I use this all the time.. I love it. Helps out. Thanks serato.

might be good to mention that prepare window gets cleared when software is restarted,
in my experience if you do "prepare" the day before a gig, it is wise to use a crate to hold the tracks and drag then to prepare before playing, please let me know if there is any better way:)

That's a great point Nonnus, thanks for that :)

Is there a way to scroll through the prepare window with the TTM57 nobs? That's what stops me from using it

One reason why I don't use it very much is because sometimes I just to check if one track in the "prepare window" will fit. So I just load it for few seconds, then if it doesn't fit, I select another track.

But as soon as you load a track from this window it disappear.

It would be great that the track disappear from this window only once it has been played a little bit of time (the same way that one track in your crate will turn to green/been-played, only when it has been played a minimum amount of time and remain white/unplayed when you just load it for few seconds).

it may also be cool to give the prepared window an option to hold and maybe even save a collection of music - without creating a new crate. The prepared window's numbering via order it was added would be something I'd use - and I would use it more with a little more flexibility than a dump box / dumb crate.

@Meach: After you play a song from prepare window, you can use ctrl+z to undo the track and it will reappear back in your list.

Yoy know what's a cool feature ? Bridge. You know what would be even more cool ? Bridge with serato itch. Even if, we all know it & we all can say it, traktor is by far more interesting with ableton that bridge will ever be. Thanks

Thanks for all the good feedback guys. I'll make sure this all gets fed back to the development teams.

i have used this to compensate for lack of preview player: so i may have chosen a next track but still looking for alternatives so i can load them, check them and cmd/ctr z to go back to the previously loaded track, its just annoying the need to use keyboard when i usually have it covered with my itch controller (twitch)

I have exactly the same comment as Meach.
It would be very handy if the dissapearing of the tracks was optional.

Using the control-Z to get tracks back is a workaround but a bit clumsy if you want to experiment with tracks and play order in the prepare window.

That's why I still use a crate today for preparing, despite that the prepare window is better to keep the overview

If the prepare window is "under used" as stated above I believe this is the main reason...

I use that area to place my mix emergency cross faders and other windows.
Very handy.

Option to leave tracks in the prepare window is a long time feature suggestion.

I gotta agree with this one, i use the prepare window sometimes but the first time i did.. it was a request of a song i didnt know...i wanted to check the song before i played it...a little while later i went to the prepare window and it was gone... and i totally forgot the name of the track lol ... it didnt show up in the history either so i had to wait until one very upset came up and reminded me that i hadnt played her song lol

some options on this would be a nice addition

Or adding the same rules as marking played might work, that way you could TRY the track without it disappearing.

IT IS HELPFUL

the only thing i have a problem with is if u accidentally drop a track on the wave that playing it loads & plays that track without even giving u a warning that u loading a track while another is playing,does any1 know differently?

There is an option in Setup->Playback called 'Lock Playing Deck'. If this is ticked it means Scratch Live/ITCH won't let you load a track unless the deck is paused. This prevents the above scenario from happening :)

Also, if you do ever load a track to the playing deck by accident, remember that you can press Command/Ctrl + Z on your keyboard to undo the load. It's a lifesaver!

I thank you very very very much i did not know @ all,used to piss me off.......

I will start using it.. Being i have a the HC1000S. It makes easier loading from the prepare window with a touch of my midi button on the controller. Thanks for the tip..

Good Point :)

I always forget what i'm gonna spin> This is gonna help!

Whats up with the prepare window being that you have to pull it down to see it. That happen with the last few updates that came.

When I get request I put them in prepare. Then when I get to that BPM I can put it in the mix. I need to start using the shortcut. Doing it tonight.

I do the same thing, if requested I put it in prepare and wait til it fits in my mix. What I didn't know was that you could show bpm's. Thanks Paul the Dj

i use it all the time its great to use

It's great for preparing a set but You have to load it in a create to be sure you don't lose it. I also like the suggestion using it for requests! Thmbs up for that one!


It's great for preparing a set but You have to load it in a create to be sure you don't lose it. I also like the suggestion using it for requests! Thmbs up for that one!

I agree with most of the people about the fact that songs loaded on the prepare window should be keep even when the computer is shot down but disappears only after being are play.

there should really be an option if they want the song removed after its loaded. Thats the reason why i dont use it, but ill give it a try and work around it.

I use the prepare window pretty much all the time...its like when pulling out my records and leaving them hanging out to remind me playing...ah the memories! :)

Handy tool!

I would like to do that too, but the problem is if I only try the song instead of play it, it disappears.

I wish songs would only disappear with the same rule if they turn green.

I use prepare for request and to bank songs for later. And I go to history to grab it if I need doubles. ~nice

Yes. I would say I use it on the average. But would also echo the previous feedback of it being a bit clumsy by removing tracks once played. Maybe Serato can borrow from VDJ's playlist where the played tracks would be coloured and moved to the bottom of the prepare window for future reference, crating or doubles. I think that would be nice.
SoniQ da DJ

Option to not clear out.

I love the prepare Window - one of SSL BEST features. On occasion I tag team with a friend that uses Traktor and it makes me appreciate how well thought out and convenient Serato SL actually is.

Traktor seems to have a prepare "crate" but on his WIndows computer I guess it messed up or something (doesn't work like SSL). My work around when I play on his Traktor is temporarily load a track - then go to History and use that as my prepare. Sucks....

As far as the comments above about Prepare holding/keeping tracks - I would vote no or make the ability to turn that feature off. Seems like it would be more practical to just make a crate with all your "Prepare" tracks that you want to "hold and play - not go away".

I have a crate called "Breakers" with new songs that I want to try out or play that I dip into early in the night or at the appropriate time.

In my opinion - Prepare is perfect for those (stupid) Requests at mainstream gigs or dropping a tune you know you want to play later but don't want to forget. At the end of the night there is usually a few tracks in Prepare that I didn't play for whatever reason (Clean/Dirty, Inst, Intro/Extended, Quick Hitter vs Long - etc - I played the song but just loaded multiple to decide later what version worked best in the set).

just my .02¢

I can not agree.

Or make it optional.

For me the prepare crate is unusable. The best thing about it is being able to put a track in there without using the mouse. But now that the track is in there just loading it without actually playing it makes it disappear. In other words you have to remember not to load that track until you are ready to play it. And if you have to remember the track is in there - why not just remember the track in the first place?

I understand some people only load a song they actually play, and thats fine. But there are other DJs (such as my self) who load many songs before deciding which one to play next.

EXACTLY the same principal with the tracks only turning green when played. So its not really that there is a problem with tracks disappearing when played. It is a problem because they disappear when only loaded and tried out.

So if it was worth making tracks turn green only when actually played, the same thing should apply here.

For me, I cant use it at all. And every time Ive tried using it, it messed me up.

What I usually do in that situation is just drag it from the loaded deck BACK into the prepare window. That way I can test, fiddle or move on to something else and the track is still there if I decide I want to play it later.

Maybe it's because I grew up spinning vinyl out of milk crates - the Prepare window TO ME is like a crate of vinyl where you pull up the records on edge and leave them sticking out/up so you remember to play them.

www.polyvore.com

At a gig, I would never take the vinyl out of one crate and put them in another smaller crate to be able to remember to play them?

Maybe I am missing something? Again - seems like a "On the Fly" Serato crate would be better if you are indecisive about what you are going to play. I put a "~" or a "^" in the front of the crate name so that that crate will migrate to the top of my crate/playlist library.

WOW... too much thought going into this. Prepare is simply used like the old school way of putting a record at an angle so you remember to play it later. In other words you PREPARE it to be played later. If you play it just to test and see if it works in the mix and it doesn't then simply hit CTRL + Z and it goes back in the Prepare section. Why do you guys make things so complicated for yourselves? LOL

And preparing a set a day before and wanting it to be saved... then you might as well just make that a crate. You can always delete it after the gig if you want.

I drop requests on the prepare window or use it when I think of something I can play later or so I don't forget. In other words, TO PREPARE.

If the tracks don't disappear after being played, might as well have an actual crate.

Also, it's not that hard to drag the track you just tested from the deck back into the prepare window. Duh.

LOL - yall acting like I aint never played out of some crates.

TO ME the way the prepare crate works now is more like you flag a record by angling it. Then you go to pull it out but since its new with static or whatever the paper sleeve slides out with it. So you have to mess with it, sometimes pushing it back into the crate or whatever to pull the record leaving the sleeve in the jacket. However it happens, there are times when the empty jacket gets pushed back into the crate - *disappeared*. Then you gotta mess a around finding the jacket when you are done with the record.

Thats why a lot of the even older skool dudes used to leave every record played without a sleeve in a big stack and put them all back in jackets at the end of the night.

For ME, I dont play with Serato the same way as I played on vinyl. Over time there have become huge differences. It took me a couple years to switch from ABS to REL, and now I play mostly on one deck with instant doubles - so trying to think of it as some like playing from milk crates dont make any sense in the first place.


In all actuality, this is precisely the same as the 'files turning green' situation. It used to be that the files turned green when LOADED. Some of us had a problem with it and suggested the files should only turn green if actually PLAYED.

same shit here - The files should only disappear when actually PLAYED.


As far as remembering - 'oh yeah that file is in the prepare window' if you happen to load it from the crate and then have to move it back into the prepare window with the mouse - you could still move it back, this would not even change anything for you (except the file would already be in the prepare window not having disappeared)

I dont have the computer siting in front of me, I dont like using the keyboard and only really do if I have to search for requests (some mobile jukebox event). And Im certainly not messing around with the mouse. If thats how you spin - with the mouse pad - fine - I dont.


Once again. If the track only disappeared based on the same rule as the tracks turning green, it would probably have 0 effect on the way you play. But it would be a huge difference for me, and let me use the prepare window.

nope - because an actual crate has to be filled by dragging tracks instead of pushing a button. And an actual crate has to be navigated to instead of just sittning open when you are in your main crate.

Oh I see. So let's all do the things YOU WANT TO DO.

Get over it. It's not a big deal.

cmon, Im not the only one with an issue....

And its exactly the same as the tracks turning green issue.

Is is a BIG deal? no.

Does it stop me from using the prepare window? yes

Would it really change anything for people who like it the way it is? no

So don't use it and stop complaining. Stop being so lazy. Seriously.

ha - lets not improve anything?



anyone - who likes it the way it is: Would you have a problem if the track did not disappear when it was loaded, but then did disappear when it was played?



this is almost the exact same argument about that was happening "Tracks Should Not Turn Green When Only Listening" - it was changed (for the better) and no one hase had a problem with it since.

I hate when Tracks turn green in the offline player and create a History. I play a lot of hood hot garbage, and I have the analyze auto bpm set to none. Sometimes 2 Chains will come out at 132 when it is 66BPM - only way to really tell is to listen. So when I go to the gig- I have a lot of green tracks from offline player.

Just sayin...

(back on topic)

hmmm, I usually just clear the the greens at the start of a set.

Ahhh that's too much trouble - like dragging a playing track back into prepare....

: )

lol - wow

Hahaha

Exactly. Then again, AKIEM has a button on the mixer that clears those right up too so he doesn't EVER have to touch the keyboard or pad or whatever.

lmao

No wonder SSL will never be bug free with these useless feature requests.

yeah, take all the features off, and just perfect 1.3

yup

+1 for songs not disappearing when loaded.

Some of you new DJs crack me up. This was entertaining to read.

i enjoy using the offline player

+1

AKIEM, what's the problem of using CTRL-Z? Just curious.

He doesn't like to touch his computer - he "knows" where his hands have been when he uses it to watch "those" DVDs.

^^^LOL

lol DVDs? Shit I still got VHS hidden.


Nah, but for real you might have to see the way I play (having adapted to being able to load songs quick instead of pull vinyl).

When I'm in the zone, I might 'try' 4 or 5 cuts before I find one I'm going to play. I never work from a list, all just freestyle. So if I had to undo 4 or 5 times every time I play a cut...

Maybe I'm the only one who does that, but it works for me.

Sometimes I just hit next without bothering to read the screen, then maybe I know if I jump a couple more I'm at the cut I want.

Is there a way to expand the prepare window (make it longer)? I hate it when I have a ton of tracks lined up & I can only see 10 with out having to scroll down.
Thanks.

I use it all the time. Mainly for request. People always come request a song when it's not time for it to be played at your set, so i "prepare" it and when it's time, ill dump it. Because you will forget what they asked for after so many request. Great tool to use.

Great idea to use for requests! Will start making use of that prepare window starting tonight instead of trying to remember the request or writing em down (lol)

great minds think alike! AGREED

Make it follow the 'turn green' rule.

thats wassup! finally I meet someone that does the same as me.. I think its cheating if you line up the songs you're gonna play, freestyle just shows the real skills hands down!!! -DJ Virus

is there a shortcut on the keyboard that closes/opens the prepare window???

I really wish that would do good for fast toggle back & forth from the "prepare list" & "regular library list"

Is there a way to display a "Total Time" of all tracks in prep window?

How is planning a set cheating?
Jazzy eff, dj shadow, cut chemist, nu mark, z trip, executioners, need. Go on?

Flexibility is key and adapting to crowds a must but to say preparing a set is crazy. How you gonna elevate an artform with out preparing sets do try something new that you spent time crafting. Not preparing sets = no progress = everyone sounding the same = the same middle of the road dj performances you see from one club to another.

Not attacking you, or saying your sets are probably boring or anything cos i'm no hater. Just saying thats a weird comment to make.

In my prepare section, it only displays the song name. Is there a way to add bpm, comments, artist, etc..?

yes the same you add it to your library. click on the little triangle in the top right corner of your prepare window to open up the dropdown menu

Great feature. I have used this feature and hope an option to save is incorporated soon. The crate is a good idea and might take it to another leave with a save option where the song automatically saves to a crate or if we could drop all the songs the night before and save it for the next day.

good luck dj_v1rus