Final Scratch on the Horizon

[thatkuyaguy]

Hey people!

As some of you know I've been testing the beta version of Final Scratch since January this year and have used it a few gigs here and there.

Final Scratch will make its Australian debut in mid-September at the AMAC trade show on the Gold Coast between September 14th – 16th. Immediately after this tradeshow I’ll be hitting the road for Final Scratch workshops - as well as for some of Stanton’s new products like the SA-12 Craze Signature Mixer.

I’m in the process of securing venues and the like for the said launches that will take place in every major city around the country. When dates and venues are finalised I’ll let you know.

If you'd like to be on the mailing list to be updated about when Final Scratch and Stanton's new SA and SMX Series mixers hit your town, then please email me at afabay.jnr@jands.com.au with "Final Scratch Mailing List" in the subject line. PLEASE also let me know in which state you reside so I can get an idea for numbers of interested people in each state.

Thanks again for your support.

Regards,

Arsenio Fabay, Jnr. / kuya
Business Development Specialist
Jands Pty. Ltd.
40 Kent Road
Mascot NSW 2020
Ph: 02 9582 0909
Fax: 02 9582 0999

www.jands.com.au
www.stantonmagnetics.com.au
www.djkuya.com

[Sean]

yes im excited ive ordered mine already and am expecting it early september. (not bought thru australian distributor). got a fuxn excellent price on it too. i feel like big kev.

[mrfresh]

Yeh, i'll be in for the demo party..


how much are they retail for AUS? prob around $1000 - 1300 ?


EIther way, it's a bargin for this DSP!.. Even if the technology itself is not that expensive to produce, the shear fact of the money tat you will save, the fun you will have more than makes up for it!



I was thinkin Pioneer1000........... but ,,,,,,,,,,,,, hehehehhe..

I LOVE THIS THING!!!!!

[kaossproject]

This set-up will sort the men from the boys........can't wait to see where it goes? Goin off what Richie has done already this should get interesting.

I still put my hand up to anyone who needs good, original samples created....got a studio waiting if you need it?!!

[thatkuyaguy]

Originally posted by kaossproject
This set-up will sort the men from the boys........can't wait to see where it goes? Goin off what Richie has done already this should get interesting.

I still put my hand up to anyone who needs good, original samples created....got a studio waiting if you need it?!!

Definitely! I'm going to be using it for a few things on the Sound Not Scene II CD but the applications are endless. My favourite one is this - finish writing a track, mp3 it, email it to your DJ friend on the other side of the world who then plays it that night during her/his club set. Instant worldwide distribution of your tracks. Nice!

[polarbear]

> finish writing a track, mp3 it, email it to your DJ friend on the other side of
> the world who then plays it that night during her/his club set.

hang on. I've been emailing tracks to DJ's to play right now. why does final scratch suddenly 'allow' this to be done, when we've been doing it for years?

[Sean]

i think he means it allows the dj to play it as if it were vinyl instantly.

cd players are good and all, but the vast amjority of them aren't the most fun to interact with. small seemingly finnicky control surfaces are major detractors from a lot of dj's using cd's more often.

[polarbear]

> cd players are good and all, but the vast amjority of them aren't the most
> fun to interact with. small seemingly finnicky control surfaces are major
> detractors from a lot of dj's using cd's more often.

but that's all over now, with the CDJ1000.

man, I've seen DJ's (as varied as Ransom, Phil K, BeXta and Mauro Picotto) absolutely rip it up on the 1000's.

I don't think Phil played any vinyl (except for scratch and physical effects) at BDO Melbourne 2002.

b.

[djneo]

Phil is the master of the CDJ1000, he makes noises with it that you can't even make with vinyl!

Not detracting from Final Scratch, but it makes more sense to me to have two CDJ1000's and all of your tracks on CD, rather than the final scratch system and a PC or Laptop, too much potential for fuxxups if you ask me...

[redmond_herring]

well all this speculation can be put to rest over the next period as final scratch starts storming into folklore or dwindling as a overexpensive fad.

I'm hanging to try it, but as it stands Phil K and his 1000's prove a powerful AND easy AND stable method. That being said, 6 months ago I was sitting in his lounge room hearing him get as excited as a schoolgirl about what he'd just seen in Sydney - F.S!

its all personal choice, I originally started dj'ing with cd's, and have bout 250 full of HQ full length tracks (bout 2000 songs), so which one am I naturally after? And I'm really not keen on transfering them all to a HD, BUYING a laptop etc!

obviously my vinyl mates will flip the coin, but really final scratch is a way for vinyl to 'catch up' (yes, I said 'catch up') with the added bonuses of cd's (cue point goodness, programming, on board efx, ultra fast distribution, lack of 'wear', etc etc) without losing the superiority of the vinyl FEEL. (granted)

You dont need 1000's OR F.S to tear up a dancefloor with either cds or vinyl, but if your serious you should be experienced with both, they are probably the best technology for their respective fields.

[booker]

I understand how the whole thing works, but theres a couple of minor things I dont know....

1. How does it know what part of the track to skip to if you move the needle....say halfway into the center of the vinyl?

Does the special record have different grooves all the way through it, so it tells Final Scratch what minute and second it has been skipped to, meaning that sometimes the record will not alway be finished before the track has ended.....

Or....once the track is loaded, it plays it using the entire length of the record?

2. Does it have a visual of the track to make it easy to find the breakdowns etc?

[thatkuyaguy]

Hey people,

Good to see a healthy discussion happening.

Personally, I see Final Scratch adding to my setup rather than taking over from my vinyl collection. Actually, since I started using FS I've been buying MORE stuff on vinyl.

I demoed this system to Phil K earlier in the year and he's very, very, VERY keen to get his own system as well, as are many DJs who've seen and played with it.

The most interest I've found has been, surprisingly, from the Scratch/Turntablist community who love the idea of sampling anything from news broadcasts to their own voices to cut up. You could make a virtual battle record.

Booker - here are the answers to your questions:

1 - The FS records have a timecode on them that is recognised by the software. The vinyl in currently has 11min and 55 seconds of timecode on it and reports are that one side will be pressed at 33rpm and the other is at 45rpm.
When tracks are loaded into the program, the track only uses up what it needs relative to the vinyl, e.g. if your track is only 3min 47 secs long, it will end roughly a third a way into the FS vinyl. If you think about it, you can sequence two or three tracks (or a number of samples) into one audio file and use the computer as a visual cue for when tracks/samples start and stop.

2 - As I touched on above, FS allows you to 'stripe' your audio so you get a visual representation of where the breakdowns and buildups are. That way you can more accurately point to the crowd when the beat kicks back in! :D

FS in a live situation - I've setup FS at a number of gigs this year whilst the previous DJ was playing, and it's rock steady stable.

Redmond Herring - I like your point about vinyl catching up to CD because in many respects it's true. And I agree wholeheartedly that as a DJ, you should be familiar with all the technology and not be a 'format snob'. In the end it doesn't matter whether you're using vinyl, cd's, Final Scratch, mp3's and the like - it's what you do with it and how you set yourself apart from the crowd.

Anyway, enough ranting and raving.

Peace,

Arsenio Fabay, Jnr. / kuya
www.jands.com.au
www.stantonmagnetics.com
www.djkuya.com

[TECHiONE]

http://www.finalscratch.com

[Sean]

PBear: thats why i said "the vast majority" the cdj 1000's rip, as does the denon dn9000, which i had the pleasure of having on loan for 2 months, and actually rate a lot higher then the cdj1000's. the rest of the cd players on the market fall into my previous summation.

im gonna bring in another issue, cost. for me i already own a fuck off laptop, so adding final scratch to the setup (around $1000), i can control two digital sources on my laptop EXACTLY how i would vinyl. cdj 1000's cost between 2000-2500 a piece, so remembering i already have a laptop, the FS system is 1/4 the price of the cdj1000's. now i'm not against cd players, i love using them, but to me i just cant afford to buy a pair of cdj 1000's, FS is a great option for me.

[thatkuyaguy]

True, CDJ1000's and Final Scratch aren't the same thing and although I like the looping function the CDJ1000's I think I've found an alternative route: The Redsound C-Loops (Cycloops). For around $1100 you can have similar loop functionality and in addtion to Final Scratch, can achieve similar if not the same results in some respects.


But yeah, Final Scratch is certainly an attractive package for DJs who already have laptops. Consider the specs required for Final Scratch: PIII 500Mhz, 128Mb Memory, USB and a hard drive - a secondhand laptop with these specs won't cost an arm and a leg if you look around.

[mrfresh]

Even those who don't own laptops.. hehe.. use on ya pc at home and borrow someones laptop or take the pc to gigs..


FS is a kick ass solution over ANYTHINg on the market today,. and yes i agree... vinyl purchases will stay the same, even tho i will get the promos on the net released thru house,prog mp3 groups, i'll nodoubt go and buy since i know the FS will be for home use, and making promo mixes..

otherwise, no promotor in sydney is gonna have these for dj's to use in a hurry..

[mrfresh]

btw... I can't express how interested in am in this FS> you know how it is.. wana be one of the 1st to grab one..

So what dates can we be looking at.. I know the uS and can, uk are having shipping delays.. AUs = late sept, oct?

i overheard $1699 or thereabouts for this package?

[djbc]

:) Bring on the MAC version!!! :)

[driload]

is this the dj KUYA we played before at the Moonbar in brisbane the other night? (ie, the live band)

i never actually introduced myself... toobusy sweating the dodgy sound system (heh heh, i was the dude who actually had to replug your mixer before your set)

you didnt have the FS that night?

we have a pair of CDJ1000's in they have replaced the vestax decks in our live rig for our scratch dj.

i cant say enough good things about them as far as opening up performance possibilities goes

my only concern lies in their 'action'... that plastic platter would take a huge beating in its time and i wonder how itd handle it.


Final Scratch looks very interesting to us too, though not enough for us to outlay anymore of the bands $$ on live rig. we just spend $Too Much getting a pair of laptops to run ABLETON LIVE alongside the supernova's and Mpc's

touring with so many synths in flightcases is a hassle and expensive, hence the move to an interactive medium such as Live on laptops (ignoring all the othe hardware for a minute)

which brings me to the Final Scratch system

the BIGGEST thing it has going for it is the compact nature of the unit, no further additional flightcases are really needed.... that makes me smile


from your experience KUYA how 'quickly' or how responsive is the unit to needle drops (in the turntablist sense)...

is there any noticable lag between timecode and audio (BESIDES the latency of the audio interface) ?

also how would you objectively rate durability of the rig alongside a more traditional or cd based setup?



all in all, id like to see the FS concept in a few months/years because ive no doubt its the "next step" in opening up turntablism a bit more but i guess it depends on the price-point in regards to demand


as for Superfluid, we will stick to the CDJ1000's cause of the initial cost outlay, so unless FS wants to sponsor us its the CDJ's that we will take on tour


one last thought.... imagine in a few years with competition in this market and when FS will assimilate easily into any DAW, imagine Sonar or Cubase with FS compatibility and vst/dx effects to cater to it....

oh man

and heres me thinking the Kaoss pad (with its sample/scratch like features) was innovation enough.... yum yum yum gimme more!

DRi -conga/mpc in Superfluid

[thatkuyaguy]

He DRi,

Actually, I was using Final Scratch at that gig! I set it all up whilst you guys were performing. I've been using it regularly at gigs to put it through its paces - just used it last night at the Fuzzy 6th Birthday last night here in Sydney.
I believe it's a testament to the fact that Final Scratch is such a seamless addition to the standard DJ rig that you, and many people, didn't know I was using it for about 70% of my set @ Moonbar.

Now, to answer your questions:

Responsiveness - when you needle drop the time indicator, corresponding soundstripe, AND audio updates immediately - exactly like normal vinyl. There might be some very slight latency but I've never noticed it.
I have and often to perform complex scratches and beatjuggles with Final Scratch and the software has always been able to keep up.

Durability - as durable as the laptop is. The only other thing I'd suggest it to always have a couple of spare RCA cables for the ScratchAmp, and a spare USB cable as well. I've heard that with regular use (winding, unwinding, bad treatment etc.) that Ritchie Hawtin had to replace his USB cable after about 100 or so gigs. Given that USB cables are around $10-$20 it pays to have a spare one.

So yeah, I hope that answers your questions.

Superfluid - You guys rock! Any plans to play in Sydney soon?

How is Ableton Live? I've been looking at something like that for live sequencing as well?

Regards,

arsenio / kuya

[kenada]

Originally posted by djneo


Not detracting from Final Scratch, but it makes more sense to me to have two CDJ1000's and all of your tracks on CD, rather than the final scratch system and a PC or Laptop, too much potential for fuxxups if you ask me...


Thats why it's only runs on linux OS, windows is too unstable. But for everyone out there with windows OS, you can easily partition your HD and install both.

I saw Richie play FS @ gatecrasher in sydney, and you could not tell the difference. It sounded great, and he's just a master on the decks. mp3s may have been encoded at high rez, but over a huge PA, there will always be inperfections.

[driload]

heya kuya


you were using FS that night?

thats a testament to how hyperactive my brain gets at these events that i didnt notice... i would have been like a kid in a lolly store if i had of noticed...

just quickly, you played a 7" by the looks of it early on i think that sounded like 1200 Techniques.... what was that?



yeah USB cables can die pretty quickly, at some gigs i also control yet ANOTHER laptop, tucked under my MPC, which purely controls multimedia/graphics stuff

the usb cable for this has died so many times, kept getting crushed and blitzing out. for any VJ's out there i am using ArKaos 2.1 to do the VJ stuff. IT ACCEPTS MIDI TRIGGERS so my mpc can make it do visuals in time with the music.... (chemical brothers put me onto it of all people... sheesh)


hey out of curiosity... what are the "purity" kinda rules in the DMC's these days... will something like FS ever be acceptable in the near future? i remember when the first delay pedal caused an uproar/hype



as for Superfluid in sydney, for sure but i dont know when. the album date got pushed back to early September by Creative Vibes and half of us are touring with the UK breaks guy BLIM in our side project VECTREX, but after all that, we hope to get down south


i will email you though and keep in touch. had a lot of fun that night and was great to see you in action. im aware that some photographer was taking snaps... i will see if we can find out who it was and swing you yours

driload@superfluid.com.au

ps, email me if you have time to lend your scratch skills to a track of ours.... we're gathering ideas for the 2nd album now

[thatkuyaguy]

Originally posted by driload


just quickly, you played a 7" by the looks of it early on i think that sounded like 1200 Techniques.... what was that?


hey out of curiosity... what are the "purity" kinda rules in the DMC's these days... will something like FS ever be acceptable in the near future? i remember when the first delay pedal caused an uproar/hype



as for Superfluid in sydney, for sure but i dont know when. the album date got pushed back to early September by Creative Vibes and half of us are touring with the UK breaks guy BLIM in our side project VECTREX, but after all that, we hope to get down south


i will email you though and keep in touch. had a lot of fun that night and was great to see you in action. im aware that some photographer was taking snaps... i will see if we can find out who it was and swing you yours

driload@superfluid.com.au

ps, email me if you have time to lend your scratch skills to a track of ours.... we're gathering ideas for the 2nd album now

Okay....

7" - possibly the instrumental version of 'Welcome to the Terrordome' by Public Enemy.

DMC - Final Scratch was a major sponsor of the US DMC's this year. As far as I know there have been no objections to its use in the competition, then again, it's only just become available in the US and the rest of the world soon.

Superfluid in Sydney & Pics - Definitely keep me posted. Just email me at info@djkuya.com

Cuts for tracks - again, keep me posted. When you're ready send me some tracks on CD and we'll explore the possibilities.

Regards,

arsenio / kuya

[thatkuyaguy]

Hello all,

Here's an update for you re: Final Scratch.

Final Scratch will be shown at this year's AMAC Trade show on the Gold Coast (Sept 14th - 16th). Unfortunately this show is NOT open to the public...

...However, there will also be an exclusive preview of Final Scratch, as well as some of Stanton's new products at r-bar in Brisbane on Wednesday September 18th, in conjunction with Allans Music Brisbane.

If you want to come along to the Preview @ r-bar, please email me on afabay.jnr@jands.com.au and I'll put you on the RSVP list.

Regards,

Arsenio / kuya

[bald0ne]

Having seen Final Scratch in use twice in the past few months, everyone listen to what he is saying, and be prepared to be amazed at what this can do for you....

I have seen Richie Hawtin use it for a 4 hr set
and John Acquaviva the same, and shit were they good....

I could go into great detail, but fvckin work calls...

Richie Hawtin back here (London) for 7 hrs in Sept. with that Laptop under his arm again......can't wait :):)