PnT is the SINGLE feature that keeps me....trying.... SeratoDJ

otherwise EVERYTHING for vinyl control works better in SSL.

I feel you.

sigh

This is how I feel. Except I don't give a shit anymore. Warbley bass be damned, I gig with SSL.

I'm shocked you put up this post. You had SO MANY good things to say about SDJ when we were hating and rooting for SSL.


LONG LIVE SSL!!! lol

you're right. if i had never switched from mountain lion(wanted to upgrade a few programs and get on logic x).

super disappointing because i hadnt had any trouble when i updated.

im the first person to admit when im wrong.

if i go back to yosemite, i have to basically do a fresh install, which im not willing to do.

just wanted to warn the people because i did make a case for sdj not being as buggy as advertised(since i was til el cap for me)

#ssl4l

Why no fresh install though? I can totally understand how that can be a pain in the ass but you can create a clone of what you're using now (10.8.5), fresh install mavericks or yosemite and transfer the backup.

Personally, I start fresh like every 1-1.5 years. Fresh install no clone though. I just transfer some music and re-organize.

yup, I never use SDJ, SSL has everything I need. Everytime I use SDJ it's just not a good experience.

its because the damn drivers were made by Serato themselves to work with the software.

Serato Scrach Live works because it was 100% developed by Serato themselves, including the drivers.

This is the issue, trust me. It makes no other sense to me except that. If RANE would of contracted Serato to make the drivers they would of been 100% stable from the beginning. I am sure of it.

what happened was i dl'ed a yosemite link. not sure how i got there, but i know it said yosemite.

i knew i would have to do the whole, make a back up on the flash drive, to move from Mountain Lion to yosemite, but when i saw that link, its like i just didnt pay attn.

I even had a friend that had made one for yosemite.

anyway, i guess i blacked out or was too smoky and i just started the update. everything went fine and i tried it with s9 and sdj and it was fine.

and it has been fine at gigs about 90% of the time. which is great for nba free throw shooters, bad for gigs. its a weird situation, because i have two gigs at a nice club and one at a small bar.

Ive had two close calls at the nice club with sdj since upgrading to EC. the circles in the setup menu start to have a little artifact that moves around the circles and the line on the main page goes from grey to red no matter what i do, if i played a couple in internal it went back to fine after about 15 mins.

at the small bar gig, i bring my own kit and two different times ive had complete crashes.
The latest one was sat after about 90 mins. i could hear the distortion coming and even went to internal but it was messy.

so i turned off the mixer and rebooted the computer which took about 4 mins. not really cool at all. Im not sure why its happened 2 times there, maybe power voltage, i plug into a extension cord, with a power strip, but something is happening.

as far as not wanting a fresh install, my librarty goes back to the end of 07 and i like to have that chronological order to my tracks, especially the newer ones. The ones that are 2-3 yrs old are also important because i might set up playlist for a nite and just run through a similar time period from 2-3-4 yrs ago and pick a few tunes.

i dont really know enough about itunes and backing things up to really feel confident in doing a fresh install to get all of it back like it was. Id also have to fresh install the apps and stuff. Since im on EC i cant go back to Yosemite with a back up either. or so i was told

who knows i may end up doing it anyway.

You should be able to clean-install the OS (after backing up your present boot drive of course), then re-copy your iTunes library. You'd want to be making sure to use the same version of iTunes on your "clean-install" for that to work correctly (hoping you haven't upgraded to the newest iTunes version).

Get a Windows computer.

I'm with you. probably switching back to SSL this week after being on SDJ for 2 1/2 years. I just can't take the instability anymore and it's affecting my reputation when compared to the guys that are on SSL and don't have problems.

The only thing I'll really miss are the cue labels and looping in SDJ which I do like.

I do (at home) tests of new SDJ versions ever so often, and even just the relatively innocent GUI "burps" "jiggles" and "freezes" are enough to keep me from wanting to switch from SSL for "live" use.

Plus I do video, and I like that SL+ME stay relatively light on resources so that the computer doesn't heat up too much. Trying SDJ makes the computer run 10-15 degrees C hotter. Hotter hardware is always more likely to glitch or fail. No one needs the added worry, even disregarding SDJ's other weird issues.

Cue labels exist in SSL and without even knowing what you will miss in regard to looping this causes me to wonder if it is in SSL as well.

things i noticed was the sound quality, something about the clarity of the sound, hard to explain (although the s9 sounds great), and the responsiveness of dvs (my sdj buffer was set at 5, ssl at 1).

its weird going back to what i used from like 2010-13 (ssl,x1) but it feels like home, and theres not those nagging constant thoughts that you have with SDJ with any hiccup or slight irregularity, like, 'is this gonna crash???????'

the worst is when you are full on at say 12:30-1:30(if bars close at 2) with a packed house and you are worried about the possibility of a crash.

I've only ever used SSL for gigs (99% mobile work) and I did have an issue about 4 years ago with corrupt files, but haven't had a problem since.

Just a suggestion... Carry about two/three actual records with you with some good tracks that you can throw on if/when the computer gives you problems. You can reboot the computer and barely skip a beat if you through on a record (even badly transitioned) while you reload Serato. Few will notice.

In 10+ years of SSL, I've had to use a back-up record once. It's like a spare tire. You hope you never need it, but when you do...

this is always true. like you say though, it never really happens. the last ssl crash i had was probably 09 and i used it til early 15 almost exclusively.

the other thing is that with this new mixer, i just power cycle the mixer as well just in case its something with the mixer. i think thats the maddening thing about this El Cap problem, no one really knows what the problem is. is it el cap? is it my computer, is it serato, is it the cables, etc.

it just start makes you questioning everything with no real clear answer. it works fine at home, playing out has been the only real time ive had problems. but then i dont play for 3-4 hrs at home. so is it time? is it the loudness sound and vibration(cdjs had that problem for a while)?

im just tired of asking all these questions over a pnt plug in and flip.

Thats the thing with the 57mkii - is it the mixer? is it SDJ.

Its sad to have to return to SSL and TTM57 for the important shows....

I was just talking to my boy about this.... See I started with itch. Sdj, to me, is just a renamed itch. I was super faithful to it when it came out. I stuck around through crashes, no video, no features, more crashes and even upgraded to a Mac.
I say all that to say, the consensus with my pals is that were staying on SSL because it works and does it every time ol' faithful. It would be nice to have pnt and that dicing plug in tho.

Probably a combination of the Rane drivers/firmware and SDJ.
Remember, Serato wrote both drivers/firmware for the original 57...

I've been saying this from the first time I used SDJ. It was mainly with scratching. It's hard to explain, but it just didn't sound right.

This. Except for the sad part. All important shows I do I use SSL and a 57 lol. I'm fine with that. To me stability is more important than bells and whistles.

ttm 57's work up til yosemite right? do they work with el cap at all? i know they arent supposed to but then again SSL isnt supposed to work either.

I can confirm Yosemite, but can't say for El Cap.

SDJ Feels like SSL did when i was back on windows years ago. Jittery and doesnt give me confidence at all.

yeah bro i also made the switch back to SSL. and i love it,. having more fun with sets cutting and scrtching more. the latency is awesome and yes the sounds is more fuller too.

SDJ mods please take notes.

Everyone should go through this thread and report the posts as forum offenses....then mabye someone from serato will actually read then....dout they'll care tho


Great thread btw

I wonder if all of the complaints are going to be over once the El Capitan fiasco is fixed.

There are components to SDJ that just suck to me. I don't even use El Capitan or Yosemite. Still on Mavericks for stable DJ use.

Don't matter people are never going to be happy. The complained to no end about SSL too.

Said no one. Ever.

Exactly. There are actually more SSL related threads in the "Software Help Archive" section of these very forums serato.com

Now SSL has been out longer so it that definitely contributes to it but the point is peeps are very quick to forget that SSL had/has its issues to this very day. That being said I DL'ed SDJ 1.7.8 again yesterday and was wowed by the waveforms. Opened up SSL with the very same songs and was wowed even more!!!! God I miss that!

Nope.

I'm not an El Cap user.

Been here since 04. It started with Video.

I under, maybe I'm just a simple ass dude, but I never really had a complaint about SSL. Might've asked for midi out and that's about it. But no real complaints.

I stared off running SSL in 08 on a below avg Windows pc and never had any issues. Now I'm 2 months in with SDJ with a moderate i5 windows machine only 4GB ram with a SL3.I record in Audacity & broadcast with an encoder and have zero issues. Maybe I'm lucky...or other people have things going on with their computers.

Its not just stability. seems like new features are brought on, some bug fixes, then they are never advanced. the most practical work flow simple functions are always on the radar and sitting in the cue.

Just weird to have to go back to SSL for functions. And when you do the sound and response seems better.

I think they went the bells and whistles route since they had a little scare from traktor users a while back about lack of features. After they got a little cozy spot and got their controller sales up it feels like the attitude is "efff it". I feel like with Pio developing their own DVS maybe things will change again? Who knows.

But yeah, SSL = solid and reliable. I'll take that over PNT & Flip. Most of the gigs I do no one cares anyway if you're doing tricks. That's great for performances, but where I play they wanna hear solid and consistent music with no hiccups.

If they had just added the PNT algorithm to SSL that would have been all it needed.

True.

Man, Video-SL was the most fail project Serato ever funded period.

I always take that one personally because I literally spent 2k on an Alienware Laptop for doing video mixing for it not to work. That will never shake me ever. I had to hackintosh my shit to work, then gave up and got my a refurbished macbook pro. This was before the whole "mac is the only way to go" scenario.

This is what I use, 3 months now solid.

You mean on Mac or in general?

On PC for sure, the first release for sure was a fail.

No doubt.

Damn. The only time I ever had an issue with SL was when I had corrupt files - and that's when I first started on SL. And I play on a bull$h*t HP till this day. I only use SDJ with my controller which I rarely use, but I can say that other than the CPU light coming on almost constantly I haven't experienced any issues with SDJ.

used it last nite. not a hiccup. not even close. sounded great, really full.

and i traded the s9, got it used for 1300, for a 62.

life is simple again.

Welcome back.

This

maybe it can be hacked in

A miracle would be hacking the 57MK2, 64 and S9 so that you could use SSL.

Now that would be the shit.

At times I think I should have skipped the MKii as well.... along with some features... comes a bunch of added limitations...

Wasn't there an older SSL version that had an "improved" keylock, but sounded worse? I thought that was based on P'nT.

I wonder what updated computers might sound like with it, maybe too CPU intensive at the time?

Spot on

This. I love everything about my 64, it has everything I want in a mixer...except that I'm stuck with SDJ. I'm switching back to scratch live and may ether sell for a 62 or just use my SL3.

Nope, No way......

For years ive been preaching the importance of taking responsibility for our actions and taking a proactive approach to fix our issues. Choosing stability and reliability over New features are just the types of choices professionals will always make as there is nothing more important.

Doing my first gig tonight back on SSL after 2.5 years in SDJ. Looking forward to not worrying about the software and focusing on the music.

What OSX yall using with SSL? Is it ok to use with Yosemite?

I have no issues with Yosemite. Just don't upgrade to Captain until you see more positive post start flowing through here

im using el cap. thats why its so ridic, and i only said that in jest to PDIDy (because i really did know the issues), it was just a strange download that was supposed to be yosemite but was el capitan (completely my fault)

when i started having issues with sdj and the s9, I was more than a bit worried, since it worked fine with mountain lion. The day after i went and hooked up the ole SL3 box(which ive had since the first week of its release) and it worked with SSL fine. SDJ DID NOT work, but there is some sort of fix to make it work.

long story short, SSL does work with sl3 and rane 62 on EL Capitan 11.11.3.

No one really knows what works with SDJ consistently, becuase it works sometimes very well with many OS's and it sometimes works very awful with many OS's. it might work fine on a 2009 MBP or it might not work at all with a 2015 mbp. It should be renamed Serato Mystery.

lol

Seriously one if the funniest lines I've seen on this board, probably because of the truth behind it. Goodkat wins the internet...

It wasn't funny, you just use too many drugs Watchwww.youtube.com

LOL serato mystery

I'm staying the F Away from El cap

Basically this is the root issue. And once it's resolved they will all be moving back to SDJ.

Or in the meantime....GET A PC. LOL

SDJ, This weekend, had a weird situation where a single mp3 would not play at sound check... powered on/off. Then it played. Crappy feeling like when it was time to play maybe it would introduce front of 800 people.

It's these small weird things that happen only once ever that are annoying as fuck about SDJ.

Glad to hear, though I'm still on Mavericks for my main laptop (backup laptop still on Mountain Lion). I learned long long ago "if it's working just fine, don't fix it" with regard to operating systems, but it's good to know that if for whatever reason I needed to buy a new MBP it can still work with SL.

As to "moving back to SDJ", I've never moved *TO* SDJ for gigs. Only for offline testing, where it has frequently failed spectacularly in various ways never seen with SL.

When I stop seeing that behavior in SDJ, then I'll think about "moving on from SL", for now I'm going with the tried and true "use what actually works" theory.

I would never have moved to SDJ if it were not for the 57MKii.

I like Flip, but not being able to adjust them and no prefade record is annoying

Times like these CDJs are nice. Damn computers

fixed

re-fixed

Removed the potential s out of viny. You're welcome.

Vinyl*

lol - you dont like the optional s huh?

LOL i like that it was optional, much better than just leaving there, but it's suggestive. I'm a mission to get rid of s in vinyl.

No doubt, no doubt.

Ive been doing the opposite tho, inside joke and using it around people who dont know any better - kills myself eveytime I say it...

But if you think that's bad, younger kids these days can not help but call em 'cd things' - LOL!

haha I figured as much.

Now that one is news to me!

Yup, youngsters have no point of reference. I wonder what the next generation will call CDs?

You mean those round flat MP3 things ?

In my day we called them DVD's... lol

DVDs

Beer coasters?

Wait... shiny beer coasters.

i feel you,yesterday had a 6 hour set with serato dj for the 1st time and it was garbage beside that i was burning my finger tips cuz my mac was over heating ,and i wasn't using samples effects, sdj was changing my default columns for no reason plus it doesn't keep my crates in the order how i want them(there are no songs from different crates in different crates every song is in the right folder) plus it does not have a friendly interface.
simple is better #ScratchLive4Life (+Ableton) ,maybe they reboot ScratchLive and make an 3.0 version,i wouldn't mind paying for it :D

i finally got my computer back to mountain lion and got a 62 so i can use both programs.

when getting back to ML i had one issue with SDJ that made both decks spin backwards on the 62, which was an easy fix, but not one i could find in 3-4 hrs of google searching(not at one time, but over the course of a week). ML, SDJ and the 62 have all been out for around 3 years. I thought someone would would have the answer, which they did, but only at Rane, not on the serato or rane board and it was in no official post from either co.

What i can see in the month or so ive been back between sdj and ssl.

The waveforms are too short vertically in SDJ. Maybe its for the GUI, maybe because more people were starting to use horizontal view.

the sound is better but not in the way most people view it. Ive noticed IMO that the bass and mid bass has a different colour or character. its a bit cleaner and defined. THat being said if you put the auto gain at 93, it has almost a overdrive bass sound that really bumps on big systems. SDJ is a bit more flat and balanced. Its like the difference between a home speaker and a studio monitor. thats just my take, some ppl might see it totally diff.

GUI is less cluttered in ssl. The length of the wav form vertically being shorter IMO leads to it being closer and more cluttered.

Wavforms are so smooth in ssl, and smooth in two ways. When you move the record back and forth its very smooth. Ive found that SDJ 1.9 is also smooth in that way.
BUT, the actual waveform inside that back in forth movement is jittery, so it looks like the whole thing is kinda jittery. Its noticeable watching sdj and ssl and would be very hard to notice. Controllers might be smoother, dont know, dont use a controller enough.

I do like serato DJ's flip and pnt plug ins.The efx arent that much better and i really never use them but when i had the s9 i did like the filter dub delay, but generally, in the booth, i rarely used any SDJ efx and rely on the pioneer or rane efx for echo/delay etc.

SSL has a bigger resource of posts about fixes and other information dealing with OS's.
Serato DJ has evolved , unfortunately, in the time that Apple has shortened the amount of time between rolling out OS updates. That isnt Serato's fault but it does lead to more problems for the consumer. Can't fault these software companies for EL Cap.

lastly, for either program, do what you can to stay away from EL Cap. Of course some of you cant for whatever reason, but that OS for audio is just bad.

I really wish we had a Wiki for these devices for tips. The searching on any forum gets to be tedious and at this point if you're still holding it down with a 17" 2011 MacBook Pro it's really freaking hard to know how far you can go without major headaches.

So who out there is a Sharepoint genius???

I'm with you guys. I still use SSL regularly on my 2012 non-retina MBP running OSX 10.8 and its flawless. The only version of SDJ I can stomach is 1.7.8, but even so, there are so many problems with it: SQ, autogain, distorted effects, etc.

Thinking about getting a Rane 64 to replace my DJM900nxs, use my SL3, and midimap all of its buttons to SSL. May sound redundant, but its the same amount of things to hook up I have to do with my DJM today anyway....

Im almost starting to wonder if the entire SDJ codebase needs to be scrapped and started over. It just takes them so long to try to fix things. I know the Serato team is full of brilliant and talented people, so its shocking this is so hard to make progress on. Sound processing is worse than SSL, video rendering is a problem since 1.8, effects engine needs to completely be replaced as they won't get updates from iZotope. It's a mess.

Why not find a 68? Then you won't have to use an sl3 to use SSL.

That is a good idea. Unfortunately I'm a bit picky and don't care for the cue buttons on the 68 as much. Going back to a mixer that has onboard controls means I'd be using them a lot...and the 64 has much improved them.

I feel you guys but I realy like the S9 work flow. What is the position on this ?
I also noticed that auto gain on SDJ is very uncertain... I often manualy modify gain on my tracks and that sucks.

*the position of Serato

sdj auto gain doesnt really work. no one is sure of what it really does.

I don't care for the cue buttons on the 68 either, but I hate clutter and/or redundancy.

LOL

I wonder if some different buttons more similar to the 62/64 could be fitted into the 68. That was really the only thing wrong about that mixer.

Or maybe just live with the 62 and its 2 channels...that's the most modern Rane mixer that supports Scratch Live.

i got a 62 and the things i dont like

too many knobs, liked the mic controls on the front of the s9 and the program, and the session in out and booth knobs are weirdly placed to me.

the knobs are too small and hard to see in the dark or a dark booth. especially since....

the led buttons cant be dimmed. seems weird.

the eqs and filters should be changed inside to outside. the eqs are close so even my donald trump sized hands get a bit jammed up if both are on both eqs.

the size of the knobs leads to small movements being much bigger than on a bigger knob. ive got used to it but its very sharp so im getting cooler caps.

the fx buttons are really small and easy to not hit

the efx are fine but really basic, the echos and reverbs sound old school in the dub sense and not as new and transparent as the s9s. I really dont really need anything special, but the echo is a bit tricky to get used too, the depth has to be really turned to get a nice delay out. or maybe im doing something wrong.


other than that, i really like it, and honestly those are just the small things.

it is nice to run ssl and sdj, and I still think ssl sounds better. The sound is different than pioneer, not near as bright, which i cant tell is a good thing or bad thing live since im yet to use it on a big reference system yet. doing that tomorrow.

I definitely agree about SL sounding better, and I think you'll find that the Rane mixer sounds better as in "more true to the original". That painful "hot high end" on the Pioneers is either a marketing gimmick to appeal to deaf DJ's or a design defect.

The buttons and knobs on the 62 could be better. The "z trip" version helps with the visibility, and I'm pretty sure I've seen at least one place that offered different-colored replacements. I've found the pots themselves to be not all that durable under frequent use, buttons have gotten better after I think three manufacturing revisions.

the s9 sounds alot better than the 900 imo, but its still much more bright than the rane. or at least to my dead ears.

im wondering if im reaching for highs because im deaf or the mixer isnt as bright as im used to. prob a combo.

Ok, so I rented a Rane 64 today and I'm comparing it side by side with my 900nxs that I own and the 900nxs2 that I have on monthly rental. Nothing scientific, just using my ears with my Sennheiser HD-25ii headphones and my QSC K10 speakers. (EV ETX 10p arriving tomorrow for further testing.) My findings:

- 900nxs2 sounds substantially better and warmer than 900nxs
- Both DJMs are significantly "brighter" in sound vs. the Rane. The Rane has more mid & mid-bass presence.
- The Rane sounds best on classic soul and funk, the NXS2 sounds slightly better on house and nu-disco.
- The buttons on the 64 midi-map perfectly to SSL
- All units sound better on SSL w/ SL3 vs SDJ w/ SL3

So, what's my verdict? This is something I've noticed with all digital Rane mixers...they don't seem to layer songs in a mix together or "glue" them as well as a DJM, A&H, or old analog Rane. It's hard to describe exactly. When you have two songs you are mixing which might be just slightly out of key, you can EQ more forcefully with the DJMs to get the mix to sound better. Furthermore, it seems that the separation of the two tracks on top of each other is still better defined with both DJMs vs the Rane. The Rane mixes are more muddy. Since I'm a mix vs scratch/cut DJ, this is important for me.

I'm going to buy a 900nxs2 and use my SL3 w/ scratch live. For me, that's the best combination for the best sound quality overall.

Sorry I went a bit off topic on this thread. (If any of you guys are curious about my K10 vs. EV ETX 10p SQ testing tomorrow, just PM me!)

Carry on!

Out of all my local DJ friends, I'm the only one with a 64. I love this mixer, it has everything I need and the layout/buttons are great. Only drawback is being forced to use SDJ and when I bring my mixer to a venue, no one else is familiar with it and has to download drivers etc to use.

The benefit of having all 4 channels available is nice but as a juggler and scratch DJ, I do miss the quickness of having instant doubles on a mapped button (like on my 57). With the 64, even when using only 2 channels visible you have to click and drag the song over which is tedious and takes too much time.


Everything else about the mixer is great and the Rane faders are my favorite.

You are aware you can map the 64 and Instant Doubles is one of the mapable options?

This combined with the Cue Labels in SSL thing you may find some gain in checking out the manuals for both SSL and SDJ a bit more. Not trying to be a dick just trying to help.

waited to upgrade to yosemite to see if the problem was el cap or something else, so i used mountain lion for the last few weeks with no problems.

went up to yosemite today, prob should have done a clean install, but i didnt(hope that doesnt cause probs) and just updated via thumb drive installer.

so far so good, upgraded the drivers and SDJ and SSL works with a SL3 and rane 62.

btw if you upgrade and cant find the drivers ----- you plug in and SSL and/or SDJ doesnt work at all, you have to do this

Step 4
Goto ''Finder'' Then ''Applications'' look for Serato software (The 1.7.2 you just downloaded and installed''
Then 'Right Click' and goto ''Show Package Contents'' Then ''Contents'' Then ''Resources'' Then ''Packages'' Then double click the Rane device you have attached to your Macbook.


via this thread serato.com

Win XP and SSL 1.9.2 FTW....

forever the win for sure lol. Something changed big time after 1.9.2 internally.. team wise.. like someone important was either canned or bounced!

Running SDJ 1.9.1 with yosemite and s9, works like my other gear, 0 problems. Waveforms looks smooth for the few seconds which I use to look them while on gig. No actual sound difference between SSL, sound is great, tested with sdj and s9 and same tracks with 62 and SSL side by side. Autogain yeah sucks, but 3rd party software does that job for me :)

Say that *ish again, they ain't hear you the first time..

Actually I'm running 1.9.1, forgot what is was that changed where I didn't like 1.9.2.

you dont hear any difference in sound at all? im not saying sdj sounds awful, i think it sounds fine personally, but i think there is a difference in sound color.

You old farts are deaf at this point anyway, not taking sound pointers from ya'll..

(just kidding) :D

what u think popnwave? same sound ? maybe its just nostalgic?

no matter how good or bad the sound is i couldnt use one of those auto gain programs.

too many mp3s in my collection to degrade them further.

There's definite differences in each of the software Traktor/SDJ/SSL, and couple that with differences in mixers and controllers once you are live (vs listening offline via heaphones while previewing tracks).

We all strive to meet the sound that is sweetest to our ears, but I've yet to bitch or hear anyone bitch about sound quality EXCEPT when the tracks themselves were suspect.

true true.

if you have a high end mixer going thru a big system, sdj or ssl is gonna be fine.

but critically listening at home with monitors you are used to hearing how do you feel? i guess ive gone long periods with ssl and sdj(06-13ish for ssl and 13-16 sdj) so when i went back to ssl i could tell a bit of a difference.

but my ears are pretty damn shot so it could be good ole days syndrome.

There is definitely a difference, I can hear it. I can tell the difference between a wav file and an mp3 320k file.

Now if the wife is asking me to take out the trash, sometimes I cant hear that lmao

I'm at the tail end of un-doing all the key tags that SeratoDJ 1.9 changed. I used SSL for the first time in a while yesterday and it was adjustment to use SOMETHING THAT WORKS!!

I am so used to dropping my needle twice for drop to cue and I forgot all about smooth waveforms.

Not only does SSL work like it should, but I DO TOO. There is something about having confidence in your equipment that translates directly to the performance.

I think I'm done with Serato DJ for now. Call me when it works or when someone hacks PnT into SSL.

:(

Wouldn't it be amazing if Serato DJ 2.0 won back everyone who currently dislikes SDJ?

just like when SSL 2.0 was more stable than 1.9.2?

I'm not jumping ship but Serato has a long way to go to win us back.


......Actually, they could just go pick up the Scratch Live code where it left off and have a stellar turntable focused product.



again.


WIN/WIN

all they have do is support the newer OS's and squash bugs in SSL. All new features go in SDJ.

corrected

sdj is great for setting cues with quantize and beat jump in the offline player. kinda sux the key ends up in traditional key mode and not the camelot with SSL.

i dont see the DVS side of SDJ ever really getting back to SSL standards. Its not their main concern and the money is in controllers.

I bet we see Sample Sequencing before any improvements to vinyl control.



I agree about using SDJ offline to prepare tracks. 1.7.5 has been the most stable version for me. I'm reverting all the tradition key tags from 1.8+




Which is why the simple solution from their perspective is to re-support SSL. They need to keep the turntablists happy. There really is a need for two different software products. Don't take the DVS out of SDJ, just keep SSL there for pros that require rock solid stability.

have we mentioned Roll Out (fast) yet?

lol, man I ain't got no time to adjust to DJ software's bell curve....

Are people actually using these crazy features in the new software?

Are people really drumming out their cue points in their sets other than screwing around with it at home?

I mean i know the turntablist guys are going nuts with that stuff, but for the dudes who are just spinning in bars and clubs are you using flip, or slip mode, or drumming cue points to your crowd?

When i spin or go out i rarely see more than people mixing trackA to trackB, maybe a little echo out here and there. Nothing crazy. Maybe its different for EDM dudes?

I dunno seems like overkill lately.

Not me.



Other than fucking around at home, no.

LOL other than messing around for shits and giggles, I've barely touched any of the features. Then again I stopped using SDJ altogether minus a few spots that have the pio/serato mixer installed.

I do a couple times a set, or much more depending on the show.

What I don't do is use Flip which was one of the main things I was looking to do with sdj. Actually suggested it years ago.

Main reason is I can't make adjustment to the flip points. So for making edits extending parts, skipping parts its silly to have to perform them perfectly just to "edit". I can do it quicker in a theater saw.

Yes, I know it can be gridded or whatever, but the cuts I'm trying to do this stuff with are libe drums.

The beat making performance stuff to me is corny automated - just do it live.

The other thing is I always wanted to use serato as a production tool. Not being able to adjust flip points is wack but so is no pre-fader recording. bogus.

And the no post fader individual channel recording is crap to. My favorite way to record scratched on a cut is load it on one side and record the other channel with the performance.

If these limitations are some anti-piracy bullshit - its pathetic.

that was reference to the offline player, i only really use beatjump and quantize for setting cue points, which is helpful, but clearly no one djs using the off line player. so basically once you get you first cue point and grid marker set, you can jump to the next cue with quantize, which is nice, but not necessarily a 'performance feature' since i dont dj in the off line player.

slip mode, while i understand, still never used it or have any need for it.

even SDJ's efx section seems like it should be narrowed down to a 4-5 quality efx rather than large bundles that most use sparingly and really have limited usage in real dj sets, not 5 minute promo vids.

pulselocker is DOA as well, that was well meaning, and actually does work for me, but outside of a few people, is highly unnecessary. in this day and age, if you have internet connection and a brain, you can find the songs you dont need in an alternative way.

maybe there could be a sleeker, stripped down version of SDJ that is called 'SDJ performance', which strips down SDJ, taking out the add ons, BUT leaving the Same features of SSL and was only for DVS.

NO EFX other than echo and reverb(basically the 2 main goto's since most higher end djs use FX off a mixer.

NO PNT, since SSL's time stretch was limited too.

just streamline SDJ to the point it behaves and performs like SSL.

seems like an decent idea.

True. But what if none of that stuff is the culprit when it comes to sdj performance?


I like the idea of re-supporting SSL as the Pro DVS system (as long as it works with MKII)

I never did like the idea of two separate systems, but in this case.....

Over all no one is really doing that stuff all night, now I myself do drum out some loops but thats like twice a night I go into a little routine and I do it with SSL. I think for the competition DJing all that stuff is really awesome. Im not going to lie though that cue point drumming is a little corny when you over due it.

no, nor have I seen anyone else use them.

All those effects an new features are only impressive and believed necessary to the new Djs who honestly thinks that he needs it to make him the next superstar DJ. 24.media.tumblr.com But these new DJs have never ending appetites so Serato has to keep feeding them new features to continue to snag more new DJ.

I'm still on SL myself. Quick story. A local buddy of mine copped a 62 a year or so ago. He bought it to use with SL but figured he'd give SDJ a spin. He gagged out with it one night and a out 2 hours into my gig I get a text from him saying the program crashed. I walk over there after my gig to see SDJ in action and he tells me it's a POS and shows me how the search bar lags and several other fails. He rocks SDJ for about two more weeks and gets about 1 crash each night. So me personally, I'm like fuck SDJ, make mine SSL.

Fast forward to a month ago. Same dj buddy (who went back to SSL) Falls in love with the S9 and decides to give SDJ another chance. This time he buys the best new MacBook pro NOT running El capitan, maxes it all out, in order to not have a repeat of before since word in the street is SDJ has fixed most of the bugs. Dudes been gigging with it for a month now and ALMOST had me sold except 1 little thing.....it still crashes AT LEAST once a week at a live gig.. A guaranteed 1 outta 3 crash is fucking unexceptable for live version of a company's flagship product software

*unacceptable

I'm just kinda pissed that all the improvements to the Rane MKII v TTM are deducted by other SDJ related bullshit to where its a zero sum trade (ignoring cost of course)

This. lol

lol, XP with 1.9.1 is killin' the scene...

Salute!

Wildin. Still trynna figure out what it is with 1.9.1. What's wrong with 2+? Personally the jump from version 1 to 2 was the shit. So many improvements.

For the record talking about SSL

I would be right there If I didn't wait 10 years for the TTM57 fixes....

mac tho

There were a ton of bug fixes in 1.9.2, and alot of work done with improving the sampler player, addition of multiple banks.

My most stable machine and release ever was

1.9.2 with osx leopard 10.6.2 on my MacBook pro 6,2. It never ever crashed and video performance was smooth.

10.6.8 was better. Just sayin'. Unless you were not using the internet and strictly using this thing for just serato I dunno how I feel about this. Also, to my knowledge Snow Leopard started on 10.6.3. I don't think there was a ever a 10.6.2 released.

oh how i miss 10.6.8

Hey Gio,

www.google.com

I am almost positive I ran a 10.6.2 version of Snow Leopard for a very long time. I remember the day I updated to 10.6.3 some of my mp4 files stopped working because an encoding setting I used LONG LONG LONG ago. encoded some of my files to aacv2 and as soon as i updated, nothing I did (except re-encoding the files) worked.

I also forgot to mention, yes, this macbook pro was strictly for video mixing and nothing else. i never used it on the regular.

i had 10.6.8 on the imac, but 10.8.5 mountain lion is still my favorite.

upgraded to yosemite recently and no probs, but there seems to be bit of a lag on occasions with some apps but it doesnt happen with ssl at all.

I use the club kit for probably 75% of my gigs now, as most my venues have the DJM900 installed, I'm using the "epic reverb" effect now and again, Flip not to often, but once or twice a gig, I grid most of my tracks (at least the first bars), I do like the colored cues on my S9 (yellow=intro, red=first downbeat, green=first verse, purple=mix out point, etc), use beatjump only sparingly, same for the slicer & slip, PnT is on most of the time.

However, I will probably be using the new features more, once I get even more into to them, change is not always pleasant, and not always for the better, and it will take time to adjust/adopt. I do fire up SSL at home now and again, and I do miss the smooth waves/smooth lib scroll, but there are other things in SDJ that feels smoother IMO. SDJ runs really stable on my retina, I'm using Yosemite btw...

yup 1.9.2

I still can't get serato DJ to connect to my 62 on el capitan, ran through all of Ranes troubleshooting tips (dj.rane.com) 3 times now, no luck.

I just tried SSL, connected instantly and seems to work flawlessly. The unsupported software still works...

Hmmm... interesting.
you must've gotten a computer that came with snow leopard then. Because I believe when they sold the disc it was 10.6.3. and I still have two discs sitting around.

Makes sense.

When I do my gigs at weddings, bars, party house I realize that people just want to dance, and party. They don't care about all these nice tricks bullshit. Don't get me wrong I think they are awesome for recording a mix, and use them sparingly at parties which is what I do but not to the extreme.

Which software could do a good job for this ??

mp3gain.sourceforge.net

mp3gain, it says it does not re encode the file, how does it work then? just the tag settings?

Using most of the features on every gig I do, just love cue sampling and slip mode <3 can make some cool stuff on live :) gues there is a difference between performing dj and club dj.

Can't remember the last gig where I did only bm instead of playing out some tricks time to time.

just figuring this out i see.

I'm gonna do a little bit of a rant to explain why I will not be switching back to SSL. Take from it what you will. For reference, I'm on a mid-2012 MacBook Pro running Yosemite, and almost every club I work at uses a Rane box and turntables.

First, the 'stability' issue. I've been almost exclusively on Serato DJ for the last 6 months or so, and I have had zero show-stopping issues. Sure, there are small annoyances like waveforms being not as smooth as SDJ 1.7.8 or Scratch Live, and slower display of search results when I load my full 45,000+ track library via 'show iTunes library' (if I turn that off and just load the 15,000-ish tracks I need, there's no lag in search results). But no crashes, no audio dropouts, and no signs of instability. Maybe my ears aren't what they used to be, but I can't discern any audio quality issues using SDJ in nightclubs. I have Pitch n Time always activated so I can't comment on SDJ's built-in pitch lock quality. Auto-gain works fine for me, I re-analyzed my entire library with SDJ 1.9.1, and all my tracks sound like they're at the same level.

Next, the 'crazy features in the new software'. I actually do use all those 'crazy features' in SDJ because playing one track after another is not enough for me. It's too easy, it's boring for me and the crowds I play for, and it isn't enough to set myself apart from the countless other DJs in the market. These are tools that Serato provides to up our DJ game. Traktor and Pioneer offer similar features because they also understand that DJing can be more than just playing one track after another. Use the tools, or don't. Not everyone needs or wants them, but I do. Here are some examples:

Flip is awesome for making custom edits without chopping it up in Ableton and losing quality in export/re-compression. Always cue-dropping to the second verse of a track after an 8-bar intro? Make a Flip edit. Need a cutdown version of a long house track? Make a Flip edit. Being able to quickly make custom versions of tracks without damaging them is invaluable to me. Pitch n Time is awesome for matching an acapella's key to another playing track so I can mash them up live on the fly. Mixing a brand new EDM track with an old 90's acapella track that everyone can sing along to goes over very well with crowds. Turn on Slip Mode to throw in some quick scratches on that acapella to add more of that 'live' element, then let it jump back. People notice these things, and it engages the crowd.

This is what I like to do when I'm DJing. It keeps DJing fresh and interesting to me. It's why people come to see me spin. It's why venues and clients want to book me. Because I do something different than other DJs, and Serato DJ gives me the tools to do it. This isn't to say that DJs who don't use SDJ or its new features aren't as good as me, or aren't real DJs, or whatever. It's just what I'm into, and it's also what I need to do in my particular market to stay ahead of the competition. I'm happy that Serato DJ provides a way for me to do that. Scratch Live doesn't.

Each mp3 frame has a kind of volume value. This is being altered.

Many think that the problem is that those advanced features are half assed. Great ideas, but a lot of improvements to be desired.

Flip - awesome idea. But the details make it unnecessarily hard to use. Quantitative works in a weird way (not the way how Ableton works for example). Plus it is very difficult to edit the flips properly afterwards.

Slip - you must be using a controller or cdj in hid mode. Try scratching with vinyls while using slip. It really sounds bad, when you release the vinyl. It takes a split of a second to properly catch up.

Pulselocker - great idea. Poor execution. If you have checked the public beta it was obvious which the problematic topics were. Still it has been released the way it is.

Just a few examples. Great idea. But why the heck can't we get something 'finished' to the end??

Good points nik.

I don't find myself having to edit Flips often, if I don't get it right when I'm making one, I just start over. I'm not making very elaborate Flips though, and I imagine it would be frustrating to have to re-do a complex Flip from scratch if you mess up.

Haven't had much trouble using Slip with vinyl, but CDJs in HID mode definitely sound better.

I tried Pulselocker, wasn't happy with it, mainly for all the reasons Mojaxx laid out in this video - Watchwww.youtube.com I don't really need Pulselocker anyway, I get my music from DJ MP3 pools.


+1, though even in their current state, the features work well enough for what I want to do.

I think I'm more concerned with people saying SDJ is unstable, and implying to others that if you use SDJ instead of Scratch Live, it will crash on you at a gig. Clearly some people do have stability issues with SDJ on their own systems, but it works fine for many other DJs, including some that use it at festivals in front of tens of thousands of people. At the end of the day, you should use whatever software solution works best for you, and if SDJ isn't rock solid on your DJ laptop, then by all means stick to Scratch Live. Just know that it isn't an issue for everyone (or even most DJs) who use SDJ on a regular basis with no issues.

I always said the opposite, except for usage with El Capitan, through my own experience an clearly countless others that post here. I'm not saying thats Serato's fault, but i am saying, after using SDJ for 2 yrs+, which was stable with mountain liion, never had a crash, upgrading to El Cap destroyed my faith in the software.

why?

because even after the trouble with SDJ, a S9 and el cap, i just hooked up my Sl3 and turned on SSL and it worked. it worked the whole time, never had any problems.

even after i reverted to my old HD which was Mountain Lion and traded for a 62, i used both and SDJ didnt work(circles spinning fast backward with no control in anyform), and SSL was fine.

Now the fix was easy. I named the midi folder midi_old and it worked(which i had to name another that folder MIDI_OLDER after i upgraded to Yosemite) but still, i had to question, why is this only happening with SDJ?

Since i had zero problems since the 00s with SSL, I had to go back to SSL.

Its great you've had zero issues, as did i for 2+ years with SDJ, and probably had i kept that mixer and not upgraded, i would still be on it, but i did(which i dont think getting new mixer should really be this big of a deal) and SDJ was what had issues.

thats why i went back to SSL.

the features are cool and as i do miss them from time to time, but now that i have a 62, i can use either one and i even started to just record some fips and label them as such for use in ssl. Not having PNT sucks and i was just starting to get used to sync with house and techno.

but really i do more djing with SSL and it just feels like im back to djing creatively rather than using some of those features. I find with the more stuff i use, the less i think and i get in ruts that way.

It is easier on occasion, but dj'ing isnt that hard to begin with.

Ya, like atrak who....oh wait it crashed on him at a festival

I swear I must be the luckiest person. I'm on a i5 PC with only 4G ram and a SL3. I record with Audacity, stream an encoder, and run SDJ and it's never crashed or hung up on me. And my library is huge on a external 4TB HD.

Slip: no it wont

How do you do that ? Even with auto gain activated songs that's not sound at the same level on sdj. It's kind of hazardous

I call BS, make a copy of a few, analyse them in SSL with autogain, then compare.
Clearly autogain is broken, at least for the more quiet files.

Please elaborate.

#platinium notes :)

finally got to use the 62 and SSL on a big system. im not gonna say it sounds better, but IMO it sounds fatter on the bass to mid bass and much flatter on the mid and high end. i never reached for a hi eq on a pioneer 900 with sdj, but with the 62 i found myself tweaking some highs and mids.

Opinions are opinions. Cant tell the difference between SDJ and playing from USB stick.

its easier to see small details with a magnifying glass than the naked eye.

i didnt say it was better, i just said it was different.

why you such a hater tom? you just swoop in to hate from time to time. negative energy can pervade your life and make you miserable. ive just never heard you say anything positive is why i ask

I clicked "Analyze Entire Library" from the Analysis Settings menu to let Serato DJ re-analyze everything. I haven't noticed any tracks being too low in volume since doing so, particularly the more-susceptible older tracks (most of my library consists of recent tracks that are less likely to have issues with gain levels).

not sure you can say recent tracks are less likely to have issues with auto gain,i buy loads of new music and autogain works on some not so on others..

If it only works on some then is does not work.

overall it does work..just fails on some tracks,as does all auto gain in dj software...but

i think what most people are saying is that it doesnt work like SSL and is less accurate.

like you stated, no auto gain is perfect, but this one misses more than usual.

like you want a 80-90% right and ppl are getting maybe half that.

in my experience of using vdj, traktor, sdj,..i have not found a great difference between any of them when using auto gain..i put serato at about 90% accurate from listening back to recordings,surprised people are saying they are only saying they get half of that

Didnt say it's better or not. Just that I cant tell the difference. If having an opinion is hating then Im a big one :p

Not hating, been doing more problem solving than serato crew :D *joke*

But seriously, been doing a lot trobleshooting for u guys since registered here.

Just a side note... I ran a few tracks through that MP3 gain software this week. Three of them got all jacked up while playing them Friday night. The waveforms actually shrank as the song played and the volume continued to drop. Thankfully I had backups, but I'm worried that this might happen to more songs as I go. I have no idea what is going on here?!?

Platinium notes :)

Took Gio Alex's advice and ordered a 68. Some retailers still have them new for sale. It'll arrive tomorrow. Its either that or sticking with my DJM900nxs and SL3. (I'm one of the few that doesn't like the 900NXS2 I've been renting for 2 months, but that's a different discussion for a different time.)

Hope I'll be able to get used to all of its quirks. Newer isn't always better! Hope it'll also sound closer to my TTM56s and less like the 62/64. We'll see.

Regardless, its SSL for at least another year for me. Maybe we can hope Serato DJ 2.x will fix most of the issues.

Out of curiosity how much does this run you per month? or per week?

Around $150/mo here in Austin, TX. It's not the cheapest thing, but an amazing way to try new DJ gear for extended periods of time before making your own purchase. :)

Damn where do you rent that from? Pretty cheap from what I've seen places ask

Not bad at all actually.

www.rocknrollrentals.com They are amazing. Local Austin, TX only though. The site isn't updated with everything they have though. They get things in almost immediately as they are released. Got to try the DJM-S9 and TTM57MKII pretty much right after they were released! I rent from them almost weekly for gigs where extra sound or lighting is needed.

Man that's badass. I'd rent some of these new mixers for that price. I'm jealous haha

that is the fee that some people charge nitely for those mixers. jeez

Yea Guitar Center by me charges $75 a day for the 900nxs

Got my 68. I actually really like it! This is one of the later production units (you can tell because it has the new vs old serato scratch live logo) so the buttons, while still stiff, work a TON better than the 1st production run ones.

Also the SQ is superb. I've always thought that the 61/62/64 sounded a bit hollow, especially on vinyl, but this one sounds just great, very close to my A&H.

Midi-mapping works great in SSL, and overall, I'm super-pleased with it which is a nice surprise...I was almost sure I'd send it back.

Big shout out to Gio Alex for the recommendation! Now to sell my DJM900nxs and TTM56s as I won't need them anymore. :)

Long live SSL!

nice, 62 sounds pretty fat to me. but i went back to ssl and away from a pioneer 900.

only thing i never liked about the 68/4 was the spacing on the fader box. seemed really close and i dont have huge hands.

Get the bridge if you have ableton. Always wanted to use bridge with a 68. I've only used it with a 57.

www.fixseratodj.com #fixseratodj

switching back to SSL has made me love using Serato again. There really is a huge difference in performance when using vinyl. The GUI is also much less taxing on my eyes. There is contrast and color instead of the sea of dark blue and dark gray.

If anyone is curious, production date of the mixer is 07/14. Looks like they discontinued them around 08/15 according to their website updates via archive.org.

ZZ Sounds had a "warehouse resealed" one which means customer returned for $1849. However it looks perfect/brand new in every respect, not so much as a fingerprint on it. They might have gotten confused and just shipped a brand new one. :) Anyway, there is at least one more "warehouse resealed" one if anyone else is looking for one....

Just did some more sound testing between it and the 64, just straight CDJ, bypassing all of the SDJ vs SSL stuff. 68 sounds slightly "crisper" on the highs which I like. The 64 that I rented to compare is just a tad more pronounced in the mids and sounds slightly more muddy on mixes to me, like 61/62. But I'm OCD. I then tested SSL vs. SDJ on the 68, and there is a substantial sound degradation SDJ on the 68. But we all knew that.

Proof of my testing :) -> cl.ly

Gio Alex: I do use the bridge, but only for getting grids on SSL, its so nice to do fast phrasing work.

This thing doesn't really sound or feel like a 2010-era mixer would...I'm very happy.

I went ahead and ordered this case for it since the official Rane ones are discontinued and very hard to find: www.bhphotovideo.com

Alright, I hope I haven't derailed this thread too much. If anyone has any questions about any of this, let me know! It seems like a great way to keep your SSL fix going...

As someone how relies heavily on seeing my music vs reading a bunch of text, really wish SDJ had the two album art grid options SSL has. That SSL feature alone was a godsend. Oh well, doesn't really matter at this point. Myself and a bunch of others very longtime Serato users I know are unfortunately having to say goodbye to Serato all together (for now anyway) because of all the incapability problems that have no reliable signs of ever get straightened out. On top of that, Club Kit is sadly proving to be a huge waste of time and money as well because it doesn't work with NXS2 gear (Mixer and CDJ) that's now showing up practically everywhere. Can't even use it with MP2014 either. :-(

This right here I felt like I could barely find songs its already dark inside and the blue and grey kind of bleed together after a while.

Never going back to SSL....

SDJ doesn't crash for me at gigs and I'm using it daily in the studio and weekly at gigs.

PNT sounds awesome!

Using it with the 62 is a great experience, (68 doesn't have midi layers or else I could mimic the same setup on it).

Works with my ns7fx no problem and is just as stable.

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I'm still not messing with El Capitan!

Maverick until death of the unit!

While some of the problems like erratic autogain and distortion on echo effects are not OS-based, I do firmly believe that the best OS for Serato DJ is OSX10.9. And the best for SSL is 10.8. I think some people have more stability problems than others because they insist on running latest OS. That is never a good practice on a DJing/production laptop and doesn't make sense. I use El Capitan for my work laptop and it's great but Mountain Lion for DJing and both are super stable for their intended purposes. I don't mix workflows between the two.

All of this!!!!

^ This is one area where they could solve this simply by offering a 'Legacy' display option in the setup menu and the problem is solved.

But they're slacking big time. Believe it or not, these days I don't necessarily have major issues with SDJ per se, but the GUI alone bothers the HELL out of me. The classic look is just easier on my eyes. That alone is one reason I don't use SDJ unless i have to.

I find platinum notes makes things sound muddy and gross compared to the original....It might make a shitty track sound "louder" but it will definitely make a proper track sound shitty....

+1 to that... I bought platinum notes... I only use that on tracks that need some severe help. I'm not convinced it should be used on all tracks.

Agreed. It can take some of the highs away on tracks so I just use it for old funk and soul that is REALLY quiet. Always should be done on a one-off basis and checked with the original for comparison back and forth on each channel on your mixer running both in parallel cutting back and forth. I use it 80% of the time but end up picking the PN version about 30% of the time.

seems like making any track louder at this point is fairly easy. i dont see why people would use it, unless they are extremely unskilled at other audio apps

THIS.... In all seriousness though the software is aimed for beginners, and those who do not have quality tacks in their library to begin with, so after using platinum notes they think a miracle happened.

In my opinion Platinum Notes works like this

Garbage in = louder garbage out

quality properly leveled track in = muddy garbage sounding track out

Dj's have learned to use their eyes and not the ears.... just because the waveform appears bigger doesn't mean it actually sounds better...

I think it's pretty much common knowledge about crap in = crap out. The conversation was about not improving the sound quality of the track, but just the level.

Back on topic... SSL4LYFE #fixseratodj www.fixserato.com #stickerlock #stickersync-cueN

my bad....

All good! Peace!

after using Serato DJ 192 and a djm 900 srt last nite, i realized how horrible it sounded after using a 62 and scratch live for the last 4-5 months.

my light guy even mentioned it sounding harsh and heavy on the mids and weak on the lows.

i was running through 8 eaw full range 15 inch speakers, 2 flown 2x15 eaws subs and 2 krk 181s on the ground

The best I can say for the more recent Pioneer mixers is they at least sound less shitty than the DJM-500/600 did. Two of the most horrible-sounding DJ mixers ever sold.

It's almost as though they're purposely designing distortion into them.

the dennon line mixers were the worst in my opinion.

new Pioneer 900NSX2 is impressive sounding and I am not one to give to compliments to Pioneer mixers

but yeah... SDJ sucks compared to SSL.

Just curious as to what your main issues with SDJ are?

my main is issue is Drop to Cue and Sticker Lock which work like ass and haven't been addressed in almost 3 years.

I've had more than several random crashes.
BPMs not show up.
BPMs show up wrong
GUI glitches
tracks loading at the end of the song
The GUI is too dark, not enough contrast
scroll bar near impossible to see
in general, the GUI is too cluttered with features that I don't use.
CPU usage off the charts...

I used Serato DJ for a couple years before I switched back and it was like night and day. I was slowly becoming frustrated, then it was such a huge relief to use a program that actually works.

I really must be lucky. I never had issues with SSL & I now have no issues with SDJ.

I agree with Dub Cowboy. The drop to cue and stickerlock sucks donkey balls compared to the original Easter egg implementation in scratchlive.

I've found general stability and SDJ 1.9.1 is at least predictable with known bugs related to search snd pitch control on certain controllers. There are threads on this forums expressing these.

Rebelguy -If you have legacy hardware such as rane 62 and do a comparison with SDJ I think you will hear the overall tone is a bit different compared to SDJ. I would characterize it as a bit brighter.

To me there is clearly a driver and audio implementation in SSL vs SDJ. SDJ when connected to a Rane 62 does not lockout the audio interface from the computer. When SSL is openee the rane devices become unavailable to the OS. I'm just pointing out that audio routing is different and would be more precise in SAM due to how its implemented vs SDJ.

On another note I too agree the NXS2 is pretty sweet.

Oh thats good, so when it crashes you can get on the mic and reassure everyone that you knew it was comming

Lol. ScratchLive 1.9.1/2 and WinXP FTW.

Now THAT was funny.....lol.

HAHA, Love it #fixseratodj www.fixseratodj.com You guys are the best!

LMAO. Can never get enough of this!!!!


LOL

Fixed :)

i like sdj outside of the sound. the difference with the buffer set at 1 in ssl and 5 in sdj has a different feeling too. its slight but its there.

sdj so far has worked with everything but my 62(theres a workaround but i dont wanna have to do it every time)

I was thinking about trying to reinstall the newest firmware updates to the 62, anyone else have any advice or similar problem(62 working with ssl not sdj)

ssl has worked with 62/sl3 --- SDJ has worked with 900 srt/sl3/s9 but not my 62.

whats the work around? rootless?

well, if i rename my midi folder midi old, it makes a new one automatically and stops the behavior for 1-2 instances of opening sdj (rane support recommended that).

the orig behavior is that when plugged to the 62 the decks spin backward at a high rate of speed and nothing stops them and they system basically has to be shut down. SSL is fine.

I used SDJ on the djm 900 srt 2 nites ago and it worked fine for 4 hours and its been fine at home with a SL3. just no permanent solution with the 62.

other weird thing i remembered is how the auto gain had tracks all the way to peak red all nite. i started at 92 but went to 91 and the tracks were still in the red.

ssl i use at 93 or 92 and generally the levels end up just touching the end of green start of yellow.

ill take boosting from time to time rather than everything being in the red for almost every track, especially the newer pop/hip hop stuff thats already mastered way to hot to begin with.

Im saying, if something works......

Almost 2018, still on SSL. Stuff still not getting fixed. SDJ 2.0 at Winter NAMM probably. Hope it’s a complete overhaul/start-over.

Found a new, sealed box Rane 68. Tempted...

Man the s9 is solid for me dude. If you want to go that route that's cool. Rane use SSL, pioneer use Serato DJ

Make sure you can get service/support if pulling the trigger.
Those buttons WILL break....

<------ Still on SSL - unless I'm using my controller.

went back to SSL fully after SDJ 1.8 fucked up my iTunes playlists (which still won't collapse by the way)

I've tried every version of SDJ since then and can't even get to plugging an interface before it throws up USB warnings. Actually that not true, I stopped trying at 1.9.6.

Man..... Scratchlive 1.9.1/2 and Windows XP FTW.....oh wait...

I mean... Scratchlive 2.5 and OSX Yosemite 10.10.5 FTW.....

:-D

I use both regularly but I am slowly weaning myself off of SSL simply because my XP machine is getting so long in the tooth. I've even stopped using my 57 as my interface and went exclusively to my SL3 + dicers. With my controller it's SDJ exclusively and if I am playing out with others it's SDJ. I am still stubbornly PC, but JohnnyM (of all people) has me closest to making the switch to a Mac.

I run everything on PC and it is fine. So many djs are going CDJ+USB sticks if not traktor because of SDJ's bad sq.

man, SDJ is still rock solid for me on my 2012 retina mac on Mavericks. Haven't had a major issue in years on my 62 or Vestax (outside of some hardware issues on the vestax).

I am terrified of having to upgrade my OS past Yosemite one day tho...

Sad that I'm here, but I'm also looking for a more stable and better sounding dj program after years and years of dj'ng. I've been using turntables and rane mixers for years, I immediately heard the degredation in sound quality with Serato DJ from the beginning. Scratch Live was definitely better sounding and a smoother program overall. I have not purchased Pitch N Time though, I heard this helps with Serato DJ. I currently use Serato DJ on El Capitan without any major crashes (knock on wood), but it is glitchy, especially with controllers. Just posting this in hopes this thread stays strong and something is done about upgrading the basic overall quality of audio output from Serato DJ. I would love to go back to Scratch Live but I don't want to go back and have an older operating system installed and figure out what else I have to do, renaming folders and stuff, just scares me idk. Anyway, another longtime dj here to support the cause hahaha.

Why, Johnny? Why?

I just updated my hard drive and went SSD. I went from Mavericks to Yosemite. that was my update on OS. I'm still gonna roll with SSL but gonna give Serato DJ another try at home to test.

I was rocking SSL at a party last weekend and some DJ came up and asked if I ever had any issues? "Nope!"

I'm guessing he uses SDJ because he inquired heavily about my turntables. He was wondering where all the light-up buttons were and the shiny metal wheels (that don't spin). LoL

I am always shocked whenever I meet people that have never seen vinyl records and are utterly confused whenever they see a turntable.

Yeah, 6+ years on SSL and it’s been just perfect. Never a crash live ever. But I also believe there is a magic configuration. If you use a SL3, the BEST combination is a mid 2012 MBP with Ivy Bridge chipset, Mac OS X 10.8, and SSL 2.5 with Rane drivers bundled with SSL (or the drivers bundled with SDJ 1.7.8). On newer OSs on that machine or newer machines like a 2013 MBP retina still running 10.8 (or anything newer) you will experience random SSL crashes when you unplug the SL3. Not so with my combination. Tested this on many maschine and OS combinations.

Most of you guys on newer computers and/or newer OSs should be fine playing live with SSL but may experience those annoying disconnection crashes. Just a heads up. I tried to freeze my environment in time back to when the last SSL version was released and with SSD and 8GB of RAM it’s more than fine. I keep the latest and greatest for my non-DJ computer...

This is why I prefer bringing my turntables. There's usually always some dude who has to announce that he is a DJ (even though you didn't ask) and wants to know if he can play a set. Turntables are a great deterrent

so true.

tried to use a s9 with a friend last night. got the same spinning backward behaviour as i did with my 6.

sl3 and ssl saved the day again

I'm still using 2.5 and 10.9.5 lol

I’m still using 2.5 and 10.8.5. I’m sticking here till I’m forced to update lol

My guess is the the rane 72 & rane twelve will force me to Yosemite.

Well Johnny’s been working a lot so my guess is he felt it was time to meet all the industry standards of the present and near future.

honestly the only thins Scratch Live needs is the PNT plug in.

Man, it's really Deez's fault....

Because it just.....

Works....

That was my thinking on moving onto Yosemite. Final OS (not even official) SSL will work on.

Yep, I wanted to have the latest OS that ScratchLive would work on, with the hopes that Serato DJ would work as well - however the complete focus was on ScratchLive working without a hitch, Serato DJ is an afterthought...

If it had that it would be a wrap

AGREED!!

and Serato would figure out a way for you to pay everytime you use PnT in SSL.

at one point PnT was planned for SSL

Yeah, I will never understand "prpgress". I work for a company that has legacy products that our customers love and want to buy, but we do not want to support because we want push the new stuff. Dumb.

It's because "progress" means new sales. They had to figure out ways to bring in more sales.

Think of apple. Most of the hardware is all the same for the most part.There haven't been major technological advances. A 2012 retina is pretty much gonna do what a 2015 does. But they put out new software to sell the new hardware. There are minimal differences btwn the 6, 6S, and 7, and especially to someone that just sends text messages and uses social media.

Progress is real progress if it makes things better. SDJ is like a step back from ASK. And there is money to be made with SSL.

ASK=SSL...another dumb feature.

They've moved on and never looking back. They're making tons of money since the Rane divorce.

you finally upgraded thats the best version out right now

You know I always let you guys do the testing for me.

Picked up a Macbook Pro 2012 i7 2.9GHz with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD as well.

nice one^^

Wow. Never thought I'd see Johnny say this.

Straight for the kill on the rig too. Pretty much top of the line.

Thanks to the homies Deeznotes and Pdidy....

It is not a game.

Oh, and that SSD is the TRUTH...

Congrats Johnny, great rig!

Sooo, just bought that brand-new, sealed Rane 68 I was talking about. Keeping the SSL dream alive a bit longer...

Let's see how much I'll hate those cue buttons. :/

The 'jolly rancher' cue buttons.

that's pretty damn accurate LOL

they're like slot machine buttons

Yup, and they WILL break...

Not IF, but WILL....wow.

Yeah, I've had 2 different 68 mixers, both had those issues.
I'm not particularly heavy handed...

Not to rain on his parade. But I always found it extremely annoying how the broken cue buttons get triggered with the slightest tap on the mixer, not even the buttons itself.

Yeah, I'd get the 62 instead TBH.

Duly noted. Received but haven't taken it out of its wrapping, just opened the box. Its one of the first production ones from back in 2010-2011 (you can tell by the old Serato Logo) so I'll be sending it back. Thanks guys.

Well, I can't send it back. I contacted the guy 20min after I received it from UPS on reverb (he had a 1 day return policy) but because I didn't know to hit the "request refund" button, he told me 25 hours later, sorry, too bad for you. Really uncool. It is indeed perfect and brand new. Anyone looking for one? :)

A long time ago i wanted one, but you can now use ableton and sdj. My main reason for wanting one was that I wanted a 4-channel SSL mixer to use with Ableton bridge. But SDJ now works with ableton via link. Also those buttons do suck. I've used that mixer when it first came out. Is there still a mixtape feature? or is that a bridge thing?

How much did you spend on it, if you don't mind me asking?

Mixtape is SSL only now. They promised us a mixtape like feature around 2014 but never delivered.

What is this mixtape feature?

I bought it from a guy on Reverb who is a Rane collector. He has some crazy stuff like a new, never-opened Rane Empath rotary, etc.

It was listed for $1975. I negotiated down to $1849. After how the guy acted, I was wary of what he actually sent me, so even though I knew it would hurt resale if it was opened, I went ahead to make sure everything was proper if I was to re-sell it. Sure enough, everything was factory-sealed like brand new. I put on some sterile surgical gloves (to avoid fingerprint smudges, etc.) and ran the mixer through its paces for about 20min. All works perfectly. The buttons aren't bad at all. I then packaged it all back up exactly as it was and its sitting here. Not sure what to do with it. The buttons aren't the problem for me.

Rane mixers just seem to have always been just a little more muddy with two tracks overlapping vs Pioneer mixers. Pioneer mixers (to me) seem to have more separation between the two songs where its easier to know where you are at in the mix. That's the best way I can describe it. I was hoping this one would be different but it sounds very similar to the Rane 62 and the 64 I have on rent. 68 sounds every-so-slightly better with clearer highs, however than 62/64.

of course, bastards.

It let's you export your Scratch Live mix as an Ableton Live set. "Owners of Rane mixers get more, as fader movements, EQ tweaks and crossfader cuts on your DJ mixer are recorded as automation and can be edited after the tape stops rolling."

You can do a lot more with it too.

I'm surprised you don't know about it. Did you ignore the whole bridge craze when it came out? I guess some ppl didn't care.

support.serato.com

The death of mixtape was a combo of Rane 62 and Serato DJ to be honest. It works perfect on the TTM57SL which is discontinued, but they had major issues with it working on the Rane 62, and the team that worked with Ableton on the project fell apart pretty quickly. The employee turnover at Serato to be quite frank has been super problematic to the current environment of why things are and are not getting done.

Gotcha. Didn't know the details to it. Thought it was just abandoned mostly because Serato DJ was being focused on.

Gio Alex: Sent you a PM. :)

Whoops, my bad. Checking now.

interesting

Wow, that's some ole' bs...

Yeah, I never cared to get up on those additional features/programs.

It was a really dope feature and idea. I was already and ableton user for production purposes and owned a 57 so the whole thing was really interesting for me, and others too that used bridge for live creative performances.

and some people wonder why people say on ssl, tons of stuff promised and never delivered upon and after serato issued a statement stating that things would be fixed and added quicker in sdj due to a single platform, well that hasn't panned out has it serato

sdj 2.0 had better be revolutionary at this stage for me to give a shit about it

I don't know why....

it
just
works.

Hot damn Johnny done got turnt over the Mac side for realz.

I set up for our monthly party last night and the founder and lead designer of BassBoss speakers here in Austin dropped off his new DV12s for me to test. We ran them with 2 BassBoss SSP118s subs for about 200 people. I had a DJM900nxs connected to an Allen & Heath Zed10 ahead of the PA (for post DJ mixer EQing and independent subwoofer level control.)

I’ve been trying to migrate to SDJ for controller reasons. We were planning on using the above with SDJ 1.7.8 and an SL3. During sound test with auto gain off and tracks at their normal speed (no key lock) it sounded pretty dull and flat. Flipped over to SSL 2.5 and the same tracks sounded rich, with vocals that were front and center, and a much more all-encompassing sound.

The sound difference was so great even on this relatively small system that I just can’t do it. My week of trying to get my library reset on SDJ is gonna get scrapped. F it.