Here is my personal experience with Serato and Why do I think adding Firewire is a MUST to your next implementation of interface.

An open letter for Serato hoping it can help understand how some customers have some very real-world needs they would like to be accomplished.Before adding new fantastic effect feature. Sorry for the long post, as I am reading it again, it IS long, so beware :)

First of all, you may criticize Firewire in 2010 and think it is gone. Apple tried to get rid of it, on consumer laptops, taking it away from macbooks. People went mad. And Steve Jobs, which is a smart guy, had to go back, even if he does not like to do so ;)
Quite an happening in computer history.

Firewire is for all pro users who want high-end, today. All high end audio interfaces are Firewire, OR Firewire/USB2 dual mode too. Apogee, Motu...Weiss...this is pro gear I want Serato to match.

This second option is what I want from a PRO audio company like Rane or Serato. A dual option to be able to use indifferently Firewire or USB2. A dual option would give me freedom.
You've just enabled us using 3 decks in HID mode....but this complicates things even more on that poor one usb port left.

[nasty comparison mode on]
And consider that some softwares would let me even free an usb port eliminating the need for the SL audio interface,
and using the built in CDJ soundcard....you are lucky that these softwares are totally unreliable IMHO compared to Serato.
Yes, I take my time to buy and compare everything. I am obsessed with the DVS's quality- it should sound better than a CDJ,
ultimately, in my expectations from a company which makes production plugins as well.
[/nasty comparison mode on]

BACK TO USB/FW-
I might love USB for spinning with a macbook air controlling serato with an ipad/tonetable in the middle of the desert, or FireWire for rocking the club with 2 cdj 2000
in HID mode and a macbook 15" WITHOUT one of the most unhappy pieces of unreliable hardware ever built: an USB hub.

WE STILL CARE ABOUT SOUND QUALITY - NOT EVERYONE CARES FOR GIMMICKS
Some customers think like me - they want the best they won't settle for less - if I'm listening through a UREI 1620, or my passive rotary mixer that I build,
and my high end audio setup, I don't want less sound quality from Serato than I'd have from my CDJs.


Been using for years Scratch Live on what people would rate as the best hardware setup. I have now a 15" Core i7 Macbook pro. Supercharged by an Intel x-25m ssd. Blazing and super-stable, with few software installed on a clean, tidy system.

I've been using the HID mode since available, whenever I had the chance, or cd/vinyl timecodes in club enviroments, where the CDJ1000 is more common. I know all the HID bugs of every version of Serato...but never had time to report them. Anyway it's a promising and usable route.
I am satisfied and have no desire of jumping to the Pioneer software - I would lose flexibility nor jumping to Traktor:
Traktor's HID implementation is totally far from what CDJs should feel when bending, in the tests I did.

What I find really deceiving is the necessary use of an USB hub to do so: the Macbook/MB Pros have only 2 USB ports, except for the 17" model, which is not very handy for club use.

Usb hubs introduce less reliability in making the devices recognized, and can make you lose precious time while setting up your gear.

I think you should address this issue adding the dual usb2/firewire connectivity, it might be cheap and add a considerable perceived quality gain to consumers too.

Another vital question is sound quality. Serato is used by DJs who CARE about sound quality.
When you pitch a song, the timestretch quality is not up to a CDJ2000. Anyone would tell on a decent sound system. Again, this issue needs more attention, BEFORE dipping into new adventures like Bridges & the like.

Regards,
an (almost) happy customer, Sl1&SL3 owner