQ knobs, when they came out.
they dont make a lame dj better, but they make a good dj cleaner.

or the EFX.
how many trainwrecks were riddled with that pioneer jet/flanger/wah etc ect ect.
then you give the efx500 to james zabiela and get ready for your head to spin.

so, yay.
all these new programs (no love lost to serato... but them too..rightfully, its in demand, so...) but just becuase you put syrup on it dont make it pancakes.
Ive seen so many guys with a dusty efx500/1000 on their rig...ya know, if thats not
the "oh look... he has the new bell & whistle, so he's gotta be good" sysndrome!

uh oh you figured out my game plan.....all looks no talent lol

Most mobile DJs that I know, use VDJ.
I would say about 9 out of 10.
I have it. I have nothing against it but, my son learned on Serato first.
We are very comfortable with Serato.

Haha! Tomatoslice, I would run into this right NOW! See you at your crib tomorrow WITH VDJ in hand (and serato and modul8 and resolume and mixemergency and a mac and a pc... geez, we need a production studio to pull this gig off!)

Have to say i do prefer the VDJ file browser as it shows you the folders and sub folders and you can set the column headers to show BPM which you cant do with Itch File View :(

Infact the file browsing is the only thing i dont like about Itch, otherwise a gread solid program.

Just wish you could see the column headers /artist/album/bpm etc in every view when browsing songs..

itch? I thought this thread was about ScratchLive...

The only thing (from I remember years back) that VDJ has over ScratchLive is the fact you can update your "crates" easier than ScratchLive. VDJ doesn't save any internal information like cues, loops, etc... it is all in a database that resides on the root of the drive that has the media.