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Pioneer DDJ-SZ and firmware update 1.18 freezes SDJ with track scrolling!
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Pioneer DDJ-SZ and firmware update 1.18 freezes SDJ with track scrolling!

DJ Big T Silva 12:34 AM - 18 September, 2014
Hey Guys, I am having a current issue now since the latest firmare update (1.18) was installed on my SZ, it will literally Freeze SDJ when I scroll through the tracks with the trackpad on my MBP, or from the SZ controller itself. Now, when this occurs, music will continue playing audibly and there is no audible dropout. Also, the CPU meter is normal when this occurs and does not spike. It literally takes 4-5 seconds for the tracks to catch up to what I am doing on my deck or MBP trackpad, depending on which one I happen to use for scrolling. It does this EVERY time I scroll through songs. I had had this issue at all with Firmware version 1.15, and so I want to get it again, install it, and see if that fixes the issue, however, only 1.18 is available on Pioneer's site and no one has 1.15. Please, if you had had this issue since the latest firmware update and you own a DDJ-SZ please let me know if you also have this issue. I should note that it now does this with multiple versions of SDJ from 1.6 up to 1.7. and they all freeze now. I have been using 1.63 for a while doing weddings, and plenty of other gigs with absolutely no issues, and every since firmware 1.18 it freezes literally EVERY time I use SDJ. My suspicion is that SDJ did not update the proper coding to Pioneer's 1.18 firmware update and that is why it is glitching out. It should also be noted that I am using the latest driver version 1.0.1 so that is not the problem. Here are all of my settings and specs to help diagnose this issue:

2009 MBP 17" 2.8Ghz Core 2 Duo, 8GB RAM, 480GB Sandisk extreme 2 SSD.
Im Running OSX Mountain Lion 10.8.5
6,500 songs
85 crates
Maximum screen updates: 60
USB audio Buffer: Usually 10ms. (I have changed this up to 20ms and does not fix freezing issue on track scroll)
iTunes library not activated in any way.


PLEASE HELP ME FIX THIS ISSUE I have paid gigs coming up and can't get Firmware version 1.15 back on my computer because pioneer no longer has it. If anyone has version 1.15 please send it to me I believe that will fix it!!! Thanks for your help!!
pdidy 11:23 PM - 18 September, 2014
open a help request support.serato.com
DJ Big T Silva 2:36 AM - 19 September, 2014
Quote:
open a help request support.serato.com


Already did this more than a week ago with the serato team and they have not resolved the issue yet. They asked me for more information which is fine and I gave that to them in an email. I have not heard back from them now for 4 days so I took matters into my own hands with my own hypothesis of how to fix the freezing in SDJ. I was able to download the Pioneer DDJ - SZ firmware update 1.15. I currently have 1.18 which was crashing SDJ and I updated it last night and tested it again with 1.15 and the problem was fixed!!! SJD now works flawless with no issues or freezes at all with track scrolling. This is what happened: Pioneer released the new Firmware update for their decks (DDJ-SZ) as they are supposed to, to continually optimize it to work better and to be more responsive. According to the release notes of what Pioneer changed in 1.18 they made the SZ more responsive, by speeding up the signal chain down the USB cable, leading to serato by making the decks more accurate. The midi speed I believe is faster (this is my understanding) and SDJ did not update there software to optimize it for receiving the information from the decks as a faster rate. As a result, for some reason, on track scroll when playing tracks the software freezes for 5 seconds. See, SDJ did was not optimized for the 1.18 firmware that pioneer released. They should have optimized it when that firmware update came out to guarantee compatibly and optimization, but they did not do that, which is why is kept crashing. This problem could have been remedied by simply going back to firmware version 1.15 and then it would work fine, but the problem is that pioneer no longer has 1.15 on their site, only 1.18 is available, so it was a nightmare trying to get it installed back on my computer.
DJ Big T Silva 2:40 AM - 19 September, 2014
To anyone reading this post and having this issue, as I did, if you own the SZ, and have 1.18 Firmware installed on it and are having the freezing issue on track scrolling, go back to version 1.15 and it will be fixed. This is a bug and Serato needs to fix it fast. Serato I would like to flag this as a bug. Please update SDJ so 1.18 works without Freezing the screen in SDJ when scrolling through tracks! If you send me the link, I will post this as a bug that needs remedied.
pdidy 2:45 AM - 19 September, 2014
Hmmm, interesting. How did you get 1.15 ? is there a link too 1.15 you can post for others with this issue ?
LJ_WOOLSEY 2:53 AM - 19 September, 2014
If its a firmware issue its PIONNER that need to fix it so goto the Pioneer forums amd let them know your issue.
DJ Big T Silva 3:02 AM - 19 September, 2014
Here is the link I used. Once you click on it click on "download now." It should download 1.15 for you. Let me know if you have any trouble downloading it.

www30.zippyshare.com
DJ Big T Silva 3:05 AM - 19 September, 2014
Quote:
If its a firmware issue its PIONNER that need to fix it so goto the Pioneer forums amd let them know your issue.


I spoke with a pioneer rep on the phone and reported the issue I was having with firmware 1.18 and he said he has never had any reports of the issue. They said that the believed that was an optimization issue that needed to be addressed by the serato team.
DJ Big T Silva 10:20 PM - 21 September, 2014
Would a serato admin please comment on this issue?
Serato, Forum Moderator
Logan D 11:22 PM - 21 September, 2014
Hey DJ Big T Silva,

We're not aware of any issue like this with Pioneer's firmware, or as a bug with the software. My first guess would be that there is something specific to your setup that is causing this, which could be a problem with your database, some sort of MIDI conflict, some corrupt files in your library - it could be a number of things.

The best chance you have of fixing this issue is to work with our support team. They're pretty busy but they will always get back to you. The more information you can provide about your setup and how you reproduce the issue, the quicker/faster they will be able to help you.

I know it's a real hassle having an issue like this but I'm sure we'll be able to sort you out man!
DJ Big T Silva 11:39 PM - 21 September, 2014
Hi Logan D, Thanks for your response, as indicated above in this thread, I already have a help request out right now and I have been waiting for over a week with no reply from the serato team. My only workaround is to go back to firmware 1.15 for the SZ. 1.18 does not work correctly with your software. Have you tried this test yourself with your SZ? I want to have the latest firmware for my SZ but is does not work with SDJ for some reason. I already talked to pioneer and they told me that it was an optimization issue with SDJ and their 1.18 firmware release. So your telling me that SDJ is fully optimized to work with the SZ 1.18 firmware release and does so on your end without SDJ freezing when you scroll through your tracks? I need help with this and I already gave the serato team all of my specs as they requested. I never heard from them again and it is now over a week since I sent them all of the info they requested to help me. Where is the support that you are describing?
Serato, Forum Moderator
Logan D 12:09 AM - 22 September, 2014
Quote:
Hi Logan D, Thanks for your response, as indicated above in this thread, I already have a help request out right now and I have been waiting for over a week with no reply from the serato team.

What I mean is wait for the support guys to get back to you, they're quite busy but they will reply - and they are the best people to help you.

So are you saying this doesn't happen at all with the 1.15 firmware? Only 1.18? Could you please give me the exact steps you would take to reproduce this on 1.18? It seems to work fine for me (and others it seems) so I'd like to make sure I'm doing exactly as you were doing.
DJ Big T Silva 12:29 AM - 22 September, 2014
Hi Logan D, Yes this issue only happens with 1.18 and not at all with 1.15. To produce this issue I simply update my SZ to firmware version 1.18 and load up SDJ as normal. I never have issues with SDJ so this is very frustrating in particular. Basically, once 1.18 is installed I open SDJ and load two tracks, one on deck A and one on Deck B. I will let both of them play at the same time and then scroll though my tracks of any of my crates and SDJ will instantly freeze: stopping all activity in SDJ including the waveforms for about 4-5 seconds then reverts back to normal it will do this EVERY TIME I scroll through the tracks with the SZ or my track pad on my MBP. The specs of my MBP can be found on my first post to this thread.
Serato, Support
Aaron E 4:10 AM - 22 September, 2014
Hey DJ Big T Silva

Unfortunately Lucas has been off sick so I have just hit you up in your request thread. Apologies for the delay.

Aaron
djkikis S 9:29 PM - 25 September, 2017
From what i read here even 3 years old...is it possible to downgrade a firmware version on the DDJ SZ ? Does it the utility settings software allows you to do that???
Serato, Support
Aaron E 12:52 AM - 26 September, 2017
Hey djkikis S

Can I ask why you are wanting to downgrade your firmware? There are no known issues with the latest version for the DDJ-SZ so we should be able to help you in some other way.

If you haven't already, Id suggest opening a ticket with the support team here: support.serato.com

Cheers
DevonMTL 5:59 PM - 26 September, 2017
DJ Big T Silva , i have checked thoroughly new firmware on ddj sz. it is working fine. my mac specs as follow: Mac book pro 2012 i7 2.3ghz non -retina, macOS Sierra 10.12.6, 16 gig memory, 500 gig solid state drive.