The release of serato 1.6 - Page 2
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  1. #11
    Tech Wizard
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    Well I like Serato haha

  2. #12
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    I like serato too, it's almost perfect but it needs these small things to tighten it up properly. I bought and paid for exactly the same copy of serato dj as someone with a $1000 controller, so as such I should be able to expect the same software features that are offered to better devices (with regard to pitch resolution, clearly it's a hardware limitation on my controller but it is entirely configurable via software and your PC keyboard IF serato want to).

    As for how they handle midi, these should just be standard things, I also have traktor, they're comparable pieces of software, traktor is infinitely more controllable. Now I'm not saying traktor is any better as software than serato, however, traktor has got the midi control dead right. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind about which software that they use, I'm just pointing out the flaws in serato in the hope that they'll get fixed :-) Clearly saying something here won't get anything fixed, which is why I've also posted these issues to the serato forums.

    Things like the lack of information from serato about exactly what midi controls and data values the gui can accept for midi-mapping just shouldn't happen, what's the point of allowing midi mapping if we're going to have to guess at what it accepts? Also, with the encoders, I thought the encoders on my 3rd party controller were broken or I'd got something wrong but no, it's software crippled to behave poorly. The point of an endless rotary encoder is that you can turn it forever and each click will give you 1 step at a time, not 8 or 10.

  3. #13
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    I think it terms of flexibility with MIDI mapping with Traktor will always be more than Serato. And that takes it all the way back to the root on how you purchase the two systems. Traktor you have to buy the Software (Traktor LE, Duo, Pro). Of course if you bought a Native Instruments hardware controller it mostly comes with some form of Traktor for free. Serato on the other hand is a more closed configured environment. Serato with DJ & scratch live are both free in the software department, But only with their supported hardware (SL2/4, rane mixers, dedicated controllers).

    With todays technology, these two giants in the industry both offer great solutions to different DJ's. I started out on Serato, then went with Traktor for 2 years solid. And recently moved back to Serato. I found that going back into timecode and focusing on the mix of 2 decks, turntablism and no sync functions is where Serato is more stable.

  4. #14
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    my controller manufacturer (numark) pushed me towards serato as it's certified for it, even though it's totally inadequate as far as pitch resolution is concerned, which has really driven me towards traktor, it's not like I can even buy a 3rd party controller to overcome the issue or build my own, if I was starting out and didn't have a clue about the mechanics of how mixing actually works, I'd probably be sitting here thinking I wasn't very good when it's actually a software/hardware limitation that I haven't been made aware of.

    I agree that timecode vinyl or decent cdjs + serato is probably very good, there's no reason for it to be bad at all, then again, there shouldn't be anything wrong with doing it via a controller either, you use all of the same techniques to mix whether it's on a controller, cdjs or vinyl, they're just all slightly different.

    Both pieces of software are great, I'm just dead lucky that traktor is flexible about who it lets use it's software imho. With serato I get 2 decks + samplers, traktor, I can have 4 decks whether my controller can do 4 decks or not, with the added bonus that traktor will let me remap my controller, which means my mixtrack pro II is essentially now a mixtrack quad, what's more I can add more controllers and pretty much map everything that's missing, including those pesky pitch faders that serato won't let me anywhere near.

    Lastly, I forgot about serato and remapping the platters, they just won't allow you to do that either, they've come up with some lame excuse about all of the platters are different on the controllers, blah, blah, blah, so we can't let you do that, then you see traktor and it'll let you map anything to the pitch, including all of the platters on the different controller devices.

    It's these kinds of things that annoy me with serato, it's a lame excuse about the platters, they're just rotary encoders with different data output that is obviously known to them because they're mapping all the certified gear to them, it's clearly crippling the software because of the hardware with the pitches, they have a robust midi-mapping system so there's no reason not to allow us to map the pitches.

  5. #15
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    Have you seen their stance on the Mixdeck Quad? They say they can't make it four deck controllable because it's "not meant to be used that way". If you connect it to any other software it totally works with four channels. This company needs to get their head out of their ass. The problem is that every decent controller comes with serato these days instead of proper software. There, I said it. Now flame me all you want.

  6. #16
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    mine didn't come with serato, numark directed me to download serato dj intro!! They're kind of right but not really, the mixtrack pro II is capable of controlling 4 decks but it's not intuitive, you have to remap stuff and it can be a bit clunky but it IS possible and it IS usable.

    I'm not trying to rail on serato, I want them to sort out all these little problems but it's whether they want to sort them out is the key, I'm not sure if they do.

  7. #17
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    can't say I agree, i have vci380, twitch and ddjsx and IMO they all rock with SDJ 1.6 and a MBP. I'd go so far to say that the DDJSX is the best controller I have ever owned.

    can happily beatmatch on the ddjsx, have done with the vci (although the faders are shorter and its harder) and I don't bother with the Twitch

    i've never found myself needing to zoom in to catch zero crossings (in maschine for sample chopping yes...) but for setting cues not so far

    IMO SDJs strengths are:
    - stretchable beat grids
    - parallel stacked waveforms
    - dedicated loop roll/slicer modes
    - non clickly (think S2/4) scratchable platters
    - arguably more resiliant native hardware build quality
    - (on the DDJSX and Twitch) native hardware functions to adjust beatgrids on the fly (never found a good way to map this in traktor for live use...)

    agree that there are things that Serato doesn't do so well right now:
    1) crashing with large libraries (more of a PC issue, and there is a workaround now...)
    2) SP6 (very basic at the moment)
    3) midi mapping, specifically ability to send midi out (sure it is coming soon, all those SSL users are expecting it)

    I have traktor as well but always end up drawn to SDJ, in my mind it just works. Have had a midi fighter and F1 and tried syncing stuff with midi clock and other assorted next levelness but for me I have all I need with SDJ. 2 FX banks plus channels filters is sufficient.

    This is a very traktor-centric forum and you might be better of checking out the Serato forums for more info on the pitch display:

    http://serato.com/forum/discussion/837485
    http://serato.com/forum/discussion/1136641

  8. #18
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    Interesting things from a controller's perspective. I've never used a Serato Controller before (full mixing). Only controller I would have interface in serato is my rane sixtytwo and the Serato ipad app. So clearly with my use in a DVS situation, I would say Serato SSL and SDJ are solid in timecode tracking with sync and pitch encoders not meaning much in my set-up.

  9. #19
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    nope, I've had my fill of the serato forums but thanks for the heads up though :-)

    I'm not saying that serato doesn't work but it doesn't work the same for all controllers with all music, it's just the way it is, the resolution on my numark just isn't good enough. That's not serato's fault as such but it could be rectified with midi mapping. I wouldn't mind trying serato with technics and timecode vinyl, I'm sure it's great.

  10. #20
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    The one thing stopping me from purchasing a ddj sx or even possibly the ddj sr, well I am not 100% sold on serato obviously. But also i see a lot of people complain about the ssx mic quality and sound. Also the ability to live mix video, a lot of clubs in my area want this option these days. I love traktor, but i am not happy at all with the s4 mk2, or s2 mk2 versions. Native instruments seems to be completelly silent in even acknowledging that they have major issues. But then when you go to seratos forums it seems serato will nickel and dime you to death. Pay for effects, pay for an adequate keylock..etc..etc..

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