Serato vs Traktor Pro 2 vs Traktor Scratch Pro 2

[KLH]

... umm... shouldn't you eventually have both so that you can rock any setup?

I know... blasphemy.

-KLH

[Finnish_Fox]

... umm... shouldn't you eventually have both so that you can rock any setup? I know... blasphemy. -KLH

Don't know enough about them... seems a bit redundant, no?

How much different is TSP2 from SSL in terms of choosing tracks and using the timecode, etc?

[DJNR]

Don't know enough about them... seems a bit redundant, no?

How much different is TSP2 from SSL in terms of choosing tracks and using the timecode, etc?

Pretty much the same thing. They both load tracks, and they both have magical music vinyl.

Traktor is a beast of a program compared to SSL in terms of overall functionality, but that's not for everyone. SSL is a little more minimal and streamlined in comparison.

I think where KLH is coming from is that if you have both, you won't be limiting yourself on functionality either way. You may decide you like using software.

[Finnish_Fox]

Pretty much the same thing. They both load tracks, and they both have magical music vinyl.

All I care about right now. Haha.

Traktor is a beast of a program compared to SSL in terms of overall functionality, but that's not for everyone. SSL is a little more minimal and streamlined in comparison.

I think where KLH is coming from is that if you have both, you won't be limiting yourself on functionality either way. You may decide you like using software.

We'll see.

[mostapha]

What do you do with Ableton & SSL?

Nothing, yet. I spun with just Ableton for a year or two, and I enjoyed it. I was playing full tracks cut into sections and adding parts when I wanted to. Right now, I'm still testing it (having a click playing along) to see if beat griding in SSL is as simple as it seems to be (enter grid edit mode, shift+delete to blank the grid, hit 'x' on a down beat, save the new grid with enter) and works reliably or if it's going to be as much of a headache as gridding in Traktor (tap never worked and it only found the tempo correctly about 20% of the time, even for modern computer-made dance music) or warping in Live.

I also need to figure out if I can use a different audio interface while it's sync'd to a deck. That would make life easier. But for some reason I always forget to check when I'm spinning…still having fun just playing with vinyl (control) again compared to a year or two on a VCM-600 and then a year or two on X1s and a mixer.

The reason I moved away from Live at some point was accidentally up****** iTunes and letting it move files around before I fixed that setting. All of the sidecar files (the .asd files that save the analysis and warping information) were in the wrong place all of a sudden and it was going to be a huge pain to get my live set back up. I was basically starting over. I suppose I could have restored a backup and dealt with the issues, but I was kinda looking for a change anyway.

It'd be nice to get back to that where Live is just doing the added sections. I love the feel of vinyl and pitch faders are a lot easier to use than sync since everything sucks so bad at auto tempo detection. Realistically, I'll probably just end up using Live to host Maschine, though that'd mostly be an "I don't just play other people's music" thing for marketing/performance purposes…I could do what I want with loops in Live. I also need to figure out if I can map the stuff I have at my disposal to control Live through SSL…if I can't, it won't be worth using……not going to buy another MIDI controller. My lpd8 is enough…or maybe a set of dicers. Don't want to rely on too much other stuff because it's just too much of a pain. If I need more than that, I'll invest in hardware (octatrack or mpc1000 or something).

I keep seeing you post about warping, and I am a little confused by what you mean. Do you mean warp the tracks that you want to play within Ableton? Or are you referring to gridding in Traktor?

Setting warp markers in Ableton. I say "gridding" to refer to beat grids in Traktor or SSL.

How much different is TSP2 from SSL in terms of choosing tracks and using the timecode, etc?

They're about the same. Some terminology differences…that's about it. For very bitchy technical reasons, the Traktor timecode is supposed to be a bit tighter, but it only comes up when you're moving the record really slow.

If you use them like they're vinyl, there's not a real difference. If you do a lot of looping and hot cues…traktor has more of them, and Serato does the loop roll thing where it loops a section and when you turn it off it jumps to where the track would have been if you'd left it playing. It's useful for adding buildups for some types of music or editing tracks for language or something. Traktor can do something similar with the beat masher, but it's one of the things Traktor people envy.

The biggest difference is the UI. And if you're not using visual aids, they can both do really minimalistic views that leave the vast majority of the screen to the browser. And SSL has bigger cover art available if that's something you care about……that was the big selling point for me.

[Andrew B]

Traktor is a beast of a program compared to SSL in terms of overall functionality

I see this all the time, but I'm not sure it's correct. I wish someone would do a full-on feature comparison, using the latest available versions.

Note: Don't point me to DJTT's worthless articles on the subject.

[Finnish_Fox]

Nothing, yet. I spun with just Ableton for a year or two, and I enjoyed it. I was playing full tracks cut into sections and adding parts when I wanted to. Right now, I'm still testing it (having a click playing along) to see if beat griding in SSL is as simple as it seems to be (enter grid edit mode, shift+delete to blank the grid, hit 'x' on a down beat, save the new grid with enter) and works reliably or if it's going to be as much of a headache as gridding in Traktor (tap never worked and it only found the tempo correctly about 20% of the time, even for modern computer-made dance music) or warping in Live.

Is this for syncing or... (this who DVS thing is so new to me)?

I also need to figure out if I can use a different audio interface while it's sync'd to a deck. That would make life easier. But for some reason I always forget to check when I'm spinning…still having fun just playing with vinyl (control) again compared to a year or two on a VCM-600 and then a year or two on X1s and a mixer.

Been meaning to hook up my CDJs and (unused) X1 to TSP to fuck around. Manual mixing on CDJ and using the X1 to control the sample decks (acapellas, samples, etc.). Does this even make sense?

The reason I moved away from Live at some point was accidentally up****** iTunes and letting it move files around before I fixed that setting. All of the sidecar files (the .asd files that save the analysis and warping information) were in the wrong place all of a sudden and it was going to be a huge pain to get my live set back up. I was basically starting over. I suppose I could have restored a backup and dealt with the issues, but I was kinda looking for a change anyway.

Ouch. Computer love.

It'd be nice to get back to that where Live is just doing the added sections. I love the feel of vinyl and pitch faders are a lot easier to use than sync since everything sucks so bad at auto tempo detection. Realistically, I'll probably just end up using Live to host Maschine, though that'd mostly be an "I don't just play other people's music" thing for marketing/performance purposes…I could do what I want with loops in Live. I also need to figure out if I can map the stuff I have at my disposal to control Live through SSL…if I can't, it won't be worth using……not going to buy another MIDI controller. My lpd8 is enough…or maybe a set of dicers. Don't want to rely on too much other stuff because it's just too much of a pain. If I need more than that, I'll invest in hardware (octatrack or mpc1000 or something).

This sound fun... and very creative.

They're about the same. Some terminology differences…that's about it. For very bitchy technical reasons, the Traktor timecode is supposed to be a bit tighter, but it only comes up when you're moving the record really slow.

By tighter you mean its "better" but except when slowly moving it? Does it affect scratching?

If you use them like they're vinyl, there's not a real difference. If you do a lot of looping and hot cues…traktor has more of them, and Serato does the loop roll thing where it loops a section and when you turn it off it jumps to where the track would have been if you'd left it playing. It's useful for adding buildups for some types of music or editing tracks for language or something. Traktor can do something similar with the beat masher, but it's one of the things Traktor people envy.

RE bold: is this what the dicers do or does this work with the dicers? Or are the unrelated?

The biggest difference is the UI. And if you're not using visual aids, they can both do really minimalistic views that leave the vast majority of the screen to the browser. And SSL has bigger cover art available if that's something you care about……that was the big selling point for me.

Gotcha... cheers!

[MeowMix]

Interfaces and their costs have their place in the final decision but the key here is which software do you prefer. If you get traktor on the cheap and hate it and then have to buy Serato you will be an extra 350 down.
Pick the software first, not based on functionality alone, in the long term ease of use and (as superficial as it is) looks could also become highly annoying factors.

Hence why i am a Virtual DJ user. May i also mention that with VDJ you can use almost any audio interface, including both the Serato and NI soundcards and ran on both of their timecode vinyls and CDs. Plus if you dont like the look you can pick another skin and all future updates are free. I would mention that on a purely subjective level i do think Traktor sounds a little better than VDJ.

[mrkleen]

I see this all the time, but I'm not sure it's correct. I wish someone would do a full-on feature comparison, using the latest available versions.

Note: Don't point me to DJTT's worthless articles on the subject.

Traktor is absolutely a deeper program.....the midi mapping alone is ten miles deeper than anything on Serato.

Traktor has better effects, better ways to use loops and samples, flawless sync - with a full array of features, effects etc that are enabled by setting up proper grids, better sound cards with higher sample rates, less latency with control vinyl, and the ability to map nearly anything you can imagine to any controller you can find.

A Serato user certainly call many of those negatives - as the simplicity of SSL is one of its major selling points.

But based on the functionality and depth of the two programs, SSL isnt even in the same ballpark.

[Andrew B]

Traktor is absolutely a deeper program.....the midi mapping alone is ten miles deeper than anything on Serato.


Traktor has better effects, better ways to use loops and samples, flawless sync - with a full array of features, effects etc that are enabled by setting up proper grids, better sound cards with higher sample rates, less latency with control vinyl, and the ability to map nearly anything you can imagine to any controller you can find.


A Serato user certainly call many of those negatives - as the simplicity of SSL is one of its major selling points.


But based on the functionality and depth of the two programs, SSL isnt even in the same ballpark.

"Better" is subjective. This is why I want an in-depth feature comparison. They both have MIDI mapping, they both have effects, they both have looping and sampling. SSL also has Live integration, video, and better HID integration with CDJs. I would have said that club installations were a big advantage for SSL, but now with the DJM-900, that's all starting to change.

Obviously people will prefer one or the other depending on what they do. Personally, I don't care about effects, or looping, or sync, or sampling, or video, or complex MIDI mapping, or Ableton Live. I just want the software out of the way, basically. But I realize that different people have different needs.

I think a comparison would be beneficial to everyone, but I can't really think of anyone with significant experience with both (aside from nem0nic).