Serato DJ Pro

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MINUS - Serato, at almost the last moment, comes to the 64 bit table, probably in large part because Apple says it will no longer support 32 bit apps in the next OS release.

PLUS - IMHO, the launch of 64 bit DJ Pro is done real well. Most of the hardware still works, I swear it sounds better, and it is running reliably.

MINUS - From far out of left field comes AutoScratch (something no one has ever requested on the Serato Forum) BEFORE a Day/Night mode, or a PreListen function. What?
Talk about a lack of Positive Train Control! :-/


I've said it many times - the perfect DJ software has yet to be written.
 
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I've said it many times - the perfect DJ software has yet to be written.

... And never will be, as long as human beings are writing it. Having been in the commercial software business during a part of my career, I can tell you for a fact, humans can't write bug-free software, so the software will always be imperfect. But even if the software was 100% bug free, it would still only be perfect to SOME of the users, because we all have our own preferences for features, interfaces, etcetera. As for the 64 bit versions, there's probably more than one reason why they hesitated... but I suspect it was more the COST than anything. 64bits does not mean you'll sell more copies, and the time to compile a test a new version costs money. Why do it if you can't make that money back? Until it starts to hurt your sales, software producers will stick with what they got. Same goes for added features. If you can't capitalize the investment in the development (meaning you expect a return), then it's maintenance (same as bug fixes, which is an EXPENSE). Unless you charge your users for enhancements (new versions) the expenses come off your bottom line.
 
Microsoft held out .. or Apple held back ...? :)
Don't know - but considering Apple had 64 bit since 07 and were asking app vendors to make 64 bit products, and MS didn't have it ready until 2016 - I don't think it was on their end.
 
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AutoScratch (something no one has ever requested on the Serato Forum)

I tend to agree this is a very strange feature. I saw Jazzy Jeff trying to support it and give it the industry cred in a video for new Pioneer hardware. He was discussing it as a practice feature, and then you'd "learn" by replicating what the auto scratch does. But I think it's nonsense. Either learn to scratch or don't, playing a machine learned scratch instead of cutting on your own is nonsense.

I know people hate features like sync too, but I can see a legitimate use for sync when multi-tracking and doing more complex blending. I can't see any legitimate DJ use for a button that baby scratches for you...
 
Just count your blessings that this was first implemented in Serato. If Virtual DJ had done this we would have pestilence, locusts, and rioting in the streets!!

They took a lot of crap for adding sync, and I bet this is no different.
 
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I had Serato Pro out for the first time last night. Generally, I found it very stable and I like the new cue layout in the software. The only thing I found that was a bit scary... the new version had more slight pauses in my waveforms than I've ever experienced before. Just tiny little pauses, and the audio wasn't affected at all. And my MacBook Pro also felt a lot warmer at the end of my set than it normally feels to me. The CPU meter never read anything other than green all night though.

I have two MBPs, and I usually use the older of the two. So this is an early-2011 machine running 10.9.5. I'll also try it on my 2015 machine which I'm planning to switch to.
 
I'm kind of simple minded and found Serato had a lot of issues that I found to be confusing. I enjoy the simplicity of Virtual DJ. It finds your library instantly with no waiting.

The way Serato configured my library was a very very long process. I also had an issue with adding and deleting song files. That was a deal breaker for me. Has that changed? If so, I might give Serato another try.

And, like I said, I'm kind of simple minded. lol
 
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The reason so many DJs chose Serato is actually for simplicity. I find it much much simpler than VDJ and it's layout is much easier on the eye with fewer bells and whistles.

Regarding music management, nothing even comes close. Serato actually writes to the ID3tag. VDJ doesn't.

What exactly were your issues with deleting or adding songs in your library?

To build a library, you just build crates or some users let it read from iTunes.
 
The reason so many DJs chose Serato is actually for simplicity. I find it much much simpler than VDJ and it's layout is much easier on the eye with fewer bells and whistles.
Regarding music management, nothing even comes close. Serato actually writes to the ID3tag. VDJ doesn't.
+1000 - Crates are so much better than using the Directory Tree. No comparison. I also run Mixvibes Cross DJ the exact same way.
 
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Handinon- Just curious, what do you like about Mixvibes Cross DJ that Serato doesn't offer.

I am genuinely curious.
 
Instant song preview/pre-listen in the library/crates without having to first load it into a deck or sampler, my only real gripe with Serato.

My only real gripe with Cross DJ is it doesn't write everything to the ID3 tag.

I'd like to be able to put both in a blender!
 
hmm, I guess I like loading it in, that way I have full control of the track on my controller. The ultimate previewing...

I always think of the opposite deck a preview deck anyhow until I find the right track.

Once a track is loaded, loading another song plays instantly.
 
Once a track is loaded, loading another song plays instantly.
Not if you have "Lock Playing Deck" selected in setup.

There are pros and cons to all these features, but having idiotic battles over adding them (like Sync) is ridiculous. For far to long the SSL Groupies have held Serato DJ back with bogus arguments that adding features will make the software throw up - well then rewrite the code or get better programmers.

Add a "dedicated preview" plus a "Lock Playing Deck" that only locks the deck actually going to the main output (which can be done by sensing the crossfader position). You will still be able to preview your way, but I would be able to use the newer, faster, superior, all around better way of doing it :laugh:, which if you were a Gringo like me with poor Spanish reading skills and had to depend upon selecting your next song from 5000+ Latin songs using only your ears - well, you'd appreciate it to.

I think big changes are coming to Serato DJ Pro. The 64 bit was not it - that just brought it into the current Century and maybe finally put SSL further behind in the rear view mirror.
 
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I hear ya complaint, and I suppose I have not noticed b/c I don't have "Lock Playing Deck" enabled so when I preview a song, I WANT TO LOAD it, not a separate preview-- I want to to go to an actual deck.

So I would not see any benefit of a preview based on the way I mix. If the feature was added, I would not use it, and I know several DJs who feel the same.

Also, the crossover sensing would not work at all based on how people generally use the crossover. My crossover is all over the place, and hardly to one side unless I am about to start cutting and scratching.
 
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I hear ya complaint, and I suppose I have not noticed b/c I don't have "Lock Playing Deck" enabled so when I preview a song, I WANT TO LOAD it, not a separate preview-- I want to to go to an actual deck.

So I would not see any benefit of a preview based on the way I mix. If the feature was added, I would not use it, and I know several DJs who feel the same.

Also, the crossover sensing would not work at all based on how people generally use the crossover. My crossover is all over the place, and hardly to one side unless I am about to start cutting and scratching.
I agree on the crossover, I never use it I mix with the channel faders
 
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So I would not see any benefit of a preview based on the way I mix. If the feature was added, I would not use it, and I know several DJs who feel the same.
There are lots of DJ's who would use it. It is especially helpful when both decks are already loaded, and you get request you are not familiar with. I know you could unload a deck to the Prepare list, or a tempoary Crate - you could even swtch your phones to the laptop and hit "Ctrl O", but these are unnecessary work-arounds.

Again, my issue is not how you preview - just add it to the software and let the DJ decide.
 
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