Introduction to SoundSwitch:
SoundSwitch is a powerful Digital Lighting Workstation (DLW) designed to seamlessly synchronize your lighting shows with your DJ software. In this guide, we'll provide an overview of SoundSwitch and explain the key concepts to help you make the most of this lighting solution.
SoundSwitch at a Glance:
Edit Mode: in SoundSwitch is a powerful tool for creating customized lighting effects and cues that align with music files. It's designed to be user-friendly for those with experience in audio editing software like Ableton Live, combining timeline editing with graphic design software-like tools.
Performance Mod:e in SoundSwitch brings your creative lighting efforts to life. When playing audio files through Serato DJ, Virtual DJ, Engine Prime Hardware, and Ableton Live, SoundSwitch works quietly in the background, ensuring your lighting displays remain perfectly in sync as you perform. You have full control over live lighting adjustments.
Scripted Tracks vs Autoloops:
SoundSwitch offers two primary ways to create lighting shows, namely Scripts and Autoloops. Both of these modes can be synchronized with popular DJ software like Serato DJ and Virtual DJ (VDJ). Let's dive into the difference between these two modes and how to optimize their use.
Scripts:
A SoundSwitch script is a lighting file paired with an audio track from your music library. Think of it as adding a layer of dynamic lighting to your audio tracks during your DJ set. With lighting scripts, you can craft intricate lighting displays by specifying cues, strobes, color changes, movements, and various lighting effects, all precisely timed to the music.
As you manipulate the audio through your DJ software, SoundSwitch responds in real-time, adjusting the lighting accordingly. For example, slowing down the tempo will also slow down the lighting, setting a loop will make the lights loop, and pulling back on the record will affect the lights in a similar manner. SoundSwitch also integrates with your controller/mixer faders, so manipulating them will seamlessly blend and control the lighting intensity.
Autoloops:
Autoloops come into play when you haven't created lighting scripts for a particular audio file or song. They serve as a backup system, automatically taking over when audio without SoundSwitch scripts is loaded in your DJ software. Autoloops can be viewed as short lighting clips that play in sync with the Beatgrid of Serato DJ or VDJ 8.
These Autoloops are designed to align with the song's structure and can be created in 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 bar durations. SoundSwitch provides four Autoloop banks, each with room for 32 Autoloops, allowing you to create a total of 128 different Autoloops.
In Performance Mode, Autoloops are synchronized with the Beatgrid in Serato DJ or VDJ 8, cycling through your created Autoloops as you play. For example, if you've crafted four 8-bar Autoloops, each with a different color, your lights will change color every 8 bars in perfect harmony with the Beatgrid.
SoundSwitch empowers DJs to create their own lighting displays and seamlessly play them back, allowing them to maintain the freestyle nature of their live performance. It offers creative possibilities for lighting designers, enabling tighter integration with the artists/DJs they work with. Customization and automation are at your fingertips, ensuring your lighting is precisely as intended during live shows.
SoundSwitch caters to Lighting Techs, Mobile DJs, Club DJs, Tour DJs, and those who perform alongside vocalists and MCs. It's a valuable tool for creating and executing dynamic lighting displays that enhance the overall live experience..
Further Resources:
For more detailed guidance on SoundSwitch, you can explore the videos below:
Back to Basics Video:
Getting Started Video:
Autoloops Explained:
These resources will help you get started with SoundSwitch and unleash the full potential of your lighting shows. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to our support team at [email protected]