Scratch Live 2.1 Manual

Playback

Track End Warning

Enable track end warning to flash the virtual ,deck as you approach the end of the track. The label will start flashing 20 seconds from the end of the record. The track end warning does not apply to any tracks under 1 minute long.

Playback Keys Use Shift

This is checked by default. Unchecking this option will enable all of these keys without pressing shift or having caps lock on. This applies to all cue points (1...0) and cue controls (QWERTY etc).

SEE KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Lock Playing Deck

Every DJs nightmare used to be lifting the needle of the wrong turntable in the middle of a set. This setting helps to avoid the digital equivalent; loading a new track to the wrong deck. When this option is checked, you can only load a track if the target deck is stopped.

Sort Cues Chronologically

The five cue points can be placed in any order, and can be dragged up and down if you wish to reorder them. If you prefer to lock them to chronological order, turn this option on.

Enable Hot Cues

When Hot Cues are enabled, you can set cue points simply by pressing the number keys 1 through 0 (no ctrl modifier required) from your keyboard. You can only add cues this way if the cue point slots are empty. SEE CUE POINTS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Use Auto Gain

Auto gain enables you to set a uniform volume level for the tracks in your library. When a track is in auto gain mode, the track gain knob appears depressed.

To enable auto gain, check the “use auto gain” box under the playback tab in the setup menu. Provided you have built your overviews, your tracks will now be loaded with the auto gain applied.

Next to the “use auto gain” check box, a drop down menu sets the target gain volume level. Use this to adjust the level of your auto gain. To find the optimum setting, load a track with an average volume level onto one of the virtual
decks. Now play the track, and note the volume and LED lights inside the software.

The idea is to have the track volume sit just under the clipping point (indicated by the LED meter red lining). If the track is too quiet, unload the track, then go to the setup screen and boost that auto gain dB value more.

Once you’ve made that adjustment, load that same track onto the virtual deck again. Notice the volume knob has turned up and the volume is louder. Keep making those adjustments on that particular track until its just below the clipping point. Once that is set you don’t need to adjust the target gain level ever again.

Because the track you used had an average volume level, most of the other tracks in your library will be around the same volume. You may still need to turn up the separate track volume when you load a quieter track onto the deck and turn down the louder tracks but once you’ve made those adjustments Scratch Live will remember them the next time you load the file.

TIP: Slightly too quiet is always better than too loud. If your LED meter is in the red, it is likely that it is clipping. Not only does clipping not sound very nice, it can damage your equipment.

NOTE: Your overviews need to be built by version 1.7.2 or later for auto gain to work.

HI-FI Resampler

This significantly reduces digital distortion at very slow or very fast record speeds, increasing the CPU load slightly. This option is off by default, the old resampler is used when switched off.

Play From Start

Enable this to start all tracks from the beginning when loaded in rel and int modes. If this setting is not enabled, freshly loaded tracks will continue to play from the point the last track was at. This option is on by default.

Instant Doubles

This allows you to quickly match the playhead position of two tracks. With this option set, when you load a track on one virtual deck that is already loaded on the other virtual deck (it must be the same file), the playhead will jump to the position of the track that was loaded first, with the keylock state and looping settings copied. This setting overrides the Play From Start and Play From First Cue Point options.

Play From The First Cue Point

Enable this option to start all tracks from the first cue point when loaded in rel and int modes. This setting overrides the play from start option.

Braking

In int mode, this controls how fast the deck stops when play is stopped. Counterclockwise, the stop is immediate. Clockwise rotation increases the stop from a finger grab all the way to a slow turntable power-down.

Audio Output

By default the output of Scratch Live is stereo. You can also select mono output. This setting is saved when you exit Scratch Live.