word

Hi Feniks,

Thanks for the suggestion. I know a lot of users are doing this through their DJ mixer, but this is not always practical. Other users, please post below if you would also like to see this feature.
Sam
Serato

i can't speak for the other users, but most of the time my laptop is not connected to the USB interface. it would be very convenient to be able to preview tracks without having to be connected to an entire dj system....

any one else agree?

(thanks sam)

feniks

Agreed - but the copy protection of the software is the box, so if there was a way to play the tracks in the library from below and not compromise the protection that would be great. I suppose that would require the use of the computer's sound card, right ?

If you have a Mac you can preview audio files, while in column view, without using SSL.
I personally like to use iTunes for previewing, because I can enter information into one of the view options (genre, for example) and use that information to help sort my tracks within SSL.
If you dont have the USB interface connected why not use another appilcation to preview tracks?

good points.....however wouldn't it be much easier to be able to just select a song and preview it while you are sorting your tracks into crates rather than having to switch out of SL and use a different program to preview? also, since SL reads the ID3 tag, what would happen if the ID3 tag didn't match the filename? in a large list of mp3s it would be hard to locate the track to preview it if the filename and ID3 tag didn't match. plus, the preview function is very helpful in creating an expected playlist for an upcoming gig. for example, one could create a potential playlist for an upcoming gig while on the airplane flight to the gig. i don't know about you guys but i like to listen to my tracks prior to playing them to get an idea of what songs would mix well and which wouldn't...especially if they are new tracks that i haven't played out before.

I think this feature would be helpful for people that DON'T use iTunes.

i think the preview feature is useful and relatively straightforward to enable. I agree that iTunes is a much better interface for library management overall than SSL itself... buchanan, what DO you use instead of iTunes?

Oh, I use iTunes :)

Apple fo life !

it's still a hassle to have to switch between programs to preview your tracks. also, i'm not asking to have the SL program operate completely without having the USB interfce attached. i simply would like to have the ability to listen to the tracks while i am sorting them or trying to prepare a playlist for an upcoming gig. when did this ever become a copyright protection issue?

feniks

It isn't a copy protection issue. It's all about dealing with the operating system and using the satandard system audio calls, which currently we don't do. This is definitely a feature tha has been requested by several people so we are looking into it, I just wanted to let you know that it is a major feature not a minor change.

no worries mate!

cool, thanks again AJ! My wording got away from me about the box being copy protection, I just figured that's why the upper display didn't appear when the box wasn't plugged in.

Removing the top section is a clear way of showing that the box is unplugged, and makes sense because none of the controls in that section function without a box plugged in.

but even without the USB interface plugged in you can still manage your crates....so it makes sense that you should be able to preview your tracks also without being connected to the USB interface.

Yes, but that won't require the top section to be visible.

exactly.

I understand now :)

I moved over from final scratch. I DJ back to back with a mate most of the time and we make up the sets as we go along generally. We always had an extra set of phones out the back of the laptop to preview the next track while the other was in the mix - really, really useful. I also used Traktor DJ studio to try out mixes and make crates for certain gigs on the train/bus (not a high flyer ;o)... I thought the internal mode would allow some basic mixing, but i guess that was too much to expect, but it would blow all competition out of the water. Even if it was just mono mixing with a cue trigger button and a small crossfader. Having basic functions like Traktor would be really good.

i think alot of the users here expect it to be different than the Traktor line....that's why they switched. to be able to completely mix without using vinyl kind of defeats the purpose of the whole program...don't ya think?

if there was an option to listen thru the internal soundcard then i would probably use it, but realistically i have no problem with just using a 3rd party program to listen to the tunes and then dragging them into the crates in scratchlive as i listen thru...

and if going within 500 miles of using the windows standard audio calls is going to mean a loss of stability or greater latency then don't do it!! i'm loving the fast response of the rane hardware so windows audio sounds like just one more thing that could go wrong

any further comments on this? sorry to bug....but i really would like to see this feature implemented.

For various reasons this is a major feature request, so don't expect to see it in the next couple of releases.

understood

Hm.. i was going to buy serato scratch but this point made me really unstable. In my opinion this is the only big disatvantage to the competitor.. is it possible to give an estimation when this feature will be implemented? Perhaps this is more important to many djs than u think.. ;)

Ctrl - o

(this launches your default media player to play the highlighted song from your list)

Problem solved.

:-)

Awesome. Didn't know that, DBB. Thanks!

No problem.

It doesnt work with the latest official version, so I assume its a beta thing ;-)

Oh ok...Where do you get the betas? ;)

Nik - it worked for me on 1219... at least I thought it did. Let me check...

Doesn't work for me...Are you talking of the public preview?

Nik and Rev: How do you say 'oops' in Norweigan and German?

Object-oriented programming software that is?

Guess you would say oops in both languages. I don't really speak Norwegian that well; tend to use a lot of English words and expressions ;) I think you could use the word oppsann, eventhough I have never heard anyone use it except really old people.

Detroitbootybass, its the same here "oops" but spelled different, "ups".

"How to say oops in a 100 languages" By Rev and Nik from ScratchLIVE.net :) Endorsed by Rane and Serato :D

May I do the 'Foreword' in the book?

I only speak 4 human languages, so you must come up with the remaining 96 languages ;)

Btw is it possible to preview tracks when the hardware is connected without putting the needle to the record?

I'd appreciate an answer to my other question because this is for me decisive to buy the product or not..

yes, in internal mode.

What languages do you speak, nik?

Foreword is yours, DBB...Guess it doesn't have to be all human languages. We could put in things like SQL and things like that. Or even the special NI language ' ' ;)

It is essentialfor meto be ableto preview tunes in ssl asi want to prepare crates in SSl.

At the moment i use i tunes and its a pain in the arse as sometimes i have trouble with id3tags and itunes and i wanna keep othersoftware off ym computer.

Also if i arrange some tunes in itunes i casnnot reorganise the crate in SSL. Please includea preview sectionlike there was in fs .

Anotherproblem with itunes is it doesnt show the waveform , as sometimes i wannapreview new tunes quicklyand see howlong breakdowns are as here peoplestruggle with long breakdowns.

Just remember that you can't listen to anything without the box plugged in.

The next version of Scratch LIVE will have a shortcut key to launch the highlighted track in the computer's default media player.

please Sam, add the possibility to launch several highlighted tracks a time (not only one a time)... this way we could export our crates to another apps as playlist!

*eh hem* m3u playlist... *cough* :-)

Bump... as a former user of Final "Scratch" and a very happy SSL user now, i think this feature is a must! and the only thing that i miss in Traktor FS is its preview player, the hot key ctrl-o is nice to have, but i prefer to be working with one app all night Rather then having winamp or media player open while spinning. its safer that way.
Thanks in advance.

i think for Mac users this is not so much of a problem as Macs have a built in preview player that can be used to preview the track before sorting it into crates. simply pressing command-r will bring up the track in the finder window and allow you to preview the track. obviously with windows it is not that simple as you must open a media player to hear the track (ctrl-o does this for windows users)

That would be the KILLER right there or Nnik39's suggestion of linking tracks !!

itunes isn't scratch live. have map 'send/mute' audio also to osx core audio thanks.

ssl is default player.

computer: macbook ssl: 1.6.2 & yes still final scratch user too

i think it's cool that you can preview a file after pressing command r, but there's a whole idea that is missed. suppose you're in a hotel putting together your playlist without a mixer to connect your ssl to. the ability to preview a file or two is okay, but suppose you wanna set cues and loop points and hear them back? you can't, you're stuck. it will be nice for you guys to write something to aid in this. we are roaming dj's, we need portability & we need sound otherwise we might as well be carrying cdj's, turntables, mixers monitors and 15 crates of vinyl with us everywhere we go.. ha...

www.gardenseekerproductions.com

Posted this somewhere else before getting off my lazy ass and finding this post. Not verbatim but essentially what I said was this: I want to be able to use the software independent of the hardware, to output only to the internal speakers or headphones. The suggestion I made was have a single deck view where you could load a track and essentially play it in internal mode so that it's possible to add cue points, loops, etc. without having to plug in the box. Normally this isn't an issue but for people who play different cities all the time, it would be a great benefit allowing us to prepare tracks on the airplane, in the airport, in our hotel rooms, without having to dig out the box, plug one of the outputs into the line-in on our computer, and run some other program that will enable playthrough so we can hear it to set up our tracks. I'd just like to be able to set up that hot new joint without having to scramble at the club to get it ready, or dig through my carry-on for my box while wrestling the fat lady in the middle seat for the arm rest and a bag of peanuts, not to mention getting arrested because people think you're trying to hijack the plane with a set of RCA cables. I think if there were a software mode that limited what you could do (i.e. disallow any type of output except core audio) but still allowed you enough functionality to prepare tracks a ton of dudes would definitely be happy.

</2 cents>

I rarely look around here in the Feature Suggestions section, but I wanted to suggest exactly this.



x2. While I recognize that the SL1 hardware is useful in selling the package as a whole, I think this sort of "preview" function for "off-line" work would still be very useful, much like the "Build Overviews" step suggested before making the big purchase. Such "off-line" functions could still be accessible with only one deck so that the hardware is still needed to mix.

I support this times infinity! I would love to be able to adjust track levels and cue points ahead of time. I think the software should allow you to do some work out of studio without having to drag around the box. If anything, make a USB dongle for copywrite control.

Adjusting cue points and loops etc when the interface is not connected is important. I look forward to thi feature in the future.

I have just bought SSL a few weeks ago and I'm constantly adding new tracks to my collection on my hard drive. What I notice every weekend when i'm flying to my gigs is that SSL
definetly needs to be able to play the selected track within
SSL and just route the music through the on board sound card when it doesn't see the SSL box hooked up via USB. This would
help loads as I'm setting up my crates with new music and editing the information on the tracks as I see fit while I'm
listening to them. This is a major pain in the ass when i'm on
the plane and i have no way to quickly listen, edit, add to crate. Please add the ability to preview the tracks within
SSL software through the on board sound card with out having to
hook up the SSL box via USB.

Thank You!
Dj LexXxus

Werd.

:::raises hand:::

I support this suggested feature also. I find myself in the same scenarios mentioned by some of the others and would love to preview IN Serato.

To keep people from using Serato "software" without paying for it, just disable all the DJ-related features while the "hardware" (box) isn't connected.

Nice, good idea

yes...yes...YES! I totally agree with many of these comments. I am a former FS2/Tractor user/endorsee & although I prefer SSL, these are the features that I def miss the most.

1. Please make the tunes previewable in Serato without an external player

2. Please incorporate virtual mixing capabilities within SSL without the need for external comparable to Tractor DJ Studio.

To mix without vinyl is a feature that the competition offers & I believe incorporating this feature would make SSL a better tool to increase productivity & functionality. I'm all for making SSL the best that it can be. Like some of the other djs on this thread, I enjoy the ability to play around with mixing ideas while on the road (in my hotel or on a plane etc) before a show. This is especially helpful on long tours when you aren't home enough to practice & put together sets.

Plugging in external gear is def not an option on an airplane because of the power situation (unless you are in business class that provides an outlet which is rare), and even if there was power in coach, there is barely enough leg room, much less room enough to set up your gear ;o)
In the hotel room it is do-able...that is, until I have to go set up my gear early for sound check and then all I have left with me is my laptop. Most gigs I go straight from the airport to the club to set up and then back to the hotel room with just my laptop.

It would rock if there was a feature where serato's software would allow you to switch to a mode where serato would use your laptops soundcard and incorporate an internal mixer within the software for this purpose. Then all you'd need to do is plug in your headphones to your laptop and rock out on those long transatlantic flights. Even if it's not the best sound quality, it would be a great practice tool & increase productivity, you could create all your cue points, quickly organize crates etc and best of all you wouldn't have to use some other company's software to 'practice' while on the road ;)

thanx for continuing to make Serato Scratch Live the best that it can be =)

I'm endorsing this feature. It's twice as easy and convenient to have this feature for looping and to bpm songs without the hardware. I think a simple preview window with a waveform and zoom options would be ideal were we could add loop and cue points as well as edit the bpm of a song. Keep it simple. There is no need for a tempo adjuster or virtual deck, just one large horizontal waveform display with loop, cue points, and bpm options in the interface display area initiated by double-clicking the song.

Well..probably a good thing no one held their breath as this feature has been requested since 2004. What year is it again?

I am really annoyed that this is not functional yet. I know for fact that hooking into windows/mac audio is not so complicated, unless of course the developers painted themselves into a corner somehow.

Look it...many of your customers purchased your product expecting a higher quality, in exchange for a higher premium. Many people using SL are PRO DJs it would seem, and planning sets and being able to preview music from within the program they use to mix it (in turn doing things like setting cue points, loops, fixing BPMS, etc) is RIDICULOUSLY IMPORTANT.

I can not set que points in iTunes, can I? Can I set queue points in anything that then carries over to SL? This being directed at the obvious amateurs. If you don't find this useful, why are you debating it? Lots of people do, so your opinion is rather pointless so bugger off.

UGH.
I recently purchased SL based on reviews (tho missed this feature comparison on the list) and was so ticked when I broke out my laptop at my office in hopes of going through a crate or two and adding queue points.

Ok, I am done venting. But seriously, 3 years is long enough guys.

3 years wow!
Not being able to preview tracks within ScratchLive is unacceptable. I've gone as far as hooking up the SL box output to an RCA to 1/8 jack and plug it back into my laptop. Then monitor the audio within Ableton. This is a pain in the ass, but the only way I've been able to prep for sets while at my nine to five. I know of no other way and no I do not want to use itunes. Please, Please don't make me have to work this way. It's not logical.

It would also make it too easy to just download the software and not buy the hardware.... and then in 60 seconds, you are both a DJ and your burrito is done.

The only way this will happen is if only one of the decks were active without the SL1 box connected... AND if Serato can keep the program from becoming a resource-hog with the additional coding.

I will gladly carry my SL1 and a portable headphone amp if it means that 1. It will keep the cheep fuckers from not having to buy the interface to become a DJ. and 2. That it will mean trouble-free operation of my software.

Here's the headphone amp that I use:

www.headb.com

There are tons of portable headphone amps out there that run on batteries. You get what you pay for. Enjoy.

I originally posted this on a separate thread, then got my hand slapped for not finding this thread (despite searching). Anyway just to add some thought.

I understand that ostensibly this is an issue with coding, and I suppose that starting down the path of dealing with Windows audio drivers is a formidable task, however I also suspect that there is little incentive to add functionality that may be used by non-SSL owners.

However, if you disabled most of the features except one then no one would want to use it anyway- except to organize crates for playing out later.

If, without the SL1 connected, you could only do the following:
*Play one deck only
*No pitch control
*Delayed button response (maybe a lag of .5 or 1 sec, if you were really paranoid)
*Can't play more than one song in a row (no autoplay/playlist)...
*Whitelabel.net files would be restricted to their horrendous sound quality mode.
So with all this, you essentially would have the most lame mp3 player on the planet (no pun intended). What would be the harm in this? No one but SSL owners would use it!

I even question the need to be able to set cue points- how would you do that without a player connected? The trackpad on my laptop would suck for that. I also see cue points as a possible feature that would ... be exploited by those who wouldn't otherwise buy SSL anyway.

I think this simplified interface would also be easier to implement - however I understand this may be overshadowed by the sound card issue.

AND/OR

Have the software look to see if you had already installed the hardware. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when I installed the hardware I actually had to plug it in. That way it would be limited to those that had a hardware interface. I suppose it may be circumvented, and someone could share their SL1, but it's an idea.

Me too, though no slap yet..

this is what i posted..


quoteAugust 1, 2007, 8:09 AM
Would be great if you could play from the internal sound card in internal mode, though not necessarily for performing...

Even if it was only one deck.

That way, you could set your cues and loops, etc, while you listen to you music, giving you more flexibility in preparation, and less reliance on 3rd party apps (itunes etc) as SSL would serve as it's own player.

It's already a decent tag editor, this would go one step further in eliminating any middlemen.

bump

i really really really want this feature. i love being able to tag and organize songs and playlists via itunes on the go. But i think it would be more effective to be able to manage cues, loops, auto-gain & auto-bmp without the ssl box.

final scratch had this ability. basically it was a built in player using the os's sound card.

also the tag editor for ssl sucks remp. you can't edit ALL the fields. and there's no way to distinguish between 1.x and 2.x tags in ssl.

Another big bump! I would love to be able to add cue points and loops to tracks (as well as hear how they sound in different pitches) without plugging the box in every time.

Adding this feature would be FANTASTIC! This is, as far as I'm concerned, the number one thing Scratch Live is missing.

Check out 1.8 which just has been released. It has what you are looking for.

He wants "different pitches", basically he wants to have a fully operational deck. lol

and the Serato Gods present....the Offline Player!

LOL

Loving the offline player!!! HUGE improvement.



yeah I do... and I know this would kind of shoot Serato in the foot, maybe there's a way to force it to play at very low music quality?

I have absolutely no idea of why you would need to hear it in different pitches, but, actually if you have a Midi controller connected, the pitch slider (given you have one on your midi controller) will be able to pitch your tracks. You wont see any pitch % info, but the track will pitch. At least it works on my AKAI MPD24. So there you go....

Again, I don't know why you would want to do that in the first place. And why bother plugging in the mpd if the ssl box is unplugged anyway? Just don't make any sense.

yes, it's good, but needs to have a speed control on it.

the track start and kick and drag buttons work, why not just add the speed up slow down buttons?

many tracks are not the 'right' tempo and listening to them on a (mostly) slower speed is pff!

we could go a step further and have TWO preview decks. it's POSSIBLE to mix without headphones, so you could even use SSL as in internal mixing system. obviously the sound Q will be lower if some pony laptop onboard sound was rendering the music, but it would be a good way of practising some mixing without having to plug it into your complete system, just to check out some tunes.

it's a good step, even judging by the length of time people seem to have been waiting for this. :)

Oh really.

Maybe that is the reason why it does not have any speed control and only one deck?

Then there'd be no need to buy an SL1. Ain't gonna happen.

And even if they did, (not gonna happen!) this would make ssl look bad as some people would go out and play on really crappy sound cards... The offline player is great the way it is now, imho.

intentional restriction?

sound quality.

...and soon realise that they should have the right h/w.

or be sensible enough to work that out before going out.


it could be better, imho.

wtfbollos, what more can you really expect? Seriously...

What you are asking for is called Internal mode, and if you. Just plug your interface to the computer and THERE you have it. All of your feature requests are now available. :)

Otherwise you probably want to look into that "other" Serato program.

it wouldn't be hard have two decks on the "preview".

when you are mixing it helps to work out what tunes work with others. with two decks you can swap from one to the other without having to unload and reload tracks.


but WITHOUT having to plug in the serato hardware and into a mixing system, just to check out a few tunes?

that means you can't do it from sitting there in the sofa.

that flexibility is what i think we be good AND speed control! (not just kick and drag)


maybe i do..what one did you have in mind?

you realize that if you didnt have to plug in the box that you wouldnt have to buy the program to get use out of it. they are trying to sale it, not give it away.

Oh dude, I don't think you get it.

you can sell software without hardware.

why not?

the box is undersold as a way of sampling your vinyl anyway, but there could be two versions, why not?

ok, er "dude".

How about "mate"? Does that flow better with your vocabulary?



not sure what you mean here... I still think you are talking about something that is not only OFF topic, but way out of the scope of ScratchLIVE.

Sorry DUDE.

it's ok, i know what i'm saying..

yes 10sec preview for each song would be great if have a lot of song you can not alway remember what they song a simple audio review would be nice