SCRATCH SESSION LABS
Scratch Revolution has begun
USER GUIDE - V1.6
Sandy DUCHESNE (Yutang)
SCRATCH SESSION LABS -Toulouse (France)
SCRATCH SESSION LABS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................ 3
2 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION ........................................................................ 4
2.1 WINDOWS OS............................................................................................ 4
2.2 MAC OS .................................................................................................. 4
3 ACTIVATION OF PREMIUM MODE ............................................................. 5
4 SOFTWARE USE ......................................................................................... 6
4.1 PRESENTATION ........................................................................................... 6
4.2 INTERACTIVE MENUS .................................................................................... 7
4.2.1 ADD NEW LOOPER ....................................................................................... 7
4.2.2 CONTEXTUAL MENU ...................................................................................... 8
4.2.3 RECORDING AND LOOPER MENUS ..................................................................... 9
4.2.4 COLOR MENU .............................................................................................. 9
4.2.5 DEVICE CONFIGURATION .............................................................................. 10
4.3 CURVE VIEWERS .........................................................................................11
4.4 VINYL POSITION .........................................................................................12
4.5 SCRATCH TOOLS .........................................................................................13
5 FREEWARE/PREMIUM OPTIONS ...............................................................14
6 MIXER COMPATIBILITY .............................................................................15
7 SHORTCUT................................................................................................16
8 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) ....................................................17
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TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Application concept ............................................................................. 3
Figure 2: Interface .............................................................................................. 6
Figure 3: Header of interactive menu ................................................................. 7
Figure 4: Add New Looper .................................................................................. 7
Figure 5: Detail of recording and looper menus ................................................. 9
Figure 6: Detail of color menu ............................................................................ 9
Figure 7: Vinyl position and crossfader status .................................................. 12
TABLE OF TABLES
Table 1: External links ........................................................................................ 3
Table 2: Comparative between Freeware and Premium versions .................... 14
Table 3: Compatibility table for mixers............................................................. 15
Table 4: Shortcuts ............................................................................................ 16
Table 5: Shortcuts for phrasing mode .............................................................. 16
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SCRATCH SESSION LABS
1 Overview
Scratch Session Labs application enables to transcribe in real-time scratch
movements of Turntablisms.
During scratch sessions, a new dimension is added to visually represent
complexity of musical score and thus graphically annotate phases to improve in
different techniques such as Chirp and flare.
Concept of Scratch Session Labs application:
Figure 1: Application concept
Link to websites:
Link URL
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ScratchSessionLabs/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/scratchviewer/
Scratch Session Labs http://www.scratchsessionlabs.com/
(download link) http://www.scratchViewer.com/
Table 1: External links
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2 Software Installation
2.1 Windows OS
Procedure to launch application:
• Unzip file on computer
• Launch ScratchSessionLabs.exe
2.2 MAC OS
Procedure to launch application:
• Unzip file on computer
• Launch ScratchSessionLabs.app
Authorization:
• Select "Apple Icon -> System preference"
• Select "Security & Privacy"
• Select "General" tab
• Into "Allow apps downloaded from:" group
• Press "Open Anyway" => ScratchSessionLabs
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3 Activation of Premium mode
The contextual menu contains the activation menu.
Procedure to activate Premium mode:
• Press “Go to website”: pay Premium version of software on website
http://www.scratchsessionlabs.com/
• Press “Generate lock key” button: Save *.sslock file on the desktop
• Send file to
[email protected] with *.sslock file and Paypal
transaction number
• Wait for my return email containing an unlock file
• Press “Import unlock key” button: select *.ssunlock file
• Press “Good Scratch” button
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4 Software Use
4.1 Presentation
Scratch Session Labs application has been designed to respond to needs of
turtablisms in order to be the most intuitive way possible.
The functionalities have been distributed in the following areas:
• Interactive menus: contextual menu, recordings menu, loopers menu &
device configuration
• Curve viewers: display curves of A and B inputs
• Scratch tools: launch/recording sessions, curves configuration,
information display of current sound
Figure 2: Interface
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4.2 Interactive menus
The header of interactive menu:
Add new looper
Import sound Name of interactive menu Collapse of interactive menu
Figure 3: Header of interactive menu
The menus are collapsed by clicking the mouse on the interactive menu
area, on the red button or on the curve viewers area (Cf. 4.1-
Presentation);
4.2.1 Add New Looper
Add new looper on looper menu:
• Picture: press picture to select another blaze
• Title: define title of looper
• Author: define author of looper
• Looper: select a sound file (*.wav)
• Start Offset of Looper: define offset according to start of looper sound
• Bpm: define bpm of looper to synchronize curve grid
• save
Figure 4: Add New Looper
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4.2.2 Contextual menu
The contextual menu contains the following functions:
• File -> Quit: exiting of application
• Activation (Cf. 3-Activation of Premium mode)
• Open -> AppData in explorer: Open AppData directory
• Help
o About: information about Scratch Session Labs
o Scratch Tools in explorer: Open Scratch Tools of Scratch Session
Labs containing sound file in wav format usable with color mode
Activate Freeware version to have Premium functions
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4.2.3 Recording and looper menus
Recorder and Looper menus contain the sounds and curves that can be
launched.
List of actions: Delete sound
Title Launch sound
Author Icon Author name Beats per minute
Share/Export sound
Figure 5: Detail of recording and looper menus
Press with left mouse button on hyperlink of author name to be directed to
the associated website
4.2.4 Color menu
Color menu contains the curve colors and corresponding labels that can be
displayed.
List of actions:
Overview of color position on vinyl
Delete sound Title
Share/Export color Color of Segment Label of Segment Selected color on
Figure 6: Detail of color menu deck A and/or B
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4.2.5 Device configuration
Device configuration menu contains all options that enables to parameter
application and scratch device with the following parameters:
• Scratcher Icon: identify the scratcher with a picture
click on picture to add personal icon that is used in recording sounds)
• Name: identify the scratcher name that is used in recording sounds
• Timecode: specify timecode mode (Serato, Traktor, Generic)
• Input A/B: specify the setup inputs corresponding to curves A/B to display
• Master: specify the master input to recording
• Input Midi: specify the midi input corresponding to cross fader
• Learn Midi: learn/display the input of crossfader
• Crossfader latency: specify latency of crossfader
• Crossfader Left/Right: specify values to trigger crossfader for left and right
sides
• Curve size: specify size of curves
• BPM: specify the bpm of grid
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4.3 Curve viewers
The curve viewers enable to transcribe in real-time scratch movements of
Turntablisms. Sound information and curves are displayed and synchronized on
curves viewer area.
Mouse actions:
• Press the left mouse button and move the cursor: move curve
• Move the mouse wheel: change the width of curve
• Contextual menu:
- Zoom:
▪ Auto-resize: show the entire curve
▪ Selection Area: select area on curve to zoom on it
- Hide/Show
▪ Main Curve: hide/show main curve
▪ Grid: hide/show grid of curve
▪ Curve of X-Fader off: Hide/show the curve when the cross
fader is closed
▪ Vinyl position: Hide/show the vinyl position
Display contextual menu:
- Windows OS: press the right mouse button
- Mac OS: press Control key + click on mouse button
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4.4 Vinyl position
The vinyl position enables to visualize current and replay vinyl movements, and
show/hide status of crossfader.
Crossfader status
Vinyl movement
Curve color
Figure 7: Vinyl position and crossfader status
The curve color is defined according to vinyl position.
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4.5 Scratch tools
The scratch tools contain the following functions:
select inputs A, B or A/B (display two curves at the same time)
record the session
, or select display mode of curve:
• Normal: displays the curve according to position on time code vinyl
• Phrasing: displays the curve according to position on a color segment
• Drumming: displays the curve according to position on color segments
consider left/right sides of crossfader
switch crossfader side (reverse mode) => Hamster mode
select bpm number to display (4, 8, 16, 32 or 64)
previous sound of current list (record, looper, training)
play/stop the current sound
hold mode to stop scrolling when vinyl is stopped
next sound of current list (record, looper, training)
current sound information (title, author, bpm)
metronome depending on bpm frequency
marks the beginning of a phase
Press with left mouse button on hyperlink of author name to be directed to
the associated website
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5 Freeware/Premium options
Comparative table between Freeware and Premium versions:
Function FREEWARE PREMIUM
Deck Limited ✓
(only A or B setup) A, B or A/B setup
Looper ✓ ✓
Replay Limited ✓
(no scratch mode) Training mode
Record Limited ✓
(20s)
Import/Share sound ✓ ✓
Normal curve mode ✓ ✓
Phrasing curve mode Limited ✓
(20s)
Drumming curve Limited ✓
mode (20s)
Color mode Limited ✓
(20s)
Wave curve mode Limited ✓
(20s)
BPM & Hold mode - ✓
Training mode Limited ✓
(Work in Progress) (20s)
Table 2: Comparative between Freeware and Premium versions
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6 Mixer Compatibility
Compatibility table for mixers:
Mixer Windows MacOS
DJM-S9 - ✓
DJM-S11 - ✓
Native Traktor Audio 6 ✓ ✓
Phase devices with
Native Traktor Audio 6
✓ ✓
Numark Scratch ✓ ✓
Rane Sixty-Two - ✓
Rane Seventy - ✓
Rane Seventy-Two - ✓
Reloop Elite 1 deck /
No master record
✓
Z2 ✓ ✓
Table 3: Compatibility table for mixers
Please help me to complete this list
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7 Shortcut
List of shortcuts:
Action Shortcut
Play/Stop Space
Previous Looper
Next Looper
Initialize zero vinyl position Deck A: Return/Enter
Deck B: Backspace
Table 4: Shortcuts
Phrasing Mode:
Action Shortcut Deck A Shortcut Deck B
Create/Define angle end E I
of area
Define angle start of area SHIFT + E SHIFT + I
Define empty area to area • CTRL + SHIFT + E • CTRL + SHIFT + I
• COMMAND + SHIFT + E • COMMAND + SHIFT
(Mac OS) + I (Mac OS)
Delete area R O
Delete all areas SHIFT + R SHIFT + O
Save color S SHIFT + S
Table 5: Shortcuts for phrasing mode
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8 frequently asked questions (FAQ)
• Configuration movie:
https://youtu.be/VI2XwQDrzyk
• Switch Your Native Instruments Controller to MIDI Mode:
https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/210264145-
How-to-Switch-Your-Native-Instruments-Controller-to-MIDI-Mode
• Configurate a midi X-Fader in Traktor:
- Open the Traktor application
- Click on “Setting -> Controller Manager”
- Select “Generic MIDI (All Ports)” in Device
- Select “All Ports” in In-Port and Out-Port
- Click on “Add In…” and select “Mixer -> X-Fader -> Position”
- Click on “Learn” button to configure X-Fader
- Click on “Add Out…” and select “Mixer -> X-Fader -> Position”
- Click on “Learn” button to configure X-Fader
- Follow this procedure
- SWITCH YOUR NATIVE INSTRUMENTS CONTROLLER TO MIDI Mode
• File extension:
- ssp: color file
- sst: header file
- ssw: curve file
- ssz: import/export file
• Procedure to launch application if no curve on MacOS:
- Unzip file on computer
- Select ScratchSessionLabs.app
- Control + Press button of mouse
- Select "Show Package Contents"
- Directory path: "Contents/MacOS/"
- Launch ScratchSessionLabs.app
- Press "Open"
- Press "OK"
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• Desynchronization of the position of the vinyl arrow:
- In Setting menu, the timecode field must:
▪ Correspond to the sideA or sideB of vinyl
▪ Have the information “FullDVS”
Example: serato_sideA_FullDVS
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SCRATCH SESSION LABS
Scratch Assembly (2019) during Wednesday evening sessions at Mix’Art Myrys
(Toulouse-France).
User Guide - V1.6
