What foot switches should you buy for Serato?

The new remix article talks about techniques and possibilites using foot switches but I did not have the space to really go into detail. Here are some direct links and thoughts on some of the options you have for foot switches.

Build your own
This is a fairly simple task (i use that term loosly) involving buying or building a box, some wires, the proper switches and a interface device. The brains in your switch can be purchased from P.I. engineering for 59.95. Its a very small circuit bord with a built in USB cable that will connect directly to any computer. P.I. has built an excellent cross platform programing system that allows you to program the circuit board and the attatched switches to do almost anything. The thing I like about the combination of their switches and hardware is that you can program complex macro commands. for instance a single switch can be programmed to send an A keystroke, pause for 1 second, send a B stroke and then send a C stroke. You can adapt your foot switch t of the best ones are made by a company called Carling. If you ask a electronics store for a Carling, heavy duty push button switch with a momentary action you will get the correct thing. They are the big chunky silver switches found here.

Now what do you put your switches and circuit board in? Well, on that one you are on your own. You might want to highjack an existing electronics box or if you do some web searching I know there are blank electronics boxes out there for hobbiests. if you really want to make a bad ass foot switch. Which is really the only point of building it yourself, you may want to look into getting the perfect box custom fabricated. With computer aided fabrication blowing up these days its really not that expensive to get your own box built from scratch. I personally hijacked my Guitar rig foot peddle and that turned out to be perfect. Not only did I not have to buy switches (which can be as much as $8-12 each) but everthing was all ready built. I just found a place to stash the brains and connected 2 wires to each switch. A bit of programing and I had 5 very functional and super cool switches ready to go. If anyone is interested I may post a more detailed description and how to for that project.

Building your own switch will cost you nearly $100 depending on how you go about it. So unless you really want the exact switch fo your dreams then it is most likely more practical to go ahead and buy some that are allready on the market.

Switches compatible with Serato Scratch
First i should repeat that you need to have the new Rane TTM-57SL to use a standard switch with serato. So if you have the $1500 and you manage to get your hands on one then go to town with the following. Any momentary switch that has a 1/4″ plug. These include the following options:
keyboard foot switch $19 one switch
these are great, simple, rugged and reliable. They dont weigh a lot and are a good way to see if you even like the idea of using your foot. Here is a Yamaha model

Digitech Foot Switches- $39 3 switches
Digitech fs-300 and fs-3x are the officially “supported’ swithces by Rane. They will work for sure. good rugged design and a low profile that should fit in your gig bag. Whats the difference? Hell if I know, one looks better? FS-300 FS-3K

TC hellion– $49 3 switches
users of serato report this one is working for them, and theoretically its exactly the same as the digitech models. Take you pick and check it out here.

Universal Switches
X-keys– $119.95 3 switches
The same people that make the brains for building your own also provide this nice little 3 pedel foot switch. Its small, light and very “playable”. Price is a downside buts its 100% programable so you can do some really creative things.

Savant- $149 3 switches.
Another programable foot switch. I cant attest to how good the software or the switch are because I have never used them but its worth checking out here.

Delcom engineering $35-$65 1 or 2 switches
no experiance on these products either but they look to be worth a shot.