i've been hating on it for a looong time, but being a computer nerd as i am, it was just a matter of time for me to get it that, plus mad amounts of digital music available now and convenience of having it all in one place. anyway, not going to bore you with the sales pitch.

so my digital music is about 40% mp3 and 60% wav/aiff that i keep it in iTunes, all meticulously organized plus some iTunes apple scripts to help me manage actual files (i dont like how iTunes does it)

~/Music/DJ Tracks/Label Name/[CAT ###] Artist - Album/##. Artist - Title.(mp3|wav|aiff)

That is exactly how i keep my Vinyl - Alphabetical by label, and then by cat#.


Mmmm... wait, why am i re-typing all that. Here, a link to my thread in Serato forum:
<EDIT> Sorry, can't link to other forums. </EDIT>


To whoever uses serato here: Please read through that and tell me if you are having similar issues.
I think Serato library management needs ALOT of work, judging by all the woodoo you have to do, for all your
files to show up. And wav/aiff support kinda sucks.... or am i just too anal with all those tags?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pulse,

Not that our problems are the same but I had NO help with SSL when I first purchased it. I didn’t know about the rane forum, youtube tutorials, or any other places for help. I knew one DJ in Chicago and the Rane help line for SSL. Long story short it was a user on this forum that finally gave me the advice that I was seeking.

The problem that I had was that my files were like 80% WMA. I didn’t understand that they needed to be converted to MP3’s. Someone on this forum suggested that I convert all of my WMA’s to Mp3’s.

Well I couldn’t figure out how to do this using common conversion utilities so I did it the old-fashioned way and re-burned every single one of my CD’s to MP3 files. This was not an easy process and took several days using a few computers.

In the end I accomplished a many things:

1. I created proper crates to find my files quickly….i.e Rock Crate, Club Crate, Mash-up Crate, Hip-Hop Crate, Remix Service Crates, General Music….etc…etc
2. I was able to reduce the amount of garbage music that I had and only put on my hard-drive the stuff that I would defiantly or maybe use.
3. NO More i-Tunes issues as I don’t enable that feature.
4. When I search for songs now there is an instantaneous location of the track I want played.
5. SSL has never shut-down on me nor does it lock up or freeze.

It’s been a learning process and now I know where to look for information when I need it. That being said, I feel very comfortable with SSL now and leave all of my CD’s at home.

Except for a few disc’s loaded with Mp3’s……you never know what can happen.

I went through some issues with my library management as well. I asked a few people, and decided that ultimately it comes down to user preference.

Here's how I do mine:

On my hard drive, I have things separated by genre, then into folders alphabetically by artist name. This means if I need to find a file, change, delete, whatever, it's pretty quick to get at. I use Windows to manage my files, and TagScanner to manage my ID3 tags.

In serato, I have my whole library loaded into the "all" crate. I then have crates by "mostly used" categories: Weddings, Electronic, Hip Hop, Schools, All Time Favorites, and a few others. Under each general show type, I have subcrates that further separate things. Often, I'll have at least and "Early", "Peak", and "Late Night" crate, but I'll have some other stuff too. For example, under Weddings, I have an "Interactive" crate, where all the interactive stuff I do resides. Under the "Hip Hop" crate, I have "Crunk", "RnB", "For the Ladies", "XMixes", stuff like that. Under schools, I actually have it by category of schools: "Jr. High", "High School", "Catholic H.S", "Catholic Jr. High", and under those I have the various genres and things like that.

A crate structure like this DOES repeat a lot of things - for example, I have J.T's SexyBack in at least 5 different crates. But generally speaking, once I'm in a major crate, I rarely have to move out of it (but I do move around the subcrates a lot).

Also, it took a while to get things organized, and I'm still working on it. As I do more shows, stuff I play gets put into crates and I get more options, which is what I like. Others may like having ONLY what they're ABSOLUTELY going to play.

One thing that may help is getting a tool (you can find it on the SSL forums) called ScratchTools - it's a java based program that lets you play with your crates and such from the command line - it's very powerful. Since my music collection changes regularly, I find it's very useful for adding all my new stuff into the library all at once, so it's searchable - then, within SSL I can assign it to crates (or, as is more often the case, not).

-r-

FYI: Some of the ScratchTools have been incorporated into 1.8.

I downloaded ScratchTools and have tried to use but my lack of knowledge with Java has prevented me from using it. Are you guys able to help out in this forum? I can't even figure out where it was installed.

And before you ask, yes, I did ask on that forum and researched the Wiki site an got nowhere.

There are a couple of threads on the ScratchLive.net forums which talk about it - they have "how to's" and a bit of discussion on what it can do.

been there done that, still don't get it. I just don't get it.

Serato seems quite complicated. Would it not have been easier if it had a search tool and then you could find a track in seconds.

Off topic: Serato or Traktor (3 or Scratch)??

Uh. Serato DOES have a search tool. It's located in the middle of the screen on the right hand side.

By default, it'll search in the currently selected crate. However, if you push Ctrl-F (or pick the "All" crate) it'll search your whole library (whatever you have added).

-r-

To be perfectly honest, Serato is the EASIEST DVS I've ever used. It's just like a Pioneer player - simple and rock solid.

I agree. Maybe I am not making myself clear.

ScratchTools Software is what I am having a problem with.

I have Traktor 3 and it is very easey to use also have an option of what mixer style to use.
The inport of my music files was so easey it uses the same titles that you have your music files stored on your coumpter.

Eddie - I got that.

The problem with it is there's no GUI - you have to do everything from the command line. If you don't have the skillz that illz for the text-entry-commands, you're hooped.

I grew up and learned computers when where command lines were the only way to do things, so I have a firm grasp of the command line interface.

You'll really just have to read and learn and figure it out because everyone's system / paths are slightly different, I can't tell you how to do something as a "copy/paste".

quote:

Originally posted by mikeymstar:
I have Traktor 3 and it is very easey to use also have an option of what mixer style to use.
The inport of my music files was so easey it uses the same titles that you have your music files stored on your coumpter.

What's different about Traktor 3 to Scratch? That's cool about the mixer style.

Really, the main difference is the I/O box and timecode control CDs / vinyl.

quote:

Originally posted by Pulse:
Really, the main difference is the I/O box and timecode control CDs / vinyl.

Care to elaborate? I've been doing quite a bit of research but am struggling to find which would be best for me.

Traktor: the software
Traktor Scratch: the software (above) + an external soundcard + timecode discs.

I just bought Serato around Thanksgiving and finally got my new computer (Mac Book Pro) about a month ago...Since the day I got it, I've been using Serato for my mobile jobs as well as my club/bar jobs and have had no problems..it actually has made things MUCH easier!

While setting up the songs on your hard drive may take a lot of time (tagging all file names correctly so that Serato can understand it, building overviews, and making crates), it DOES prove useful in the long run. I have all my files tagged on my hard-drive by "artist-song title". I then load the selected songs into their sepearte crates...I use a crate structure that is easy for me..Main cataegories (Jazz,House,Promo Only, Remixes, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s,90s, Hip-hop) and then subcrates with-in certain ones (Promo Only-Mainstream radio, dance radio, Modern Rock, Urban...Jazz-traditional,swing,background...Remixes-funkymix,crooklyn clan,ultimix,selectmix...) If I need a certain song, you can just do a "search" by typing in the name of teh artist or song and highlighting "all" on your crate list so that it will search all crates...

The ease of use is all based on your crate structure and how it works best for YOU. I've seen people do it my way while other's do it based on job type (wedding crate, club crate, school dance crate) I have no problems bouncing around between crates because I knwo where my music is located and if I need something quick, I just type it in the search...

Hope this helps...

tell me all about this Serato prog?.

What exactly do you want to know?

It lets you play music off your computer using turntables or cd players as controllers.

-r-