If you’re a Serato DJ user with an unfulfilled desire to make beats and missed the beta for the company’s new production platform, now’s your chance.
Today is the official launch of Serato Studio 1.0 and it’s in good form following a little feedback from the initial test group. As we mentioned back in March, Serato Studio is an easy entry point into music production for DJs and novices alike. The software ties into existing DJ hardware for those already invested in mixing tunes, letting you manage many of the on-screen tools right from your controller. It’s also chock full of familiar features including colored waveforms, cue points and direct access to your Serato DJ library.
Serato Studio 1.0 is available today as a subscription of $15 per month — or $10 per month billed annually — and you can test the waters first with a free trial. Subscribers will get regular software updates, along with access to Serato Sounds which provides new audio packs each month. They’ll be loaded with instruments, drum kits, loops and FX spanning a variety of styles from sound designers like Decap, Goldbaby, MSXII Sound Design and more.
Along with today’s release, Serato Sounds kicks off its artist series with a sound pack from Just Blaze, the producer behind many tracks from artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar. There will be sounds mastered with his own vintage studio gear, plus original self-recorded samples. Just Blaze said “I wanted to actually get on the drum kit, smack the sticks around. Bang on different things in my house and pick up different sounds…” so you may just get the kitchen sink in there, who knows.
While I covered much of Serato Studio’s core elements in my beta overview, there are plenty of new and expanded features to note with this 1.0 release. There’s now the ability to perform a master key change across an entire song in one click. Triplets and swing have been added to the step sequencer to add a little variance to your beats and you can now enjoy more spacious layouts with up to 32-beat scenes. Additionally, stem exports have arrived for those who want to work with their creation in other platforms and there’s now a master deck waveform so you can get a visual of your entire piece in one go.
All these updates seem to take the software a few steps further into the realm of complete DAW products, letting you lay out more complex compositions beyond a basic chain of short looped segments. With the available catalog of sounds, the sampler and Pitch ‘n Time tools, you can really dig into sound creation and get the core of a track together quickly. You can tap out beats or record filter sweeps live using your existing DJ controller or MIDI keyboard. This can save you the cost of additional gear while providing a more tactile and fluid interface than a computer keyboard. Although that works just fine, too.
Serato Studio Core Features
- DJ Style Library – Access your entire Serato DJ library with crates, cue points, BPM and key information.
- Works with DJ hardware - Studio works with a range of DJ controllers and mixers, as well as MIDI controllers, or just your laptop.
- Quality Content Built In – Studio comes with a huge amount of built-in drum kits, instruments, audio loops and samples, with frequent content updates for subscribers.
- Serato Colored Waveforms – See your audio and MIDI sequences in Serato’s famous colored waveforms.
- Supports VST and AU plug-ins - Customise your sound in Studio using your own plug-ins
- Master Key Change – Transpose the entire key of your project to match the key of your acapella
- Master Key and BPM – Let the project key automatically update as you start making your beat. Adjust the BPM to extremes with world-class Pitch ‘n Time stretching
- Export Stems - Export your track as individual audio stems
- Play in Key mode – Play any instrument or plug-in in key, without knowing music theory.
- Make Beats – Get inspired with over 300 pre-made drum patterns across a range of different genres.
- Simple Sequencer – Get creative with your drum patterns using the simple and easy-to-use 808-style step sequencer
- High Quality FX – Tweak your beats using over 30 built-in FX presets that will feel instantlyfamiliar to DJs.
- DJ-style mixing – Mix your sounds using a familiar DJ channel mixing strip, with dedicated gain, EQs, filters and more.
Credit: Engadget.com
Comment here