Recognizing the blurred lines between producers and DJs, Serato has just released a beta version of an upcoming plugin, Serato Sample. The plugin allows users to sample tracks directly from their Serato libraries and into their DAW of choice.
Serato Sample is compatible with Logic, Ableton Live, FL Studio, and Maschine, and adapts the playable hot cue architecture, key-detection, and BPM shifting found in Serato DJ and merges this into a fully featured sample plugin that works natively with the supported programs. Serato Sample can be beta tested for free (link to the application here), and will be available for $99.00 upon release (Beta users will get a 50% discount at $49.50).
The feature set for the Serato Sample plugin includes:
- Key Detection and Shifting of samples using Pitch ‘n Time
- Waveform scrubbing and needle drop on the track you’re sampling
- Colored waveforms that correspond to the audio spectrum of the track
- Sample manipulation controls – allowing quick adjustment of volume, filter, attack/release, key shiting, and BPM/time stretching
- Cue Point style controls that allow you to set and trigger colored pads – mapped out to keys on the keyboard for quick triggering
- A one-click Autoset algorithm that searches your track to find 16 of “the best samples to work with”
The launch of a plugin represents an interesting move for Serato, a company that has almost exclusively been viewed as producing only DJ software. By expanding into the production realm, Serato significantly broadens their market to producers. Their expansion packs for Serato DJ – including Flip, Pitch ‘n Time DJ (which was actually originally a DAW plugin), and various powerful FX packs – also seem to move closer towards live production, as opposed to solely mixing between two tracks. Expect the full version later this year at $99.00.
