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SSL and the Performance artist
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SSL and the Performance artist

Tony Tantrum 7:02 PM - 10 August, 2004
I've been using SSL for sometime now and, besides the occassional audio drops, have found it to be a godsend. No more back aches from carrying crates! Thanks AJ, Steve, Sam and the rest of the crew. I've been reading the forum discussions for a while and have waited to get a good sense of how other dj's are using it and the ideas that they have for improvement and increased convenience before I contribute to the discussion. More on that later in the individual forum chats.

What I'd like to shed light on is the remarkable potential such a device can/will have for those dj's who spin for performing artists (mc's, etc). I not only spin lounges/clubs/parties, but I also dj for Wordsworth of Lyricist Lounge fame. SSL has given us the ability to step up our set, especially when it comes to performing songs that aren't/won't be pressed on vinyl. Sure CDJ's and Instant Replay machines have taken the place of DAT's, but nothing is quite the same as being able to spin your songs off turntables. I think that is one of the reasons why most performing artists stop using dj's in their sets. They had become unnecessary. Well SSL has the potential to bring the performance DJ back to its prominence. I'd like to see SSL also target this market. It's there and it needs it. If any of my fellow SSL users also spin for mc's and other artists, have any of you used it in this capacity? If so, let our good friends at Serato and Rane know. There's more than just one kind of dj y'all. Let's open their eyes to the next level too.

Tony Tantrum from the RevolutionEYZ DJ Network

FYI: Wordsworth's debut LP--Mirror Music--drops Sept. 14th on Halftooth Records...go cop that y'all.
DJ 2 Smooth 2:40 AM - 11 August, 2004
I'll second that, I produce and I use SSL as another instrument depending on how creative I feel in that session. Also, It's nothin like finishing a track and then takin it straight to the club for instant feedback. Thanks AJ, Steve, Sam and the rest of the crew.
Serato, Forum Moderator
AJ 3:58 AM - 13 August, 2004
Hi Tony, thanks for the props, we do our best...

Quote:
I'd like to see SSL also target this market. It's there and it needs it. If any of my fellow SSL users also spin for mc's and other artists, have any of you used it in this capacity? If so, let our good friends at Serato and Rane know. There's more than just one kind of dj y'all. Let's open their eyes to the next level too.

What exactly do you mean by this? How should we "target" this market? For now, I can't really say that we have targetted any market, we just made the product and let it out of its cage. It would be nice to have a massive advertising budget, but we don't, and I'm not sure we need it.
12micsn1 7:05 AM - 15 August, 2004
There is more then a just one type of LIVE DJ these days. I know SSL is geared towards the LIVE DJ but I also see more ways of using SSL in a studio. I came up with this idea the other day of using SSL as a Scratch Sampler in realtime. SSL seems perfect for scrolling through a huge database of accapellas, samples and beats uppose to going through many records and cds. This great for experimenting an grabbing samples on the fly to scratch or record a sample. Unfortunately, I need a professional scratch studio mixer with 2 TRS(1/4) record outputs on each channel to hook up to a multitrack recording system. To me having a mixer setup this way makes a ideal companion for my needs. I feel manufacturers really never address DJs who put time in the studio when it comes to mixers needing special features other then for strictly live use. Djs have become much more diverse in there craft over the last decade. Technology only pushes those boundaries much further an manufacturers need to have diverse products to match those needs as well. Hmm...I have a list of the many types of DJs in existence Radio mix DJ, Band DJ, Rap DJ, Club Dj, Mobile DJ, Bedroom DJ, Studio DJ, Turntablists, Mix tape DJ, Computer DJ, Karoke DJ, CDJ DJ and VJ DJ. I can only wonder whats being missed here an is next to come.
skutch 2:50 PM - 15 August, 2004
Your type of live dj needs to pony up some cash and buy some equipment. you shouldnt expect a computer program to do everything for you.
12micsn1 1:23 AM - 16 August, 2004
Hmm..I have all sorts of equipment for DJying and music production. Pony up on cash doesnt really cut it if the products arent there to be had.
Serato
Josh 2:45 AM - 16 August, 2004
Couldn't you just take a active split prior to the mixer to get that functionality? Or do you want it post-fader for some reason?
12micsn1 5:07 AM - 17 August, 2004
Let me just show you some pictures to better explain this.
www.stantonmagnetics.com has a mixer called Stanton SA-8.

You want to look at the back of the mixer for the TRS 1/4in direct outputs.

* Individual direct outputs for multi-track recording (each turntable signal can be sent separately through 2 stereo direct outputs)

Unfortunately, this is Stanton's version of what they call quality an I dont know if thats a good thing compared to Rane.

I like the idea of recording live or in the studio an being able to later on go back an either add or subtract something from the mix. This is pretty common in the recording industry to keep tracks separate in a mix an could work the same for DJS. If more DJ mixers came with these features such as Stanton SA-8.

Ive made a suggestion of this in another post on such a mixer. An emailed a few manufacturers on making DJ mixers with studio features.
Serato
Josh 5:51 AM - 17 August, 2004
Quote:
* Individual direct outputs for multi-track recording (each turntable signal can be sent separately through 2 stereo direct outputs)


So it's pre fader? So what's wrong with taking your own splits?
djpetey 6:32 AM - 17 August, 2004
yeah....the sa8 is prefader on the individual chanel outputs and postfader on the master outputs
Serato, Forum Moderator
AJ 8:01 AM - 17 August, 2004
Quote:
* Individual direct outputs for multi-track recording (each turntable signal can be sent separately through 2 stereo direct outputs)

I believe I understand what you want to do, however it seems that this gimmicky mixer is not the best solution. If I were a mixer manufacturer, I would ask the important question: what's the point?

Consider this solution:
connect each output (in this case scrach live) to an input on your multitrack recording system. Each of those inputs is assigned to a track. Now take the output of each of those tracks and connect them to your high quality Rane DJ mixer. Now take the Balanced TRS outputs of your Dj mixer and connect them to a third track. Now you have exactly the same setup as before except that your two raw unmixed tracks haven't gone through DJ mixer before they hit the recording console. I can draw a diagram of what I mean, but my point is that the pre-fader outputs on the SA-8 don't make any difference to someone with a multitrack recording system unless their system has no outputs (which would be weird).
nik39 10:28 AM - 17 August, 2004
Hm, isnt this feature a postfader thing? Whats the point if its prefader, thats nothing special or is there anything I am missing?
Serato, Forum Moderator
AJ 12:25 AM - 18 August, 2004
Well, everyone is saying it's prefader, and frankly I don't see the point of it. It seems like another gimmick mixer to me.
djpetey 2:15 AM - 18 August, 2004
it is gimmicky I suppose, but not more gimmicky than an efx loop or kill switches or any other features on a mixer that make life just a few minutes easier in setup and features..... Im not trading in my 56 or anything, but it does have an advantage or two to it....just has disadvantages as well
12micsn1 5:33 AM - 18 August, 2004
Im going to agree on Stantons SA-8 being gimicky after studying it further. My mistake please forgive me its my only example at the moment.

Since the way I want to record works off the crossfader an I want to keep all my audio signals separate when being recorded to a multitrack. A mixer such as Ranes TTM-56 would have to have separate pair of left and right record outs for each channel 1 and 2 that would be still separate from the master out. Correct? That way when the cross fader is open an its fading from channels 1 and 2. Each signal is still being recorded separately no matter where the crossfader is being placed in the mixing of the two audio signals.

Once everything is recorded I could go back an listen for the fade in/out an the r/l panning of each signal in its separate track. On the Stanton SA-8 direct outs are either working in the way I described or this is a serious flaw in the design thats now being recognized.

It all comes down to me wanting the crossfader to send the audio signal from each channel to its own track in a multitrack during a live recording.