Rane SL3 User Manual

RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9

2	RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9

Important Safety Instructions

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.

Do not use this equipment in a location where it might become wet. Clean only with a damp cloth. This equipment may be used as a table top device, although stacking of the equipment is dangerous and not recommended.

Equipment may be located directly above or below this unit, but note that some equipment (like large power amplifiers) may cause an unacceptable amount of hum or may generate too much heat and degrade the performance

of this equipment. Only use	attachments
and accessories specified by	Rane. Refer

all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as spilled liquid, fallen objects into an opened chassis, exposure to rain or moisture, a dropped unit, or abnormal operation.

Introduction

Refer to the separate Quick Start guide that was included in the box. If you lose yours, a new copy (along with this manual and all other documentation) may be downloaded at rane. com/sl3.html. To keep up with the latest tips, and to check for Scratch Live software updates, visit the Official Scratch Live Forum at scratchlive.net

Copyright Notices

© 2009 Rane Corporation. All rights reserved. Scratch Live and the Scratch Live logo are trademarks of Serato Audio Research. 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 © 2004-2009 Serato Audio Research. The Control Vinyl and Control CDs are licensed for personal use only. The creation of personal backups of the Control CD is allowed, however duplicating Control CDs for commercial benefit is strictly prohibited. For avoidance of doubt the duplication or creation of Control Vinyl for any use is strictly prohibited. Please respect our copyright.

© 2004-2009 Serato Audio Research. Windows XP and Vista is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Apple, Mac, Macintosh and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the US and/ or other countries.

Wear Parts

The SL 3 interface contains no wear parts. The vinyl records and CDs are wear parts as described in the Limited Domestic Warranty section at the end of this manual.

Minimum System Requirements

•A DJ mixer with at least 2 channels.

•At least one turntable or CD player.

•Computer with available USB 2.0 port.

•Screen resolution 1024 x 768 or higher.

•1 GB RAM.

•Hard drive space for storing music.

PC

•Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher, or Vista with Service Pack 1 or higher. We recommend XP over Vista.

•Pentium 4 / 1.5 GHz.

Mac

•Mac OSX 10.4 or higher.

•G4 / 1 GHz.

Check List

These items are included with the SL 3 in the box:

1 soft carry case.

1 Serato Scratch Live software install disc.

1 external universal power supply with country adaptors.

1 USB cable.

4 stereo RCA cables.

2 control CDs.

2 control vinyl records.

4 rubber feet for the SL 3.

1 Quick Start Guide.

1 Warranty card.

1 this manual.

RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9	3

Contents

Important Safety Instructions	3
Introduction	3
Copyright Notices	3
Wear Parts	3
Minimum System Requirements	3
PC	3
Mac	3
Check List	3

Scratch Live: Getting started 6		Main Screen Overview	12
Connecting Your Hardware	6	Virtual Deck	12
Connecting the SL 3	6	Visual Aids	12
Turntable Setup	6	Tempo Matching Display	12
CD Player setup	6	Track Overview Display	12
Installing Scratch Live	7	Main Waveform Display	12
Starting the Software	7	Beat Matching Display	12
Using the Tool Tips	7	Thru Buttons	13
Playing Regular Vinyl and CDs	8	Master Gain	13
Power Supply	8	33 / 45 Speeds	13
		Tracking Indicator	13
Calibrating Scratch Live	8	Tap Tempo	13
The Noise Threshold	8	Key Lock	13
The Scopes	8	Repeat	13
Calibration Troubleshooting	9	Censor	13
		Eject	13
Importing and playing music	9	Autoplay	14
Importing Your Music	9	Input Reverse	14
Supported File Types	9	Track Gain	14
		USB Dropout Indicator	14
Preparing Your Files	10
Analyzing files	10	Scratch Live Modes	14
How to Analyze Files	10	Absolute Mode	14
About Corrupt Files	10	Relative Mode	14
Set Auto-BPM	10	Internal Mode	15
The Offline Player	10	Pitch Slider	15
Playing Music	10	Temporary Cue	15
Track Display	10	Speed Range	15
		More Controls	15
File Management	11
Rescan ID3 Tags	11	Cue Points	16
Relocate Lost Files	11
		Looping	16
Playback Control	11	Auto Looping	17
The Control Record	11	The A - Slot	17
The Control CD	11	Loop Roll	17
Vinyl Scroll	11	Loop Roll with MIDI	17
		Sample Player	18
		Play Behavior	18
		Play Modes	18
		Volume	18
		MIDI	18

4	RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9

MIDI Control	19	Additional Setup	26	Mixing With One Turntable
Overview	19	Hardware	26	Or CD Player	29
MIDI Controller Setup	19	USB Buffer Size (Latency)	26
Assigning Controls	19	UpdatIng FIrmware	26	Troubleshooting and
MIDI Platters	19	Line / Phono Status	26	Frequently Asked Questions 30
Assigning MIDI to Other Controls	19	Playback	26
Ctrl-Click Functionality	19	Track End Warning	26	Corrupt File Descriptions
Presets	19	Playback Keys Use Shift	26	and Diagnoses	31
Native Controller Support	19	Lock Playing Deck	26
Technical Information	19	Sort Cues Chronologically	26	Scope Reading and Fixes	32
		Use Auto Gain	26
Organizing Your Music	20	Hi-Fi Resampler	27	SL 3 Specifications	34
Grouping Tracks into Crates	20	Play From Start	27
Subcrates	20	Instant Doubles	27	Declaration of Conformity	35
Sorting Your Files	20	Play From First Cue Point	27
Using the Song Browser	20	Braking	27	Factory Authorized Service	36
Searching	20	Audio Output	27
Prepare Window	20	Vinyl Control	27	Limited Domestic Warranty	36
History	21	Reverse Vinyl Scroll	27
Editing ID3 tags	21	Adjust Loops with Vinyl	27	Warranty Procedure	37
Library Zoom	21	Next Song On Flip	27
Display Album Art	22	Vinyl Scroll Speed	27
Status Icons	22	Drop To Absolute Position	27
More Info on Corrupt Files	22	Drop To Cue Points	27
Scratch Live Backup	22	Track Start Offset	27
Deleting Crates and Tracks	22	Library	28
		Read iTunes Library	28
Recording	23	Protect library	28
Record Gain Knob	23	Custom Crate Columns	28
Sampling From Vinyl	23	Center On Selected Song	28
Recording Your Mix	23	Show All File Types	28
		Include Subcrate Tracks	28
LiveFeed	24	Autofill Overviews	28
Using LiveFeed	24	Import AAC Files	28
		Display	28
Keyboard Shortcuts	25	Maximum Screen Updates	28
		Audio Cache (seconds)	28
		Horizontal Waveforms	28
		Show Album Art On Deck	28

RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9	5

Scratch Live:

Getting started

Connecting Your Hardware

system overview

The Scratch Live control records and CDs are pressed with an audible tone specifically developed for controlling the Scratch Live software application.

The SL 3 interface converts the control signal coming from each deck into digital audio, to be sent via USB to the Scratch Live software, which decodes that signal into a stream of information on what the DJ is doing with the control disc. A virtual ‘deck’ replicates the movements of the control disc. Audio files loaded onto the virtual decks are then played back through the outputs of the hardware, with any manipulation of the control discs reproduced on the audio, effectively emulating vinyl control of the files loaded in software.

Connecting the SL 3

To integrate an SL 3 unit into a typical DJ setup, connect it to your turntables (or CD players) and mixer, as follows:

1. Inputs

*

RIGHT

DECK

Connect your CD players or turntables to the DECK INPUTS on the Rane SL 3.

*Optional Step: Connect an additional output (such as AUX OUT) from your mixer to the AUX INPUTS on the SL 3 to record your set in Scratch Live. See “Recording” on page 23.

2. Input Level Selection

DIP SWITCHES

4. Connect the SL 3 to your computer

Using the provided USB cable, connect your SL 3 to an available USB 2.0 port on your computer.

Make sure you connect it directly to your computer and not through a hub or splitter.

Turntable Setup

1.Set the tone arms to the specific recommendations of the cartridge used, so that the needle never leaves the record, but not heavy enough that it heats up significantly. Both produce poor tracking.

2.Grounding is extremely important when using Scratch Live. Make sure you have good connections from the ground wires of your turntables to the grounding post of your SL 3. If you do not ground your turntables properly, the control signal will be noisy and the tracking of the record position will be erratic.

Set each input to the correct input level using the dip switches. Set the switches UP for Phono (turntables) or DOWN for Line (CD players).

3. Outputs

AUX
LEFT	RIGHT
DECK	DECK

Connect the OUTPUTS of the SL 3 to line inputs on your mixer. Connect the AUX output to an additional line input or AUX input on your mixer to output the sample player. SEE “Sample

Player” on page 18.

3. Ensure the SL 3 is set to receive a phono level signal – See step 2 of connecting the SL 3.

TIP: We recommend Shure M44-7 needles for use with Scratch Live, due to their high output volume, excellent tracking and low record wear.

CD Player setup

Disable all built-in effects on the CD player, including keylock/master tempo.

Ensure the SL 3 is set to receive a LINE level signal – See step 2 of connecting the SL 3.

6	RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9

Installing Scratch Live

Check for the latest download version of Scratch Live software at scratchlive.net. If it is newer than what is on your CD-ROM, we recommend installing it instead.

Mac

1. Insert the Software Installation CD-ROM and double-click the installer icon.

You will see the following screen:

Follow the on-screen instructions.

Once the installation is complete, Scratch Live will appear in your applications list. You may like to drag the Scratch Live icon to your dock for quick launching.

2. Plug in your SL 3. No extra hardware or driver installation is required.

Windows

It is important that Windows users install the SL 3 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 SL 3 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.

2.Insert the Software Installation CD-ROM. Make sure your SL 3 is connected first. If a window doesn’t open automatically, browse to the CD drive. Run setup.exe.

You will see the following screen:

3. Follow the on-screen instructions. Once the installation is complete, Scratch Live appears in the Start Menu under All Programs > Serato > Scratch Live.

Because the SL 3 was connected prior to installing Scratch Live, there is no extra hardware installation required.

NOTE: Select the custom install option if you wish to change the installation location of Scratch Live.

Additional WINDOWS Drivers

Windows treats each USB port individually. You might like to install the Drivers for the SL 3 hardware on all of your USB ports.

Connect your Scratch Live hardware to a USB port. Windows will again attempt to install the drivers via the hardware wizard. Cancel and close the hardware wizard.

With your hardware still connected, run the Scratch Live driver updater. This is usually located in:

C: > Program Files > Serato > driver_updater

Repeat this process for each of your USB ports.

TIP: The driver updater can install drivers for different types of Scratch Live hardware, not just the SL 3. For example, if you play at a club that uses a TTM 57SL mixer, just connect the mixer and run through the driver updater as above.

Starting the Software

Close all other programs on your Mac or PC. When you load Scratch Live for the first time, you will see the screen shown above.

Using the Tool Tips

Click on the ? icon to enable tool tips. This is located in-between the MIDI and setup button next the Scratch Live logo, as shown below. Tool tips provide a handy way to learn the various features of Scratch Live. Move the mouse over a section of the screen to bring up a contextsensitive tool tip. Holding the mouse over the ? button with tool tips turned on will show you a list of all keyboard shortcuts. Tool tips are available in several languages. Scratch Live will display the tool tips in the language that your computer is set to. If your language is not available, the tool tips will be displayed in English.

RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9	7

Playing Regular Vinyl and CDs

NOTE: the SL 3 must be powered by USB or the supplied external power supply for the DECK THRUs to work.

While Scratch Live is not running, and the SL 3 is powered by the external supply, the deck thrus on the SL 3 will always be on, allowing you to play regular CDs and vinyl with your CD players or turntables.

When the SL 3 is powered by the universal power supply, and then Scratch Live is launched, the deck thrus are still on. This allows a laptop to be connected during a set (when using the deck thrus) with no audio interruption.

If the SL 3 is not powered by the universal power supply when Scratch Live is launched (USB connected), the deck thrus will be off, but can be turned on in Scratch Live.

To turn the thrus off and on in Scratch Live, click on the thru button for the respective channel in Scratch Live. This will change the state of the channels to thru mode, sending audio direct from the SL 3 inputs to your mixer.

SEE “Thru Buttons” on page 13.

Power Supply

Connect the barrel connector of the power supply to the 7.5 VDC jack on the SL 3. Plug the power supply into an AC outlet. The yellow POWER indicator will light on the SL 3.

The universal power supply includes different input plugs for the USA, Europe, UK and Australia. The USA plug is attached at the factory

— you may need to replace it in your country.

To remove a plug,
PUSH	the	button
while turning the outer				OPEN	OPEN	LOCK	LOCK
rim counterclockwise.						PUSH
To	attach	a	plug,
rotate	it to	fit	into
the supply		and	turn

clockwise until it locks in place.

The power supply is regulated 7.5 volts DC, 1 amp, using a P6 type barrel plug. Any substitute must meet these specifications.

-(5.5mm) +(2.5mm)

Calibrating

Scratch Live

Since Scratch Live is controlled by an analogue signal, there is no guarantee of what state that signal will be in by the time the software gets to interpret it. Therefore, Scratch Live needs to be able to handle a wide range of signals, and be configurable to use them optimally. Calibrating is just configuring the software to your situation.

Calibration is equally important for both vinyl and CD users of Scratch Live.

There are two parts to the Scratch Live control signal: The directional tone, and the noise map. Listening to the control vinyl, the directional tone is the 1 kHz tone. The noise map sounds like random noise over the top of the tone.

The directional tone provides the current speed and direction of the record, while the noise map tells the software precisely where on the record the needle is currently.

The Noise Threshold

A threshold is a lower limit, below which a process will not occur. In the case of Scratch Live, the noise threshold is the limit below which the input signal will not be interpreted as control signal; in other words if it’s below the threshold, it is considered noise and ignored.

This setting is necessary because a stylus is very sensitive, and will inevitably pick up noise from the environment as well as the signal on the record, especially in the noisy environment of a live show.

How to Calibrate Scratch Live

With music playing in the background, put your needle on the record with the turntable stopped. If you are using CD players, the same rules apply. Have the CD deck paused or stopped while calibrating.

Click and hold the estimate button until the slider stops moving. Moving the threshold slider to the left will make Scratch Live more sensitive to slow record movement, but also more sensitive to background noise.

Repeat the process for each deck

Things to remember:

•Your needle must be on the record.

•Your turntable (or CD player) must be stationary.

•The background music playing must be at a similar level to which you will play your set at.

•You should calibrate Scratch Live every time you play.

TIP: If the slider jumps to the far right, then you have a problem with noise in your turntables/CD players/mixer. Check all your connections and make sure your equipment is well earthed. In some situations you will not be able to improve the signal quality, and you will have to play on regardless. In this situation, stick to rel mode.

The Scopes

The scopes on the setup screen in Scratch Live display the input signal as a phase diagram. The key factors to look at on the scope display are crisp clean lines, round shape, and the tracking percentage in the lower right corner.

Start both turntables or CD players. You will see green rings appear in the scope view, as shown above.

8	RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9

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. The number in the top right corner is the current speed in RPM. In the bottom left is the current threshold setting, and the number in the bottom right shows the percentage of readable signal – this number should be close to 85% when your system is calibrated properly.

Calibration Troubleshooting

After calibration, the number in the upper right corner of the scope view should say 0.0 while the needle is on the record and the turntable is stopped.

If that number is fluctuating then manually move the estimate slider to the right until that number is stable at 0.0. If you’ve moved the slider all the way to -24 and its still fluctuating then you have a grounding or interference problem somewhere in the chain.

If so, the first thing to check is that the grounding wire coming from your turntable is connected to your mixer’s grounding posts.

Next, make sure that the SL 3 isn’t sitting next to a power source such as a power strip or power box and that the RCA cables connected to the SL 3 aren’t laying across other power conducting cables.

If you are still experiencing issues, you might have to adjust the placement of your setup. For example, make sure bass bins aren’t directly under the turntables. for more calibration troubleshooting help SEE “Scope Reading and Fixes” on page 32.

Importing and

playing music

Importing Your Music

The easiest way to load music into your library is by using the files button:

1. Click on the files button to open the files panel. The left side of this window displays various locations on your computer hard drive (and external drives if you have one). Click on these locations to navigate your computer and find your music.

By default, your music will usually be found in either “Music” (Mac) or “My Music” (Windows).

2. Once you have located your music, drag the folder or files you want to import onto the purple “All...” icon. This is located to the left of your screen at the top of the crates and playlist window.

If you wish to import all of your music, just drag your whole music folder onto this icon.

TIP: You can also import by dragging files and folders directly from Windows Explorer (PC version) or Finder (Mac version) into the Scratch Live library.

Supported File Types

Scratch Live supports fixed and variable bit rate

.MP3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, .AIFF, and .WAV file types. M3U playlists are also supported.

NOTE: iTunes Music Store DRM files cannot be played back by Scratch Live. iTunes Plus files are DRM-free.

RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9	9

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 onto the right deck.

TIP: You can also load tracks to decks using the mouse. Click and drag a track from the track list area on to either deck.

To start playing a track, simply put the needle on the record and start the turntable. The track will start playing as soon as it detects the signal from the control vinyl (or CD).

In ABS mode, the track will play from the position dictated by the placement of the needle on the record. If you place the needle at the beginning of the record, the track will start playing from the beginning. You can skip through the track by picking up the needle and placing it further into the record, just as with regular records (This is known as needle dropping). See

“Scratch Live Modes” on page 14.

Track Display

When a track is loaded, the track name, artist and length are displayed in the track title bar, and the Virtual Deck shows a solid black line.

If the track has BPM information written in the tag this will also be displayed. See: Set autoBPM

Preparing

Your Files

Analyzing files

Before you play your music in Scratch Live, It is important to first analyze your files.

The analyze files function processes the songs in your library to detect file corruption, saves the waveform overview to an ID3 tag*, and calculates auto-gain and BPM values.

How to Analyze Files

To analyze files start Scratch Live with the hardware disconnected. On the left side of the main screen, you will notice a button labeled “analyze files”. Click this to automatically build the overviews for all the tracks in your library.

TIP: You can drag and drop individual folders, crates or files onto this button to force the building of overviews at any time.

About Corrupt Files

If Scratch Live detects a corrupt file it will tag it with a corrupt file icon:

It is very important that you delete

ANY corrupt files from your library as they can cause Scratch Live to crash regardless if you play the file or not. See “Status Icons” on page 22 and “Corrupt File Descriptions and Diagnoses” on page 31.

Set Auto-BPM

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 auto-BPM function will not be applied if the track already contains BPM information. To re-analyze these files and use auto-BPM or auto gain on them, drag them onto the analyze files button. If you know your files BPM will fall within a certain range, use the range drop down to avoid double or half value BPMs being calculated.

*NOTE: ID3 tags contain data about your tracks and are saved inside the files themselves. Genre, track name and artist are examples of common tag information. See “Editing ID3 tags” on page 21.

The Offline Player

The offlline player is available when Scratch Live hardware is not connected, and outputs through the current default audio device. Load a track to the offlline player by dragging and dropping onto the deck, or pressing shift+left arrow. If the end of the loaded track is reached, the next track in the current playlist is played automatically.

The offlline player is a useful tool for preparing crates, auditioning tracks, and setting cue and loop points.

10	RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9

File		Playback
Management		Control

Located in the files pane are two buttons, rescan ID3 tags and relocate lost files. Use these tools for ongoing file and library management.

Rescan ID3 Tags

Click this button to force Scratch Live to re-read all file tags. Alternatively, you can drag and drop files, folders, or drives onto the rescan id3 tags button from the files pane. This will only scan the files that you drag and drop, resulting in much faster processing.

TIP: Rescanning the tags is a handy way to identify all the files that Scratch LIve can’t find (for example if the files have been altered or moved). These tracks will show up red in the main track list, with an exclamation mark in the status column. You can sort by the status column to group all these tracks together.

Relocate Lost Files

This feature finds music and folders on your computer that you have either moved or altered.

1.Click the relocate lost files button to search all your drives (internal and external) for files currently marked as not found in your library.

2.When this process is complete, your Scratch Live library will be updated with the new location of your files.

TIP: Drag and drop files, folders, or drives onto the relocate lost files button from the files pane. This is useful if you know the location of your files, as it only scans the drag and drop location, with faster relocation.

The Control Record

The control record has two sides. The first side is 10 minutes long and contains the Vinyl Scroll section. The second side is 15 minutes long. Scratch Live can be configured to work with records playing at either 33 RPM or 45 RPM, depending on your preference. The record has thin marks every minute, and a thicker mark every 5 minutes (when playing at 33 RPM). These marks are to assist you when using needle dropping to move through the track. These marks do not affect the playback of the track.

The Control CD

The control CD has two tracks. The first track is 15 minutes long and controls playback The second track is 40 seconds long and controls vinyl scroll.

Vinyl Scroll

Vinyl Scroll allows you to select and load tracks using only your turntables (or CD player) – no contact with the computer necessary! To use Vinyl Scroll with turntables, lift the needle off the record and drop it into special “bonus track” section at the end of the record’s A side. The movement of the control disk now controls the selected track within your library. Lift the needle out of the Vinyl Scroll section of the record and into the lead out (between the Vinyl Scroll area and the end of the record) to change crates or iTunes playlists. Go back to the Vinyl Scroll area of the record to choose a track within the crate or playlist. Once you have found the track you wish to play, put the needle back at the beginning of the record and it will load automatically. This feature is available to CD users. Go to track 2 on the control CD to access Vinyl Scroll. Find the track you want to load, and go back to track 1.

The track you selected will be loaded and ready to play. You can reverse the direction of Vinyl Scroll and set the sensitivity in the setup screen.

TIP: You can also use Vinyl Scroll in the prepare window. See the options for “Vinyl

Control” on page 27.

RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9	11

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. The turntable speed as a percentage pitch shift is shown on the left of the Virtual Deck, and the pitched BPM (BPM with pitch adjustment multiplier added) is shown on the right of the virtual Deck. If the track has no BPM information, pitched BPM will not be shown.

If you are playing regular vinyl, notice that the Virtual Deck behaves strangely as Scratch Live attempts to decode the incoming signal. This will not cause any problems, but you may find it distracting. You can unload the currently loaded track using the Virtual Deck eject buttons.

TIP: Use the keyboard shortcut shift-alt- arrow to unload a track from the Virtual Deck.

Visual Aids

When the track is playing several waveforms are displayed. Each shows a different aspect of the track being played.

Tempo Matching Display

The Tempo Matching display area provides a helpful tool for beat matching. Scratch Live detects the beats within the track, and places a row of orange peaks (for the track on the left side) above a row of blue peaks (for the track on the right side) in the Tempo Matching display area. When the two tracks are matched to the same tempo, the peaks will line up. The tempo display is aligned with the beginning of the bar, so the peaks keep their relative position as the track plays. This display does not show the relative timing of the beats, only the tempos of the tracks. The peaks will still line up when the tracks are playing at the same tempo, but are out of sync.

Track Overview Display

This view provides a complete overview of the track waveform, and includes a marker to show the current position within the track. This view is useful for finding transitions within the track. The waveform is colored according to the sound spectrum – red representing low frequency bass sounds, green representing mid frequency sounds and blue representing high frequency treble sounds.

You can jump to different positions within the track by clicking on the Track Overview display (disabled in

abs mode). Grey lines behind the overview show the length of the track – a thin grey line every minute, and a thick grey line every 5 minutes. The overview will be filled when you load the track onto a Virtual Deck. On slower computers, you should disable auto fill overviews in the setup screen. See “Preparing

Your Files” on page 10 and “AutoFill Overviews” on page 28.

Main Waveform Display

This view provides a close-up of the track, including color coding to show the frequency of the sound; red representing low frequency bass sounds, green representing midfrequency sounds and blue representing high-frequency treble sounds. You can also switch to a three-band

spectrum view	by holding
the ctrl key and	clicking on

the waveform. Click on the waveform to ‘scrub’ or make

fine adjustments to your position within the track. This applies to int mode only, and may be useful if you wish to set cue points in your tracks without your turntables or CD players connected. The Main Waveform is zoomed around the current position in the track. See “Cue Points” on page

16 and “Scratch Live Modes” on page 14.

TIP: Use the + and – keys to zoom in and out. TIP:Waveformcanbeeitherverticalorhorizontal.

See “Horizontal Waveforms” on page 28.

Kick Drum

In this example, the red part of the wave represents a kick drum, while the purple part represents a snare drum.

Snare Drum

Beat Matching Display

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: The following is a demonstration of using the visual aids to help beat match. In this example, the track that is playing is on the left deck, and the track to be mixed in is on the right deck.

12	RANE SL 3 FOR SERATO SCRATCH LIVE • OPERATOR’S MANUAL 1.9