They might be latecomers to the virtual DJ party, but the latest in Stanton's SCS range looks to be very much ahead of the curveStanton have been in the DJ gear business for as long as most of us can remember, but a lot has changed in the industry in recent years. The product we're looking at here is a real departure from cartridges and turntables, and indeed, from your average DJ controller.
DaScratch is a rather unusual device, based around a set of touch-sensitive controls: there are two standalone faders (Gain and Pitch), four 'buttons', and a scratch/jog wheel-style pad, which has extra faders running through the middle. The advantage of this, apart from looking cool, is that there are no moving parts or fragile controls to break. Having said that, the inclusion of four conventional push buttons as transport controls at the bottom of the unit seems out of step with the rest of the device.
Connection is made via a USB cable that connects underneath the unit, featuring a clever cover system to hold it in place, with the cable emerging out of either the top, bottom or sides. Once wired up, you can install DaRouter - see the boxout for further info.
The Gain and Pitch sliders each work differently. Gain acts like a fader, so that if you place your finger halfway up the pad, the value will leap to this point. The Pitch control, on the other hand, is designed to be more sensitive, so that as you slide your finger up or down from the centre, its value moves by a relative amount. You may need to repeatedly stroke it to reach a desired value, and for visual reference, a line of LEDs represents each control's present setting.
Touchy feely
Actually, there are another six touch-panel buttons that aren't for direct MIDI control, but are instead used switch between two virtual decks (each of which transmits the same MIDI commands, but on two different channels), and select from one of five operational modes for the circular pad.
The EQ and FX buttons activate Slider mode,
"With Abieton Live, it worked very nicely indeed, proving particularly apt for controlling effects"
which offers up three vertical zones, with LED bars to show their current values. The Circle mode is used when the Vinyl button is selected, and allows both jog and scratch manipulation.
The Button mode is useful for triggering samples or loops. It divides the circular scratch pad up into individual response areas, which are all highlighted by red LEDs; however, it's still hard to make out exactly where each one begins and ends.
In use, this is actually a very clever system and it's very easy to put to work after a little experimentation, although the scratch function isn't quite as effective as the other controls.
Looks-wise, we reckon DaScratch will divide opinion. It's certainly colourful and well lit, and the lack of switches keeps things uncluttered, but the actual touch areas are quite hard to spot in dim light (they're not lit). The mode buttons are clearly labelled, though, making for quick and easy reference.
As for the layout and controls, everything is nicely spaced out and well placed, but to be honest, it's all a touch too small. There's a reason for volume and pitch faders often being on the chunky side and that's because, if they're not, you don't get enough travel to make delicate adjustments. Also, in some ways, it's easier to get fine control over a parameter with a physical fader tip to grip, even with the pads' LEDs to show the position of the control.
Scratch that
Of course, as well as controlling DJ software such as Native Instruments Traktor, the unit can be used to control anything that responds to MIDI. We tried it out with Abieton Live and it worked very nicely indeed, proving particularly apt for controlling effects. And, as we mentioned, it's designed to control two virtual turntables, so pressing the Deck button gives you two separate button profiles to switch between. These could be used for controlling two channels, two effects units and so on.
So, should you buy one? It's a tough one. If you like the look and fancy something decidedly different, DaScratch might well appeal. It's quite ruggedly built, and you can use more than one in conjunction (the magnetised strips at the edge lock into one another when two units are placed side by side). The way DaScratch offers a variety of modes that are appropriate for different aspects of our music software is very clever indeed, and it's hard to think of a controller that offers such a wealth of control options in as compact a package.
Nevertheless, we must reiterate that the controls are quite small, the touch-sensitive pads are often difficult to control and it can be fairly tough to see them in dim lighting.
Objectively, this is a highly innovative and cleverly executed product. Its size and the dark colour scheme will displease some yet on the flip side, it offers extreme versatility and compactness.
Our advice is to try this one out before laying down any cash. And keep at it, as it takes a while to scratch the surface of DaScratch!
Contact: dj@stantonmagnetics.com
Web: dascratch.stantondj.com
≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌
There's certainly little to be baffled by with the minimal DaRouter softwareRoute finder
As we've seen, DaScratch's controls can be configured in many of ways, and the beauty is the way it can be set up to suit both the way you work and the software you want to control.
On installing DaScratch, you fire up the DaRouter software, which lets you switch between different presets, including single- and dual-deck setups designed for Traktor, Serato Scratch Live and a generic MIDI setup that should work with any decent music app. The potential for multiple presets is huge, so it's worth checking the product website from time to time in order to see if there's a new one for your preferred software.
But what if the presets don't quite suit you? The brains of DaRouter comes from Bome's MIDI Translator, and owners of MT Pro can load presets for direct editing and running. At the moment, however, DaRouter cannot load presets you've made with Bome's nifty app - it'lll only load specially encrypted ones created by Stanton. However, it's said that the forthcoming MT Pro vi.7 will be able to produce DaRouter-compatible presets.
Our only criticism is that although Bome's MIDI Translator is undoubtedly incredibly powerful, we expect that many users would find a dedicated graphical editor much easier to grasp.
≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌
System requirements
(PC) Windows XP/Vista, USB port
(MAC) G5/lntel CPU, OS X 10.4
Test system
(MAC) MacBook Pro Intel Core2Duo 2GHz, 1GB RAM, OS X 10.5.2
(MAC)Pro Dual 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon, 2GB RAM, OS X 10.5.2
Alternatively
Novation Nocturn cm124» 10/10 » £90
Great compact controller, complete with crossfader
M-AudioX-Session Pro cm108»6/10»£79
Not as versatile or fun, but it has won a fair few fans
Verdict
FOR
- Durable
- Extremely versatile
- Very compact
- Innovative
AGAINST
- Some controls are quite small
- Can be hard to see pads in dim lighting
- Touch sensitivity can be fiddly
- It's quite pricey!
Price and size are our major concerns, but this bold product stands out from the pack of humdrum DJ controllers
MARK: 8/10
Subscribe to Computer Music Magazine:http://www.computermusic.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment