Serato DJ 1.7 First Test Drive

I did a test drive with Serato DJ 1.7.

Hardware:
-Rane SL3
-Late 2013 Macbook Pro Retina 2.3ghz with 16GB RAM

 Serato drivers for Pioneer DJM-900SRT, Rane SL3 and Rane 62 installed.

So far, so good. I listed my computer type because there are isolated issues with the Retina MBPs compared to previous generation MBPs.

Improvements I noticed:
 - Latency issues with timecode are gone, and timecode responds just like SSL which I can now scratch properly.

- Left deck does not start a milisecond off from the cue like it did with 1.6.

A few things I also noticed:
-SL3 driver for Mac no longer has the buffer control. I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but I will say the buffer did very weird things with 1.6...like setting it lower and the latency would increase, and setting it higher, would make the latency go way off the charts, like 1 to 2 seconds off. Whatever the case is, timecode is responsive now.

-Recording channel is default to Channel 1, when I think it should be default to Channel 3 since it is the aux. Nothing more embarrassing than have a timecode signal recorded as opposed to your set. I did that when I made this video.

-When the line/phono switch is set to phono and you input it with a line timecode signal, unlike SSL where it gives you a red signal but will still play, Serato DJ will play at +230% forcing the DJ to check for something wrong. I think this is awesome because many DJs forget to switch back to line from phono simply because it "works" in SSL. It's not good to load your inputs with a line level signal. From what I read, the overload could actually destroy your channel inputs to your interface or mixer.

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Still have to do further long term tests to see if it can be used live. Will also try HID mode with Pioneer CDJs to see if they improved the known latency issue with HID. Will be doing further tests with a Rane 62 real soon, and the 900SRT sometime this month.

Quincy Jones Cries About EDM

I may agree, I'm not a fan of Lil Wayne. But for a person who is a big icon in music history, this was a boldly ignorant statement. If you read it, he calls it "techno" which reveals he knows nothing of the music. I have no problem with some one not liking something. Individual tastes makes us unique. But I would expect more from an iconic musician than to be a bitter old man being a  cry baby about the money others make doing what they love; and furthermore being bitter because people like something different from what they used to do.

Do typist cry because computer word processors replaced the typewriter? Maybe they did, but in the overall spectrum, being a good writer doesn't mean you have to be a good typist. Just like being a good song writer or producer no longer means you have to be a good musician. There's new things that one can work hard on and what's important is more people can express music from the heart, rather than being limited by their tools.

Sorry Quincy, you have an awesome history, and you're a legend, but once a tomato decides he is ripe, the only thing left is to rot. And I'm sure for one not going to join the bandwagon who's backing you up on this.




Original Article
http://blog.djcity.com/2014/04/quincy-jones-criticizes-lil-wayne-and.html

Thought's on the movie, "Rush"

I was really inspired by the movie, "Rush". It had an awesome motif of the two types of champions, a technically disciplined champion versus a confident instinctive champion. Knowledge versus Confidence, Fear versus Ego. My favorite quote is Niki Lauda's line to James Hunt, "You should try [flying]. It's good for discipline. You have to stay within the rules, stick with regulations, suppress the ego. It helps with the racing." I feel more relatable to Lauda's character, but can't deny the temptations of a suppressed persona like Hunt's. I think this motif in the movie isn't about two types of people, but more of the dual personas a single individual can take. Both aren't necessarily wrong and the truth is, there is a balance to be discovered from recognizing how to accept characteristics of both.

Serato DJ 1.6 DVS Report

After using Serato DJ Thursday night, I report that the software is still buggy. I used it in timecode mode, with 1 MIDI controller. Here's my current analysis.

Computer specs:
Mid 2011 Apple MacBook Pro 15 inch
2.4 Ghz Quad Core
16 GB RAM
Mavericks OSX
750 GB 7200rpm HHD (200 GB used)
1 TB Lacie Thunderbolt HHD (for Serato Library)

Hardware tested on:
Rane SL3
Rane 62

Pros:
Tenth of a decimal BPM read out. Awesome for blends and quick mixing without headphones. Awesome for digitally accurate CDJ's but I would imagine it being jumpy on turntables.

8 hot cues.

Bigger color code section. No more color confusion.

4 deck use; awesome for 3 decks using SL3.

The purchasable Pitch n Time DJ is much more awesome sounding than the standard key lock. So much cleaner.

I thought the Base Pack effects was limited compared to SSL effects but I found almost everything I needed in the free Wolf Pack. Still looking for a Roll Out type effect.

Cons:
Rane 62 does not BPM sync effects to track. Must constantly use tap which takes too much time to get accurately.

Loop roll is not MIDI mappable. Go around is to use Serato Remote on the iPhone for loop rolls. Seems like loop roll is exclusive for purchased accessory hardware like the Pioneer DDJ-SP1.

Some BPM analysis off by 0.1

A few USB drop outs, but fixed when buffer moved from 2ms to 5ms.

Use of deck 1, deck 2, recorder, and sampler stuttered the buffer. Fixed when buffer moved from 2ms to 5ms.

MIDI settings did not save properly. All though I loaded the settings file, had to remap all the settings when going from an SL3 to a 62.

It may be a hardware issue but using Serato DJ seemingly robs more power from USB. I don't know how this is possible but my MIDI controller which is USB powered kept restarting, which never happened before.

Maximum pitch range limited to 50% as opposed to 100%. This may no affect practical mixing but limits my ability to do my MIDI drum pad scratch technique. I don't know how this affects HID mode. I speculate 100 is available in HID mode. Will do further testing.

Notes:
Have not tried HID mode with Pioneer CDJ-2000Nexus since there were too many reports of bugs.

Have not listened to the recording files to see if the limiter problem in the Rane 62 has been solved that was present when recording on Scratch Live on a Rane 62.

Conclusion:
Serato DJ still too buggy to be used. I would consider version 1.6 as to be treated as Beta. Serato seems to have neglected to fine tune important operational features. However, my understanding is Serato is low in engineering resources, hence why development can be slow and sometimes late. Which is why I believe Serato DJ was created as a more profitable system. Used TTM57's and SL1 boxes sold second hand do not make the company money for software use; so now they created DJ where not only does it support new hardware, but also has purchasable plugin upgrades. Serato has made a more efficient money making machine but has some bugs to work out for the program to be reliable.

I will be doing further testing in HID mode. I was supposed to do so last night but after all the bugs Thursday, I did not want to take a risk.

Currently I do not recommend Serato DJ for use, I tested it only in an opening slot situation and will not use it live until the next update.

Interpreting a Dream

So I have this reoccurring dream. For the majority of my life, I never had a dream happen so many times that it was clearly something to it. The dream is always either me in elementary, high school, or college. I'll be sitting in a class or walking in a hallway stressed because I skipped to many classes or failed some and didn't graduate.

Now on the surface, I was beginning to wonder if subconsciously regret not finishing college. Mind you, I never once regret leaving, or ever wondered if my life would be better if I submitted to the exact wishes of my parents and became an engineer as they wanted. I never looked back at that day with any remorse. So I investigated it further because I read once, dreams are messages from your subconscious that are not literally what they appear, but more symbolic about a current event in your life. So I had my friend's mom who was an expert on the subject help me interpret it.

From everything I told her, about how for the past year or two I have been experiencing this dream reoccurring to me and the specifics of the most recent one. Mind you, up until now, I looked at dreams as random thoughts in my head going off while I slept. Almost all the time they never make any sense. It's almost like ADHD isn't gone while you sleep. However, as vague as the interpretation was I felt like it hit the spot on something I was consciously dealing with in reality. She said, "your a prisoner of yourself. You have unfinished business. You're keeping yourself busy with things that seem important at the time but really lead to nothing. You're holding yourself back from doing what you need to do to achieve your bigger goal. You have to step by step set goals.

Might sound like a fortune cookie, and maybe it's just a coincidence, and maybe whether destiny is telling me so, or random chance just made me aware of it, there is something lingering in reality that I feel I have been holding myself on. Lately, my DJ/mix artistry career has been doing well. I can relax a bit, pick and choose when I work, and get to travel and explore cities. I don't have a weekly residency and for the past 6 months, I haven't needed it. Bookings throughout the month seem to be abundant enough that I can share them. My workload has been based on maintaining that consistency of gigs. Promotional video, recaps, and ads, as well as downloading tracks and keeping social media content fresh. However, what got me to this point was never because of how well I DJed or how my personality impressed upon people. My DJing can be good to some, and not to all, and my personality is not exactly the party animal.

At the very core of things, I got here because at some point, someone listened to music I made, actually liked it, and brought me over. Every successful DJ/mix artist/producer got to where they are because of the music they made. They have said that in interviews, and proved it on Forbes. A great night at the club is not a tangible item people become fans for. But a song is. It's something they can play over and over beyond the dancefloor. It's the extension of your brand.

This core principle about success in the DJ/producer/mix artist world is something I have been neglecting. I found excuses like, "my PC crashed and I don't know how to use the new programs on the Mac". I have no excuse, I have made my bedroom production ready with all the toys in the house interconnected with two USB hubs and 5 MIDI controllers. I learned how to use Adobe Premiere for my videos at satisfaction level in the span of 3 months. But for some reason, I have been laying off on learning Ableton Live. Deep down inside, it's already proven to me that this is the real key to my long term success and that I have been dabbling in trailer videos and keeping myself relevant for immediate reward in the nightlife; totally neglecting the one thing that would grow and secure long term success.

I think it's time I stop fooling myself. All the eggs are in place. Been eat healthier, cut back on bad habits, and improving relationships around me. While the immediate things are important, I can no longer be using them as an excuse. Like Will Smith said, "it's easier to be ready than to get ready." Here we go Ableton, for the next two months, let's sound like crap until I get it right.