Starting Note
Below is a couple of steps to tick off before you get creating. Get these right and you will be well on your way.
Music Library
The music library in SoundSwitch displays the audio files and playlists from iTunes as well as Crates/Playlists from your Serato DJ/VDJ 8 library.
You can choose to display the contents of your iTunes library and/or your Playlists and Crates from your DJ software. To do so open up the preferences menu by clicking on the cog button in the top right hand corner of the screen. From there you will be able to select for your different music libraries. SoundSwitch automatically looks for each libraries information in the default locations. If either of these libraries are not in their default locations, you can select the correct path location by clicking the set path button or you can enter the path directly into the text box provided. After this, hit 'Done' and then check SoundSwitch's music library, in the main window, to ensure it has been input correctly.
Venue Tabs
The next step is to create a new Venue Tab. To do so click on the '+' button next to the default tab under the toolbar and name accordingly. You may also want to rename the default venue by right clicking on it which will bring up the interface to make it happen.
Venue Tabs Contd.
Venue Tabs let you organize lights and other DMX fixtures into groups. They are particularly helpful if you play at multiple venues or work with a number of different lighting arrays.
Creative Tip: If you have three or four different performance spaces, creating a venue for each is the best way to get started. What's cool is that the Main Track information for each audio file, is shared across all of your venues, meaning you only have to create this once. Sound interesting? Check out the Main Track page for further insight.
Adding Fixtures:
Once you have created and named a new Venue, adding lighting fixtures is easy. Simply click the plus icon located on at the top right hand corner of the screen to bring up the Fixture Library, find the make and model of the fixture, then drag and drop it into the workspace. You will notice a new Fixture Track will have been added to the workspace.
Next up you will need to ensure SoundSwitch and your fixture can communicate. To do this you will need to input the fixtures DMX address into SoundSwitch. To set the DMX address for your fixture, double click on the fixtures menu tab, located on the right hand side of the workspace, and SoundSwitch will bring up the appropriate interface. You will find the DMX address displayed on the back of the fixture.
If you are having trouble finding or setting the DMX address for your fixture, take a look at the DMX Address page.
Adding Audio Tracks
Once you have setup a venue and added the right lighting fixtures, you're ready to choose some music to work with. Jump into the Music Library, search for the right track and once found double click it to load it into the workspace.
Creative Tip: If you have created a Beatgrid in Serato DJ/VDJ 8, SoundSwitch will automatically import and display this for you.
Check out the video below to learn more