The DJ software company Serato has had a long-standing successful collaboration with Rane, well-known producers of audio equipment based in the United States. Their combination of software and hardware works like a charm, as the case has been for years now.
Perhaps the most famous collaboration between Serato and Rane is the SL1 audio interface made by Rane, featuring the Serato Scratch Live DJ software. This piece of Rane DJ gear with the Serato logo on it was used worldwide and it still is, but there have been some changes.
In other words, their long journey came to an end in 2013, when Rane ceased the production of its famous TTM 57SL and SL1 audio interfaces. These devices don’t support Scratch Live anymore because they’re outdated, but others have taken over.
So, Now What?
There’s nothing to worry about! As I said, there are plenty of other Rane DJ hardware that work with Scratch Live, if not all of them. Note that Serato has replaced Scratch Live with Serato DJ, which is why these two might be interchangeable sometimes throughout the text.
Rane continued to produce audio interfaces and launched the SL-2, SL-3, SL-4, all of which include Scratch Live and the update to Serato DJ Pro software. As for the Rane DJ mixers, the Sixty-One, Sixty-Two, and Sixty-Eight are perfectly compatible with Serato DJ software.
In theory, you could download and use the Rane SL1 audio interface, but know that you won’t be able to upgrade to Serato DJ, as that software has replaced Scratch Live.
Why Can’t I Use SL-1 With Serato DJ Pro?
No matter how sad it makes us, we have to admit that the Rane SL1 Scratch Live audio interface is an old and outdated device. At the time, it had everything a true interface should have, but that’s not the case anymore.
With the SL1, there are two inputs for turntables or CD players. Also, there’s another line to plug in a microphone. As for the sound outputs, there are two stereo lines, and two thru outputs.
Moreover, the ASIO drivers packed with the SL1 allowed you to use the interface with another Windows app, as a multi-channel sound card. Unfortunately, it didn’t have Core Audio Drivers to be used for Mac.
With that being said, and the fact that the SL1 is a USB 1.1 device, it’s clear why this unit has been discontinued. Let me explain to you why this is not the best option for an audio interface or any DJ gear for that matter.
USB 2.0 VS USB 1.1
In 2011, Rane launched its new SL audio interface – SL-2 Scratch Live. The new piece was said to have an easier hook-up than the SL1. Plus, it’s a USB 2.0 device. At the same time, the company claimed better-sounding 24-bit converters.
And guess what, Rane was right! The SL-2 Scratch Live is a far better option than the SL1 in many ways. I won’t analyze them right now, although I will dedicate overview headlines to each of the audio interfaces further on. For now, let’s see why USB 2.0 is so much better.
The main reason is their data transfer capacity, also known as bitrate. This is measured in Mbps or Mbit/s, which I’m sure you’re familiar with. There is a minimum and maximum bandwidth that determines how fast and how much data the USB drive can transfer.
With the USB 1.1, the numbers are very low. The minimum bandwidth or lowest speed stands at 1.5 Mbps, and it can reach 12 Mbps at full speed. In comparison, a USB 2.0 drive has a full speed of data transfer of 480 Mbps. See the difference?
In other words, there is no way the SL-1, a USB 1.1 device, would support the advanced Serato DJ software.
Digital Vinyl System (DVS) – Explained
To understand the difference between interfaces, we should first cover what an audio interface is used for. To make that clear, let’s put in a few words about the Digital Vinyl System, or DVS. After that, we can discuss the pros and cons of particular audio interfaces.
The only reason why you would need an interface is so you could use the DVS software. Digital Vinyl Systems allow you to use vinyl records or CDs, as well as play tracks through your laptop.
Surely you’ve heard people saying: “These are not actual vinyl, these are my Serato vinyl records.” or: ”I have some control CDs that I use.” Using turntables and CD players along with DJ software is now possible thanks to time code technology.
Timecode Vinyl
When you purchase a DVS DJ software, whether it’s Serato, Traktor, or Virtual DJ, you should get two pieces of vinyl. There is nothing unusual about this vinyl, they’re the same size as the others (12”) – same feel, weight, and colors.
But once you try and play them, you’ll notice that they are empty, i.e. they don’t contain any audio data whatsoever. That’s what makes them special, or should I say – timecoded – vinyl! So, what does that actually mean and how are these records important in DJing?
If you place the stylus of your turntable on the timecoded vinyl (also called control vinyl), you will not hear a song, but a continuous beep, like an occupied phone line. Those are the signals that your control vinyl uses to send data to your computer, i.e. that’s how they communicate.
Once a connection is set, you can select a track you wanna mix on your computer, and that one will be played on the vinyl record. The song is now “owned” by the vinyl and as of that moment, you manipulate it through your turntable or timecoded vinyl.
So basically, everything you do on the vinyl will be recognized by the laptop. If you take and spin the track backwards, the same thing will happen on your laptop.
Why Do You Need Audio Interface?
When people hear the term audio interface it sounds like something super-complicated to understand. In reality, that’s just your sound card. Know that when someone says sound card, they mean interface, and vice-versa. There is no difference.
But what is it and why do you need an audio interface to DJ? Because your DJ mixer, controller, or whatever it is you’re using must have more than one sound output. In other words, you will need separate outputs that can play different tracks.
As a DJ, you listen to one song through the headphones, played on deck A, while the master track is already spinning on the other deck as the audio output goes through the speakers. That’s why you need at least two outputs, for the headphones and speakers, or monitors.
Most laptops usually just have one output, the one for the headphones. So, where would you plug in the speakers? The same goes for your DJ equipment: an audio interface will allow you to plug in various hardware, such as a microphone, headphones, or even another mixer.
But the audio interface also plays a significant role in the DVS software. Remember the continuous beeping tone we talked about earlier? That’s the tone that gets digitally converted by the audio interface, which then sends that digitized file to the laptop.
Once the DJ software understands this data, you can manipulate the track via your turntable. Moreover, the DJ interface will significantly increase the sound quality of your output.
How To Connect Your SL Audio Interface To Hardware
Connecting your DJ interface with a controller or a mixer (hardware) is an easy task. All you have to do is follow these basic instructions, and you’ll be good to go. With every purchased interface comes a pair of RCA and USB cables, so you should already own a couple of cords.
On the back of your DJ interface, you have inputs and outputs, which you will use to connect it to your hardware. Usually, DJ controllers have a built-in sound card so you don’t really need an audio interface.
However, mixers generally need an external audio interface, especially if you want to record your master mix. Without further ado, follow these steps to successfully connect your DJ interface to a hardware device.
- On the back of your audio interface, find the two sound outputs you’ll be using. They represent the two channels on your mixer. Of course, if you want to use more channels, you’ll need more than two sound outputs.
- Connect the outputs with the two-channel inputs on your DJ console, using both ends of the RCA cable.
- Finally, connect the audio interface with your laptop via USB cable.
That’s it when it comes to the setup process.
Anyway, quite often you need to do a bit more to have it working full-steam ahead. I’m talking about drivers that sometimes you have to install and sometimes you don’t. It’s just like buying a new computer – you need drivers to make it work properly.
This is almost always the case if you’re using Windows XP or some other Microsoft-made operating system. With Apple, this is rarely the case, but it could still happen depending on your particular Mac model.
How Do I Record My DJ Sets?
You can use your DJ interface to record your mix. The sound coming from your mixer’s channels will be run to the interface through an output that you’ll choose. The rest will be taken care of by the DJ software.
So, the first thing you need to do is to find a free output on your DJ mixer. There could be an actual recording output, but you can just use the auxiliary one (AUX). Basically, you can use any available output you see.
Once you’ve plugged the jacks into the output on your mixer, take the other end of the RCA and plug it into the auxiliary input on your interface. Now the mixer will freely send data from the channels into the sound card.
Also, make sure that you have the switch on the back of your interface turned to Line. Then, you open your Serato DJ software, or Traktor if that’s what you’re using, and open the recording sections.
Your software will ask you to select your input, so in our case, that would be the auxiliary interface input. In Serato, this would be marked as Channel 3, since Channel 1 and 2 are already hooked up and reserved for the two decks.
Finally, you select the destination on your computer where you’d like your recording to go. Once you’re done with that, make sure to increase the volume coming out of your mixer output, press recording and you’re good to go!
SL-2 vs SL-3 vs SL-4
We already made it clear that there’s no way you could incorporate the SL-1 Scratch Live with your Serato DJ software. Of course, you have other options as both Serato and Rane have moved on and created newer hardware and software units to succeed the SL-1 Scratch Live, suitable for Serato DJ Pro and Lite.
Throughout the years, Rane has launched lots of DJ hardware including mixers, interfaces, and controllers. After the SL-1 Scratch Live, came the SL-2, followed by the SL-3 and SL-4. Let’s go over these newer interfaces that are suitable with the new versions of Serato DJ software.
Rane SL-2
The Rane SL-2 Scratch Live replaced the famous SL-1. As I mentioned, the SL-2 was launched in order to keep up with developments in technology and the Serato DJ software which replaced Scratch Live.
The first update to the SL-2 was the USB 2.0 port input. Yes, a 2.0 USB was considered an innovation, so that’s how outmoded the SL-1 actually is. In case you missed it, I wrote about the difference between these two types of USB inputs in a section above.
With the SL-2, you get two decks of Serato Scratch Live control, which means that you can carry on and mix using the two channels you have on your DJ mixer. The SL-2 can be connected to your DJ controller, but the main purpose is to use time code.
The SL-2 unit has ASIO and Core Audio drivers that will allow you to play an audio application on your Mac OS X or Windows system.
Another innovation is a tiny little switch that you could find on the back that allows you to shift between CDs if you’re using a CD player, or phono if you’re using a mixer. Now, there’s only one switch, so you have to choose one input that you’re going to use.
Unlike SL-1, the SL-2 is 44.1 and 48 kHz capable. This means it can transfer data much faster as it can support more bandwidth than the SL1.
Finally, Rane has put an additional jack for the optional power supply. In case you ever need it, you can plug in an adapter and keep mixing.
Rane SL-3
The SL-3 audio interface is much more advanced than the SL-2. As the name suggests, it offers three decs that you can control. Just like its predecessor, the SL-3 allows the use of time code via the inputs on the back.
There is a left deck, a right deck, and an auxiliary (AUX) input, that you could actually use as a third deck in Scratch Live. However, the third auxiliary input has more to offer. You could record your master mix from the hardware back into the Serato DJ software.
The SL3 interface also has the USB 2.0 input, with a lock-in device that will make sure your USB doesn’t fall off or lose contact in any way. In the same manner, it includes an additional jack for a power supply adapter.
What’s been improved from the SL-2 are the three switches the SL3 has in the back. If you remember, the SL-2 only allowed you to choose CD or phono, while with the SL3 you get the freedom to choose as many inputs as you want.
Well, you can choose up to three, but you know what I mean.
Rane SL-4
Gradually, the SL-4 gives us the opportunity to connect four channels to the audio interface. In other words, it comprises four sets of inputs and outputs, plus an auxiliary deck. You can use that one to record your mixes from all the four channels you will use in your DJ set.
The revolutionary feature it brought is the two 2.0 USB ports, making it a two-in-one DJ interface. Of course, that’s due to the big number of decks. In case you want to use all four channels from Scratch Live, you’ll have to plug the USB cables into your PC.
Just like the SL3, it has switches in the back that allow you to shift between CD and phono. All four decks work independently, so in theory, you could connect different hardware to all four channels and use them simultaneously.
Another similarity with the SL3 is the power outlet in the back and the power supply adapter that’s featured on the SL4. However, the most incredible thing regarding sound quality is that the SL-4 is 48 and 96 kHz capable.
The SL-4 also includes ASIO and Core Audio drivers that allow the unit to be used as a tool for music production using third-party software apps.
To sum up, they are two separate sound cards. You can have one sound card/audio interface(USB A) connected to one laptop, and another sound card (USB 2) to a different laptop. These two could be connected by mind-blowing technology called The Bridge.
The Bridge
The Bridge is a DJ tool that allows you to connect two independent interfaces running two different DJ software programs. It exists as a result of the collaboration between Ableton and Serato, and the outcome is mind-blowing.
The Bridge was an attempt to unite the customers that were either using both DJ software programs or are yet to choose which one they want. Although this might seem unnecessary – it isn’t. What one software lacks, the other one makes up for, and The Bridge unites the best from both worlds.
Serato Video (SL)
The Serato Video SL was a plug-in for Scratch Live which no longer exists, just like the software in question. But don’t worry, these have only been replaced by newer and improved versions. It costs $99.
So, nowadays you would use Serato Video, a plug-in that you would install to your Serato DJ Pro software. It will allow you to perform video mixing, i.e. use video effects and other video-related tricks in your DJ sets. It’s a very cool innovation and a necessity for audio-video DJs.
The Serato Video SL works with a wide array of video formats and it’s compatible with both your Mac and Windows. Moreover, you get 40 visuals for your audio and video set that are royalty-free and ready to be utilized.
With Serato Video, you get additional master effects that you can apply to your mix. You can leave the video effects on, while you crossfade between the tracks. Additionally, there is karaoke mode if you get in the mood.
The best thing about it is Syphone support, an open-source Mac OS X technology that allows you to share your video content with third-party apps in real-time. Most of the time, you will use it to connect your Serato Video (SL) to mapping software like After Effects, for example.
But the most interesting effect in Serato Video (SL) is the audio-linked effects. What this means is that the effects that are happening with the audio in your mix will be reflected in the video. For instance, a distortion in your song will shake the video.
How To Use Serato Video (SL)
The first thing you should do when you open the video mixing interface inside Serato DJ is to make sure you’ve clicked on the video tab in the upper left corner, to view the video interface. In the middle, you will see two video channels – left and right.
On the channels, you will see a preview of the clips you’ve uploaded earlier. If you haven’t done that yet, you can easily do it by pressing the in the middle. Another way to do this is to simply drag and drop the clips onto the windows.
In the middle window, you will see the preview of the clip that’s being played currently. Just like with audio channels, below the video, you have a crossfader and you will slide it to decide which clip will be your master clip.
To individually fade your videos in and out, use the video faders that each window has right next to it. So, everything is just like mixing two tracks together using a mixer, but this time we’re introducing and combining two video clips.
Below them, you will notice that there is a link button, which connects the video channel fader to the hardware output, like a projector or another device that you’re using to present your VJing to the audience.
Video Effects
Right next to the faders in your Serato Video, you have the video effects dropdown menu, where you can select which effect you’d like to apply to your clip. You can use two effects simultaneously as there are two menus per deck that you can choose from.
To make it live, you have to click on the ON button, whereas right next to it, on the right, there is a virtual knob where you would control the volume of the effect.
There are a variety of effects that you can choose from such as the kaleidoscope effect, which we all know is pretty amazing. You could always play around with the lighting effect, and of course, adjust the equalizer so you have a sharp image to project.
Also, the recording effect is a must. You want to have a recording of your performance as it will give you the best insight into your work. Plus, it’s an infinite source of inspiration for future content.
Associate
Right next to the link button, you will find the associate tab. This is a very useful tool that’s almost a necessity for VJs, especially for beginners. This will allow you to associate a song with a clip, so that every time you play a song, the clip that you chose to go with that song will also start playing.
To do that, you need to select a song and hit the associate tab right next to the link button and immediately under the dropdown menu. When a song is associated, a small icon appears right next to it.
This will be remembered every time you turn on Serato Video. Of course, if you no longer feel like a certain song should go with the clip you chose, you can always unassociate it and assign a different clip or no clip at all to it.
To do that, you will have to hold the CTRL SHIFT keys together and click the associate button once more.
SaveFX
The SaveFX is probably the most important feature in Serato Video. As the name suggests, it allows you to set all your effects and then save them. Sounds very simple to make a big deal out of it, but this button saves VJ lives (not literally).
People sometimes spend hours setting the right effects to a video – you know how visuals can get. So if you’ve spent so much time doing something that you love and it turned out great, you definitely don’t want to lose it.
Obviously, by hitting the SaveFX tab you will automatically associate a song to a clip for later use.
Serato Scratch Live
If you’re an entry-level DJ, you’ve probably heard all kinds of stories regarding Scratch Live and how cool and revolutionary it was. The older DJs can second that, and as one of them, I agree that this DJ software was something different at the time.
What Was So Special About The Serato Scratch Live?
Let’s make things clear from the start: Serato Scratch Live has been discontinued and replaced by Serato DJ. However, Scratch Live is the basis for the later created Serato DJ and was super-advanced software for its time.
Serato Scratch Live was a DJ software that allowed vinyl emulation and was used by DJs who wanted to keep using their turntables but would prefer to play songs from their computer. It went hand-in-hand with the DVS system which I wrote about earlier.
The DVS system was introduced in 2001, and Serato Scratch came three years after. It was a completely new DJ software on the market compatible with both Mac and Windows.
The Scratch Live DJ software was the first-ever software to allow the end-user to incorporate digital audio files and turntables at the same time. It was the first mixing system that worked like actual vinyl.
But I’d say the two most revolutionary features that made it so popular were the Pro Tools plug-in and the time-stretching effect, or Pitch N Time, its official name. The first attracted mostly people from the music production industry, while the latter, the time stretching, was alluring for DJs.
Time stretching, in case you didn’t know, is the ability to manipulate a song’s tempo without messing up the pitch. Without it, you’d have squeaky vocals or blurry bass, when speeding or slowing a track up and down.
The opposite would be pitch stretching when the tempo stays the same and the pitch goes up or down.
Serato Scratch Live Custom Hardware
Nowadays, Serato DJ offers a variety of hardware specifically designed to go with the software. Most of Serato’s hardware partners still collaborate with the software company, and Rane is just one of them.
Apart from the SL audio interfaces that were specially designed for Serato Scratch Live, other custom hardware includes a number of high-quality Rane DJ mixers. Those are:
- Rane Sixty-Eight
- Rane Sixty-Two
- Rane Sixty-One
- Rane TTM 57SL
- MP4
Serato continued to support some of them once it left Scratch Live behind.
Just like the software itself, the Rane Sixty-Eight mixer is a real piece of DJ gear. It was initially made for Scratch Live 2.0 but has since been upgraded to Serato DJ and that’s how you can use it to this day.
The Sixty-Eight is a pretty big four-channel DJ mixer, perfect for clubs and large venues. There are two separate USB inputs since there is a possibility to support up to four virtual decks. If you don’t wanna use all of the channels, you can just use one USB.
Serato also continued supporting the Sixty-One and Sixty-Two DJ mixers with the new software. Just like their cousin the Sixty-Eight, these two are pretty solid DJ equipment.
The Sixty-One has the great build quality and features of the Sixty-Eight, but it’s half its size. It’s a two-channel mixer and therefore has only one USB input. Furthermore, the Sixty-Two also offers support for two decks, but I’ve always found it more attractive than the One.
Unfortunately, another cool unit that we all loved, the Rane TTM 57SL mixer, didn’t get the privilege of continued support. Just like the SL1, it became history for Serato after it made Scratch Live a legacy.
The Rane TTM 57SL is an amazing DJ audio mixer console, combining features typically known for controllers. With this unit, you could have cue points, but you could also trigger effects independently from the mixer, rather than just those in Scratch Live.
Unfortunately, the Rane TTM 57SL is no longer supported by Serato DJ software.
The MP4 is just another cool DJ mixer made in collaboration between Rane and Serato. It has a USB input and an audio interface with the features of the SL1. You could use it with both Mac and Windows operating systems.
The MP4 unit also has ASIO and Core Audio drivers installed, so you wouldn’t have any problems playing an audio application on your Mac OS X or Windows 7, 8, or XP. So, it’s an overall solid and progressive mixer that sadly didn’t make the cut.
Serato Scratch Live Accessories
Scratch Live wasn’t only associated with Rane hardware. The famous Serato DJ software was incorporated in various DJ controllers, called Serato accessories in our world. Let’s take a look at some of them, and see what happened to each unit after Serato “moved on”.
The difference between a third-party accessory and a regular DJ controller that works with Serato is in the setup. The ones that we will discuss next don’t require time-coded control CDs to work with Scratch Live. All data is transferred via USB.
So, where to start? Scratch Live had a large army of third-party devices and they were all so cool. Here’s a list of the Scratch Live third-party accessories that I’ll talk more about.
- Denon DN-HC1000S
- Denon DN-HC4500
- Vestax VFX-1
- Novation Dicer
- Pioneer CDJ-2000
- Pioneer CDJ-400
- Pioneer CDJ-900
- Pioneer CDJ-350
- Pioneer MEP-7000
- Pioneer CDJ-850
The Most Famous Third-Party Accessories
Voila! I hope I got them all. Anyhow, I got the most “important”, i.e. most popular and used ones. I’d say the Denon DN-HC1000S, Pioneer CDJ-2000, and Novation Dicer CDJ controllers are at the top of the list. But the others are also super-important for Scratch Live.
I was most happy with Serato’s decision to continue the support for Pioneer CDJ-2000 as well as the nexus extended version. This is still one of my dearest pieces of hardware associated with Serato DJ.
The difference between the CDJ-2000 and CDJ-2000nexus is the option to share songs among players that were initially analyzed in Rekordbox. Everything would be saved – your BPM changes, tempos, anything really.
What Was So Special About The CDJ-2000?
The Pioneer CDJ-2000 CDJ controller was an excellent addition to the Scratch Live and later Serato DJ software. This is a professional CDJ, also called a Multi Control, with a cool LCD touch screen and super-fast, streamlined track selection.
It also has eight hot cues which will help you to start a song exactly where you want to, or trigger your favorite part in a track with a single press of a button. It’s pretty advanced processor-wise, comprising a 96 kHz/24-bit sound card.
But the most important thing still remains the featured access to songs that have been analyzed in the CDJ’s natural software – Rekordbox. Of course, the CDJ-2000 wasn’t the only one to make the cut.
When Serato announced that it’s making changes and moving on to Serato DJ, thus ending Scratch Live, people were panicked over what would happen to their libraries, hardware, and so on.
Denon DN
Along with Pioneer’s CDJ-2000s, another cool accessory made the cut – the Denon DN HC1000S controller – and it soon became an official piece of Serato DJ hardware.
The DN HC1000S DJ controller now works just fine with Serato DJ and is one of the best units on the market. This is a MIDI controller which means that you could play a virtual instrument on it without the need to include your PC keyboard.
In case you want to use it with different DJ software, you can have a great MIDI map transcription with the DN HC1000S controller. So, this unit is another star in the Serato accessories hall of fame.
What About The Rest?
Other accessories, like the Pioneer CDJ-400, have been completely discontinued and archived by Serato. Sure, you could still purchase this unit but without Serato support.
The same thing happened to others, like the Pioneer CDJ-900. However, the CDJ-850 and 350 can still be found with Serato DJ support. Most newer controllers nowadays are compatible with any kind of software, so even if there is no Serato, it’s not the end of the world.
Summary
A lot has been written on this topic. The Serato logo has been present for a long time on Rane’s audio interfaces, especially the SL1 which started the whole thing. However, all good things come to an end, and the DJ industry isn’t spared this cliche. But as one story ends, another one begins.
Let’s try and put all this information in a timeline that will make it simpler and easier to understand what happened with the Serato support for the Rane SL1 interface, and what are the options for DJs now.
The Beginning Of An Era
So, how did it all go down? What were the main concerns of the users regarding the compatibility issues between Serato and the SL1 audio interface?
The story begins in 2004, when Rane teams up with Serato DJ to produce the famous Scratch Live. A year before that, Serato had just introduced Scratch Live the studio edition, which marked the start of a whole new era for DJ software.
This was the first digital vinyl system to work properly and in full capacity. It was the first one that actually let DJs feel as if they’re mixing real vinyl records, without any limitations. In other words, that’s what the SL1 gave to the industry.
As the years passed, Rane focused solely on producing hardware that would be compatible with Serato Scratch Live. It soon introduced its new DJ mixer, the MP4, followed by Rane TTM 57SL, which was the first ever to have built-in Scratch Live functions.
With the TTM 57SL DJ mixer, users were able to connect it with the new Serato Video SL plug-in and mix video files with the songs they’re playing. This phenomenon was later named VJing. But Serato and Rane didn’t stop there.
The Rane Revolution
In 2009, Rane took a step further and produced the revolutionary SL3 audio interface comprising three channels, i.e. three inputs that allowed you to introduce a third turntable if needed. The sound of the SL3 was also a huge improvement on the SL1.
I think that this moment already foreshadowed that the SL1 will soon become history. Only a year after, Rane launched its probably most famous mixer of all times – the Sixty-Eight. This was the first mixer in the world to have two USB inputs.
That meant that two DJs could perform at the same time (the popular DJ handoffs, as we call them). Naturally, the SL1 was a bad fit for the ever-evolving DJing industry that was only going forward in producing more “complicated” technology.
The End For SL1
The fatal year for the SL1 interface was 2011. Rane placed two better interfaces on the market – SL2 and SL4. Opposing our logic, the SL4 interface for Scratch Live came before the SL2.
SL4 was an interface that took it further even than the SL3. It had 4 inputs and outputs, plus an auxiliary input to be used to record the mixer’s output. Mixing your own mixes was not an everyday thing back then.
Legacy
Finally, with the introduction of the SL2 later that year, the SL1 became history. It had a much easier hookup, a USB 2.0 connection, and much faster data transferral thanks to the higher bandwidth capacity.
Two years later, Serato replaced Scratch Live with Serato DJ, which we use to this day in the forms of Serato Lite and Pro. Users were confused after having the first compatibility issues with the SL1.
Soon, Serato came out with an announcement that the long-lasting relationship had come to an end.
Although Serato continued its support for users of the SL1, it soon became pointless to use it. The support for Scratch Live continued until 2015, when it completely stopped.
As for the users of the new Serato DJ, the libraries, MIDI maps, and similar specs were updated to work just as they did with the Scratch Live.
FAQ
Is SL1 Still Good?
You can still use an SL1 if you have it somewhere in your apartment. However, with Scratch Live only being a legacy for Serato at the moment, you won’t be able to enjoy as many features as are available with more modern technology. Also, sound quality is way lower than on the other SL interfaces.
Is Scratch Live Free?
Scratch Live was free. Now it’s replaced by Serato DJ Pro and Lite. The Lite is only compatible with DJ controllers, while Pro is free for up to fifteen DJ mixers. Some of those include Pioneer DJM 900 and Pioneer DJM-S3.