Serato DJ continues to get serious feature additions in 2014 with an upcoming new release, 1.7, that will incorporate a new way of recording custom cue point juggles and playing them back. It’s called Serato Flip – and it could be a killer feature for all kinds of DJs looking to build more intricate routines in a DJ software.
Serato Flip is now released – watch this tutorial on 7 great ways to use it.
Serato Flip Overview
Serato Flip is an extension of cue point functionality in Serato DJ – you turn on the Flip feature on a deck, and then you have 6 different slots for recording a series of cue point presses or hitting the Censor button. Some intended uses from Serato include:
- Make clean edits of your tracks by recording censor actions.
- Extend intros, breakdowns or outros for better mixing.
- Create transition sections in your songs for changing tempo or beat structure.
- Advanced tone-play and performance.
- Auto-skipping verses or choruses in songs.
- Making beats.
The Flip mode is able to be used in Serato’s offline state, so even if you’re not plugged into Serato hardware you can still edit your tracks, just like you would with saved cue points. On controllers like the DDJ-SZ/SX, DJs will be able to activate Flip mode and play back recorded Flips using a combination of the Parameter and Cue Point buttons, and the functions are also all MIDI mappable.
Key features of Serato Flip from Serato’s press release:
Record Cue Point & Censor Automation: Click record once to arm recording. Once you hit the first cue or censor, recording begins. Hit record again to set the end point of your Flip.
Prepare & Edit Tracks In Offline Mode Use Serato Flip without your hardware connected.
Flip Saving: Save 6 different Flips per track. Serato Flip information is saved to your tracks metadata and doesn’t edit the audio of the track. You can delete cue points and your Flip will still be remembered.
Hardware Controls, Keyboard Shortcut & Midi Mappable: Control Flip directly from your computer or your controller with a keyboard shortcut and hardware controls being mapped for supported current and future hardware. Flip controls are also MIDI mappable for use with the MIDI controller of your choice
Looping / Loop Snap: Choose whether your recorded Flip plays through once or loops. Select whether your looped Flip will snap to an end-point that’s on beat with your track.
Recall and Replay: Turn Flips ON / OFF and start your Flip on track load or whenever you like.
Make perfect edits: Platter movements aren’t recorded so you can move the platter to an exact point and trigger a cue point to make the perfect Flip.
Name your Flips: Just like Serato DJs nameable Cue Points you can also name your Flips. The name of your Flip will appear in the deck info area when the track is loaded.
The Flip feature will debut as a paid expansion pack ($29.00) in version 1.7 of Serato DJ, set to be released in September 2014.
We also spoke briefly to Serato about the new feature release, and it sounds like cue points might only be the starting point of Serato Flip – there’s some clear opportunity to do the same type of recording and playback with loops, recorded effects, and maybe tempo changes.
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djtechtolls is, for me, one of the only lightning part in WWW
(more and more i realize that stupidity is common law)
[…] This is pretty much a no-brainer – the Numark NV was already an attractive controller and with the expansion pack Numark is offering even more functionality out of this device. Included in the expansion pack is the ability to record your cue points and censor actions, which can looped, ready to trigger instantly. By using the NV velocity pads, the user can create up to six Flips for a performance. […]
[…] This is pretty much a no-brainer – the Numark NV was already an attractive controller and with the expansion pack Numark is offering even more functionality out of this device. Included in the expansion pack is the ability to record your cue points and censor actions, which can looped, ready to trigger instantly. By using the NV velocity pads, the user can create up to six Flips for a performance. […]
Doesn’t traktor already have this feature? And can’t the remix deck hold more pre-recorder “flips”?
Serato is winning…
so is it only jumps in Serato Flip, or can it be a fade? can you time or adjust the transition to the jumpcue, or is it always instantaneous?
if you can only jump, i’ll stick with crossfading between hotcues on duplicate decks of the same song in Traktor. it’s easy to do live, it’s easy to visually mark ahead of time where you want to jump in the waveform (using flag cues n such), and even a very quick crossfade between 2 duplicate decks sounds smoother 4 out of 5x than a jump on 1 deck, in my experience.
plus if your latency flucuates, will Serato fail to land immediately on your jump cue, like Traktor sometimes does when the jumpcue is more than 32 beats ahead or behind? crossfading hotcues solves that problem too.
i do love the idea of storing more than one routine in the same track though. wish Traktor’s cues could do that.
[…] the latest Serato DJ, Serato Flip is the new feature that lets the DJ record hot cue combinations and replay them on a loop. The […]
[…] the latest Serato DJ, Serato Flip is the new feature that lets the DJ record hot cue combinations and replay them on a loop. The […]
i hope to see NI do something “new” soon because it’s been awhile since they are lazy
Looks interesting…but I’m trying to think of a scenario where it isn’t easier/more useful just to “print” my edits by re-recording them as a new audio track. You can do that right inside the existing software (for free), of course.
That way, there’s no chance that I’ll accidentally have Flips 1,5,and 6 turned on instead of 2,3,and 4 because I was double-checking something just before the show and saved it in the wrong default state, and I accidentally play the F-word at my Grandma’s dance party. Also, my “printed” edit is absolutely future-proof and not limited in use to somebody else who has the same version of Serato DJ.
If somebody can describe to me a scenario where I’d be at a gig and I’d want to be toggling on and off my flips on the fly (and it wouldn’t be easier just to do the cuepoints manually), I’d be interested.
rs
Good point!
The scenario would be any time you are playing a gig where you havent already decided what or how you were going to play. Especially if you are planning to cross genres and tempos a lot then you can have flips of tracks that are intended to get you from 1 genre or tempo to another. This way you just play a track and depending where you want to take the set from there you will activate that flip. Also the flips can be activated on certain tracks to allow you to finger drum or sample sections to layer over other tracks. This can be used to do extremely creative mix ins or outs.
I’been wanting to do this live for a while now
Is Serato suggesting general MIDI mappable controls are coming? I’d really like that as it’s been a feature that seems really desired.
As long as I never see this used in a battle setting I’m fine with it. It’s a great application of the technology. I do think it has the potential to make a lot of DJ sets that I have absolutely no interest in listening/dancing to. But it’s cool. Just not in a battle.
we talk a lot about ‘similar’ functions, but to me the brilliance of flip, is the name. it’s a great name; one that novices and lay-people can get their head around. i think this is the start of something really big, for serato as a tablet app.
Only thing really exciting I saw was a couple of Chroma Caps on the DDJ-SX :p
If at any point i can make live tempo transitions with Serato Flip, i will officially abandon Traktor.
Have you tried the pitch faders? 🙂
Thats the way every one does it. But only out of necessity. I want to do this http://djtechtools.com/2014/02/16/how-to-create-a-custom-dj-tempo-transition-track/ Live
No matter what anyone thinks, for me this is totally practical . Traktor better be watching, I’m this close to jumping back to Serato!
[…] The AFX takes a secondary controller approach to Serato DJ, much like the DDJ-SP1 subcontroller from Pioneer. This controller has a 8 velocity-sensitive pads with RGB feedback backlighting, allowing for control of cue points, loops, slicer, samples, or even the just-announced Serato Flip feature (read more here). […]
[…] The AFX takes a secondary controller approach to Serato DJ, much like the DDJ-SP1 subcontroller from Pioneer. This controller has a 8 velocity-sensitive pads with RGB feedback backlighting, allowing for control of cue points, loops, slicer, samples, or even the just-announced Serato Flip feature (read more here). […]
Did any DJ ever think that maybe the crowd just wants to hear the original cut without all the overly done fancy serato loops and efx lol
They can get that at home. You don’t go to a live place to see a band perform exactly the same parts that are on the album, I call this “the Chuck E Cheese syndrome” (named after the animatronic puppets). There *are* boring parts that don’t lend themselves to dancing in a lot of songs… why not edit those out? Why not layer in new parts to make your set something special? Better yet, why be an iPod on shuffle mode?
read again, i said OVERLY DONE EDITS. i didn’t say don’t do any edits. i’m talking about djs who has to put a loop and add effects throughout the whole damn track.
I’m right there with you regarding overly complex mixes turning into “audio mud”, but I think it’s the sign of a good performer to make wise decisions about what to play and what not to play. Options don’t have to be expressed, but it’s better to have a choice and not take it than it is to not have a choice when you want to make one.
BTW…and I am not saying flip sucks and don’t use it lol just don’t over use it
Hey Guys, How about mapping this in Traktor/MF3D? Hit record button to engage loop recorder > play some cue points > loop reaches end position and mapping automatically copies content in to a remix cell (playing looped) and disengage/delete a loop recording. Sounds feasible 🙂
Heh… This is exactly what I thought while reading the article. Traktor already offers this functionality–it just doesn’t have a “hip” name.
How do we know what all the features do? Serato merely teased some of the features. I hope this isn’t some “I have this program, so it’s the best” claim. Let’s make this judgement after the add-on is complete, OK?
Definitely not what I was saying. Just pointing out that whatever the feature is I’m sure there’s a Traktor workaround.
Zach put this video up two years ago so we know the functionality is there. To take this one step further, you can record your remix deck performance and drop it into a track deck. Same result.
Does the loop recorder have enough beats for that? This flip thing seems to be much more versatile.
Recorder goes up to 32 beats but yeah, mapping can repeat this recording/deleting process if called for.
I wonder if they’ll give us a mapping of the needed buttons, but I highly doubt it. There’s plenty of room on my DDJ-SR for it, it has 4×8 pads available per deck. That’s what I don’t like about Serato, you’re at their mercy when it comes to hardware functionality.
Nvm, just read it’s midi mappable. Kudos to Serato.
Everyonce in awhile Serato comes up with good new stuff…and I just don’t understand why NI doesn’t absolutely react
Hope they put something good in their next update/upgrade
Probably because NI is going a completely different route. Which I think is a good thing, because there will be actual differences between different packages. It would be boring if every dj software would do exactly the same things.
Yeah you’re right…(:
For my point of view it’s just sad the fact that other softwares continue to get better and traktor not. Like the “slip mode scratch” (in vinyl timecode) in Serato is an example. I would REALLY like to have that on traktor xD
They are getting better. But they are also mostly getting things that Traktor has had for years. Look at namable cue points for instance, how long did Traktor have those before Serato got them?
I’d rather see something amazing after a while then all these tiny things that I probably won’t miss anyway. I will definitely check out flip though.
Research flux mode
Yo man lay low!
I already know there’s flux mode o.O
But I’d like to have it also with VINYL timecode, thing that Serato added 10 months ago
Saw that in this video (1:50)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeQDLNJJwlg&list=UUuA4QDy-VPkbhkiLUclP1SA#t=110)
You do…
Still might be a while before we get a new update considering that NI just recently released the new MK2 controllers. On top of that NI are still promoting Traktor 2 with the current stream of youtube videos.
I imagine we will more likely see new software released in conjunction with hardware. One thing I’ve noticed is that hardware releases tend to come out after NI have had a huge sale. This is probably because they try and get rid of stock they have of old products, eg: kontrol S4 sale followed by release of S4 MK2.
My theory is that we will probably see a new traktor after the MK2 series goes on sale.
Yeah, I don’t buy into the whole S8/TP3 thing either. I also think people should learn to appreciate the stuff they already have and focussing on improving themselves instead of begging the companies for more stuff. It’s a lot cheaper as well 🙂
Same here, still finding new ways to play live in Traktor. ^_^
I do think that the idea of the S8 is possible as a super Traktor controller (similar to serato and pioneer controllers) but I don’t think it means new software.
I think NI should focus on fixing current problems within Trakor such as the clunky mapping interface before taking any steps forwards.
I don’t really have a problem with mapping in traktor, it does feature a learning curve, but it’s also very powerful and once you
Figure it out, it becomes quite simple.
My main gripe I’d fix in traktor is to create better cue identification methods like being able to name your q points and change colors. Maybe add more virtual decks so people that like mixing on 3 or more decks can still make dummy decks for isolators.
I’m only going to disagree with you on one point: I currently have to propeller-tab between (Native Instruments) applications. I’d really like to not do that.
In before everyone starts debating about how “Real DJs don’t use Flip” and “Back in my day, we triggered our cue points live” 😉
“Back in my day” you HAD to bring it back with the elbow rofl
Crossfading with your nose! =)
HAHHAAH !
If you haven’t mixed using tape decks, you’ve never really lived.
Mr. Tape FTW!
Real DJ’s use wax cylinder. Keep it old school.
By no means am I trying to start the “Real DJs” or “Back in my day” arguments but I do want to bring up the point that it’s really fun to do a lot of live remixing/arranging using doubles of a track.
DJTT had a great article on it http://djtechtools.com/2008/09/11/rockin-digital-doubles/ I think this was one of the best DJTT articles of all time.
telling the internet not to argue. that’s like telling a dog not to be a dog.
Mad respect if someone wants to keep pushing the boundaries with vinyl mixing, but past that there are no awards for doing “real” beat matching and most of the drunk people in the club do not remotely care. I hit a ceiling with vinyl mixing and now I can do so much more with digital tools, my old mixes feel unlistenable. Yes, sync made it easier than ever for anyone to pose as a DJ but that was inevitable. Software is going to make those posers obsolete as well — why pay a DJ when a computer can make flawless mixes from top 100 playlists. But for that impressive basement full of vinyl you keep at home, someone like this might really appreciate it
http://youtu.be/1_lm5oCCw94
Why can’t I upvote this 100 times?
This is great news!!!!