Setting the standard for professional djs RANE SL1 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 2.4.
Important Safety Instructions FCC Statement FCC Declaration of Conformity For the continued safety of yourself and others we recommend that you read the following safety and installation instructions. Keep this document in a safe location for future reference. Please heed all warnings and follow all instructions. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Copyright Notices Wear Parts © 2013 Rane Corporation. All rights reserved. Scratch Live and the Scratch Live logo are trademarks of Serato. Trademarked in the U.S. and other countries. Licensed exclusively to Rane Corporation. This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group, and uses libpng code, copyright © 2000-2002 Glenn Randers-Pehrson. The Scratch Live Control Tone, the audio pressed on Scratch Live Control vinyl and Control CDs, is copyright ©20042013 Serato.
Contents Important Safety Instructions FCC Statement FCC Declaration of Conformity Copyright Notices Wear Parts Introduction Minimum System Requirements Check List Getting Started Installing Scratch Live Mac Windows Additional Windows Drivers Starting the Software Using the Tool Tips Connecting Your Hardware Connecting the SL1 Turntable Setup CD Player setup Connecting A Mic Optional Power Supply Kensington Security Slot 4 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 Calibrating Scratch Live The Noise Th
MIDI Control 22 MIDI Controller Setup 22 Assigning Controls 22 MIDI Platters 22 Assigning MIDI to Other Controls 22 Ctrl-Click Functionality 22 Presets 23 Native Controller Support 23 MIDI Devices 23 Technical Information 23 Organizing Your Music Grouping Tracks into Crates Subcrates Smart Crates Sorting Your Files Using the Song Browser Searching Prepare Window History Serato Playlists Uploading Serato Playlists Live Playlists 23 23 23 23 24 24 24 24 24 25 25 25 File Management Rescan ID3 Tags Relocate L
Windows Getting Started Starting the Software It is important that Windows users install the SL1 drivers as well as the Scratch Live software. The easiest way to do this is to allow the Scratch Live installer to do all the work. 1. Connect your SL1 before you insert your installation CD. When you first connect it, Windows will attempt to install the drivers via the hardware wizard. Cancel and close the hardware wizard. Installing Scratch Live Mac 1.
TO MIC USB TO COMPUTER FROM TURNTABLE OR CD PLAYER OUT FROM TURNTABLE OR CD PLAYER OUT FROM TURNTABLE GROUND FROM TURNTABLE GROUND MIC IN PHONO LINE PHONO LINE GROUND Connect your Thru Outputs to your Mixer. The THRU outputs on the SL1 are used if you want to play regular vinyl or CDs during your set. They allow you to bypass your Scratch Live software, sending audio direct from the SL1 inputs to your mixer (i.e. the sound from your records or CDs).
Connecting A Mic How to Calibrate Scratch Live Connect an optional standard dynamic microphone to the SL1 Mic Input using a ¼" unbalanced Tip-Sleeve cable or adaptor. Connect the Mic THRU output to a Mic input on your DJ mixer. Use the MIC GAIN knob on the SL1 to attenuate the mic input level. This is only a trim control, and will not turn off the mic when turned all the way down (counterclockwise). Use the Mic controls on your mixer to turn the mic off.
Start both turntables or CD players. You will see green rings appear in the scope view, as shown above. For optimal performance the inner ring should be as close to circular as possible. Use the scope zoom slider (1x to 16x) to zoom in or out as necessary. Use the scope L/R balance and P/A balance controls to adjust the shape of the inner ring. The number in the top left corner of the scope view gives the current absolute position within the control record or CD.
NOTE: iTunes Music Store DRM files cannot be played back by Scratch Live. iTunes Plus files are DRM-free. Playing Music Click on the “ All...” icon to show all the tracks in your library. Use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Left Arrow to load the highlighted track on to the left deck, and Shift + Right Arrow to load the highlighted track on to the right deck. TIP: You can also load tracks to Virtual Decks using the mouse. Click and drag a track from the track list area on to either Deck.
Set Auto-BPM The Control CD Playback Control If this option is checked while analyzing files, Scratch Live will calculate the estimated tempos of your files. If Scratch Live is confident that the auto-BPM estimate for a file is accurate, it will be written to an ID3 tag* in the file. The autoBPM function will not be applied if the track already contains BPM information. To re-analyze these files and use autoBPM or auto gain on them, drag them onto the Analyze Files button.
Main Screen Overview Virtual Deck The Virtual Deck shows everything about the speed and position of a track. As the vinyl rotates, so does the line on the label. The circular progress bar around the edge is a visual representation of the position within the song, and can be set to flash to warn you that the track is nearing its end. The time and remaining time are displayed in minutes and seconds.
Beat Matching Display Tracking Indicator This view shows the position of beats within the track. When beat matching, this view helps align the downbeats of the two tracks. The markers are matched up when the two tracks are beat matched. Example: This demonstration uses the visual aids to help beat match. In this example, the track playing is on the Left Deck, and the track to be mixed in is on the Right Deck.
Track Gain Use the track gain adjustment to balance the volume of the tracks in your library. Any adjustment made to the gain of a track is saved with the file, and will be reapplied to the entire track when it is loaded again. The level meter shows the level sent to the hardware interface after both individual track gain and master gain adjustment. Ctrl-click the knob to reset it to 12 o’clock. NOTE: For automatic gain setting of your tracks, see “Use Auto Gain” on page 31.
Absolute Mode Relative Mode ABS mode is the default mode, and most closely resembles the properties of normal vinyl. The beginning of the track is mapped to the start of the record, and by picking up the tone arm and moving the needle to another part of the record (needle dropping) you can move to a different position within the track. ABS mode faithfully reproduces the movement of vinyl control records, including stops, starts, scratching, needle dropping, rubbing and other turntablist techniques.
Internal Mode INT mode allows playing tracks without external vinyl (or CD) control. INT mode has a start / stop function and a virtual pitch slider. Holding down the shift key moves the pitch slider slowly. Holding the ctrl key and clicking on the pitch slider resets it to zero. Scratch Live automatically switches to INT mode when the end of the control record is reached; you can switch back to REL mode by placing the needle in the first five minutes of the control record.
Cue Points TIP: Zoom in on the waveform using the – and + keys and ‘scrub’ to the desired position for greater accuracy when setting cue points. Looping Enable Hot Cues To turn on hot cues, check Enable Hot Cues in the Playback tab on the Setup screen. When Hot Cues are enabled, you can set cue points simply by pressing the number keys 1 through 0 (no ctrl modifier required). Note that you can only add cues this way if the cue point slots are empty. See “Enable Hot Cues” on page 30.
will be green. Press the x button to clear the loop. If you click on the locked loop symbol, a red border will appear. This indicates the loop is locked, and you will not be able to adjust the end points or delete the loop until you unlock it, by clicking on the number again. NOTE: Looping applies to REL and INT modes. Auto Looping Auto looping allows you to create loops instantly. If the track has a BPM value simply click the number of beats you wish to loop and Scratch Live will create the loop for you.
SP-6 Sample Player The SP-6 Sample Player allows you to play up to six sources of audio, in addition to the tracks playing on the Virtual Decks. Any audio file in your Scratch Live library can be loaded to any one of the six slots, allowing playback of short samples, sound effects, or full length tracks. The SP-6 is enabled when the SL1 is plugged in, but not operational in the offline player mode. Click on the SP-6 button to access the sample player window.
SP-6 Pitch Controls SP-6 Track Overviews There are individual Pitch Slider, Bend, Nudge, and Keylock controls for each sample slot. The BPM is also displayed next to the pitch slider. If no BPM is present in the tracks ID3 tag, the pitch of the track is displayed as a percentage. Click and drag the pitch slider to make regular pitch adjustments. Hold the shift key and move the pitch slider to make fine pitch adjustments. Click on the + and – buttons to nudge the track into time.
Super Knob Mode DJ-FX Plugin The DJ-FX Plugin gives you control of two FX units, each with three chained effects slots per unit. Each FX unit has two control modes: Ultra Knob Mode and Super Knob Mode, both of which can be fully customized. The DJ-FX plugin opens in Ultra Knob Mode by default. To enable the DJ-FX Plugin, go to the Plugins tab in the Setup screen, choose DJ-FX and check Enable DJ-FX Plugin. Once enabled, the DJ-FX panel button appears in the panels area on the main screen.
6. Move the Parameter Knob to the position that you want the to be the highest value of the parameter. 7. Press the Macro Max button to set the maximum. 8. Link the parameter to the Ultra or Super Knob by pressing the Link button. Now when you adjust the Ultra or Super Knob you will see the parameter knob move within the range that you just specified. Any parameters not customized but linked to the Super or Ultra Knob will behave as normal.
Presets Organizing Your Music TIP: Check the ‘Protect library’ option in the Library tab of the Setup screen to prevent changes to your crates. If you do delete a crate by accident, you can get it back from the recycle bin / trash. Crate files have the extension .crate. Subcrates MIDI presets are accessible in the MIDI panel of the Setup screen. By default, the current MIDI assignments in Scratch Live are automatically remembered and loaded next time you start the program.
Check the Match all of the following Rules option so that tracks must match all the set rules to be added to the crate. If this option is not checked, any track which matches any of the rules will be added to the crate. Check the Live update option to have the smart crate update when any tags are edited in your music library. With this option unchecked, the crate contents will be updated only when you click the refresh crate icon, which is not visible when Live update is checked.
Playtime - When viewing a song row, the total played time of the song is displayed (i.e., 00:03:00). When viewing a session row, the total elapsed time of the session is displayed with date (i.e., 10/09/08 01:38:16). Deck - The Virtual Deck the song was played on will be displayed under the deck column. In the song row, either left or right is displayed. The offline player will be listed as offline. Notes - Use this field to list particular information about your songs and each session (i.e.
Editing ID3 Tags Adding Album Art Much of the information associated with each file can be edited from within Scratch Live. Double click on the attribute within the main library to edit the attribute. Filename, length, size, bit rate and sampling cannot be edited. This information is saved in the file itself. Note that the protect library option in setup must be unchecked to allow edits. for details on auto-BPM See “Preparing Your Files” on page 10.
useful if you know the location of your files, as it only scans the drag and drop location, with faster relocation. location. Your Scratch Live library will now contain entries for both the originals and copies. Deleting Crates and Tracks Move: Select this to move the selected files and/or folders to the new location. Your Scratch Live library and crates will now reference the files in their new location.
Record Gain Knob Adjust the record level using this Gain knob. The meter tells you the level of your audio. Ideally the meter should sit just below the red, meaning your signal is as loud as it can be without clipping. LiveFeed NOTE: If you turn the Record Gain knob down and the red clip led is still illuminated, this means the signal is clipping on the input of the SL1. Turn down the level at your audio source before it reaches the SL1 if possible. TIPS.
Keyboard Shortcuts These actions can be accessed directly from the computer keyboard. NOTE: Playback, cue and speed controls use Shift or Caps Lock. You can turn this off in the Setup screen. See “Playback Keys Use Shift” on page 30.
Hardware Playback USB Buffer Size (Latency) Track End Warning Scratch Live processes audio in small chunks. When smaller chunks are used, the movement of the record is translated into audio more often, which results in a lower overall system latency. However, this requires more processing and therefore a higher CPU load, so lower buffer size settings require a more powerful computer to produce uninterrupted audio.
Use Auto Gain Play From Start Auto gain enables you to set a uniform volume level for the tracks in your library. When a track is in auto gain mode, the track gain knob appears depressed. Check this box to enable auto gain. Provided you have analyzed your files, your tracks will now be loaded with the auto gain applied. Next to this box is a drop down menu, in which you set the target gain volume level. To find the optimum setting, load a track with an average volume level onto one of the Virtual Decks.
Drop To Cue Points (REL Mode) Library Uncheck this setting to remove files and crates from your library. Enable to lock your library and prevent accidental file or crate deletion while using Scratch Live. Enabling this setting will also lock all file tags and crate names, so that no text can be changed. This option triggers the corresponding cue point when the needle is repositioned into one of the first 5 one-minute sections on the control vinyl.
Font Size Display Plugins Maximum Screen Updates Enable SP-6 Sample Player This feature allows you to throttle back the screen refresh rate. Users with slower computers might like to do this if they are having performance issues. It could also be useful if you want to limit Scratch Live’s processor usage, for example if you are running a recording program at the same time. The default setting is 60 Hz, or refreshed 60 times per second. This setting applies to the entire screen (i.e.
I have pink files which don’t play. Troubleshooting and Frequently Asked Questions The audio playback is dropping out / clicking / popping. Scratch Live is not getting a clear signal from the record, or your computer is not able to process quickly enough. Go to the setup screen and check the scope views. When the record is playing, the circles should be round, and the value in the bottom right corner should be close to 100%. If this is not the case, you need to calibrate.
Corrupt File Descriptions and Diagnoses Corrupt file: This MP3 contains invalid frames. This MP3 contains frames which do not conform strictly to the official MP3 specification. Scratch Live can not be certain that this file will play back 100% accurately. Corrupt file: This file contains corrupt frames that may result in audible glitches. This file contains two or more contiguous corrupt frames. Since corrupt frames are replaced with silence, this could result in what might sound like an audio glitch.
Scope Reading and Fixes Most of the problems that occur with Scratch Live can be attributed to it not getting a good reading of the control signal from your records or CDs. These examples show what the scopes on the setup screen can look like to help solve possible problems. Some problems cause similar looking scopes, e.g., if your scopes look like the Dusty Needle one, the cause could be a damaged needle. tracking.
RECORD BURN - This section of the control vinyl has been worn. Swap sides or use the track start offset. LEFT CHANNEL MISSING - The signal from the needle is not reaching the SL1. Check the cable and cartridge connections. RIGHT CHANNEL MISSING - The BAD RECORD BURN - Your record is badly worn and Scratch Live is unable to track. Swap sides or get new vinyl ASAP. LEFT CHANNEL IS NOISE - Left signal has been lost with a noisy loose connection.
Declaration of Conformity Standard(s) to which conformity is declared: EN60065:Ed. 7.
Limited Warranty Factory Authorized Service Your unit may someday need to be serviced by the Rane Factory if you live in the USA. International customers should contact your dealer or distributor for service. You must call the Rane factory before shipping. Please do not return your unit to Rane without prior authorization. Rane Corporation To obtain service or a Return Authorization in the USA, please phone 425-355-6000 or Fax 425-347-7757 Limited U.S.A.
Warranty Procedure - Valid in U.S.A. only NOTICE! You must complete and return the warranty card or register your product online to extend the Warranty from 2 years to 3 years! TO VALIDATE YOUR EXTENDED WARRANTY: Use the postcard that came in the box with your unit, or go to www.rane.com and click on New Product Registration. Fill out the warranty completely, being sure to include the model and serial number of the unit since this is how warranties are tracked. If your Rane product was purchased in the U.
