In a move that expands their software line up to 3 and squarely targets the Traktor LE market, Serato has released “Dj Intro” – a 2 deck software mirrored after Itch/Scratch that is designed to ship with OEM controllers like the VCI-100MK2, Numark Mix Track and several others. Loaded with the essentials, this entry level software comes paired with a low cost controller that is perfect until your little bro is ready to graduate up into the big leagues!
We got our grubby little mitts on the new software today and put it through its paces. The simple interface includes:
- 2 decks
- sync
- 2 effects banks with a basic suite of serato fx
- 2 sample banks with 4 samples per deck.
- 5 cue points
and a beat multiplier which I cant, for life of me, figure out the purpose of..
Things it is missing:
- filters per deck
- loop roll
- extra serato effects
- deck c and D
- samples are really only sample players and wont play or sync loops.
Really, at the end of the day- this is a very basic controller version of Serato Scratch with internal mixing. You might ask, is that not Itch? Well- yes, but now that Itch is competing head on with Traktor’s feature list and the demands of modern digital djing. This software steps in and provides the essentials without any fluff at all. I personally can see a lot of serato scratch live djs going this route for their basic mobile gigs when turntables are not available or too large to transport.
controllers it will work with:
- Numark MixTrack Pro
- Numark MixDeck
- Numark MixDeck Express
- Numark N4 (Numark’s latest four-deck digital DJ controller and mixer)
- Numark MixDeck Quad
- Vestax Typhoon
- Vestax VCI-100 Mk II
And why should you care?….
Intro Dj, as best we can tell, will not be purchasable on its own or with a sound card. It comes with 2 deck controllers as an OEM software. This means a new piece of decent software will ship with entry level controllers instead of the sparse Traktor LE or frightening Virtual Dj. Most importantly, this new incursion into NI’s territory means we are one step close to the all out dj company face-off we hope to one day host on pay-per-view! I personally would pay to see Sam Gribben Vs. Florian Plenge (the titans of dj divisions!)
Finally, I am all for bucking the typical dj marketing video and going with a great lifestyle vibe, but this one struck us as a tad bit strange.
