Digital DJs who love the Serato system can soon indulge themselves with a little piece of history and keep their control vinyls f-f-fresh and ready for action. The company is releasing special editions of the vinyls that make their system sing.
Released in 2004, Serato Scratch Live’s breakthrough was the combination of a USB computer interface that ‘listened to’ and locked into a REAL vinyl control surface. While other ‘digital DJ’ solutions required turntablists to give up their decks and take up the prodding and pushing of lumpen jog wheels in a poor simulacrum of what had been possible previously, the Serato system let established vinyl-loving DJs scratch something that looked, felt and behaved just like the real thing.
With the advent of Serato, digital DJing was no longer just for by-the-numbers tempo-matching techno heads. Now even the most rapid scratch DJ could benefit from the freedom, speed and ease of working with digital music (rather than heavy and delicate vinyl) and still spin their music in the way they wished.
The hardware/vinyl combo proved so influential to the explosion of hip hop that the system has been lyrically name-dropped in tracks by Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Drake, A$AP Rocky, Kanye and more, while artists such as Questlove, Erykah Badu, Metro Boomin, A-Track, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Snake and Disclosure are on the record as using Serato to make their music.
To celebrate their part in changing DJ culture Serato are producing 1,500 units of a Serato Scratch Live Control Vinyl - 25th Anniversary Edition to be released on October 1st.
The set – yours for $49 – features a pair of 12” 140g control vinyls encased in a commemorative 25th-anniversary jacket. The vinyls are being produced in five classic colours: black, transparent red, transparent blue, orange, and grey marble with the colour you’ll receive remaining secret until you slide them from their sleeves…
Founded in New Zealand by Steve West and AJ Bertenshaw, Serato launched its first product, the much-loved Pitch ‘n Time software back in 1999 becoming the industry standard for time-stretching audio (a miracle at the time) and the future tech behind what would become the Serato DJ system.
“At Serato’s core is a passion for music and technology, and we’ve built our foundation on the ongoing commitment to creating best-in-class products for DJs and music producers,” said Nick Maclaren, Serato’s Chief Strategy Officer.
“When Serato Scratch Live was first introduced, it reinvented what was in the realm of possibilities for DJs at the time. As we celebrate 25 years of empowering artists through Serato’s advanced technology, we’re excited for our community to experience the magic of this innovation once again with the reissue of the Serato Scratch Live Control Vinyl.”
