Key Shifting Demo w/ Nick from Serato HQ

Serato Head of Products, Nick Maclaren, gets right into the new features of Serato DJ 1.8 as he remaps the Rane TTM57MKII and shows off the new key shifting / key sync update to Pitch 'n Time DJ.

Serato DJ 1.8 is now available in public beta and a free update for users with Serato DJ Enabled hardware or software licenses. Join the beta and try it out!

Pitch 'n Time DJ

The core of Nick's performance was put together using the new key shifting / key sync features, available as part of Pitch 'n Time DJ updates in Serato DJ 1.8. Firstly, Nick used key shifting to change the pitch of one track progressively as an effect. In the second part of the routine, Nick uses key sync to lock the key of each deck and shift the entire mix!

As you can see, when a compatible track key is reached when pitch shifting, you'll see the musical note icon turn blue. When you see this, you know that both tracks will sound great together.

When the entire button is highlighted blue, this means that the track is key synced to the other deck - shifting now will transpose the entire mix (both decks) up or down.

Learn more about Pitch 'n Time DJ and how you can add this to your Serato DJ setup.

Free for current Pitch ‘n Time DJ users updating to Serato DJ 1.8. For new users, Pitch ‘n Time DJ can be purchased in-app or on the Serato Online Store for 29USD.

Hardware remapping

Nick has remapped the Rane TTM57MKII to take advantage of the new key shifting features available in Serato DJ 1.8. In this instance, he's mapped the joysticks on the mixer to shift the key on each deck up and down. If you're using other hardware, controls such as parameter buttons are great to map if you're not already using these. If you mix with filters, you could even try remapping an EQ to control this!

For more info on MIDI mapping, check out our MIDI 101 guide.

*There are some limitations for specific hardware. For specific information on remapping your controller in Serato DJ 1.8, refer to your individual controller quickstart guide.

Watch more videos of Serato DJs