Serato ITCH 2.2.2 User Manual

VERSION 2.2.
2
USER
MANUAL
CONTENTS
2
CONTENTS
7 INTRODUCTION
8 HARDWARE
8 Minimum System Requirements
9 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
9 Installation (Mac OSX)
9 Installation (PC)
10 GETTING STARTED
10 Starting the Software
13 IMPORTING MUSIC
13 Adding fles to the lTCH library
13 External Hard Drives
14 Showing your iTunes library
14 How to get music from CDs into lTCH
14 Supported File Types
15 PREPARING YOUR FILES
15 Offine Player
15 Master Gain
15 Analyzing Files
15 How To Analyze Files
16 Re-Analyze Files
16 Set Auto BPM
16 BPM Range
16 Set Beatgrid
17 Lock Beatgrids
17 Lock Tracks
17 Track Analyze on Deck Load
18 LIBRARY NAVIGATION
18 Mouse and Keyboard Navigation
18 Hardware Navigation
18 Searching
18 Browsing
19 Library Status lcons
19 Prepare
3
CONTENTS
20 ORGANIZING AND MANAGING YOUR LIBRARY
20 Organizing Your Library
20 Crates
20 Subcrates
21 Smart Crates
21 Copying and Managing Files
22 Copying and Moving Crates
22 Setting up Columns
22 Editing lD3 Tags
22 Display Album Art
22 Adding Album Art
23 Library Auto -Backup
23 Relocate lost fles
23 Serato Scratch Live Compatibility
24 Display Modes
25 MAIN SCREEN OVERVIEW
25 Library Modes
25 virtual Deck
25 Track Display
26 Tap Tempo
26 Track Overview Display
26 Main Waveform Display
27 Tempo Matching Display
27 Beat Matching Display
27 Example Of Using The visual Aids To Beat Match
28 MIXING
28 Mixing & Playback
28 Finding the Next Track
28 Loading it to the Deck
28 Playback
28 Continuous Autoplay
28 Adjusting Track's Pitch / Speed
29 Getting The Tracks ln Time
29 Keylock
30 CUE POINTS
30 Add/Delete Cue Point
30 Trigger Cue Point
30 Cue Point Keyboard Shortcuts
30 Visual Aid: Cue Point Status
31 Temporary Cue
CONTENTS
4
32 LOOPING
32 Manual Looping
32 Auto Looping
32 Loop Roll
33 BEATGRIDS
33 Downbeat Marker
33 Bar Markers
34 Beat Markers
34 Beat Warp Markers
34 Editing Beatgrids
35 lncorrect Downbeat Marker
35 Adjust Incorrect Beatgrid
36 Grid Edit Shortcuts
36 Enter Grid Edit Mode
36 Exit Grid Edit Mode
36 Save Grid Edit Changes
37 Set Beat Warp Marker
37 Delete Beat Marker
37 Adjust (Contract / Stretchj Beatgrid
37 Fast Adjust (Contract / Stretchj Beatgrid
37 Slip Beatgrid
37 Fast Slip Beatgrid
38 SMARTSYNC (USING BEATGRIDS)
38 Beat Position Indicator
38 Beat Sync Mode
39 Arm Beat Sync Mode
39 Tempo Sync Mode
39 Disengage Sync
40 Relative Pitch & Pitch Control
40 Sync On Track Load
40 Loading Tracks With No Beatgrid
41 SIMPLE SYNC (NO BEATGRIDS)
41 Selecting Simple Sync
41 Simple Sync
41 Relative Pitch & Pitch Control
5
CONTENTS
42 SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
42 SP-6 Overview
42 Loading Music To The SP-6
43 Playing Samples
44 Play Modes
44 Playing Loops
45 SP-6 lnstant Doubles
45 SP-6 Pitch Controls
45 SP-6 'Play From' Selector
45 SP-6 Track Overviews
46 SP-6 Slot Volumes
46 lndividual Output Selectors
46 SP-6 Mute Buttons
47 SP-6 Master Output Selector
47 SP-6 Sample Banks
48 HISTORY
48 Delete History Session
49 Listing Behavior
49 Serato Playlists
49 Uploading Serato Playlists
49 Live Playlists
50 RECORDING
50 Record Audio
50 Recordings Save Location
51 ADDITIONAL SETUP
51 Setup Screen
51 Hardware
52 PLAYBACK
52 General
52 On Song Load
53 Recording
54 LIBRARY
54 Song Library Options
CONTENTS
6
55 DISPLAY
55 User Interface Settings
55 Waveform Orientation
56 MIXER
56 Crossfader
56 EQ
56 Output
56 Headroom
56 Cue
56 Cue Mix
56 Faders
57 PLUGINS
57 SP-6
57 Serato Playlists
58 WHITELABEL
58 Whitelabel Audio Files
58 Whitelabel .net
58 Locked whitelabel .net Files
58 Whitelabel .net System Requirements
59 SHORTCUTS
59 Keyboard Shortcuts
61 TROUBLESHOOTING
7
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the lTCH 2.0 software manual.
Serato lTCH is an integrated software and hardware system, designed to give music selectors and DJs
new kinds of control.
Using the lTCH software you can DJ music on your computer with accurate control from a range of
purpose built lTCH hardware.Simply connect your lTCH hardware to your computer, connect to your
sound system and you're in action.
NOTE Not all ITCH functionality will be available for every ITCH Controllers. (ie. 2 deck ITCH
controllers will only have 2 virtual decks in ITCH, controllers such as the Numark V7 dont have
internal mixing so dont allow for recording functions, etc.) SEE YOUR HARDWARE MANUAL FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
HARDWARE
8
HARDWARE
This manual offers generic lTCH Software information.
For specifc lTCH hardware setup, control or troubleshooting information please see your hardware manual.
Vestax VCI-380
Vestax VCI-300
Numark NS7
Numark v7
Numark NS6
Allen & Heath Xone:DX
Pioneer DDJ-S1
Denon DN HC-5000
Novation TWlTCH
Minimum System Requirements
Before software installation, please ensure your computer meets the minimum system requirements for
the lTCH controller you are using. You can fnd the minimum specifcations by clicking on your controller
in thelTCH product page.
NOTE These are the minimum requirements to run ITCH. For best performance and for use in
professional situations we recommend you use a higher spec computer.
9
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
Installation (Mac OSX)
Before installing, we recommend you download and install the latest lTCH version from the website.
Click here to get the latest installer for Mac OSX
To install ITCH
Browse using Finder to the location where the lTCH download was saved.
Double click the lTCH zip fle to unpack.
Double click the .dmg fle to mount the image on your system, and browse to that volume.
Double click the fle called lTCH installer".
The installer screen will appear - Click Continue.
Accept the License Agreement - click Agree and then Continue.
Click lnstall for standard installation to your regular hard disc.
lTCH will now be installed - A confrmation screen will appear when the install is complete.
Installation (PC)
Before installing, we recommend you download and install the latest lTCH version from the website.
Click here to get the latest installer for Windows
IMPORTANT Do NOT connect your ITCH controller to your PC before you are prompted to do so. The
installer will prompt you to connect it at the appropriate time.
To install ITCH
Browse using Windows Explorer to the location where the lTCH download installer was saved, unpack
the lTCH .zip fle and browse to the extracted contents.
Double click the fle called lTCH_installer.exe".
The lnstallShield Wizard screen will appear. Click Next.
Accept the License Agreement and then click Next.
Choose the location you want to install to and click Next.
Complete will perform a standard installation.
Connect your lTCH hardware.
You will be prompted to connect your lTCH hardware to your computer. Throughout the installation:
lf Windows warns you that any of the drivers' certifcates cannot be verifed, approve them anyway.
lf Windows warns you that the hardware installation was not successful or may not work properly,
ignore it.
lf you see any dialog boxes fash briefy on the screen before disappearing, ignore them.
These warnings are normal and are simply Windows' reaction to the cancellation of its own hardware
installer. (Serato lTCH controllers use their own installation processes.j
Confrm the installation options and click lnstall.
lTCH will now be installed, and a confrmation screen will appear when the install is complete.
NOTE A shortcut will be also be created on desktop.
GETTING STARTED
10
GETTING STARTED
Starting the Software
Mac OS X
lTCH will be installed to your applications folder.
Double click the lTCH icon in the applications folder to launch. For easy launching you can click and drag
this icon to the dock.
Windows
lTCH will be installed in the following locations:
Windows XP Start > Programs > lTCH
Windows Vista & Windows 7 Windows Menu > All Programs > Serato > lTCH
To start lTCH on Windows simply double click on the shortcut icon on your desktop, or browse your start
menu and click the lTCH.exe icon.
NOTE Connect your ITCH hardware before you open Serato ITCH. When ITCH launches it will
automatically detect your ITCH hardware. Successful detection will result in you seeing this screen
with virtual decks:

SUCCESSFUL HARDWARE DETECTlON
NOTE 4 deck ITCH controllers will display 4 virtual decks.
SYNC OFF
1
SYNC OFF
1
SETUP ? 4:20 PM
Record Mic/AuxS P-6 Files Browse Prepare History
All... song artist album length comment bpm
Album Art
*
A List
Electronic
Drum and Bass
Dub
House
Favourites
Crowd
Personal
International
Local
11
GETTING STARTED
Software Overview
The following chart provides an overview of the lTCH main screen. Each point is covered in more detail,
later in the manual.
1
Playhead Shows playhead position on the waveform overview of the track.
2
Library Mode Changes Display Mode to maximize Library information.
3
Vertical Mode Changes Display Mode to show virtical waveforms.
4
Horizontal Mode Changes Display Mode to show horizontal waveforms.
5
Stack Mode Changes Display Mode to stack waveforms on top of each other.
6
Day Mode Selects Day mode colour scheme.
7
Night mode Selects Night mode colour scheme.
8
Pitch Applied pitch offset as a percentage (%j (determined by the position of the PlTCH FADERj.
9
Grid Edit Mode Enter / exit Grid Edit Mode for editing of Beatgrids.
10
BPM Field Displays track's BPM. When Beatgrids are disabled in Setup screen you can click this feld to tap"
out a time, from which the software will approximate and save a new BPM. lf there is no BPM for the track, it will
display Tap" to prompt you to tap out a suggested tempo.
11
Virtual Deck Rotates during playback.
12
Beat-Matching Display Shows transients" (usually the drum hitsj to aid beat-matching.
13
Tempo-Matching Display Displays tempos of both Decks to help the mixing process.
14
Sync Enables or disables Sync. State for Deck displayed as blue for Beat Sync, yellow for Tempo Sync, grey Arm
Beat Syncj.
15
Tool Tips Enables or disables Tool Tip Display, which provides a dialog box with a description of a software
feature when you place your mouse over it.
16
Setup Shows the software Setup screen.
SYNC OFF
1
GRID
EDIT
GRID BPM
TIME ELAPSED
PLAYBACK
SINGLE
CONT
REPEAT
OFF
ON
AUTOLOOP
4
REL PITCH
SYNC OFF
2
GRID
EDIT
GRID BPM
TIME ELAPSED
PLAYBACK
SINGLE
CONT
REPEAT
OFF
ON
AUTOLOOP
4
REL PITCH
SETUP ? 4:20 PM
Record Mic/Aux SP-6 Files Browse Prepare History
All... song artist album length comment bpm
Album Art
*
LIMITER
A List
Electronic
Drum and Bass
Dub
House
Favourites
Crowd
Personal
International
Local
10 pm Action Trac Moon Mountain Sounds 06:0.46 120
Trash ocal Ang Finland 0:1.16 12
The Day The Great arCame Atomic Load Million 04:1. 0
Badlands Atomic Load Million 04:1. 12
Move Forward Bass Subber Sel Titled 0:24.4 126
Feel me Blow Moon Mountain Sounds 0:2.06 12
Evening Dar Bobabacer Downsetting 06:42.1 14
Bring me Bac Bobabacer Everything Else Know to man 0:6.0 14
et Plastic Brain over a hill hug It Or iss It? 04:0.20 111
Loosey Lucy Brain over a hill hug It Or iss It? 04:1.2
KEY
Move Forward
Bass Subber
Out o It
Subwall 0:1.
-2.6
122.40 122.40
0:2.4
-2.6
G
2
GETTING STARTED
12
17
Off When Sync is engaged, press Off to disable Sync for Deck.
18
A
Auto-loop length Displays the Auto-loop length.
18
B
Loop Number Displays the number of the currently selected loop. Clicking the lock" icon next to it will disable
any changes to the current loop. Clicking the X" icon next to it will delete the current loop.
19
Limiter llluminates when Limiter engages. SEE HEADROOM FOR MORE lNFORMATlON.
20
Track Overview An overview of the currently loaded track's entire waveform.
21
Beat Position Indicator Shows the playhead position in the current bar when using Sync.
22
Clock and CPU Indicator Shows time and computer CPU processing load.
23
Track Time Display Displays the current position of the Audio Pointer in the track. Click to switch between Time
Elapsed to Time Remaining.
24
Search Searches your Library for the text entered in this feld.
25
History Displays the History Panel containing tracks that have already been played.
26
Prepare Displays the Prepare Panel containing tracks you have pre-selected for your set.
27
Browse Displays the Browse Panel, which enables you to browse for tracks by genre, BPM, etc.
28
Files Displays the Files Panel, which enables you to search for tracks on your hard drive.
29
Status Bar Displays the status of the currently selected item.
30
Album Art Grid 2 Displays Album Art as a grid with the track information text below.
31
Album Art Grid 1 Displays Album Art as a grid with the track information text to the right.
32
Album Art List Adds an album art column to the Simple List mode.
33
Simple List Displays Album Art as Simple List.
34
Add Smart Crate Adds a new Smart Crate.
35
Add New Crate Adds a new Crate.
36
Album Art Displays the cover art for the album selected.
37
Library Displays the songs available in your current library location.
38
Crates Displays the list of Crates, Sub-Crates and Smart Crates available.
39
SP-6 Opens / closes the SP-6 Sample Player tab.
40
Record Opens / closes the Record tab. (Not available for the Numark v7 and Denon DN HC5000.j
41
Waveform Waveform of the currently loaded track.
42
Key Displays the track's key" lD3 tag (if availablej.
43
Repeat Mode Toggles Repeat Mode On" or Off" for the track (when Playback Mode is set to Single"j or Crate
(when Playback Mode is set to Continuous"j. Whenever a new track is loaded, this will default to Off."
44
Playback Mode Toggles between Single" and Continuous" Playback Modes. Single Playback Mode plays
only one track, stopping when it is fnished. Continuous Playback Mode will automatically play the next track in the
Crate when one track ends. Whenever a new track is loaded, this setting will remain the same.
45
Track Name Title" tag for the current track.
46
Artist Name Artist" tag for the current track.
13
IMPORTING MUSIC
IMPORTING MUSIC
Adding les to the ITCH library
The easiest way to load music into your library is by using the Files button.
1Click on the FlLES button to open the fles panel. The left side of this window displays various locations
on your computer hard drive (and external drives if you have onej. Click on these locations to navigate
your computer and fnd your music. By default, your music will usually be found in either Music"(Macj
or My Music"(Windowsj.
2Once you have located your music, drag the folder or fles you want to import onto the purple All..."
icon. This is located to the left of your screen at the top of the crates and playlist window.
lf you wish to import all of your music, just drag your whole music folder onto this icon. This will import
any compatible fle contained in this master folder from your hard drive into the lTCH Library.
TIP You can also import by dragging les and folders directly from Windows Explorer (PC version) or
Finder (Mac version) into the ITCH library.
Load a fle to either deck from the fles panel will automatically add it to your library.
TIP Dragging a folder into the crates view will instantly create a crate.
SEE CRATES FOR MORE INFORMATION.
External Hard Drives
Any external hard drive connected to your computer will show in the fles panel. You can add fles to
your library from an external drive just like you would do when importing from the internal hard drive
of your computer.
lf the external hard drive is not connected when you run lTCH any fles added from this drive will not
display in your library.
The library information for fles on your external drive is stored on the external drive itself. This means if
you add tracks on an external drive to your library and then plug that external drive into another machine
running lTCH, the crates and tracks will automatically be visible in the other machine's library.
Record Mic/Aux SP-6
All...
*
A List
Electronic
Drum and Bass
Dub
House
Favourites
Crowd
Personal
International
MUSIC
Music
Macintosh HD
Departments
Desktop
Documents
Downloads
Dropbox
Library
Movies
Music
Pictures
Public
Sites
Rescan ID3 Tags Relocate Lost Files
IMPORTING MUSIC
14
Showing your iTunes library
lTCH can import your iTunes library allowing you to play your iTunes music and access playlists. To
enable this feature go to the setup screen, open the library tab and check the show iTunes library box.
NOTE The iTunes library can now be minimized by pressing the small triangle in the blue iTunes
folder icon.
How to get music from CDs into ITCH
lTCH does not have a CD ripping function. We suggest you use a 3rd party application to convert your
audio CDs into a suitable fle type for lTCH. We recommend 320 kbps MP3 fles for a good balance of
audio quality and fle size. lTCH can play Audio CDs direct from your computer's CD ROM or DvD drive,
however playback performance can be impeded by the speed of the drive and computer.
NOTE We recommend ripping your CDs rather than playing from them directly.
SEE ITUNES FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Supported File Types
.MP3
.OGG
.AAC
.ALAC
.AlF
.WAv
.WL.MP3
.FLAC
Fixed and variable bit rate (vBRj fles are both supported.
Tracks protected by DRM are not compatible with Serato lTCH.
SEE DRM FOR MORE INFORMATION.
About Corrupt Files
lf you have a corrupt fle in your library, hover your mouse mover the status icon for information
on what type of corruption was found.
All...
*
Library
Music
Movies
TV Shows
Podcasts
Purchased
Genius
iTunes DJ
Albums
15
PREPARING YOUR FILES
Ofine Player
The offine player is a useful tool for preparing crates, auditioning tracks, and setting cue and loop points.
The offine player is available when lTCH hardware is not connected, and outputs through the current
default audio device.
Load a track to the offine player by dragging and dropping onto the offine player or by pressing shift+left
arrow. lf the end of the loaded track is reached, the next track in the current playlist will automatically play
next.
TIP The ofine player is a useful tool for preparing Crates, auditioning tracks, creating and editing
Beatgrids, and setting Cue and Loops.
Master Gain
Use the track gain knob to adjust the volume of master output of lTCH in the Offine Player.
Analyzing Files
NOTE ITCH 2.0 features improved BPM and Beatgrid detection. Users should force re-analyze your
les to take advantage of these improvements.
NOTE If you have les you dont wish to re-analyze, you can now Lock tracks. SEE LOCK TRACKS
FOR MORE INFORMATION.
The analyze fles function processes the tracks in your library to detect fle
corruption, prepare the waveform overviews, and if enabled, calculate BPM
values and create Beatgrids.
lt is recommended that users analyze their fles before playing them in lTCH.
NOTE When hardware is connected, Set Beatgrid and Set Auto BPM options are in effect. Keep these
checked if you wish to have new tracks analyzed with these values when dragging les to a deck.
How To Analyze Files
To analyze your fles open lTCH with your lTCH hardware disconnected. You will see the analyze fles
button, click this to automatically analyze all the tracks in your library.
TIP You can also drag and drop individual folders, crates and les onto the button to analyze small or
specic groups of les at a time.
To force lTCH to re-analyze all fles, hold ctrl while clicking on the analyze fles button. Dragging a fle, folder
or crate which has already been analyzed onto the button will also force lTCH to re-analyze these fles.
A
IN OUT LOOP
1
2
3
4
5
1
8
1
4
1
2 1 2
Analyze Files
Analyze Files Set Beatgrid Set Auto BPM Range 68 - 135
16
Re-Analyze Files
Previously analyzed tracks can be re-analyzed by dragging the track, selection of tracks or entire Crate to
the Analyze Files button.
To force lTCH to re-analyze ALL fles in your library, hold ctrl while clicking on the analyze fles button.
NOTE The Analyze Files rules apply with Set Beatgrid and Set Auto BPM.
NOTE Re-Analyzing will not analyze any Locked tracks.
NOTE You should make sure both the Set Beatgrid and Set BPM boxes are checked if you wish to re-
create Beatgrids.
Set Auto BPM
lf this option is checked, lTCH will calculate the BPM and add the value to your
fle during the analyze fles process.
NOTE Locked les will not have a new BPM calculated.
SEE LOCK TRACKS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Set Auto BPM is part of the analyzing fle process, it will not apply to any fles that have already been
analyzed unless the following:
You force analyze a track, or group of tracks and you select a different BPM range.
You force analyze a track, or group of tracks and the calculate BPM value differs from the current BPM.
BPM Range
The range drop down allows you to specify the BPM range of your tracks.
Selecting an correct range will help to avoid half or double BPM values being
calculated when using Set Auto BPM.
For example: You have a selection of house tracks, that you guess are in the
120 - 130 BPM range. Set the drop down range to 68-135 BPM, setting the
lower and upper limits. That way, when lTCH runs into a 120 BPM fle, it will
know for sure that it is 120 BPM, and not a half value of 60 BPM (60 BPM is
lower than the set threshold of 68 BPMj.
NOTE If you nd tracks with BPM values that are incorrect, check the BPM Range is correct in the
Ofine Player.
Set Beatgrid
lf this option is checked, lTCH will create a Beatgrid for the fle during the analyze fles process.
This requires the track to have a BPM value, or the 'Set BPM' box is checked when analyzing.
NOTE Locked les will not have a new Beatgrid calculated.
SEE LOCK TRACKS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Set Auto BPM
Range none
none
58 - 115
68 - 135
78 - 155
88 - 175
98 - 195
17
Lock Beatgrids
Tracks in your library can be locked to avoid accidentally changing the BPM or Beatgrid information for the fle.
This provides a handy visual aid for tracks in your library you feel have correct Beatgrids and BPM values.
Find a tack you wish to lock, hold CTRL and click in the empty Status column (the frst column
in the main Library viewj. A green Lock icon will be displayed in this feld. Press CTRL and click
again on this icon to unlock the track.
TIP You can lock several tracks at once. Highlight the track selection you want and then click in the
Status column. ITCH will then prompt you if you want to edit all the tags for these tracks.
Lock Tracks
lf a track displays an orange Lock Track symbol in the Status column, then the fle information
for the track itself cannot be changed.
You will not be able to change any of the track's information permanently lN lTCH. This includes
BPM, Beatgrids, waveforms, loops, cuepoints, or other meta data information. However, you may be able
to adjust information for the track when in a session, but this information will not be saved (writtenj to the
fle's meta tags where this information is kept.
The fle may be locked because you are using the wrong formatted hard drive (ie. a NTFS drive formatted
on a Windows PC and trying to use this on a Mac which can only Read this informationj.
Or it could be the fle itself is locked.To fnd out if a track is locked, highlight the track in lTCH, and press
CTRL+R to 'reveal' the fle location on your hard drive.
Then press either Command+l ('Get lnfo'for Macj or ALT+Enter ('Properties'for Wlndowsj.
Then see if the track is Read Only, or that you have the permissions to write to the fle.
Track Analyze on Deck Load
Loading a un-analyzed track to a deck will follow the Analyze Files rules. Having Set BPM, or Set
Beatgrids checked in the Offine Player will also set the BPM or Beatgrids when you load a track to a
virtual deck or sample slot in lTCH.
Loading a previously analyzed track to a deck will not create a Beatgrid or BPM if the track has none already.
NOTE Make sure these options are checked in the Ofine Player if you wish to have this functionality
when performing.
LIBRARY NAVIGATION
18
LIBRARY NAVIGATION
The library contains all the music that you have added to lTCH. By using browse and search you can
easily narrow down your selection to fnd the track you want.
TIP You can change the size of your library text by using the keyboard shortcuts ctrl + and ctrl -.
Mouse and Keyboard Navigation
You can use the cursor keys and mouse to navigate the library. The cursor keys work as UP, DOWN,
FWD and BACK.
Hardware Navigation
You can use the hardware controls to navigate the library.SEE YOUR HARDWARE MANUAL FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
Searching
lTCH includes a search function to help you fnd tracks quickly and easily. Just enter text into the search
box and lTCH will automatically fnd as you type.
TIP Use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + F to jump to the search box. This keyboard shortcut will also
take you out of any crate or playlist that you might be in and into your main library, so you can nd
any track in your collection. If you then click on a crate or playlist, the search query will be cleared. To
select which elds the search function will look through, click on the left hand side of the search box.
The drop down menu shows which elds are currently being used. Press ESC or the X button on the
right of the search box to clear the search.
Browsing
The song browser allows you to flter your song list by Genre, BPM, Artist and Album. To turn the song
browser on or off, click the Browse button.
You can narrow down your search by selecting the specifc genre, BPM or name of the track you're
looking for, and lTCH will show the results on the main library window. You can move between the four
flters with the computer keyboard or by clicking with the mouse.
19
LIBRARY NAVIGATION
Library Status Icons
The column at the far left shows the status of each track, examples of these icons are below:
lTCH has detected some corruption in the MP3 fle. lf possible, re-encode the MP3.
The track has been imported from the iTunes library.
The track has been imported from iTunes but is corrupt
The track cannot be found. Most likely the fle has been renamed or moved.
lTCH is trying to import a track from the iTunes library, but cannot fnd the fle.
The track is locked. SEE LOCK TRACKS FOR MORE lNFORMATlON.
The track's Beatgrid and BPM is locked.SEE LOCK BEATGRlDS FOR MORE lNFORMATlON.
Prepare
The prepare window is an area for holding tracks, much like preparing a set by lifting records partially out
of your record bag. Click the prepare button in lTCH to open the prepare panel. Navigate through your
library with the keyboard and use the mouse to drag tracks or crates into the prepare window or onto
the prepare tab.
These tracks will be removed from the prepare panel once they have been played. All tracks in the
prepare panel will be discarded when you exit lTCH.
TIP Use the keyboard shortcut ctrl-p to add tracks to the prepare window.
TIP Select the contents of the Prepare window, drag them onto the new crate button (+) to
save the selection.
?
?
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING YOUR LIBRARY
20
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING
YOUR LIBRARY
Organizing Your Library
lTCH can support an unlimited number of tracks - the only limitation is the size of the hard drive of your
computer. A number of features are included to help you to keep your music organized and fnd tracks
quickly and easily.
Crates
lTCH uses digital crates for quick access to your favorite collections. There is no limit to the number of
crates you can create, and any given track can be placed in multiple crates. The crate area is on the left
hand side of the library.
For example, you could organize your tracks into the following crates, where any one track would be fled
in more than one crate.
Hip Hop
French Hip Hop
UK Hip Hop
lnstrumental Hip Hop
Old School Hip Hop
Hip Hop Lps
To make a new crate, click the + button. To rename a crate, double click the crate name. You can change
the order of tracks within a crate by dragging them up or down.
TIP The protect library option in the setup screen applies to removing, editing and renaming crates.
Check this option to prevent changes to your crates.
SEE PROTECT LIBRARY FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Subcrates
You can drag and drop crates into other crates to make subcrates. lf you drag a crate to the very left of
the crate panel, it will stay in the top level of the crate structure. lf you drag the crate a little to the right,
onto the name of another crate, it will make the crate you are dragging a sub crate of this crate.
Subcrates can be opened and collapsed, allowing you to have a large number of crates whilst making
them easy to browse.
21
Smart Crates
Smart crates are crates which update their contents by using keywords which are matched with selected
tags of your music library tracks. Smart crates can be updated automatically or at your discretion.
To create a smart crate, click the Add Smart Crate button in the bottom left corner of the main
screen (blue crate iconj. A popup window will open which allows you to add the rules to fll your smart
crate. Press Add Rule to add a rule for the smart crate to match with. For each rule you can choose a feld
to match on from the drop down menu:
Added (date)
Album
Artist
BPM
Comment
Composer
Filename
Genre
Grouping
Key
Label
Remixer
Song
Whitelabel
Year
You can then choose the following inclusion / exclusion criteria:
Contains
Is
Does not contain
Is not
Check the Match all of the following Rules option so that tracks must match all the set rules to be added to
the crate. lf this option is not checked, any track which matches any of the rules will be added to the crate.
Click Save to save your crate or Cancel to exit without saving.
Click the Edit button (next to the Add Smart Crate buttonj to edit the rules of an existing Smart Crate.
22
Copying and Managing Files
lTCH gives you the ability to copy and move fles or folders between drives or to a new location on the
same drive.
To copy or move your fles and/or folders, open the Files panel and select, drag and drop them in the
desired new location.
lTCH will then prompt you with the following options:
Copy Select this to make a copy of the selected fles and folders in the new
location. Your Serato library will now contain entries for both the originals
and copies.
Move Select this to move the selected fles and/or folders to the new location. Your Serato library and crates
will now reference the fles in their new location.
Cancel Cancel any changes.
Remove original references from library Check this option when using the copy feature to remove
the original references to these fles in your Serato library and replace them with the copies in the new
location. The original fles will still be kept in their current location, but will no longer referenced in your
Serato library.
Copying and Moving Crates
You can also copy or move your Crates and Subcrates to another drive in the same way. Open the Files
panel and select, drag and drop your Crates or Subcrates to the new drive. You will be presented with the
same options as mentioned above.
Setting up Columns
The track information display area can be customized to display any of the columns listed below.
Added
Album
Artist
Bitrate
BPM
Comment
Composer
Filename
Genre
Grouping
Key
Label
Length
Location
Remixer
Sampling rate
Size
Track
Year
Clicking on the triangle at the top right of the library will show the list so you can turn felds on and off.
You can resize columns by grabbing the edge and dragging to the width you want.
Copy Move Cancel
Remove original references from Library
23
Editing ID3 Tags
Much of the information associated with each track can be edited from within lTCH. Double click on the feld
within the main library to edit it. Filename, length, size, bit rate and sampling cannot be edited, this information
is saved in the fle itself. Note that the protect library option in setup must be unchecked to allow edits.
SEE PROTECT LlBRARY FOR MORE lNFORMATlON.
TIP Use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + E to edit text. Hold down the ctrl key and move with the arrow
keys to change to a different eld while staying in edit mode. When you have more than one track
selected, editing tags changes all the tracks in your selection.
TIP The second column in the library is the label color for that track. Click it to bring up a color
palette, and customize the virtual deck for that track.
NOTE Tracks that are read-only have a locked icon.
Display Album Art
MP3 fles can contain album art information. Click on the album art button at the very bottom left of the screen
to open a small window. This window displays the album art of the track currently selected in the library.
Adding Album Art
You can add album art to a fle by dragging and dropping a jpeg or png fle onto the track in any of the
album art views, or onto the Album Art window.
Library Auto -Backup
lTCH will create a folder on your hard disk called Serato where it stores your library database, crate
information and other information. The Serato folder is located in the My Music folder on Windows and in
the Music folder on Mac. lTCH will also create a Serato folder on any external drive that you have added
fles from into the library.
When you frst exit lTCH you will be prompted to backup your library. This creates a copy of the Serato
folder on your system drive and on any connected external drives containing a Serato folder. The backup
folder is called SeratoBackup. After the initial backup, you will be prompted to backup again if the last
backup on that drive is older than a week or if no backup exists. lTCH will only keep ONE backup at a
time, so each time you backup lTCH will overwrite the previous backup.
NOTE If you have a earlier version of ITCH or Scratch Live installed the library folder will be called
ScratchLIVE, not _Serato_.
RESCAN ID3 TAGS
The Rescan lD3 tags button is found in the Files panel and re-reads fle tags for the entire library. Use this
function if you have edited or modifed fle tags in other software.
TIP Rescanning the tags is a handy way to identify any les that cant be found, for example, if the
les have been re-named or moved. These tracks are then shown as red in the library pane, with a
question mark icon in the status column.
24
Relocate lost les
The relocate lost fles button is located in the fles panel. lf you've moved the location of fles which are
already in your library, they will show up as not found and be displayed in red. Drag and drop a folder
from Finder (Macj or Explorer (Windowsj onto the relocate lost fles button to search it, and any sub-
folders, for fles currently marked as not found in your library. Doing this will update the database with
their new location.
NOTE Clicking the relocate lost les button will search all attached drives for missing les and can
take some time.
Serato Scratch Live Compatibility
Serato lTCH uses the same library as Serato Scratch Live. lf you are an existing Scratch Live user all
your music, loops and cue points will be available in lTCH. lf you create a library in lTCH and then install
Scratch Live the music loops and cues from lTCH will automatically be available in Scratch Live. Any
changes made in either program will be written to the library so if you have existing cue and loop points,
be aware of this when moving between systems.
Display Modes
lTCH gives you the option of different display modes to suit your style of performance. The Display Mode
buttons are located in the top left of the Main Screen.
The available display modes are:
Library Mode Maximizes your library space by minimizing the virtual Deck information
displayed. ln Library Mode only the track information, virtual Deck, mode, track overview
display and meter are displayed.
TIP Use the space bar to toggle between Library Mode and your current display mode.
Classic Vertical Mode The two decks are displayed on the left and right sides of the screen
with vertical waveforms in the middle.
Classic Horizontal Mode The two decks are displayed on the left and right sides of the screen
with horizontal waveforms in the middle.
Stack Mode The decks are stacked on top of each other in a horizontal fashion. Stack Mode
aligns the waveforms on top of each other, while maximizing waveform space. The controls for
all Decks can be shown or hidden by pressing the Show Deck Controls Button on any deck.
2 Deck View Mode 2 deck horizontal mode for 4 deck controllers.

Night Mode Classic dark grey color scheme for night time and indoor use.
Day Mode lnverts the display colors for ease of viewing during the day.
25
MAIN SCREEN OVERVIEW
Library Modes
There are four different library views for visual browsing using text and album art. Select your Library
view by using the buttons in the bottom left area of the main screen.
The available Library views are:
Simple List Displays the track information in a text list.
Album Art List Adds an album art column to the Simple List mode.
Album Art Grid 1 Displays the album art as a grid with the track information text to the right.
Album Art Grid 2 Displays the album art as a grid with the track information text below.
NOTE Your les must have album art added for it to be displayed.
SEE ADDING ALBUM ART FOR MORE INFORMATION.
TIP For all views you can adjust the font size by using the Font Size slider in the Library tab on the
Setup screen. For all Album Art views you can adjust the album art size using the Album Art Size
slider in the same area.
Virtual Deck
The virtual deck shows the speed and position of a track. When a track is loaded to the virtual deck it will
change from black to white with a black stripe. As the track progresses, the virtual deck will rotate. The
circular progress bar around the edge is a visual representation of the position within the track, and will
begin fashing 20 seconds from the end of the track to warn you that the track is nearing its end.
Track Display
When a track is loaded, the track name, artist, length and pitched BPM are displayed in the track title bar.
lf any of this information is not contained in the fle it will not be displayed. Displayed below this are pitch,
playback, repeat and auto loop.
The time and remaining time are displayed in minutes and seconds.
The pitched BPM is the recalculated BPM value of the track relative to the position of the pitch slider on
your lTCH controller.
Pitch displays the pitch value relative to the position of the pitch slider on your lTCH controller.
The Key tag for the current track is displayed.
Playback allows you to select which playback mode you want. Single means once the end of the track
is reached you will hear silence. Cont means when the end of the track is reached the next track in the
playlist will be loaded and playback will continue. lf repeat is on, when the end of the track is reached the
track will return to the start and playback will continue. Auto loop displays the current loop slot.
SEE LOOPING FOR MORE INFORMATION.
SYNC OFF
1
GRID
EDIT
GRID BPM
TIME ELAPSED
PLAYBACK
SINGLE
CONT
REPEAT
OFF
ON
AUTO LOOP
4
REL PITCH
KEY
Move Forward
Bass Subber
122.40
03:23.4
-2.86
G#
26
Tap Tempo
lf a track has no BPM information stored and Beatgrids are disabled in the Setup screen, the tap tempo
box is displayed where the BPM is usually displayed in the track title bar.
Pressing alt + space bar activates the tempo tapper for the left virtual deck (press alt + space bar a
second time to activate the tempo tapper on the right virtual deckj. To calculate, tap the space bar along
with the beat. After you've tapped the frst beat, you can switch to double time tapping, halftime, start of
each bar etc. The range is set by the frst two taps, after that you can switch to any steady rhythm you
feel comfortable with - quarter notes, half note, whole notes. The esc key resets the BPM, the enter key
saves the BPM to the track. You can also use the mouse if you prefer by clicking in the tap tempo box
and clicking the mouse button in time.
NOTE You dont need to be at Zero on the pitch slider, ITCH does the math for you.
NOTE If you have Enable Beatgrids option checked in the Setup screen, then alt + spacebar will enter
Grid Edit mode to edit the Beatgrid.
Track Overview Display
This area provides a complete overview of the waveform of the track and includes a marker to show the
current position within the track. This view is useful for fnding transitions within the track. The waveform
is colored according to the spectrum of the sound; red representing low frequency bass sounds, green
representing mid frequency sounds and blue representing high frequency treble sounds. You can jump to
different positions within the track by clicking on the track overview display. Grey lines behind the
overview show the length of the track; a thin grey line every minute, and a thick grey line every 5 minutes.
lf you have not analyzed your fles the overview will be flled when you load the track onto a virtual deck.
TIP Analyze les before you play.
Main Waveform Display
This area provides a close-up view of the track, including color-coding to show the frequency of the
sound; red representing low frequency bass sounds, green representing mid frequency sounds and
blue representing high frequency treble sounds. You can also switch to a three-band spectrum view by
holding the ctrl key and clicking on the waveform. Click and hold on the waveform to 'scrub' or make fne
adjustments to your position within the track. The main waveform is zoomed around the current position
in the track.
TIP Use the + and keys to zoom in and out.
NOTE The waveforms scale with the pitch slide on your ITCH controller to make it easier to see when
beats are aligned and in time.
27
Tempo Matching Display
The tempo matching display area provides a helpful tool for beat matching. lTCH detects the beats within
the track and places a row of orange peaks (for the track on the left sidej above a row of blue peaks (for the
track on the right sidej in the tempo matching display area. When the two tracks are matched to the same
tempo, the peaks will line up. This display does not show the relative timing of the beats, only the tempos of
the tracks. The peaks will still line up when the tracks are playing at the same tempo, but are out of sync.
Beat Matching Display
This view shows the position of beats within the track. When beat matching, this view helps align the
downbeats of the two tracks. The markers are matched up when the two tracks are beat matched.
Example Of Using The Visual Aids To Beat Match
ln this example, the track that is playing is on the left deck and the track to be mixed in is on the right deck.
1Start the track playing on the right deck. After a few seconds, blue peaks appear in the tempo matching
display.
2Adjust the pitch of the right deck on your lTCH controller until the blue peaks sit under the orange peaks
in the tempo matching display. Once they are aligned, the two tracks have the same tempo.
3Next align the markers in the beat matching display. Watch the color of the items passing by in the main
waveform display. Remember that a kick or bass drum will be red in color, and a snare drum will be
green or blue.
This technique will by no means guarantee perfect mixes, but may help to speed up the process of
beat matching.
MIXING
28
MIXING
Mixing & Playback
Previously we have covered fnding, loading and playing tracks. Once you have a track playing, the next
step is to mix it into another track.
Finding the Next Track
First you'll need to fnd the next track to mix in. Browse your library to fnd a suitable track.
TIP The librarys BPM column is useful for nding a track with a similar tempo to the current track.
Loading it to the Deck
Load the next track to the desired virtual deck by using the mouse or the keyboard shortcuts.
CTRL + Left Arrow to load onto the left deck (or the current left deck layer for 4 deck controllersj.
CTRL+ Right Arrow to load onto the right deck (or the current left deck layer for 4 deck controllersj.
Alternatively you can use the relevant track-load button(sj on your lTCH controller.
SEE KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Playback
Press the Play button on to start track playback. Pressing again will pause the track.
Continuous Autoplay
Click the CONT button inside lTCH's virtual deck area to enable continuous autoplay. With this setting
turned on, when one track fnishes playing,the next track starts automatically. Load from a crate to play
through the songs in that crate, or from your library to play through your library.
NOTE Play from start must be checked in the setup screen for autoplay to work correctly.
SEE PLAY FROM START FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Adjusting Tracks Pitch / Speed
The playback speed of the track is controlled by the Pitch Slider / Dial on the lTCH hardware controller.
Moving the slider or knob will speed up or slow down the track.SEE YOUR HARDWARE MANUAL FOR
MORE INFORMATION.
You can adjust the pitch range for the pitch range controls using the relative PlTCH RANGE/SHlFT
buttons on the lTCH controller.SEE YOUR HARDWARE MANUAL FOR MORE INFORMATION.
29
MIXING
Getting The Tracks In Time
Moving the pitch adjust will slow the track down or speed the track up. This allows you to take two tracks
that are of different tempos and mix them together in time. The pitched BPM and the pitch % are shown
in the lTCH track information display.
The simplest way to adjust the speed to match the other track is to move the pitch the BPM value is the
same as the track that is already playing. By repeatedly playing from the temp cue point and fne tuning
the pitch slider you can get the tracks playing at exactly the same speed.
NOTE ITCH can play your music at a large range of speeds with or without key lock.
SEE KEYLOCK FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Keylock
When Key Lock is on, the key or pitch of the song stays locked at what it would be if the track was
playing at normal speed, regardless of the platter speed of the hardware. Key Lock has scratch detection,
so that it automatically turns off when scratching for a natural scratching sound. Turn Key Lock on or off
by pressing the button to the top right of the virtual Deck.
TIP F5 and F10 will turn Key Lock on and off for the left and right decks respectively
CUE POINTS
30
CUE POINTS
Your lTCH hardware will determine how many cue/loop slots you have available.
NOTE Your cue points are saved to the le and recalled the next time it is loaded. They are not lost if
the le is moved or renamed.
Add/Delete Cue Point
To create a cue point, press one of the CUE buttons for the deck. The button will light up to show that there is
a point set. To delete a cue point hold SHlFT and press the CUE/lN button for the point you want to delete.
NOTE For some Numark NS7 and V7 users, use the DELETE key as the SHIFT key on your hardware.
Trigger Cue Point
Once a cue point is set, you can jump to it at any time by pressing the relevant CUE button on your
controller. lf playback is paused, triggering a cue point will play from that point for as long as the CUE
button is held down, and will return to the cue point and pause when the button is released.
TIP If you press the PLAY/PAUSE button on your controller whilst you are holding down the CUE
button on your controller, playback will continue when you let both buttons go. This allows you to cue
a track in from pause mode and then continue playback once you know the mix is right.
Cue Point Keyboard Shortcuts
You can also jump to cue points using keyboard shortcuts:
1 through 5 for the cue points on the left deck (or the current left deck layer for 4 deck controllersj.
6 through 0 for the cue points on the right deck (or the current right deck layer for 4 deck controllersj.
lf you press and hold these keyboard shortcuts while the track is playing the cue point will be repeatedly
triggered, producing a stuttering effect.
NOTE If Playback keys use shift option is enabled in the Setup > Playback screen, then you will need
to hold down SHIFT when pressing the relevant number keys.
TIP The rate of cue point stuttering is controlled by your operating system keyboard repeat rate settings.
Windows users: Keyboard properties are in the Control Panel.
Mac users: Keyboard and Mouse are in System Preferences.
Visual Aid: Cue Point Status
Notice that the stripe on the virtual Deck jumps to the 12 o'clock position and changes
color when you set a cue point - you are at the cue point when the stripe is one solid
color and at the 12 o'clock position. As the track plays on beyond the position of the
cue point, the colored stripe will shorten by a ffth for each rotation. Likewise, as you
approach the cue point, the color will grow by a ffth each rotation.
31
CUE POINTS
Temporary Cue
The temp cue function allows you to set a temporary cue point in a track that is not saved to the fle. This
is useful for fnding a point in a track and then being able to easily start again from this point as you get
your mix right. While paused you can use the platter to fne tune the playhead placement to ensure your
cue point is set exactly on a downbeat.
You can set a temp cue point using the lTCH keyboard hot keys.
l = set cue point for left deck (or the current left deck layer for 4 deck controllersj.
K = set cue point for right deck (or the current left deck layer for 4 deck controllersj.
NOTE Play will have to be paused in order for a temp cue to be set.
Once the temp cue is set, holding the relevant temp-cue button on your controller (usually 'CUE'j whilst
paused will play from the temp cue point. Releasing the button will pause playback and return to the
temp cue position. This is good for stuttering in the start of a track.
lf you press the PLAY/PAUSE button on your controller whilst you are holding down the 'CUE' button on
your controller, playback will continue when you let both buttons go. This allows you to cue a track in
from pause mode and then continue playback once you know the mix is right.
The 'CUE' button can also be pressed whilst the track is playing at any point to return to this point and
put the deck in pause. To change the location of the temp cue put the deck in pause with the playhead
at a different location and press the 'CUE' button again. The temp cue point is also useful to repeatedly
start from a preset point in the track. This allows you to easily drop in a few times until you get it right.
LOOPING
32
LOOPING
Loop functionality is controlled and set using the relevant loop buttons/knobs on your lTCH
controller.SEE YOUR HARDWARE MANUAL FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Manual Looping
You can create and save up to 9 manual loops per track. These loops are saved in the fle, and will be
present when you reload the track.
To make a loop, set the in-point by clicking the lN button, and the out-point by clicking the OUT button.
To turn the loop on or off, click the LOOP button.
lf you want the playhead to jump to the start of the loop when you enable the loop, hold the control key
and press the LOOP button.
To adjust the in-point of the loop, press and hold down the lN button and move the platter to expand or
contract the loop start. Release the lN button to keep this change. The same applies to adjusting the out-
point by holding the OUT button and adjusting the platter.
Auto Looping
Auto-looping allows you to create loops instantly. Auto-loops range from 1/32 to 32 bars. You can use the
relevant Auto-Loop controls on your lTCH hardware to select the auto-loop range.
Pressing the Auto-Loop button will create a loop start point from the nearest beat to the playhead (within
reasonj, and set a loop endpoint in the future. The loop is snapped to the beats in the song detected by
lTCH so even if you press the button slightly out of time lTCH will still create a perfect loop for you.
Pressing auto-loop again while auto-loop is active will deactivate the loop.
Adjusting the auto-loop amount while looping is active will extend the endpoint of the current loop to the
appropriate new auto-loop length.
You can also save an auto-loop to the next available free loop save slot. When using an auto-loop, a
'save' button is visible where the lock loop button normally is.
NOTE Auto-loop calculates the loop from the tracks BPM value, so make sure your tracks have been
Analyzed prior to Auto-looping.
Loop Roll
Loop roll performs a standard auto-loop, but when the loop is turned off the playback position is returned
to the position where it would be if it had not entered the loop (much like censorj.
The range of values available for loop roll are 1/32 through to 32 bars. Use short loop lengths to create
stutter" type effects. The other difference between loop roll and standard auto loop is the roll" button
is momentary (ie. The loop is engaged when the button is pressed down, and disengaged when the
button is released.j
To activate loop roll use the keyboard shortcuts.
Control + alt + 1 through 5 for the left deck (or the current left deck layer for 4 deck controllersj.
Control + alt + 6 through to 0 for the right deck (or the current left deck layer for 4 deck controllersj.
(i.e the same as the auto-loop controls with the additional 'alt' key as a modifer'j.
Alternatively you can use the relevant Loop Roll hardware commands on your lTCH controller.SEE YOUR
HARDWARE MANUAL FOR MORE INFORMATION.
33
BEATGRIDS
BEATGRIDS
Tracks without Beatgrids need to be Analyzed before a Beatgrid is created.
SEEANALYZlNG FlLESFOR MORE lNFORMATlON.
TIP For new tracks that havent been analyzed you can alternatively load a track to a virtual deck and
ITCH will add a Beatgrid. The Set Beatgrid option will need to have been selected in the Ofine Player.
NOTE Analyzing tracks may take some time. It is recommended you do this prior to a gig.
A track's Beatgrid is madeup of several parts:
All Bar Markers have a number next to them, which references the bar number, starting at 1 (the
Downbeat Markerj. Each bar is then divided into 4 beats, with 3 small white markers to indicate beat
divisions within each bar.
Downbeat Marker
The Downbeat Marker is a red line and is placed on the frst transient of the track (this could be a kick
drum, or frst bass note at the beginning of the trackj. The Downbeat Marker will have a 1 above it to
indicate it is Bar 1.
lf the BPM is accurate, then the Beatgrid will be set perfectly and you will
not need an further adjustment.
lf the Beatgrid markers don't fall on the track's beats, then you will need to
Edit the Beatgrid.
SEE EDlTlNG BEATGRlDS FOR MORE lNFORMATlON.
Bar Markers
Once the Downbeat Marker is created, the Beatgrid will then be created using the BPM value of the track
to lay out a series of Bar Markers throughout the track on each bar start.
BAR MARKER (97)
Each Bar Marker has a Bar number displayed next to the line, these indicate the start fo the track's bar
number (ie. the frst beat is the start of bar number 1j. lf the BPM value is correct, then the Beat Markers
will fall on each of the track's beats.
NOTE Any bar before the rst Downbeat will be shown as negative Bar numbers.
Downbeat Marker Beat Warp Marker
Bar Markers
Beat Marker
BEATGRIDS
34
Beat Markers
Between each Bar Marker is a series of small Beat Markers, showing the individual beats in each of the
track's bar.
NOTE For some music such as house music, this may fall on each kick drum. For other music, such as
hip hop or funk, these Beat Markers may not fall on top of a physical drum hit.
Beat Warp Markers
lf there is a tempo change in a track, you can manually set a new red Beat Warp Marker.
Setting Manual Beat Warp Markers will warp the Beatgrid from this marker. This allows the Beatgrid to
follow the track's change in tempo.
Tracks with Beat Warp Markers are able to be be perfectly Synced to tracks with no tempo changes
without the beats dropping out of time.
BEAT WARP MARKER
You can set as many Beat Warp Markers as you need. A track may change tempo multiple times, or the
tempo may fuctuate if the track is from a live recording or ripped from vinyl.
NOTE Changes in tempo over time are common with live recorded music (such as rock, funk, reggae,
etc.) Changes in tempo are very rare with most electronically created music (such as house, drum &
bass, pop, etc).
Editing Beatgrids
lf the Beatgrid markers aren't falling on top of the track's beats, you will need to edit the Beatgrid.
TIP To check if the Beatgrid has been calculated correctly you can skip forwards into the track to see
if the markers fall on the beats or not (after a breakdown is a good place). It is also a good idea to go
to the tracks outro section and see if the markers are still falling on the beats.
35
BEATGRIDS
Incorrect Downbeat Marker
lNCORRECET DOWNBEAT MARKER
lf the Downbeat Marker is set incorrectly or you want the frst beat to be in a different position (ie. if the
track has a long introj, then you will need to create a new Downbeat Marker.
1Enter Grid Edit Mode (Alt + Spacebarj.
2Press Delete to delete the Beatgrid marker (or Shift+Delete to delete multiple Markersj
3Move the playhead above the desired location for the Downbeat.
4Press x to set the Downbeat Marker.
5Press Return to exit Grid Edit Mode and save the change.
CORRECET DOWNBEAT MARKER
SEE GRID EDIT SHORTCUTS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Adjust Incorrect Beatgrid
lNCORRECT BEATGRlD
The Beatgrid may not always be correctly estimated and the markers may not line up exactly with the
track's beats.
Adjusting the Beatgrid will expand or contract the Beatgrid from your last Downbeat or Bar Marker.
lf the Beatgrid Bar Markers start falling off the beats over time, then you will need to adjust the Beatgrid.
1Enter Grid Edit mode
2Scan into the track to see the Beatgrid going out of time.
3Press the left or right arrow to expand or contract the Beatgrid
4Press Return to exit Grid Edit Mode and save the change.
CORRECT BEATGRlD
BEATGRIDS
36
Slip Incorrect Beatgrid
lf your Beat Grid matches the tracks' tempo, but the track's Downbeat Beat Marker is incorrect or the
groove or feel is sounding slightly out, you may need to slip the Beat Grid. This will mode (slipj the entire
Beat Grid along as it is.
lf the entire Beatgrid is out (ie. both the Downbeat and Beat Warp Markersj, you can Slip the entire
Beatgrid which will move all markers the same amount.
Grid Edit Shortcuts
To edit a Beatgrid you will need to turn on Grid Edit Mode.
GRlD EDlT MODE
NOTE You may nd it easier to make adjustments to the Beat Grid with the track not playing.
Use the following functions with your computer keyboard or mouse:
Function Keyboard Mouse
Enter Grid Edit Mode Alt + spacebar Click Grid Edit button
Exit Grid Edit Mode Esc
Save Grid Edit changes Enter Click Grid Edit button
Set Beat Warp Marker x Alt + double click
Delete Beat Marker Delete
Delete all Beat Markers Shift+Delete
Adjust (Contract/Stretchj
Beatgrid
Arrow keys Alt + click & drag a white marker
Fast Adjust (Contract/
Stretch) Beatgrid
Shift + arrow keys
Slip Beatgrid Ctrl + arrow keys Alt + click & drag the red Downbeat Marker
Fast Slip Beatgrid Shift + ctrl + arrows
Enter Grid Edit Mode
Click the Grid Edit button on the virtual deck or press Alt + Spacebar (repeated pressing toggles between
the virtual Decksj. When Grid Edit Mode is on, the Grid Edit button on the virtual Deck will fash and a
green bar appears above the waveform.
Exit Grid Edit Mode
Press Esc to exit Grid Edit Mode without saving any changes you have made to the Beatgrid.
Save Grid Edit Changes
Click on the Grid Edit button or press Enter to save changes made to a Beatgrid.
37
BEATGRIDS
Set Beat Warp Marker
Press X or Alt + double clicking with the mouse will place a red Beat Warp Marker at the playhead position.
The Beat Warp Marker will snap to the closest transient.
Delete Beat Marker
To delete the closest marker to the playhead, press the Delete key or Alt + Shift + click with the mouse.
To clear all Beat Markers, press Shift + Delete.
TIP After deleting all Grid Markers you may want to drag the le back onto the Analyze Files button
to re-analyze the le and create a new Beatgrid, or press X to manually set the Downbeat Marker,
creating a new Beatgrid.
Adjust (Contract / Stretch) Beatgrid
To adjust the Beat Grid so the bars align with the beats usethe Left or Right arrows or Alt + mouse click
and hold on a bar and drag.
TIP For all the left and right arrow key commands, you can use the up and down arrow keys instead
when in vertical display mode.
Fast Adjust (Contract / Stretch) Beatgrid
To Fast Adjust the Beat Grid, press Shift + Left and Right Arrow.
TIP You can also tap adjust the Beat Grid on the y by tapping the space bar in time with the track.
The Beat Grid will adjust in time with the tapped beat.
Slip Beatgrid
To slip the Beat Grid press Ctrl + Left and Right arrow.
TIP For all the left and right arrow key commands, you can use the up and down arrow keys instead
when in vertical display mode.
Fast Slip Beatgrid
To fast slip the Beat Grid press Shift + Ctrl + Left and Right arrow.
SMARTSYNC (USING BEATGRIDS)
38
NOTE Sync requires you to have Beatgrids created for your tracks, and Beatgrids enabled in the
Setup screen.
SEE ENABLE BEATGRIDS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
SYNC
Once you have accurate Beatgrids you can now use them to easily Sync tracks together.
NOTE Hardware with motorized platters can not Sync by more than 50% when the platters are
switched on. This is due to the physical limitation of the motors. Turn the motor off if you wish to Sync
by more than 50%.
Beat Position Indicator
The Beat Position lndicator is a display of where the track's playhead within the current bar. The playhead
will illuminate and move through a 4/4 count in time with the track's tempo. This indicator will change
color depending on the Sync state.
Beat Sync Mode
Press Sync to engage Beat Sync mode for the frst deck.
THE BEAT POSlTlON lNDlCATOR WlLL lLLUMlNATE BLUE WHEN lN BEAT SYNC MODE.
Engaging Sync for the frst deck will engage Sync mode for that deck.This deck's tempo will become the
Sync tempo for any further tracks entering Sync mode.
Press Sync on the next deck to match the tracks' tempos together. This will snap the Beatgrids, speed
and the bar position of this track to any other tracks in Sync mode. Beat Sync will maintain this snap even
if the track's Beatgrid changes (ie. you have manually set a Beat Warp Markerj.
SEE BEAT WARP MARKERS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Press Sync again to re-sync the track if it has gone out of time.
NOTE Tracks that sound out of time may have an incorrect Beatgrid or Sync may be disabled for the track.
SYNC OFF
1
GRID
EDIT
GRID BPM
TIME ELAPSED
PLAYBACK
SINGLE
CONT
REPEAT
OFF
ON
AUTO LOOP
4
REL PITCH
SYNC OFF
2
GRID
EDIT
GRID BPM
TIME ELAPSED
PLAYBACK
SINGLE
CONT
REPEAT
OFF
ON
AUTO LOOP
4
REL PITCH
KEY
Move Forward
Bass Subber
Out of It
Subwall 03:17.7
-2.86
122.40 122.40
03:23.4
-2.86
G#
SYNC OFF
39
Beat Sync and Motorized Platters (Numark NS7 and V7)
lTCH hardware with motorized platters will experience 'wow and futter' due to the motor movement. This
may result in your tracks falling out of Sync with each other as the wow and futter move the playhead
position slightly forwards or backwards and mimic a user's manual adjustments of the platter.
This can take the sync state out of the blue Beat Sync mode and put it into the yellow Tempo Sync mode.
You may need user adjustment of the platters tokeep the tracks in perfect Sync.
Turn off the platter motors to avoid this issue.
Arm Beat Sync Mode
You can arm Sync by pausing the deck and pressing Sync.
THE BEAT POSlTlON lNDlCATOR WlLL lLLUMlNATE GREY WHEN lN BEAT SYNC MODE lS ARMED.
Pressing Play on the hardware will start playback and automatically Beat Sync the track to other tracks
currently in Sync mode.
Tempo Sync Mode
THE BEAT POSlTlON lNDlCATOR WlLL lLLUMlNATE YELLOW WHEN lN TEMPO SYNC MODE.
Tempo Sync mode is when the deck tempo will match decks in Sync mode, but the track's position in the
Bar will not be locked as with Beat Sync.
Adjusting the platter or playhead while a track has Sync engaged will disable Beat Sync and put you into
Tempo Sync.
This allows you to keep tracks at the same tempo but drop the track when desired.
Adjusting the platter will create an offset, this offset will be maintained, even if the track's Beatgrid
changes (ie. a Beat Warp Marker is placed and the track's tempo changesj. This will allow the track to
warp around tempo changes without losing Tempo Sync.
SEE BEAT WARP MARKERS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
You can adjust the position of tracks in the bar, manipulate the platter, scratch or juggle the track while
still keeping the tracks' tempo matching. i.e. lf you drop a track out by exactly 2 beats behind a track on
another deck in Sync, then the yellow Sync state will continue to stay at the same tempo as the other
Sync track.
Disengage Sync
Press SHlFT+SYNC on the hardware to disable Sync for the deck.
You can also click the OFF button to the right of the Sync button.
SYNC OFF
SYNC OFF
40
Relative Pitch & Pitch Control
When a deck is in Sync, altering the pitch of any one deck, will affect the pitch of all
other synced decks. Disengaging Sync on a deck keeps the pitch in relative pitch
mode. Relative pitch will react to slider position movements up or down, but not
refect the absolute position on the hardware slider itself.
To reset the pitch slider to absolute pitch you can either:
Load the track again once Sync has been disabled.
Turn Sync off and click the Pitch display on that virtual deck. lf the pitch on your lTCH controller is at
0% then the track will return to it's original BPM, if it's not then move the pitch to 0% to return it to the
original value.
NOTE You can hold SHIFT to disable the pitch slider temporarily - you can then move the pitch up or
down, re-positioning it back to any position to suit your needs.
TIP To reset a track to its original BPM simply turn Sync off for that deck and click the REL PITCH
display and it will return it to absolute pitch. Move the pitch fader to 0% on your hardware and the
BPM will be at its original value.
Sync On Track Load
lf Sync is enabled for a virtual deck, all tracks loaded to the deck will have Sync automatically applied
on track load.
Turning off Sync for a virtual deck will result in Sync not automatically being applied on subsequent
track loads.
Loading Tracks With No Beatgrid
Loading a track with no Beatgrid will disable Sync for that deck and instead use Simple Sync.
A Beatgrid will be created for un-analyzed tracks if 'Set Auto BPM' and 'Set Beatgrid' are enabled in the
Offine Player.
SEE SET AUTO BPM AND SET BEATGRID FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Once a Beatgrid has been created you can then press Sync to engage Beat Sync.
lf 'Set Beatgrid' is not enabled in the Offine Player, then only a BPM value will be created and only Simple
Sync will be available for that track.
SEE SIMPLE SYNC FOR MORE INFORMATION.
lf a track has previously been analyzed, but has no Beatgrid, then lTCH willnot create a new Beatgrid for
that track.
TIP Manually add a Beatgrid for tracks to enable Sync functionality for that deck.
SEE BEATGRIDS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
REL PITCH
-2.86
41
SIMPLE SYNC (NO BEATGRIDS)
SIMPLE SYNC (NO BEATGRIDS)
Selecting Simple Sync
lf you are using a two-deck lTCH controller, you are given the option of being able to use Simple Sync
in addition to SmartSync. You can select which type of Sync you want to use in the Playback tab of the
lTCH setup screen.
SEE SMARTSYNC FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Simple Sync
Pressing Sync will match the both the BPM values and transients of your tracks together. lf you have
dropped your next track in but it's not quite in time, by pressing sync you can perform an automatic beat
sync. Beat sync works by snapping the two closest transients together and matching the BPM.
You can click the OFF button to the right of the Sync panel to turn this off (or press Shift + Sync on
your lTCH controllerj. This will cause the pitch to revert to the tracks absolute pitch as refected on your
hardware pitch slider controls.
When you engage Sync on a deck, that deck becomes the Slave Deck while the deck it has been synced
to becomes the Master Deck. The synced BPM value will be taken from the Master Deck.
TIP You can use Simple Sync as a way to auto-tempo your tracks. Load a song, press Sync so the
BPMs are the same and then drop the track in yourself.
Relative Pitch & Pitch Control
Pitch slider/dial adjustments on hardware of a deck in Sync will alter the tempo for all tracks in Sync. When
a deck is in sync, altering the pitch will affect the pitch of all synced decks. This is known as relative pitch.
Disengaging sync on a deck cause the pitch to return to its absolute pitch level as represented on the
hardware slider.
Playback Keys use shift
Lock playing Deck
Hi-Fi Resampler
Use auto gain 92 dB
Simple Sync SYNC MODE
Simple Sync
Smart Sync
GENERAL ON SONG LOAD BRAKING
Play from start
Instant Doubles
Play from first Cue Point
RECORDING
BIT DEPTH
FILE FORMAT AIFF
16 Bit
Hardware LibraryD isplay Mixer Plugins Playback
SYNC OFF
SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
42
SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
The SP-6 Sample Player allows you to play up to six sources of audio, in addition to the tracks playing on
the virtual Decks. Any audio fle in your lTCH library can be loaded to any one of the six slots, allowing
playback of short samples, audio loops, sound effects, or full length tracks.
NOTE The SP-6 is only operational when ITCH hardware is plugged in, but not operational in the
ofine player mode.
NOTE To enable or disable the SP-6 plugin, go to the ITCH Setup > Plugins screen and check or un-
check the SP-6 option.
SP-6 Overview
Click on the SP-6 button to access the sample player window. ln the top right corner of the SP-6 there is
a button that opens the Display Menu.
Clicking on this drops down a menu with the list of available controls.
Overview Displays the overview of each track.
Mode Chooses the play mode: Trigger / Hold / On- Off / Sync Repeat modes.
Play from Choose which position (start / cue point / loopj to begin playback for the loaded track.
Pitch Pitch Slider / Bend / Nudge / Keylock controls.
Level meter Displays the volume level for the sample slot.
Level lndividual sample slot level and Gain controls.
Output Select Assigns individual slot outputs to each of the lTCH hardware channels, the master lTCH
output or the master SP-6 output.
This enables you to set up the sample player with the appropriate controls that suit your workfow.
Loading Music To The SP-6
To load a track to the SP-6, drag and drop the desired fle from your library into one of the sample slots.
To eject a track, click the eject button to the right of the title display.
TIP You can load tracks to the SP-6 with the keyboard shortcuts: ctrl + alt + z, x, c, v, b, n for sample
slots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (respectively).
TIP Select and drag six tracks from your library onto the rst sample player slot to simultaneously
load six tracks across all six slots.
120 Hi-Hats
PLAY FROM loop 1
SP-6 L M R
808 Clap
PLAY FROM loop 1
SP-6 L M R
Airhorn
PLAY FROM loop 1
SP-6 L M R
PLAY FROM loop 1
SP-6 L M R
Little Space Explosion
PLAY FROM loop 1
SP-6 L M R
Lng_Shk1
PLAY FROM loop 1
SP-6 L M R
L M R
A B C D
137.59 73.00 80.56 87.00 117.79
OUTPUT
GAIN
BANKS
43
SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
Playing Samples
You can trigger your samples from both your lTCH hardware and with your mouse or keyboard.
Playing samples from your ITCH hardware
To trigger a sample from your hardware you will need to enable the 'SP-6 Hardware
Trigger Mode'. This is a button found to the left of the SP-6 drop-down menu box in
the SP-6 tab. Turning this on allows you to trigger your sample slots with the Cue Point
buttons on your lTCH controller.
To trigger a sample slot press SHlFT + the respective cue button. For example if you want to trigger the
sample that is in the second slot from the left, you would press Shift + CUE 2 on your lTCH controller.
When the SP-6 Hardware Trigger Mode is on, there will be a blue box around the SP-6 Sample Player.
NOTE If you are using the Novation TWITCH controller, you wont see this SP-6 Hardware Trigger
Mode button. Instead you will simply need to press SHIFT + HOT CUES on your TWITCH controller
to turn on SP-6 Hardware Trigger Mode. Press HOT CUES again to disable it in order to use the cue
points again.
NOTE With this option enabled you can still trigger samples with your mouse and keyboard,
as shown below.
Playing samples with your mouse or keyboard
Pressing the play button on each slot will play the loaded audio.
TIP Use the shortcut keys
z (slot 1)
x (slot 2)
c (slot 3)
v (slot 4j
b (slot 5j
n (slot 6)
to trigger each sample respectively.
NOTE If you have Playback Keys Use Shift turned on in the Playback tab of the Setup screen, you
will need to press SHIFT + the respective sample slot short key (above).
SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
44
Play Modes
Each slot has four different play modes.
Trigger mode - When play is pressed, the audio plays through until the end of the track.
Pressing repetitively will trigger the audio from the beginning of the track (or whichever position
is selected in the Play From Selectorj. To stop the audio, hold the alt key while either clicking the play
button, or pressing the corresponding shortcut key (e.g., alt - z for slot 1j.
Hold Mode - The sample will only play while you press and hold the play button or the
corresponding shortcut key. Upon release of the play button, the audio stops immediately. This
mode most closely resembles the function of the note off" mode found on many popular samplers.
On / Off Mode - When play is pressed, the audio plays through until the end of the track. Pressing play
again stops the audio.
SYNC Play Mode - When play is pressed, the audio plays through until the end of the track,
and will Sync with all other tracks on decks or sample slots that currently have Sync activated.
THE BEAT POSlTlON lNDlCATOR lS DlSPLAYED AT THE TOP OF EACH SP-6 SAMPLE SLOT.
NOTE Sync Play requires the track to have an accurate Beatgrid. Loading an un-analyzed track to a
Sample slot with no Beatgrid will disable Sync but instead offer Simple Sync functionality for tracks
with a correct BPM value. The Beat Position Indicator will be displayed as a solid yellow bar. Sync
Play Mode will be available if a track is analyzed and a Beatgrid has been created.
Playing Loops
The SP-6 Player allows you to play loops and repeat samples to create a continuous track in a sample slot.
Each slot has a Loop button. When activated, this will repeat the loaded audio fle until the
sample is stopped.
Short audio loop" samples can be turned into a continuous track using this Loop Mode function. Ensure
there is a clean cut at the start and end of the sample's bar.
Loop Mode can also play any stored lTCH loop if the fle contains any. Select the stored Loop slot from
the 'Play From' Selector.
SEE PLAY FROM SELECTOR FOR MORE INFORMATION.
TIP To adjust loop information for a track, load it to a virtual deck, make your adjustments, then load it
back into the sample player. SEE SP-6 INSTANT DOUBLES FOR MORE INFORMATION.
NOTE For Loops to Beat Sync correctly they will need to have an accurate Beatgrid. Tracks with only
BPM value will Simple Sync only, and may drift out over time.
NOTE For a Loop to Sync correctly it will need to be a divisible length of 1 bar (ie. you can use 1, 2, 3,
4 etc bar length Loops, but not 1/2, 1/4 bar length Loops).
SYNC
45
SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
SP-6 Instant Doubles
You can instant double from the virtual Decks down to the SP-6, from the SP-6 up to the virtual Decks
and also between the sample slots themselves. This means the position, track gain, and speed/Sync will
match when you drag a track to from one location into another.
This allows you to beat match tracks with your on the virtual Decks, and then instant double" the track
down to a slot, freeing up the virtual Decks to continue your mix with other tracks.
Click and drag an already playing track from a virtual Deck or sample slot and drop it on another sample
slot to begin instant doubling.
SP-6 Pitch Controls
There are individual Pitch Slider, Bend, Nudge, and Keylock controls for each sample slot.
The BPM is also displayed next to the pitch slider. lf no BPM is present in the
tracks lD3 tag, the pitch of the track is displayed as a percentage.
Click and drag the pitch slider to make regular pitch adjustments. Hold the shift key and move the pitch
slider to make fne pitch adjustments.
Click on the + and - buttons to bend the pitch of the track into time (making temporary pitch
adjustmentsj. Hold the CTRL key and click the + and - buttons to make pitch adjustments to nudge the
track, this adjusts the pitch permanently.
SP-6 Play From Selector
Use the Play From" selector to choose where the track will play from. You can choose to play a track
from the start of the fle, any one of the cue points, or any one of the loop in points.
When this is set to play from start, or play from a cue point, the track will play
from this position.
lf a loop is selected in the Play From Selector, the track will repeat the loop until disengaged.
SEE PLAYING LOOPS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
The number of options will be dependent on the number of cue points and loops already set in your track. i.e.
if the track loaded has no cue points and loops set, then only start" will be available as a Play From" option.
TIP To set or adjust cue and loop information for a track, load it to a Virtual Deck, make your
adjustments, then load it back into the sample slot.
SP-6 Track Overviews
Displays an overview of the track loaded to each sample slot. The waveform, play head position, cue
points and any armed loops will all be visible.
137.59
PLAY FROM start
SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
46
SP-6 Slot Volumes
Each individual sample slot has a separate volume slider and gain control.
Volume Sliders - Use the volume slider to mix and make temporary adjustments to the volume of the
sample you are playing. You can use these sliders like you use the line faders or up faders on your DJ
mixer, fading from full volume right through to completely silent.
Gain Knobs - ln addition to the volume slider there is an additional gain knob for each slot. These allow you
to fne tune the maximum gain volume of the loaded sample. The gain adjustment will also be written to the
track's lD3 tag, meaning that it will be the same every time you load it to the sample slot or to a virtual deck.
Individual Output Selectors
By default each sample slot will be set to Master, mirroring the SP-6 Master Output setting. You can
however use the individual output selector buttons to override the master output setting.
Click the preferred output channel to unlink the sample slot from the master sample player output selection,
allowing you to choose the individual channel output for each slot. These output routings will be saved
when you close down lTCH, so the next time you launch lTCH, your preferred settings will remain the same.
SP-6 outputs through the SP-6 Master Output
1 outputs through Channel 1 (This will appear as L if you have a two deck lTCH controllerj
2 outputs through Channel 2(This will appear as R if you have a two deck lTCH controllerj
3 outputs through Channel 3 (if available on your lTCH hardwarej
M outputs through the MASTER output of the lTCH hardware.
SP-6 Mute Buttons
Use the mute buttons to mute the audio output for each of the SP-6's sample slots. Click the
mute button to silence the audio output, click the mute button again to turn the audio back on.
You can also ctrl-click on the mute buttons tomute the outputs momentarily, meaning that the audio will
only be muted for as long as you hold your mouse click.
SP-6 L M R
47
SP-6 SAMPLE PLAYER
SP-6 Master Output Selector
Use the master output selector button to choose where you wish to
have the SP-6 output audio to.
1 outputs through Channel 1(This will appear as L if you have a two deck lTCH controllerj
2 outputs through Channel 2 (This will appear as R if you have a two deck lTCH controllerj
M outputs through the MASTER output of the lTCH hardware.
There is also a master sample player Gain knob to adjust the overall SP-6 volume.
SP-6 Sample Banks
The SP-6 has four separate sample banks, labeled A, B, C and D. To switch between the different banks
click on the A, B, C or D buttons.
Each bank will save the individual sample and sample slot settings you
last used, allowing you to prepare banks for easy recall at a later stage.
Sample Bank A will load as the default.
NOTE Switching between Sample Banks will stop any audio being
played in the current Sample Bank.
L M R
OUTPUT
GAIN
A B C D
BANKS
HISTORY
48
HISTORY
HlSTORY
Pressing the HlSTORY button in lTCH opens History panel. This is a complete log of all the tracks you
have played (in sessionsj and allows you to export your lTCH session information as a data fle.
Each session is cataloged by date and time. Using the drop down arrow, you can navigate to and view
detailed information of any previous sessions. There are columns for the period (i.e. date of sessionj,
name of track and artist name.
ln addition, these other categories listed below will give you more detailed information about your sessions.
Start Time - When viewing a track row, the start time of the track is displayed. When viewing a session
row, the start time of the session is displayed with the date (in real time valuej.
End Time - When viewing a track row, the end time of the track is displayed. When viewing a session
row, the end time of the session is displayed with the date (in real time valuej.
Playtime - When viewing a track row, the total played time of the track is displayed (e.g. 00:03:00j.
When viewing a session row, the total elapsed time of the session is displayed with date
(e.g. 10/09/08 01:38:16j.
Deck - The virtual deck the track was played on will be displayed under the deck column. ln the track
row, either left or right is displayed. The offine player will be listed as offine.
Notes - Use this feld to list particular information about your tracks and each session (i.e., note how
you transitioned from one track to anotherj.
Start Session / End Session - To start or end a session, click the corresponding button.
Insert Track - lf you wish to add information for tracks not played in lTCH into your session (e.g., if you
played one of your favorite vinyl or cdj, select the track you want to insert after and click the insert track
button. Double click the inserted track felds and edit your information accordingly. (Note that when
exporting an m3u playlist [see exporting below| inserted tracks will not be present.j
Export - You can export each session as a data fle using the export button. Select a session, then
choose your preferred fle format, and click export. There are three possible export formats.
Serato Playlists SEE SERATO PLAYLlSTS FOR MORE lNFORMATlON.
text - to create a simple text fle with your session information contained within.
csv - to create a fle for use in spreadsheet software.
m3u - to create a playlist fle, which can be imported into media players. Note that an m3u does
notcontain audio itself, it only points to the location of your audio fles. (lnserted tracks within sessions
willnot be included in an m3u playlist.j
TIP To make a new ITCH crate containing your session information, select a session and drag it to
the + plus crate button. (This will automatically name the crate with the session date).
Delete History Session
To delete a history session, highlight the session, then press ctrl + del.
period name start time end time playtime deck notes artist
this year
last 7 days
yesterday
14/07/11
today
Like Dis
14/07/11 2:10:25 PM NZST
2:10:33 PM NZST
14/07/11 2:10:36 PM NZST
2:10:36 PM NZST 00:00:03
00:00:11
right Bang Olfson
Start Session End Session Insert Track Export Serato Playlists Show unplayed Tracks Clear
49
HISTORY
Listing Behavior
Only the tracks you actually play are listed in history. This is done using an A-B algorithm, meaning a
track on deck A is only listed once the track on deck B has been changed or ejected.
You can choose to show tracks which you have auditioned, but not actually played, by checking the show
unplayed tracks box. The session will then also list these tracks in grey, along with actual played tracks.
Alternatively, you can mark or unmark tracks as played manually. Select a track (or a group of tracksj and
click the mark played / mark unplayed button. This may be useful if you play a track off regular vinyl or CD
- (breaking the A-B algorithmj.
Tracks that you have played are marked as green in your library. Click on the button marked clear to reset
the list of recently played tracks and turn the color of your library back to white.
NOTE 4 Deck ITCH controllers will display decks 3 and 4 in the History panel.
Serato Playlists
The Serato Playlists plugin allows you to upload your history sessions to your serato.com profle for
viewing, sharing and editing. You can upload your playlist once your session is complete, or by using the
Live Playlists feature to update your playlists online in real time!
To enable this plugin, go to the Plugins tab on the Setup screen and check the Enable Serato Playlists
Plugin option. Open the History panel and you will now have access to the Serato Playlists options.
Uploading Serato Playlists
Once you have fnished your session, or to upload a previous history session, select the desired session
in the History panel. Click the Format dropdown box, select Serato Playlists and click the Export button.
You will receive the following warning:
lf you choose Yes" you will then be taken to serato.com where you can review your playlist before
choosing to post it online. Once posted, you have the option to edit the playlist and track information.
NOTE We recommend that you turn off any wireless networking devices when using ITCH. If you
export your playlist online whilst playing you may experience USB dropouts. If so, you may wish to
avoid using this function.
Live Playlists
Serato Playlists has the Live Playlists option to allow you to display what you are playing online in real
time on your serato.com profle.
To enable the Live Playlists feature go to the Plugins tab on the Setup screen and check the Enable Live
Playlists option. Once enabled, the Start Live Playlist button is now displayed in the History panel. Click
this to start and stop your Live Playlist session.
NOTE Live Playlists requires you to be connected to the internet while playing, which may result in
USB dropouts. If so, you may wish to avoid using this function.
Warning: This feature will submit play data from your History to
your online Serato Playlist and may affect sound card
performance while sending.
Do you wish to continue?
Dont ask me again
Yes No
RECORDING
50
RECORDING
NOTE For Numark V7 and Dennon DN HC5000 users, as the audio is mixed externally the Recording
functionality is not available.
lTCH can capture recordings of your mix output, mic, or aux input channel(sj. Click Record tab to open
the Recording plugin in lTCH. This is located in the plugin strip above the music library.
RECORDlNG PANEL
NOTE Recording sources vary between controllers. For recording the microphone select MIC.
For recording the Axillary input select AUX. You may also be able to record individual channels.
NOTE You can select the le format and bit depth for your recording in the playback tab of the
setup screen.
SEE RECORDING OPTIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Record Audio
To record audio:
Select the Recording source to record from the drop down menu. (For recording the master output
signal select MlX. This records post faders and EQ, pre master gainj.
The recording meter shows the signal level that will be recorded to disk. Adjust the recording level using
the gain control.
Click the REC button to start recording.
The record icon fashes while recording and the display shows the elapsed recording time.
When you are fnished mixing click the fashing red REC icon to stop recording.
To save the recording to disk, type a flename into the text feld, and click SAvE.
The recording is automatically placed in a crate named Recording". lf the crate does not already exist,
it will be created automatically.
To start a new recording without saving, simply click the record button again.
Recordings can be loaded onto the decks, renamed, and managed like other fles in the lTCH Library.
Recordings Save Location
Recordings are saved to your hard drive, and are available to be used as you would any other audio
fle on your computer.
Recordings are saved in the following hard drive locations on your computer.
MyDocuments > MyMusic > _Serato_ > Recording (PCj
Users > Music > _Serato_ > Recording (Macj
Record DJ-FX SP-6
Rec Mix 00:00.00 Save
51
ADDITIONAL SETUP
ADDITIONAL SETUP
Setup Screen
The setup screen allows you to customize elements of lTCH to how you want them to work. Click the
associated tabs to switch between groups of options; Hardware, Playback, Library, Display, Mixer and
Plugins.
NOTE The Mixer option is not available for the Numark NS7 and the Denon DN HC5000.
NOTE Options will vary slightly depending on your controller.Hardware
Hardware
Software Version
The lTCH software version is displayed in the bottom left corner of the setup screen.
Also located here is the Check For Updates button.
The check for updates button will launch your web browser and takeyou to
www.serato.com to tell you if there are updates availablefor your version of the
lTCH software.
NOTE You must be connected to the Internet for check for updates to work.
Firmware
When you have an lTCH controller connected, you will see whether or not a frmware update is available
or not. lf an update is available click the 'Update Firmware' button to to install it - make sure you leave
your hardware connected until the update has successfully fnished.
USB Buffer Size (Latency)
lTCH processes audio data in small chunks. When smaller chunks are used, the movement of the platter
is translated into audio more often, which results in a lower overall system latency. However, this requires
more processing power and therefore a higher CPU load, so lower buffer size settings require a more
powerful computer to produce uninterrupted audio. lf you want tighter control, you should try decreasing
this setting, on the other hand, if you experience audio dropouts, you need to increase this setting (or use
a more powerful computerj.
Platter Speed
You can change the response speed of the platters between 33RPM and 45PM.
NOTE Setting this to 45RPM will use more processing power and could increase the chance for audio
dropouts on lower end machines.
0x00010003
0x0cf291f5
Version 2.2.0 (XXXXX)
Check For Updates
PLAYBACK
52
PLAYBACK
General
Playback Keys use Shift
With this option on, all cue point, loop, and general playback keys on the computer keyboard require shift
or caps lock to function.
Lock Playing Deck
When this option is checked, you can only load a track to a deck if it is paused.
H|- Resamp|er
This signifcantly reduces digital distortion at very slow or very fast playback speeds, increasing the CPU
load slightly. This option is on by default.
Use Auto Gain
When checked, you can set the maximum amount of gain a track will have during playback. lf a loaded
track's gain is lower than this setting, its gain will be automatically boosted (its loudest point will match
the auto gain levelj.
VCI-300 cue/play uses shift (VCI-300 only)
When this option is checked you must have the shift key pressed for the playback keys to trigger. This
applies to all keyboard shortcuts.
TIP You can also turn on Caps Lock instead of using Shift.
Enable Beatgrids
When this option is enabled, Beatgrids, Beat Sync and Tempo Sync are available., Disable this option if
you don't wish to use Beatgrids, Beat Sync or Tempo Sync. lf this option is disabled, pressing Sync will
use Simple Sync instead.
SEE SIMPLE SYNC FOR MORE INFORMATION.
On Song Load
Play From Start
Positions the playhead at the start of each track when loaded. lf this setting is not enabled, freshly loaded
tracks will continue to play from the point the last track was at. This option is on by default. This option is
overridden by instant doubles and play from frst cue point options.
NOTE When play from start is selected on the setup screen, the deck will try to skip any silence at the
start of the track, and play from the start of the audio.
NOTE If you have Beatgrids enabled, the Downbeat Marker will be considered to be the start of the track.
Instant Doubles
lnstant Doubles allows you to quickly match the playhead position of the same fle on both decks.
When enabled, load a track to one virtual deck (or sample slotj that is already loaded on the other virtual
deck (it must be the same flej, the playhead will jump to the position of the track playing.This copies the
Keylock state, Sync state and Looping settings copied.
NOTE This setting overrides the play from start and play from rst cue point options.
53
PLAYBACK
Play from First Cue Point
Enable this option to start all tracks from the frst cue point when loaded.
NOTE This setting overrides the play from start option. If the track has no cue points set it will play
from the start.
Braking
This controls how fast the track stops when the deck is paused. Counter-clockwise, the stop is
immediate. Clockwise rotation increases the stopping time from a fnger grab all the way to a slow
turntable power-down.
Recording
Recording Bit Depth
Select the recording bit depth as either 16 Bit or 24 Bit.
Recording File Format
Select the fle format you wish the recording to be saved as (AlFF or WAvj.
LIBRARY
54
LIBRARY
Song Library Options
Show iTunes Library
Check the read iTunes library" option to show your iTunes library and playlists in the lTCH library.
You can collapse your iTunes playlists by clicking on the blue folder icon.
Uncheck read iTunes library" to remove iTunes playlists and itunes songs from your lTCH library.
To add your iTunes music to your lTCH library permanently, drag and drop tracks from the iTunes playlists
onto the word All" (on the far left hand side of the lTCH screenj, or into individual lTCH crates.
Any fles moved to All", an existing crate, or a new crate will now remain in lTCH even when read iTunes
library" option is unchecked. Once a fle has been permanently added to lTCH , the iTunes logo will disappear.
We recommend unchecking this option after you have added your music into the lTCH library.
NOTES
lf your iTunes library contains a large number of tracks it may take some time for lTCH to read it.
Any changes made in lTCH to the fle information of tracks in your iTunes library will not appear in
iTunes until after you play the track.
lTCH cannot play fles that have been protected by Digital Rights Management systems, such as those
previously sold through the Apple iTunes Music Store. iTunes Plus fles are DRM-free.
iTunes is available for Mac and PC. To get more information, visit www.apple.com.
Protect Library
Uncheck this setting to remove tracks and crates from your library. Enable to lock your library and
prevent accidental track or crate deletion. Enabling this setting will also lock all fle tags and crate names,
so that no text can be changed.
Custom Crate Columns
Check this option to set custom column views for each crate and playlist. When the option is off (defaultj,
all crates will share the same column confguration as the 'All...' crate.
Center on Selected Song
With this option on, scrolling up and down in your library holds the selected track in the middle of the
library panel.
Show All File Types
Enable this option to show all fles when importing tracks into your library. lf this option is not selected,
only fles that lTCH can play will be displayed.
Include Subcrate Tracks
Displays the tracks from any subcrates in their parent crate. With this off browsing in a crate will not show
tracks that are in any subcrates of that crate.
Font Size
Adjust this slider to increase and decrease the font size for the main library and crates area.
TIP You can also use the keyboard shortcuts ctrl + and ctrl to increase and decrease the font size.
Album Art Size
Adjust this slider to set the maximum album art size for any of the album art display modes. The artwork
will still get larger if required to ft the track and will still scale with the library zoom keyboard shortcut.
55
DISPLAY
DISPLAY
User Interface Settings
Maximum Screen Updates
This slider allows you to lower lTCH's screen refresh rate and potentially use less CPU. Users with slower
computers or those running a recording program at the same time might like to do this if they are having
performance issues. The default setting is 60 Hz, or refreshed 60 times per second. This setting applies
to the entire lTCH user interface; the virtual Decks, the Waveforms, the library, and the setup screen.
Waveform Orientation
Left Vertical Waveforms
Display the main waveforms vertically on the left side of the screenwhen in Classic vertical Display Mode.
Right Vertical Waveforms
Display the main waveforms vertically on the right side of the screenwhen in Classic vertical Display Mode.
Central Vertical Waveforms
Display the main waveforms vertically on the centre of the screenwhen in Classic vertical Display Mode.
MIXER
56
MIXER
(NOT AVAILABLE FOR NUMARK V7 AND DENON DN-HC5000)
Crossfader
Use the dropdown menu to confgure the crossfader. There are three options.
Normal Standard crossfader style.
Reverse Crossfader is reversed.
Disabled Crossfader is disabled.
EQ
Gives you the option to select either 6DB or 12DB of gain for your equalizers.
Output
Allows you to set the audio output to Mono or Stereo.
Headroom
Select how much headroom your device has before the internal limiter engages.
Less headroom results in louder output, but has a higher chance of the limiter engaging, especially when
more than one audio channels are in the mix. With the initial headroom setting of 0dB you can apply 3dB
of gain per deck before you hit the limiter.
Cue
Overdrive
lncrease the setting on this knob to give the gain of the headphones an extra boost. To prevent hearing
damage, be careful not to set this level too high.
NOTE Adding overdrive can reduce audio quality so is only recommended if you are encountering
problems with your headphone level.
Cue Mix
Mix between hearing the cue or the master in your headphones.
Faders
U/F Curve
Adjusts the upfader curve. Turn the dial to the left for a tighter cut" and to the right for a more gradual fade.
C/F Curve
Adjusts the crossfader curve. Turn the dial to the left for a tighter cut" and to the right for a more gradual fade.
NOTE Fader options may not be available for all ITCH hardware.
57
PLUGINS
PLUGINS
SP-6
Use the check box to enable and disable the SP-6 Sample Player plugin. The SP-6 is enabled by default.
Serato Playlists
Use the check boxes to enable and disable the Serato Playlists plugin and the Live Playlists feature.
These are disabled by default.
WHITELABEL
58
WHITELABEL
Whitelabel Audio Files
Whitelabel audio fles are a unique fle format (fle extension wl.mp3j developed by Serato. They are
specially prepared for use in lTCH - with fles pre-analyzed, tagged with song and artist info, BPM and
album art where possible.
Whitelabel audio fles play as high quality 320kbps stereo audio in lTCH with an lTCH controller attached.
Without an lTCH controller connected, or when playing these fles through other mp3 software and
devices, they will play as low quality 32kbps mono audio.
Whitelabel audio fles are promotional releases from records labels available to lTCH DJs for free from
Whitelabel.net.
Whitelabel .net
The Serato Whitelabel Delivery Network is a unique system that allows record labels to digitally deliver
promotional releases directly to DJs. To download Whitelabel audio fles and to sign up to receive
updates on the latest promotional releases, visit whitelabel.net.
Locked whitelabel .net Files
Due to some labels' licensing requirements, certain Whitelabel audio fles will require email and password
verifcation to unlock them. lf you have legitimately downloaded these tracks yourself, entering the email
and password you use for Whitelabel.net will unlock the fles for playback within lTCH. lf you are still
having problems unlocking these fles, please contact Serato support: serato.com/support.
Whitelabel .net System Requirements
Whitelabel.net is tested to work on these browsers:
lnternet Explorer 6 and above (7 and above highly recommendedj
Firefox 3 and above
Safari 3 and above
You will also need Flash installed and have Javascript enabled to be able to preview and download
tracks.
NOTE Running Whitelabel audio les through Mixed In Key can cause the les to only play at 32kps in
ITCH (even with an ITCH controller attached). At this time we advise you not to use Mixed In Key with
Whitelabel audio les.
59
SHORTCUTS
SHORTCUTS
Keyboard Shortcuts
These actions can be accessed directly from the computer keyboard.
NOTE Playback, cue and speed controls use Shift or Caps Lock. You can turn this off in the setup screen.
SEE PLAYBACK KEYS USE SHIFT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
KEY ACTION
ctrl - L Locate the current track. This will highlight the track you most recently loaded. Pressing ctrl -
L again will alternate between the tracks recently loaded on both decks.
ctrl - R Reveal - the highlighted song is opened in a fle browser.
ctrl - F Find - moves the cursor to the search box.
ctrl - A Select all.
ctrl - C Copy text in edit mode.
ctrl - E Edit text.
ctrl - V Paste text in edit mode.
ctrl - X Cut text in edit mode.
ctrl - Z Undo last track load.
ctrl - P Add tracks to the prepare window.
ctrl - O Open the track in your default MP3/WAv/OGG/AlF player.
- or + Zoom the main waveform display.
ctrl - or + Zoom the library text size.
tab Alternate cursor focus between library, crates and any open panels.
ctrl - del and ctrl
- backspace
Remove track from library., remove track from crate, delete crate (does not delete the flej.
alt - del and alt -
backspace
Remove track from crate and from library.
ctrl - shift - del
and ctrl - shift -
backspace
Delete the fle from your library and send to the recycle bin. (Note to iTunes users: fles in your
iTunes library cannot be deleted this wayj. esc Clear search string if searching, or exit lTCH.
SAMPLE PLAYER KEY
Play sample slot 1. Z
Play sample slot 2. X
Play sample slot 3. C
Play sample slot 4. V
Play sample slot 5. B
Play sample slot 6. N
Load to sample slot 1. ctrl - alt - Z
Load to sample slot 2. ctrl - alt - X
Load to sample slot 3. ctrl - alt - C
Load to sample slot 4. ctrl - alt - V
SHORTCUTS
60
Load to sample slot 5. ctrl - alt - B
Load to sample slot 6. ctrl - alt - N
LEFT DECK ACTION RIGHT DECK
ctrl < Load the highlighted song to a deck. ctrl >
ctrl - shift < Load the track currently on one deck onto the other deck as well. ctrl - shift >
shift - alt < Unload the track from a deck. shift - alt >
ctrl - , (commaj Place a cue point. ctrl - . (periodj
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Jump to cue points in track. 6, 7, 8, 9, 0
F5 Keylock on/off. F10
W Play/pause. S
T Pitch bend down. G
Y Pitch bend up. H
U Censor. J
I Set/trigger temporary cue point. K
O Set/adjust loop in-point. L
P Set/adjust loop out-point. ;
[ Loop on/off. (apostrophe)
alt - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Autoloop on/off. alt - 6, 7, 8, 9, 0
ctrl - alt - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Loop roll. ctrl - alt - 6, 7, 8, 9, 0
alt - Space Bar Activate the tempo tapper. alt - Space Bar (x2)
61
TROUBLESHOOTING
TROUBLESHOOTING
The following suggestions may help you if you are experiencing poor performance with lTCH:
Check for updates using the check for updates button in the setup screen or by visiting:
www.serato.com/itch
Close all other open programs.
Disable wireless networking devices.
Disable bluetooth devices.
Disable antivirus software.
Disable screen savers.
Disable sleep mode.
lncrease the USB buffer size.
Connect the lTCH controller directly to a USB port on your computer, not via a USB hub.
Try all USB ports, some work better than others.
Unplug other USB devices.
Run your laptop connected to power supply.
For more troubleshooting help visit www.serato.com
For more on how to optimize your computer see:
Vestax VCI-380
Vestax VCI-300
Numark NS7
Numark v7
Numark NS6
Allen & Heath Xone:DX
Pioneer DDJ-S1
Denon DN HC-5000
Novation TWlTCH

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