Plugin features that take timecode to the next level.
SCRATCHING IN THE DAW
The Scratch track was designed to provide a way to add scratches to your recording projects. You can use this plugin to scratch samples, loops, tracks or live inputs. This is the only software that offers live input scratching and supports all types of timecoded vinyl, midi learn for controls, automation and programmable crossfade.
TIMECODED VINYL
Scratch track is the cheapest, simplest and most versatile way to use your timecoded vinyl in any DAW or audio plug-in host. This makes this plugin the easiest way to add scratching to your recording projects, period.
MIDI SCRATCHING
Scratch with popular midi platter devices, adjust sensitivity and friction for perfectly tuned turntable control capable of everything from a hyperrealistic feel to something truly strange and unique.
LIVE ENTRY
You can even scratch a live received audio stream. This means you can scratch any of the sounds generated with the host program or even the incoming audio, just like a live MC. Imagine sending a scream from the stage and then reversing it to scratch the audio. No problem.
SAMPLES AND TRACKS
You can use this plugin to trigger samples and tracks. There are programmable cue points so you can juggle between cues in your samples at the touch of a button.
LEARN MIDI
Like all of our plugins, this one comes with its own midi learning. Simply right-click any of the buttons or sliders (including crossfade) to map a midi signal to that control.
CROSSFADE
The only plugin out there with professional-grade crossfade. This plugin lets you adjust the crossfader curve and responds with super low latency to incoming midi signals, so you can finally use a midi controller for serious scratching.
Vinyl Setup
The main function of the Scratch Track plugin is to allow you to use timecoded vinyl within your recording software. This means you can scratch audio samples with timecode vinyl from within Ableton, Cubase, Reaper or any other DAW. To use vinyl, simply follow the steps below.
First, open the plugin UI, enable the vinyl inputs (by clicking “vinyl in”) and then select the type of vinyl you want to use (in the vinyl control panel in the plugin).
Secondly, you need to make sure that audio is actually being routed to the plugin (specifically the first two inputs). In most DAWs, the vinyl input will be the main input shown on the plugin track.
In Ableton, for example, you simply need to select the input vinyl signal from the audio input drop-down menu, as shown below.
MIDI Configuration
Like all of our plugins, you can map incoming midi messages to any of the sliders or buttons. To do this, simply right-click the button or slider and activate midi learning. Once activated, the object will learn the next midi message it receives and use it in the future to trigger/move.
Like all of our plugins, you can map incoming midi messages to any of the sliders or buttons. To do this, simply right-click the button or slider and activate midi learning. Once activated, the object will learn the next midi message it receives and use it in the future to trigger/move.
Line inputs
One of the new features of Scratch Track is that it will allow you to scratch incoming audio live. This means (for example) that you can sing a few lines of a song and then pick up your turntable and scratch the audio immediately after it has been created.
To do this, you must first activate live streaming (by clicking the “go live” button in the plugin interface.
Once activated, the plugin will add audio received from inputs 3 and 4 to the plugin's scratch buffer. The received audio will also be immediately displayed in the waveform UI (shown below).
Please note that once you scrape the stream, it will no longer be in sync with the live throughput. To bring it back to the current playback time, simply click the “sync” button.
Automation
One of the most powerful and unique features of Scratch Track is that it can be used to record turntable scratching into automation data. This means that in addition to recording the audio output (what the scratch sounds like), you can also record how the timecoded vinyl was moved to achieve a given scratch. It should be possible, then, to adjust the scratch after the fact, to invent new scratches that would not otherwise be possible.
To record automation, simply select the “out” automation option in the plugin. This will instruct the plugin to send tracking data for all parameters to the host, including the scratches it is producing based on input from the time-coded vinyl. On your host you can then record this data.
How to do this varies depending on your software. In Ableton, just press the record button to record the entire automation.
To play the automation, we must now select the automation “In” button in the Scratch Track plug-in (so the plug-in knows that it should use incoming automation data and not the input time-encoded vinyl signal or other midi inputs). You may also need to record automation for one of the “playback” parameters, to trigger the sample.
You should now see the turntable scratch when you press play in the DAW, regardless of the timecoded vinyl input.
Finally, to take this to the next level, you can record automation for the crossfade parameter. By automating scratches and crossfades, we can reproduce the actions of a turntablist in minute detail. We can also invent new and impossible risks by tuning automation data.
Characteristics
- Plays vinyl with timecode and allows scratching
- Scratch loops, samples or tracks
- Record and scratch live inputs in real time
- Record loops
- Learn Midi
- MIDI cymbal controllers for scratching capability
- CDJ compatible
- Supports most MIDI controllers
System Requirements:
- macOS 10.13 or newer (Intel/M1 Apple Silicon compatible) (64-bit only)
- AAX, AU, VST3, standalone
- Windows 7 or newer (64-bit only)
- AAX, VST3, standalone
