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Topic: Why virtual dj is better than serato dj and why i am going to switch soon - Page: 1

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Ok so recently i bought a pioneer ddj-sx loved the hardware and loved just about everything about it. I was excited to be switching from vdj to serato dj which was supposedly a much more "professional" software.

First day using serato and analyzing my files i noticed that almost all of my BPM calculations were TOTALLY wrong. So i went on the forum and asked about it only to learn that this is a known issue in serato and the company does not care to do anything about it to fix it. I said ok whatever and i ended up buying a third party software to detect bpm's accuratly.

Now here is the thing, even though i now had accurate bpm calculations serato dj was analyzing HORRIBLY wrong beat grids. So again i went on the forum and asked about it only to learn that this is also a known problem in serato and the company does not intend to fix anytime soon.

I had to accept that and i started manually beatgridding my library of 3000 songs. i finished that after about 2 weeks. Well after all of that i should be able to enjoy the awesomeness of serato now right? Well NOPE because then i realized that serato was not saving autogain calculations of my tracks. So when i mix songs the volume levels are extremely different and one song will be super LOUD and the next song i mix in is like super quiet.

So after this long and painful string of problems i am now going to switch back to vdj. A software that i never had any real problems with. I really dont see what makes serato so "professional" when it can't do basic things.
 
Posted Fri 31 Jan 14 @ 3:12 pm
welcome back to reality ;)
 
I hear you on the serato dj and you have to put the "fix" into perspective. I am confident that they will fix it faster than what it's taking VDJ8 to come out.

I was a long time VDJ user until I got my denon 3900s and I encountered nothing but issues so I made the switch and purchased an SL3 box and I haven't looked back. I don't plan on making the switch to serato dj, I will continue to use SSL knowing that serato will not proviide any future updates for it. I am going to give VDJ a try once 8 comes out and see how it performs with my decks and if it's the VDJ of old, meaning when I had my 3700s and everything worked perfectly in midi mode, than I will switch back to VDJ.
 
Feliciano21 wrote :
.... I am confident that they will fix it faster than what it's taking VDJ8 to come out.


no big deal. fixing a software is easier than to build a new one...;-)
just give V8 a try....
 
true, true. I am very excited about the rebuild and know this takes time so I can wait. It usually takes time to do things correctly
 
actually it is not a rebuild. the software is written completely new....
 
Not to mention I can't even run Serato DJ because apparently I have too many iTunes playlists. Apparently SDJ is a 32 bit program so it has memory limits. Because of this All it does is run out of memory on start up and force close on me. Unless I start it with my controller disconnected, then go into settings and shut off iTunes, then plug my controller in.

Supposed to have been addressed by now... Not a professional product and they are behind the times. SDJ was supposed to be the "big update" yet they made it 32bit crap.

VDJ has no issues handling things. Wait for 8 all you want, personally 7 is still better than the S word.
 
prandwg wrote :


So after this long and painful string of problems i am now going to switch back to vdj. A software that i never had any real problems with..




+1
 
Only area where SDJ is better than VDJ is timecode only because its dedicated. But thats what has me on the fence. VDJ timecode is good but can be improved. But since im using a controller for mobile stuff it doesnt matter..but i do wish to bring out the 1200s..like im djing a party and a master of the mix is supposed to be a guest of the family and i wanna blow his mind with letting him rip up on VDJ on 1200s...so i hope v8 drops before march. and is on point. timecode wise anyway.
 
prandwg wrote :
Well NOPE because then i realized that serato was not saving autogain calculations of my tracks. So when i mix songs the volume levels are extremely different and one song will be super LOUD and the next song i mix in is like super quiet.


I get your overall problems, but I don't really see your issue here on this point. The SX has trim controls and VU's on each channel - you can actually see the levels of your tracks before you bring them in. I specifically bought a controller with channel meters because I want to have that type of control - not just be trusting the software.
 
you can map your VU meters to either pre or post fader, on my VCI-400 I have it go pre when the volume slider is at 0% otherwise post ;-)
 
synth let me get that map^^^. Also i want to make echodoppler act like the ducking echo like from the djm-909
 
prandwg wrote :
Well NOPE because then i realized that serato was not saving autogain calculations of my tracks. So when i mix songs the volume levels are extremely different and one song will be super LOUD and the next song i mix in is like super quiet.


Use mixmeisters stand alone bpm analizer.
 
RobRoy wrote :
actually it is not a rebuild. the software is written completely new....

even better
 

Tried Serato DJ. Meh. As far as I am concerned, it is lacking two very important features. Number one, a preview function. That you have to load a song onto a deck to preview it is just a waste of time. And two, Content Unlimited. This feature alone is worth the price of admission. To have access to such a huge library of tunes that go directly into the software was a game-changer for me. I have only been stumped a couple of times, and I have had some VERY obscure requests!

Honestly, I will take VDJ over Serato any day. I guess at the end of the day you go with whatever works for you...as a regularly gigging DJ I will stick with the one that hasn't let me down yet!!!
 
prandwg wrote :
Ok so recently i bought a pioneer ddj-sx loved the hardware and loved just about everything about it. I was excited to be switching from vdj to serato dj which was supposedly a much more "professional" software.

First day using serato and analyzing my files i noticed that almost all of my BPM calculations were TOTALLY wrong. So i went on the forum and asked about it only to learn that this is a known issue in serato and the company does not care to do anything about it to fix it. I said ok whatever and i ended up buying a third party software to detect bpm's accuratly.

Now here is the thing, even though i now had accurate bpm calculations serato dj was analyzing HORRIBLY wrong beat grids. So again i went on the forum and asked about it only to learn that this is also a known problem in serato and the company does not intend to fix anytime soon.

I had to accept that and i started manually beatgridding my library of 3000 songs. i finished that after about 2 weeks. Well after all of that i should be able to enjoy the awesomeness of serato now right? Well NOPE because then i realized that serato was not saving autogain calculations of my tracks. So when i mix songs the volume levels are extremely different and one song will be super LOUD and the next song i mix in is like super quiet.

So after this long and painful string of problems i am now going to switch back to vdj. A software that i never had any real problems with. I really dont see what makes serato so "professional" when it can't do basic things.



You have to realize the audience of Serato. MOST of the DJs that use Serato, specially Scratch Live, will not care about beat grids. They just don't use em. I don't. Also with regards to BPM, MOST Serato DJs will just tap it out or count it manually and input it. There is also a way to narrow the BPM range to force the software to count within a specific range. IE if you know the BPM is between 70-75BPM you can narrow down your range (the button to the right of Analyze button). Or do what I do, just manually count it and type it in. I have this issue with VDJ too, where it will sometimes double or half the BPM or round up. No biggie, just count it manually and override the software. In my experience this only happens less than 1% of tracks analyzed in either software. Even in Traktor.

With regards to the levels issue, I only dnld 320 bit rate tracks. That is why I hate iTunes. I find that in both software, VDJ and Serato, this tends to keep the gains just right. But yeah, it can be a cumbersome, cause I have a lot of tracks from early on, late 90's, that are 128-192bit rates. Cumbersome yes, but manageable when you are cueing the tracks, you just adjust accordingly. Even easier if you have VU meters on each channel.

Every software will have its ups and downs. NEVER LET SOFTWARE TAKE OVER YOUR DJ'ing. Using your ears to adjust EQ and Gains, Counting BPM manually and Bars are the very basic part of DJing. All of which have been done successfully before software was ever invented.

If your car breaks down and you need to get somewhere with nothing else, you go back to the old ways, you walk.
 
xcakid wrote :
NEVER LET SOFTWARE TAKE OVER YOUR DJ'ing. Using your ears to adjust EQ and Gains, Counting BPM manually and Bars are the very basic part of DJing. All of which have been done successfully before software was ever invented.


Hear, hear.
 
hahaha this is so funny...
 
@ratedx

you have to map both the volume sliders and the VU's

volume slider
param_smaller 1% ? set 'vu' 0 : set 'vu' 1

vu meter
var 'vu' ? get vu_meter : get level

you can change the percentage if you want to delay the change a little
 
I think the best software is the one that works best for you at the time, really it all depends on what equipment your using and how your using it.

No need to make comparisons or go on about which is best, use them all as and when.
 
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