Vinyl Emulation Software (Serato, Traktor Scratch, etc.) Techniques Discuss Vinyl Emulation Software (Serato, Traktor Scratch, etc.) in the DJ Forum forums; So I've been doing some research on vinyl emulation software (such as Serato Scratch Live, Traktor Scratch, etc.) that allows you to play your digital music files using timecoded vinyl ...

[paulmartin]

So I've been doing some research on vinyl emulation software (such as Serato Scratch Live, Traktor Scratch, etc.) that allows you to play your digital music files using timecoded vinyl records.

I'm wondering if any of you are using any of these products now. I'm thinking of picking up either Serato Scratch Live or Traktor Scratch, but I'm not sure which will be more beneficial.

Also, if any of you have used either, I have a few questions:

1) Can you use the software and audio interfaces with any mixer?
2) Do these programs have a way to easily bypass the audio interface signal so that I can mix in standard vinyl and digital music on the timecoded vinyl within my mix?

I appreciate any help/info anybody can provide. Thanks!

-Paul

[and now hear this]

hi there

after nearly 15 years of dj'ing on just vinyl i've recently purchased serato and it is absolutely amazing.

with serato you can pretty much use any mixer as long as it has line inputs, so... yeah any mixer. there are special mixers made by rane that have the serato hardware built in as well, and are pretty good just as mixers go.

i'm not 100% sure what you mean by your 2nd question but if you mean can you use serato, then easily switch back to using normal vinyl then the answer is yes, when you set up the serato box you plug it into the line and phono inputs at the back of your mixer, when you switch from one medium to the other you just flick the switch.

the only downside of serato is the setting it up, so if you're playing at someones night and you're the only 1 using it you'll need to either get their early and set up before the club opens or do some rewiring on the fly in the middle of the night.

not particularly difficult but you never know if the clubs mixer is going to be bolted in place or difficult to mess around with. so always advisable to take a long track on cd to play whilst you fiddle around.

hope that that helps. it's a brilliant programme and i'm loving using it.