Operator`s manual
Manual-37
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 the information 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 100%. If this is not the case, you need to calibrate. See page Manual–13 for details.
You should also try increasing the USB audio buffer size if your computer is close to the minimum spec.
Clean your needles! is is the most common cause of audio drop-out. Because you are playing the same record over and over, the needles will
get dirty more quickly than usual.
The threshold goes to the far right when I click the estimate button
Make sure the needle is on the record and the record is stopped when you click estimate. If the slider goes hard right and stays there, you
most likely have an earthing problem with your turntables/mixer. If you cannot eliminate this problem, use rel mode over abs mode.
The tracks are playing backwards!
e inputs (from the turntables or CD players) are the wrong way around. Try swapping red and white wires at one end.
I can’t get the Scope View to show nice clean circles
Select phono as the audio input level in the setup screen if you are using vinyl. Check your needles and make sure they are clean. If the
circles look fuzzy, try cleaning your control record. If the Scope View shows a line instead of a circle, Scratch LIVE is only receiving a signal from
one channel — check all your cables, and the connection between your cartridges and the tone arm. You can order replacement control records
from your local distributor. You may also order these in the online store at www.rane.com if you are in the USA.
Scratch LIVE makes a strange “digital” noise, even when no track is playing
Scratch LIVE is interpreting background noise as record movement. Go to the setup screen and move the threshold slider (located to the left
side of the estimate button) to the right until the noise stops.
The rst time I play a new track, it takes a while to load
Scratch LIVE has to read the entire file and create a file index the first time it is loaded. is may take a few seconds for longer files. After the
first load, it should load instantly. See Build Overviews on page Manual-21.
I have a particular MP3 that won’t play / plays badly / takes a long time to load / crashes the program. What should I do?
e file may be damaged. Please go to the forum at scratchlive.net and notify the support team that you have a bad file. By reporting damaged
or corrupt files, you will help the developers to improve Scratch LIVE’s ability to play damaged MP3 files in the future.
Scratch LIVE freaks out when I use the master tempo (key correction) function on my CD player
Scratch LIVE interprets the signal coming out of the CD player, and uses this information to control the play back of the files on your comput-
er. Any audio processing performed on the signal before it reaches the hardware interface, such as key correction, will scramble the signal making it
illegible to Scratch LIVE. Key correction will be available in Scratch LIVE in the future.
I get a loud screeching sound like a fax machine and no music, what am I doing wrong?
at is the sound of the control signal — make sure you are listening to the line outputs of the hardware interface.
Can I use one turntable and one CD player?
Yes. You need a phono preamp (as in a DJ mixer) to boost the signal from the turntable to line level, and you need to set the input to line in the
setup screen.
When I do transform scratches (switching between phono and line level inputs) I hear a crazy noise; what’s happening?
When you switch to phono level, you will hear the sound of the control vinyl. If you want to use the transform switches to scratch, use separate
channels on your mixer if you have more than four channels, or disconnect the phono thrus if you have a two channel mixer.
I want to backup my library and crates or move them to another machine, so where are they stored?
Your database and crates are stored in the folder Home\Music\ScratchLIVE on a Mac, and My Documents\My Music\ScratchLIVE on a
PC. Crates have the file extension .slc. If your library contains tracks that are stored on a drive other than your boot drive, a hidden folder called
.scratchLIVE will be created in the root of that drive, and a separate database will be made in this folder. If it is a removable drive, the tracks will
only appear in your library when the drive is connected.
What needles are best for use with Scratch LIVE?
We recommend Shure M44-7 needles for use with Scratch LIVE, due to their high output volume, excellent tracking and low record wear.
I have cue burn at the beginning of my control record, does that mean I need to replace it?
No, use the track start offset function (in the setup screen) to move the point at which tracks begin to a position further into the vinyl.
Why do none of the songs I have imported from iTunes show up in Scratch LIVE?
iTunes’ default encoder is set to AAC, which Scratch LIVE currently does not support. You need to re-encode those files to a supported file type
(AIFF, WAV, OGG, MP3). To change the default encoding preferences in iTunes, go to Preferences > Importing. Change the “import using”
option to a supported file type and click OK. To re-encode a track, select/highlight it. Go to Advanced > Convert Selection to... . You can lose
quality after you re-encode a track, so it's best to start from the original source if possible.
To keep up with the latest tips, visit the Ocial Scratch LIVE Forum online at scratchlive.net