Anyone here know anything about turntables and scratching/mixing?

I've got Serato - you can record, you can loop? You can set a to-the-beat loop on 1/16th beat, 1/8, 1/4, all the way to 4beat, 8 beat, 16beat and 32beat. I haven't used Traktor but you get more effects to play with if that's your bag. If pure emulation is what you want then Serato is meant to be slightly better (total scratch emulation). As for playing 'normal' vinyl, easy as....I've got a Stanton M304 3 channel mixer, had channel 1 Line for Serato, channel 1 phono for straight through vinyl. That way you can mix and match (obviously the phono does not come through the serato s/w so you can't manipulate it a la digital)

more edit: you can use Serato to record your records if you get some decent carts for the decks, then clean up the mp3 using some other s/w. It will give you your old faves in digital.

I'd advise getting down a shop and asking someone to take you through them both.

hth
Rob

also, there's been some chat about it on this forum in the past, have a search:
bedrock.org.uk/socialise

edit : +1 on decks.co.uk - Sapphires based in norf london, excellent "play" room of all the kit.

I moved in with the missus so the decks were packed away, I went and treated myself to the Vestax VCI300 digital controller which uses a stripped down Serato s/w called Itch. Cheapest around and came with a free bag. I like it, but it's not as fun as actual decks!

haven't tried the above but heard good things about serrato form friends who dj out a lot

me and a mate went cheap and got m-audio torq and it's shit, don't get it

for shops i got my mixer form http://www.decks.co.uk/, their showroom was really nice, loads of kit, good staff too. but 4-5 years ago thought

I read some of the posts on bedrock - it seems a toss up really. At £250 traktor pro seems a bargain (duo's even cheaper!). I've been offered a secondhand (year old) serrato scratch sl1 for £200. Likesay I've had a shot and if it does record / loop then it's news to me. It's looking like traktor tbh, I had a shot of the interface about 6 years ago and it was quite neat.

I use traktor scratch pro through my laptop and use a vestax vci100 controller. I even sometimes link the kaoss pad through it all. its pure awesome

Traktor scratch pro's soundcard is much much better.

Also it is much easier to switch between records and traktor scratch. Traktor scratch comes with multicore cables which mean your soundcard doesn't have to be plugged in to play normal records.

Tracktor also comes with a lot more effects - which aren't taht good anyway

If I was you i would get traktor sratch pro now as it's half price!

Easier to switch in Traktor? What's so tough about selecting "phono" instead of "line" on a channel on your mixer? If it's easier than that with Traktor are we talking Clint Eastwood in FireFox thinking it to change? :oD

Basically, if you want to tart around and have everything beat-matched for you like a big fraud then get Traktor, if you want to keep it real and carry on mixing for the love of the art of mixing records, go Serato. Personally, I ride fixed, none of this freewheelin' ;o)

I read some of the posts on bedrock - it seems a toss up really. At £250 traktor pro seems a bargain (duo's even cheaper!). I've been offered a secondhand (year old) serrato scratch sl1 for £200. Likesay I've had a shot and if it does record / loop then it's news to me. It's looking like traktor tbh, I had a shot of the interface about 6 years ago and it was quite neat.

I use Serato to play out 2 - 3 times a week.
I can confirm for you that it definitely loops

http://serato.com/manuals/scratchlive/rane-sl3/2.1/looping

and it has a record function

http://serato.com/howtos/scratchlive/3469/how-to-record-with-the-sl-3

you can even get it to sync into ableton now

http://serato.com/thebridge

I've played out on Traktor and its cool enough. Lots of fancy filter type effects that are bound to be popular with the tech house crowd. For actual scratching though Serato wins hands down. Very stable program as well...which ultimately when I am working is what sways me.

Easier to switch in Traktor? What's so tough about selecting "phono" instead of "line" on a channel on your mixer? If it's easier than that with Traktor are we talking Clint Eastwood in FireFox thinking it to change? :oD

Basically, if you want to tart around and have everything beat-matched for you like a big fraud then get Traktor, if you want to keep it real and carry on mixing for the love of the art of mixing records, go Serato. Personally, I ride fixed, none of this freewheelin' ;o)

What the fuck are you talking about?

So if it's as easy as just switching to phono, what do you do with the phono cables from the TT when they are plugged into the soundcard????

How do you use auto beat match with traktor scratch - i would love to know.

Also as i have said the soundcard for traktor scratch is ALOT better