MIDI control is perhaps Traktor’s forte, and whilst it lacks an on screen learn function, it does have what basically amounts to a scripting system which allows complex modifiers and multiple commands per control. Whereas Serato have created two products to distinguish a core difference between users who want to use traditional DJ equipment (CD/Turntable) to control the transport and mixing of their audio from those that are more interested in ‘in the box’ mixing, NI have put everything DJ under the Traktor umbrella, and this gives Traktor advantages both in customization and expandability.
Traktor is a highly tiered piece of software – there’s an entry level, a mid level, a fully featured level, plus several DVS versions to boot. Interfaces with most options (S元, TTM57, Sixty Eight) are expensive.Supports VideoSL video mixing via addon.Serato also implement a Loop Roll (that grabbing the sound and then returning to the song later effect) feature that nobody else does (in that form), and a sampler too. The GUI is also very no-nonsense, and Scratch Live’s approach to MIDI is a very simple Learn function. Serato have a couple of unique tricks up their sleeve – their visual aids are second to none, with transients from audio sources displayed in a stalagmite/stalagtite view that dynamically alters as you change the speed to align the spikes, allowing blazingly fast tempo matching. Itch is a bespoke solution for the product it is paired with, and customization isn’t really possible. Scratch Live only runs with certain Rane hardware, and the product you pick will give you different options, from the basic SL1 box to the world beating Sixty Eight. Scratch Live is a DVS – it’s founded on the principle that it can be added to an existing turntable/CD setup to bolster a user’s options and complement their existing work flow.īoth Scratch Live and Itch are closed box systems without compatible, licensed hardware neither will run. Itch is similar in many ways to Scratch Live, but at its core it is the software that drives integrated solutions such as the Vestax VCI 300 and the Allen & Heath Xone DX. I’ve also drawn up a comparison chart of the various software, detailing their functionality for some important features below. There’s a link to each manufacturer’s comparison page at the bottom of each section.
From the ‘light’ version all the way to the full fat, bells and whistles “pro” one. Serato and Traktor Scratch products have an advantage in their inclusion of an audio interface you will need to research appropriate interfaces for other software.įinally, all the products below have a few different versions. I would suggest (but by no means ‘recommend’) that a 2 ghz Core 2 Duo or equivalent and at least 2GB RAM is a good low-end solution… your mileage may vary!Ī good audio interface is important for digital DJing, as minimal latency is required for accurate manipulation and usually multiple channels are required for sending audio to external equipment and monitoring. What ‘reasonably powerful’ actually constitutes is a bit of a contentious issue, as what one user is prepared to put up with at a pinch could be a dealbreaker for another. Something that everything in this article will rely on and assume is that you have a reasonably powerful computer. There are a variety of flavors of each to suit various tastes and it’s important to get to know what they can each do for you.
But, of course, nothing’s ever simple nowadays. Put very simply, Ableton Live is the curveball, Serato Scratch Live (and its brother Itch) and Traktor are the major league players caught at loggerheads, and Virtual DJ is the everyman underdog.
Let’s take a look at four of the big ones and try to figure out your ideal partner.
It’s tough to compare digital DJ equipment nowadays – wildly different feature sets, approaches and, of course, price tags, mean that one man’s trash really can be another’s treasure.