I played at two clubs last night, both with CDJs. The first club I played for two hours with no issue. But at the second club, Serato crashed twice; first 10min into my set and the second 5min in! I could not continue my set because it was unreliable. Luckily there was a hype man to fill the dead air and the other DJs used CDs.

I normally use vinyl whenever possible, so after doing some research I realized that I needed to switch from "phono" to "line". Although it was strange that at the first club it worked seamlessly, but at the second club I had major issues. Is there any explanation for these two scenarios?

Other questions I have:

- What is the affect (or consequence) when playing CDJs on "phono"? What happens internally?

- The Serato crash slowed down my PC considerably from the initial shutdown (after the first crash), to the reboot and then to the second crash (then subsequent shutdown). I hope that makes sense... DOES SERATO Crashing or does a 'phono" input result in such a slowdown in PC?

- I have two USB ports on my PC and at my second gig I plugged it into the port that I do not usually use (although I've used it before w/o issues, but that's with vinyl). I have read there are issues about using different USB ports, but haven't heard anything for Vista SP1. Is there a known issue regarding this?


All my files are analyzed and I defrag my PC regularly. I also turn my wireless during my gigs.

I hope you can provide some insight soon because I have another gig coming up in a few days!

Thanks in advance!

- DJ Champagne Bucket

well first thing, ur working on vista which brings us to the second issue.... ur on a pc.... try a mac where you wont have none of those problems.

Hmmmm... I've been using my PC for quite sometime now without any issues. I understand mac users and their affinity with their machines, but unfortunately some of us can't afford to buy a mac and the additional add-ons you incur if you purchase one.

And before anyone says that since I DJ at clubs I should be able to afford a mac, but I reside in the Philippines where the pay is only a fraction of what I would get if I were in the US. Yet the price of a mac here is still the same. So I still gotta eat while saving up for a mac. Not a problem for me to set aside extra cash but it's just going to take a longer time than US or European DJs.

So in the meantime, I a more realistic reply than "... get a mac ..."

Thanks for the reply Kraze, but if anyone can provide a more helpful answer, that would be much appreciated!

LMAO no you prop wont but youll have OTHER problems!

like what titomysta3000?

i'd like to hear what other people's experiences have been.

i always hear people saying "you should get a mac" when problems arise, but i think the specs between comparable macs and pcs are fairly close, but the costs are not as close.

i also think that the reason why you don't hear that many complaints from mac users is that the proportion of pc users and mac users is so large that you are more likely to come across a pc-related problem than a mac one....

This might help you out. I started on serato in October 2007. Like you, I had issues spending money on a mac when I thought a PC could do the same thing. I ended up bying a USED mac (2004 Powerbook G4). To this day, I've never had a problem. I spent $700.00 on my 15 Inch Powerbook G4 and only use it for my DJ work: NOTHING ELSE!!!! I only go on line just to download the latest version of Serato. Looking at a used mac may solve your problems.

Hello Champagnebucket,

I'm sorry to hear your having some crashing issues.

This would not have occurred by not having the audio input set incorrectly.
This could have been an issue with the usb port your were plugged into but before we dive into the issue any further I would suggest making sure your library is corrupt file free.
98% of freezes/crashes are due to corrupt files in someones library.

To find out if you have any corrupt files in your library you will need to analyze your files.
First click on the 'files' tab underneath the right virtual deck, and click the 'rescan id3 tag' option in the lower left of the files window.
This will remind SSL of what files have been analyzed and which ones haven't.
Once its done scanning, unplug your Rane hardware and click the 'analyze files' tab on the left side of the SSL screen.. above the word 'all'.

After its done analyzing for all necessary files you'll need to look through your library and delete any files that have a corrupt file icon next to it. This looks like a cd with a crack down the middle of it.

Its important to delete ANY corrupt files that SSL finds. Know that even corrupt files you never play can still cause SSL to freeze or crash.

Get through that process, test it out, and let us know if your still having issues;)

Hi Zach,

I rescanned and analyzed my files prior to my issue (why I started this thread) and I do have corrupt files.
What I don't understand is that some these files have been in my library for 5yrs and I never had an issue prior to this one?

Don't get me wrong, I've had crashes before but this was several months back when I didn't defrag my computer in a while. Now I regularly defrag once or twice a week.

Is there any way I can repair these corrupt files? I went through each one and determined the type of "corruptness" of each file and whether there was a fix unfortunately without any success.
I really need these files for my gigs. Is there anything I can do?

Thanks for your assistance!

Hi mate,

Obviously you could go and get a MAC, they are easy to use, but they are expensive and they have a shorter life expectancy than most PCs. Or if you don't want to splash out you could try and reset/delete your USB ports, restart the machine to let them install them selves again, plug in your Serato and let that install, and use that USB port only for Serato. It might help, it worked for me when I had USB problems.

Also if you can, it would be smart to keep your laptop for only Serato / music. Just for stability.

If you don't know how to delete USB ports, just do a quick google to read up about it. It's really not difficult though, but maybe worth reading up before you try to see if someone has had same problems with same setup as you.

Best of luck! :)

If you currently have corrupt files in your library I'm going to assume that is definitely your problem.

Know that different versions of SSL handle corrupt files differently but your always running the risk of SSL freezing or crashing if you keep them in your library.

Sometimes, you can reconvert the corrupt file using iTunes or some other converting program and it will strip the "bad" part of the file out of it.
If that doesn't work, the only other option is to record the tracks in real time back into your computer using Audacity or some other recording program/device.

If your trying to record the digital files your playing in SSL you will need to use a separate recording application such as --> audacity.sourceforge.net.
Once installed, run it in the background while your running SSL.
From there, run an output of your mixer back into the 1/8" mic/line input on your laptop or into an external sound card connected to your computer. Make sure that input is selected in the recording section of the Sound preferences and press record to capture the sound coming from your mixer.

Not exactly a fast and easy way but it will work:)

+1 on the corrupt files.

I put all mine through Platinum Notes prior to importing into SSL and never had a single one since.

I don't think Platinum Notes will fix corrupt files but good to hear you haven't had any issues:)

Hi Zach

I didn't think PN would have a magic wand hidden underneath :-)

But like you say it's been good so far and has fixed all my corrupt songs but going on my previous disasters, I keep a VERY close eye on all my files now!

Hi DJ Woody Wood, can you post what your specs are? I'm thinking of purchasing a a G4 =P.

Thanks for sharing your experience and giving some advice.

I would not suggest getting a G4 only because the program is only getting more cpu intensive.
Although G4s will currently run SSL (probably not on optimal settings) you will soon need a more powerful computer to handle up and coming updates.
I would suggest going with a Macbook or Macbook Pro.

Zach is right. They do sell used macbooks and macbook pros. I have 2GB DDR SDRAM and a 1.5 Ghz PowerPC G4. I'm going to upgrade to maybe a used 2007 macbook pro just because the updates require more power. I'm still going to keep my Powerbook G4. I'm running the 2.0.0 version and haven't had any problems with my G4.