It seems these days that more and more apps are coming out on the market for the iPad and iOS. While there is a lot of copy cats and poorly programmed apps, there are some that offer viable solutions for the DJ looking to get more out of there iOS device.
Inklen introduced the Tonetable app in 2011 which is a DVS control device for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. DVS control for iOS is really cool but the folks at Stagecraft took the app to the next level by creating a DVS compatible VST. Read more below about how Tonetable now can be used to create scratch effects in any VST compatible DAW and what Scratch Track brings for producers.
Turntablism Brought to Producers
The Tonetable app is a very simple design that recreates the function of a turntable and timecode vinyl. When the user hits play the platter starts to spin and a constant tone (learn more about how timecode works) is produced. This tone can be set to 1 kHz (Scratch Live), 1.2 kHz (Torq), and 1.3 kHz (MixVibes). Then the user can control the software of their choice by plugging the output of the iPad into the input of their software. Since the birth of hip-hop, scratch sounds have been added as flavor to many productions. Not only is Tonetable the solution for a DJ wanting to use their iPad but it also is a solution for a producer wanting to add some interesting sounds into a production.
With the Tonetable app and the Scratch Track plugin, a user can recreate the turntable effects with any audio file inside any DAW that is VST compatible. DJTT wrote an article last year about the VST and it is awesome to see it being used again today with the capabilities of Tonetable. Watch a video below of Aaron with Scratch Track as he walks us through the Tonetable app and his VST.
The Scratch Track VST is a very inexpensive way to add scratch effects to productions. Before, a producer would have to time the perfect scratch while dealing with latency of the recording. Now, there is less latency and the producer isn’t limited to their physical record collection. When DVS came to the market, DJs realized their whole vinyl collection expanded exponentially. Now with Scratch Track, producers will come to realize that they have a new instrument to utilize in their productions.
What would be cool to see from this VST and the many more to come after it is turntabilism making a comeback in productions. Scratching doesn’t have to be confined to just hip-hop tracks and it can be argued that there is a lot of room for turntablism in other genres. Stagecraft has also reported that they are working on a plugin with two turntables and some effects so that means the Scratch Track is only the beginning of turntablist VSTs.
Tonetable is available for $7.99 in the app store.
Scratch Track is available for $35 on Stagecrafts’ site.
What are your thoughts on iOS devices being used for production and DJing?
[…] Tonetable + Scratch Track: The Turntablist VST […]
Is it just me being grumpy or the delay (as shown on video) seems to be making it absolutely unusable? Especially considering using it with a normal mixer.
Ah, you mean the latency in tonetable. I will say, it’s certainly not as tight as timecoded vinyl. Still, for the user who is just getting into scratching, or the producer with a limited use case (adding some basic scratches to a project), it works well.
Very Cool!
if your device is jailbroken, you can use put in your own
still background + rotating platter image. the platter inner circle will be rendered rotating.
SBsettings: More: App Folders to find your specific Tonetable folder name,
example
/private/var/mobile/A111111-b111-c111-d111-e111111111/
iFunBox: browse to remembered folder name above, and create named shortcut,
within ifunbox, to that folder.
copy out Background.png. make a backup. alter it, copy it back in.
kill (i-)process and restart app.
Ms. Pinky VST, did a DVS plugin years ago, in Ableton for example you could open the VST load a file, set the input of that channel to the DVS audio generating device, then
scratch away.
Aha! Yes, very true. I’m a huge fan of the guys down at Ms Pinky, and as you note, there is a VST you can use from that company to read timecoded vinyl. It does not have some of the features of ours (looping, beat detection, cue points), but it does support needle dropping, and has some other features ours doesn’t. Really – be sure to check out both plugins!
Absolutely, no disrespect at all, very glad to see this concept
being re-invigorated, loved being able to bring DVS into a DAW.
Maybe we can do scratch macros someday, by replaying a
sample of a recorded DVS signal. Also always liked the idea of
using a stopped DVS record to turn MIDI knobs as well.
thats fucking dope man
Thanks! Be sure to check out Vinyl Lab too .. it’s a VST/AU and standalone which also reads timecoded vinyl (but has 2 decks, and feels more like the standard Traktor/Serato type DVS systems).
*their