Setting up at the venue

Installation

Scratch LIVE needs some installation to be integrated into a DJ setup. If the venue doesn’t already have an SL 1 wired into their setup, work out how much setting up you will need to do, and how much of it can be done prior.

Leads/plugs

Make sure the turntables are correctly grounded to the mixer and that they are plugged into the correct inputs of the SL 1. Bring up Scratch LIVE on your computer and make sure that tracks play forwards with the record movement, sometimes poorly serviced turntables have their RCAs swapped and this will result in the tracks playing in reverse.

Connect the thrus to the phono inputs of the mixer and the line outs to the line ins. If you’re playing with other regular DJs, you may need a power adapter for your SL 1 or to leave your laptop plugged into it to provide thrus.

Situation of gear

Make sure your laptop doesn’t get in the way of the mixer, and that the position of your SL 1 isn’t placing any stress on leads. Ensure that with lighting system on you can see your screen clearly and reach the controls quickly.

Swapping out

Playing with other DJs usually means mixing into the last track they play, if you’re unable to install your SL 1 beforehand, practice swapping the leads while one deck is still playing, dropping a tune in Scratch LIVE and then connecting the other leads. This can be fiddly, so bring a flashlight, and make sure you know which plugs are which so you can do it before the music dies!

Calibration/Sound Check

It’s important to check your setup beforehand so you know what to expect when you start DJing. All calibration should be done at the volume you will be performing at, with all potential sources of interference, especially lighting, on.

Scopes

Install your headshells and play the control vinyl from the start, check the scopes, are the circles clean? Make sure the TT’s are correctly grounded to the mixer, and that the SL 1 is set to the correct level, are the turntables line-level? If so make sure in the setup screen that Scratch LIVE knows.

Tweak the P/A and L/R knobs to get the innermost circles as round as possible.

Threshold

Stop the records, play a track in internal mode, and click estimate with the needle on the record.

Check the tracking percentage, is it hovering around 100%? If not, why not? Are there speckles in the scopes? This can mean noise and interference being picked up, if the tracking is bad try moving lights, moving power leads and turning off un-used equipment.

Sound Check

Run through some of your set with someone listening, are any of your tracks so compressed that they sound bad? Mark them in Scratch LIVE so you don’t play those ones. Make sure you don’t get drop outs and that the level from Scratch LIVE is loud while not clipping the mixer.

Check what the gain settings on the mixer should be, remember: those other DJs might not know what they’re doing!

Interference

Remember to keep your cell phone away from your DJing equipment, and find out who you should talk to if you get interference during the gig.