The Slicer, originally developed for the Novation Twitch and Serato ITCH, is a performance feature in Serato DJ, designed to slice up a section of your track into 8 slices which are then controlled using the 8 performance pads on your controller. It's also available for the Vestax VCI-380, Reloop Terminal Mix 2, the Pioneer DDJ-SX and the forthcoming Numark NS7 II & Pioneer DD-SR / SP-1 controllers.
You can read about how it works and how to control it in the Quickstart Guide for your device.
While it's a powerful feature, it's a little misunderstood. We thought it was a good idea to gather up a few pro tips from people around the office to show you what can be done practically with this feature. If you have any better tips, feel free to share them in the comments section!
PRO TIP #1 - INSTANT DOUBLE
This one came from Matt C from the Product Planning team. Instant double your track and then use the Slicer and EQ to add extra rhythmic elements and add excitement between different sections in your track. Great to use just before a breakdown or hook section to build some vibez.
PRO TIP #2 - VOCALS
You can use the Slicer on acapellas to create your own edits to lay over tracks on the fly. This works best with accurate Beatgrids on your acapellas. Check out this article on setting Beatgrids for acapellas.
PRO TIP #3 - CHOPPED AND SCREWEDIFY
Throw the pitch slider down to -16%, set the slice size to either 1 beat or 1/2, and use the Slicer to repeat sections. Instant chopped and screwed.
For dance music, set your pitch range to +/- 50% then throw the pitch slider down to slice up your track for a half-time breakdown or to mix into your next track at the new tempo.
PRO TIP #4 - LOOP MODE
Great for looping the amen break and making crazy jungle edits.