I would guess the answer is no

He said "other" software, "other" program. He did not mention "other" dvs systems

The answer will be yes.

I think Chads yes means you can use trackor and serato but not at the same time,

correct me if I'm wrong Chad

Torq is a DVS and you should be able to use the SL4 (and SL3) with Torq.

You will *not* be able to use Traktor Scratch (the one with external timecode control) neither with the SL3 nor with the SL4

Josh, Traktor can run through the Rane interfaces, but if your buddy uses Traktor Scratch, then he will not have DVS functionality through the Rane interface as TSD/TSP require an approved audio interface for the DVS functionality, much like how SSL will not run on hardware that is not SSL-compliant (the Rane interfaces and TTM57sl, Sixty-Eight). But if your buddy uses controllers and does not need DVS functionality, than you will be good to go.

@ The Return of Dj Sparky: I think the ASIO drivers allow the two programs to "split" the interface, with SSL using a pair of imput/output pairs, and Traktor using the other 2 output pairs (no need for input pairs for Traktor as there is not DVS functionality). Chad S. will have to confirm this, though, but that is my understanding of the technology.

sounds great.
but can we serato users use those new NI soundcarts?

No.

That sounds correct to me :) A+

Not sure what you both mean, I am confused. AFAIK the device on one USB connection l is *either* in SL mode *or* in ASIO mode. There is no way that on one USB connection two channels are being used be SL and two others are being used by Traktor. Can you guys confirm this?

nik aint it the laptop that desides if its in serato or asio?? the box just stays the same?

out usb 1 to asio laptop then usb 2 to serato laptop?

yes you could not have both usb 1 and 2 to same laptop as you can only have asio drivers or serato drivers at 1 time.

this is my understanding?????

is this correct chad??

Yep, but...


Using two USB connections to the same laptop is *not* recommended currently. It will cause differnt types of issues.

nik, i read some where that a mod confirmed usb #1 can sun SL and usb #2 can run another program (asio or core drivers) at the same time

It's not recommended right now due to instabilities.

The only question I have regarding the SL4 lately is, why did Y'all design all the inputs/outputs backward?!?

Ughh, this is gonna be hard to explain......

Ok, so it's apparent that Y'all went back to the SL1's design, rather than the SL3's. With both interfaces the inputs are on one side, the outputs on the opposite. I have always assumed that it was done this way so that you could have the output side directly aligned with the back of the mixer, and the input side outward toward the Turntables/CDJs, ect.. This design makes sense! Subsequently, there have been Case Manufacturers that have designed their coffins adhering to this configuration. My coffin, for instance, is designed to accommodate this.

With the SL3, Y'all swapped the USB port to the same side as the Outputs....no big deal. I just placed the USB cable under the SL3 so that it still came out from the back of the interface. But the output (RCA) placement still made sense on the SL3.

On to the SL4....Y'all positioned everything fucked up and backward! If one were to look at the graphics on the box, you would assume (based on past designs) that the Outputs would be to the bottom of the lettering, and the inputs the opposite.....not so! Though, this is not a big deal, per se...just flip the box around and it should make sense, right? NO, IT DOESN'T! Now, when you flip the box around, the sequence of the outputs/inputs are backward. Where by, from the back of the mixer, Channel 1 is on the left side of the Mixer, and Channel 1 (left deck) on the SL4 is all the way on the right side of the interface......WHY?!?!?!?!!!!!

Did you not realize that wires would get unnecessarily tangled/criss-crossed this way? It goes completely against your design of the past (SL1 & SL3)!

Images to hopefully explain (make) my point :

(SL1) - thedjhookup.com

(SL3) - www.global-audio-store.fr

(SL4) - 1.bp.blogspot.com

I hope Y'all understand what I'm talking about....it's kinda' hard to explain. If I had you here in my presence it would be easy, but putting it to words on a forum is difficult for me.

It just dawned on me....

If I were to turn around, and flip the SL4 upside down, all would be right again in rainbow land! Of course I'll have to label the Outputs/Inputs myself, and the RCAs would be opposite (Red up/White down), but that's not a big deal!

Nice.

Still, Rane, this is a major oversight by Ya'll! Perhaps there is still time for you to fix this? I imagine all you'll have to do is have the graphics printed opposite of the way they are now, and place the top panel on the bottom, and the bottom panel on the top. Granted, you'll have the only Soundcard Interface/Electronic Appliance with the RCAs positioned incorrectly, but regardless, the switch will save many people from unnecessary confusion.

Torq doesn't work with an SL3, I've tried it. Tried wiring directly through, nothing.

What, no one agrees with me on how retarded this was of Rane to place everything backward of the new Interface? This is not merely nitpicking on my part......it is a serious design flaw!

Perhaps someone from Rane could chime in as to why they did this? Was there some hardware (internal) reasoning for designing it this way?

You're not the first one mentioning it ;)

Oh and I understand what you mean.

Also - I never understand why the Aux Input on the SL3 came *before* the regular deck 1 and deck 2. Didn't (and still doesn't) make sense to me.

So True.

I wasn't aware that someone else had already brought this to Rane's attention. I saw the error the first day that the SL4 was revealed, but I thought that perhaps this was a pre-production unit, and kept my mouth shut. Then, when I realized that this was what they were intending on releasing, I thought I should pipe up on it. I didn't see any other threads that mentioned it. Maybe I should have done a "search".

Regardless, this sucks...I thought Rane/Serato to be at the top of their game. Not making novice mistakes such as this.

Did Rane or Serato ever explain why they chose to go so far in the other direction from their previous designs? I really would like to know their reasoning.....

I agree fully blackavenger, the SL4's design is totally backwards.

Here's how the SL4 looks now... rane.com

Outputs at the top, inputs at the bottom.

This totally doesn't make sense from an ergonomics and setup standpoint. The input side should face away from the mixer, and outputs should face towards the mixer. This is how I and 95%+ of other people I see set up their SL boxes. This way all the cables sit and lay "naturally" and don't crisscross over each other and don't have wires going around the box.

Ok, so just rotate the SL4 clockwise 180 degrees, you get this then... dl.dropbox.com . Inputs at the "top," outputs at the "bottom" facing the mixer. Good! But now, all the graphics are upside down. Maybe not a big deal for some people, but I'm really anal about aesthetics and looks and the upside text would just annoy the hell out of me.

Alright then, so just reprint the stickers, it would look like this then... dl.dropbox.com . I'd be fine with this, however you brought up a good point in that if this is how it looked, then input and output "1" would be on the very far right side. Most people are going to use "1" for the left deck and "2" for the right deck, and if so, then wires will be crossing. Lucky though, from the few videos I've seen, and I assume the SL4 will be like the 68 in that you can select and use any input for any deck. So in theory you could use "4" for the left deck "3" for the right deck, and everything should be fine then and the wiring will be "normal." Still though, people are dumb, and this will just confuse people even more I think. And, maybe it's just me, but I don't like all the inputs and output on the right side of the box, it looks weird. I prefer them either on the left side or in the middle. Probably because in English and most other languages, we read left to right.

So then, what about flipping the SL4 180 degrees (i.e. bottom side is now top side)? Let's look... dl.dropbox.com . This way, inputs are on the top and outputs are on the bottom. Great. Plus the numbers are now in, what I believe should be, the correct order...1,2,3,4,Aux ( I also agree with Nik about the SL3's design, Aux-1-2 doesn't make sense to me either, it should be 1-2-Aux), and all the ins/outs are on the left side of the box (again, maybe it's just me, but I don't like all the inputs and outputs on the right side of the box). But now, all the text on the front and back panels is upside down and backwards, so again, they would have to reprint the stickers for the front/back panels.

So, good thing Rane prints the graphics on lexan stickers and not the actual box, so hopefully they can change this, as I agree this is a total design flaw/oversight, but easily correctable.

Konix, maybe it is intentually set up this way. For you the writing/graphics may be upside down but if someone uproaches the booth or the dj it is correct in their view. Hope you understood my poor English.

There are much better ways of advertising your product. Word of mouth, for one. And I can tell you, the "word of mouth" (negative) responses that this flawed design has generated are not boding well for Rane/Serato. As per Mine, and Konix' suggestions, please fix this before you begin shipping out the SL4. If Y'all are unable to, at the very least, print out replacement stickers (Top, Bottom, Input Side, Output Side) for those of us who ask for them.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this..

Traktor Pro = Can use with any compatible ASIO based interface
Traktor Scratch Duo/Pro = Must use Audio 8 or Audio 10

Is this right? If it is.. Doesn't the SL4 have core audio drivers that could work with Traktor Pro? (Nevermind the usb1/2, just positing that 1 computer is being used)

It seems that Torq 2 will work with SL4 and the M-Audio Connectiv will work with Traktor Pro..

Is NI just plain blocking this crap out of spite?

^^ Assuming you have the proper DVS timecode per each of course

NI Says they support the following in Traktor Pro:
ASIO®
Core Audio
DirectSound®
WASAPI

Ah I think I answered my own question..

NI has the same approach as Serato+SL with Traktor Scratch+NI Audio 8/10.. only works as DVS with exclusive hardware compatibility.

Traktor Pro is the difference here. NI is accommodating for straight computer DJ'ing or third party midi control.

LOL Guess you can tell i'm no traktor fan.. I haven't touched it since the Stanton Scratch Amp days.

OMG! It took me a min to figure out what y'all meant by the "design flaw"....but now I see...

However, since I probably don't set mine up exactly like yours, *(both TT's on my left), the way I picture it for ME would be output of the TT's going into the 'INPUT (albeit on the bottom of the SL4), and consequently out of the top of the SL4 routed back to the mixer.

Since I have my set in NON-Battle style, my outputs normally come out the back of my TT's, so it would be "Natural" to route the cables to the SL4 from the bottom up, AND then route back to the mixer....So in my current setup, the SL4 setup would be ergonomically correct, assuming you want to read the Brand Name from behind the DJ setup....and I would place the SL4 DIRECTLY BEHIND THE TURNTABLES.

However, I currently have the SL3, so the turntable input is of course TOP DOWN, and so I basically would have the Serato outputs going directly (downwards) INTO THE MIXER. So now my SL3 would merely sit DIRECTLY BEHIND THE MIXER.

I can see, however, those of you who have your stuff "Battle Style" would complain because you normally would want to set the SL(3-4) directly behind the mixer...able to be "READ" from the DJ's view, whereas, I have no problem setting Serato directly BEHIND both TT's on the left side.

And YEAH, I don't understand why the Aux is 1st before Line 1 & 2....Real easy way to get screwed up in a rush setup, if not already in a coffin....

Just sayin...

That being said, I am going to assume that with an SL4, you'd be wanting to run 4 Turntables, and Rane/Serato probably figured you'd have a bank of Turntables that needed to run wires "Upwards", not in a coffin setting, and then ultimately back to the mixer...

The truth of the matter is that you have both the OUTPUTS of the Turntables and the INPUT of the MIXER theoritically on one side of the setup, so regardless, you'd have to run a set of wires to the TOP of the SL device anyway...

With all due respect Todd, yes, in this instance I think you are "really anal".

Personally I've always put my box at a 90 degree angle, most people I know do the same.
Anyway you look at it, the 90 degree angle is a lot more ergonomic. Ie: you have easy access to all cables WITHOUT lifting the box.

blackavenger, with all respect to you too:
You are pretty much wrong on this account. Sure word of mouth is extremely important, especially when it comes to the buying decision. But in order to create/maintain brand presence, logos & "billboards" are substantial.

Remember the old apple power books, they made the apple logo upside down,
for the user to see if facing up when closing the lid... wonder why they changed that ;)

My guess is they made the ports this way because of the inner workings of the SL4? Probably the same thing goes for making only 1 ground post. It's not gonna affect me one bit when it comes to this hardware, I'll still get it asap. (as soon as I get money in the bank)

That's a good point, but I don't think that is why Rane positioned it that way.

I'll prolly eventually get one as well, but it's not as much of a priority as it was before. Design & Aesthetics are important too, and Rane need to recognize this.

Lets face it, 5 sets of rca's inputs, another 5 sets of outputs, 4 ground cables & 2 usb cables, its gonna be messy when set up in a hurry, however you look at it...

But, the 2 usb ports is till gonna sell it, at least for me.

Yeah, and they made it a WHOLE LOT WORSE!
Unnecessarily so, IMHO.

I love the SL4, and everything it does. I was sooooo excited when they first announced it. Then I thought about how confusing that shit (given it's design) would be to set up in a hurry, and in a tight space, then the excitement subsided.

I may have someone design me some stickers (12inchSkins), then buy it eventually. But for now, I'll pass. To everyone ordering or awaiting theirs.....enjoy :)

Stickers ain't gonna to make it less messy mister ;-)

I was speaking more to the fact that the cables (as it is designed now) are backward and overlapping on one another.

serato.com

Stickers "would" fix that.
Damn, Rane, why did Y'all have to screw this up so badly?!?!?

I still think this is a minor issue, and I've always kepp my rca cables marked for connecting the hardware quickly. As Ive already stated, I set my box on a 90 degree angle, when not using a rane mixer that is...

I don't think that the universe collapse due to this design flaw, but it could had been designed more user friendly.

I can't front, I was looking at someone's setup, and if you are normally doing a TOP - DOWN approach, it DOES look crazy.

I doubt that it's the advertising for people walking up on you, as if this is sitting directly behind your mixer, you have the wording of the mixer right side up, and the SL4 upside down.

Maybe they wanted a "New Jack" to redesign from the "Bottom Up"...(PUN INTENDED)...lol.

I agree, it won't collapse the universe. But it doesn't work for "me", and since I'm the one that would be forking out the $800 to $900, I'm the only one that matters in this purchase.




It will no longer work in my coffin. It's fine for situations when I wouldn't bring it, but for my home setup, it sucks.




As do I. I think that by the time they realized that it would be a problem for "some", it was too late to change the internal design.

Sure, I didn't mean to downplay your opinion. Just wanted to share my opionion too, that's all :)

No worries, Nik.