Disclosure
When this review was first written at the end of October, Professor BX was working for IK Multimedia. Since then, he's managed to land himself a product development and marketing role at Stanton. The review however was completed some time before he was even aware of a role being available, so it's up to you if you give this review any credence at all. But I'm posting it in the full knowledge that he wrote it with full impartiality.
Introduction
MIDI controllers are the current “hot” product category in the DJ industry, with a seemingly endless parade of new options being made available on a monthly basis. While most seem bent on attacking the low to mid-range market with a reasonable copy of a traditional DJ setup, occasionally you get a product that is trying to instead change the status quo a bit. The Stanton SCS3 system is such a product.
“Good Touch/Stan-touch”
The Stanton SCS3 system is interesting in that it really is a multi-use product. While the system itself is a cohesive unit that can be used in place of a traditional turntable/mixer system (provided you have a proper audio interface or use the included breakout cable, to be discussed later), one can take the individual units or system as a whole and combine it with their more traditional setup to augment the capabilities of their rig.
Consisting of 3 units (2 Scs3d’s, 1 Scs3m) with dimensions individually not much larger than that of a paperback book, the SCS3 system will look immediately both familiar and alien to the average DJ. With a magnetic lock system on the sides of each unit, it is very easy to arrange the decks in whatever order you may wish, with the end result looking more like a complete unit as opposed to a set of controllers.
As well, the cable control system deserves special mention. With a set of empty cable bays below each init, it is possible to route the cables from each unit to the SCS3m in a way that makes it possible to only plug one cable into the computer with no visible cables whatsoever.
Note to Stanton - include a set of short USB cables-having the long cables stuffed into the bottom of each unit seems like something of a waste if you are intending to use the system as a complete solution.
With a control layout similar to an all-in-one CDJ system, if there were physical knobs and sliders any DJ would be able to hop on a set with almost no time to get acclimated. That said, due to the blinding array of LED’s and almost complete lack of physical knobs/buttons (save for the Play/Cue/Sync/Tap buttons on the SCS3d’s) getting on the set for the first time has the same feeling as stepping in front of a space shuttle simulator at the science museum.
Logical modifier control “buttons” are provided for functions such as Deck/Cue/Loop/FX/EQ control, making each surface stupidly deep given the number of available controls available within the amount of space provided. With each button being backlit and color coded as well, in a dark live situation it is quite a simple matter to be able to spot quickly what set of controls you are adjusting, which is a blessing given the depth of control available.
If I had one complaint, it would be the style of buttons. I have never been a huge fan of rubber pads, and I do have fears of how robust they may be. I will say however that I have yet to have a failure, it is just a matter of personal preference and past experience.
Update: I got this word from Craig at Stanton, which does put many of my fears at ease:
“I just want to mention one thing, because there has been a little confusion about it. The buttons on the SCS.3d are not the cheap rubber contact or dome switches. They’re sealed long life tact switches. Likewise, the buttons themselves are hard plastic. There is a rubber seal between the button and the tact switch, but there is very little play in that rubber, and the switch will function normally even if the seal edge becomes worn (because the tact switch itself is responsible for the button play – not the rubber seal). So this means (contrary to popular belief) that there is nothing to clean on the SCS.3d buttons, and in the unlikely event that something like dust manages to get under the rubber seal, it would still also have to get into the sealed tact switch to effect performance.”
This does put my fears at ease a great deal. While I still have a preference for plastic or metal as opposed to rubber for feel, I have confidence at least that they won’t die on me anytime soon.
“Stuck in the middle with ware”
Plugging in for the first time, the first thing one needs to do is load the “DaRouter” middleware. While somewhat unfortunately named (Note to Stanton-please strongly reprimand the person behind the “Da” prefix on SCS products.), the DaRouter is a very useful piece of software that will make your life much easier. Based on the incredibly powerful (and equally complex) Bome’s MIDI Translator, what the DaRouter software provide an unbelievably deep set of available modifiers for your software of choice in a way that the average user doesn’t have to know anything about deep MIDI setup. With DaRouter, a huge number of pre-configured setups are made available depending on your choice of software, and any quirks of said software can be compensated for before they cause any issues to the end user.
“Generic” presets are provided in cases where your software is not directly supported, and if one wants to go deeper, Bome’s MIDI Translator can be used for preset creation. As well, it should be noted that it is possible to do direct (no DaRouter needed) support, as evidenced by the excellent support provided by Mixx.
In Use/Abuse
This part of the review was probably what I was dreading the most, if only because of the sheer number of criteria that the SCS3 system can be reviewed. The individual pieces, as a whole, added into a DJ setup, as a DJ set in and of itself. Due to this, I feel it best to do 2 sub reviews. If you don’t like it-sorry, I’m the one reviewing here.
• As a system:
Because the SCS3 System is billed as a system, it is probably best to start here. Out of the box, the SCS3 System provides an incredibly compelling all-in-one system. But wait, you say-it has no audio interface, how can it be called all-in-one? Well, through what has to be a fit of inspiration, the SCS3 system provides a small breakout cable of sorts, which routes your stereo headphone output into two mono tip/ring/sleeve outputs. As such, one can route the main output to your speaker system, and the monitor output to a pair of headphones. How cool is that?
While the SCS3 system works with a good variety of DJ software, out of the box Traktor LE is provided, along with a very complete preset. While you don’t get the depth of control that you do with Traktor Pro (few FX/Cue/Quantize options), even with the basic set of controls, one still has more available at their fingertips than a good set of CDJ’s and a mixer, making it more than complete enough to rock a party with.
When used with other software, the sheer amount of control available is staggering. With Traktor Pro, it is very easy to get lost in a glitch-paradise, stacking FX, rocking cue points, and doing 4-deck mixing all night long. I actually had a rare opportunity to use the SCS3 system in a unique live situation recently, and had the SCS3 system not been with me, I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. I was asked to make a return to my old TV show, Drinking With Ian, a live talk show. In my role of DJ, I have to play something of a Max Weinberg, playing all musical cues. As well, I also have to play sound FX live for all skits. In the past I have used an Evolution X-Session, a very capable controller that did the job. With the SCS3 on the other hand, I found it easier than ever to cue up all my sound FX, with prep time almost cut in half due to the intuitive cueing system provided by the preset. LED feedback was provided for all actions, making it very easy in the dark club to see what was going on, and very welcome overall. Scratching, while not the same as a real turntable, was surprisingly workable. With two scratch zones provided by the wheel (what can be considered a “wide” setting on the outer jog wheel and a “fine” setting provided by the inner jog wheel), cutting was quite easy. There was, I admit, a bit of cue drift when scratching. That said, the fact that it worked as well as it did is commendable in and of itself.
The crossfader, while taking some adjustment, was actually quite fun to use. Due to the multi-touch nature of the available surfaces, it is possible to hold the “on” or “off” position of the crossfader and tap the opposite position, making a very reasonable facsimile of a DJ crossfader system. This type of control also made it very easy to do creative adjustments to the EQ and FX, with faster and more precise adjustments available than would be available with a traditional knob or slider.
All in all, while I don’t think I would make the switch to 100% SCS3 system 100% of the time, I can see myself using the system for many occasions that turntables were overkill, as well as in some instances where I simply need a creative jolt.
• Paired with a traditional setup: Flat out - I can’t see myself DJing without one or more SCS3-system pieces in my rig ever again. A bold statement, I know, but it is true. Each piece fills a need, and with some gigs needing more control than others, the SCS-System makes for an amazingly modular system to add the amount of control needed depending on the gig.
The SCS3d decks, when paired with Traktor, allow for a more unique cue system than I have ever encountered. Unlike a typical keyboard/drum pad controller, the SCS3d’s have added a new technique to my repertoire that I affectionately call “brushing”. Using the circular deck to set non-sequential cue points, when paired with the “sync” function of Traktor, allow for the user to brush their finger along the cue points to quickly cycle through cue points while remaining completely in sync with the playing track, making for a really interesting method of cue-point juggling I would have never attempted before. There is something really interesting about the whole “ghost in the machine” aspect that I love, as it is possible to do crazy live glitch remixes with little thought. As well, the system has finally brought the 3rd and 4th Traktor Pro decks into play, something that I have been wanting to do for a long time but never have got around to due to my hate of “button pushing” with no real tactile control.
The SCS3m also has a large number of uses when paired with a traditional setup and Traktor. Providing one of the most quick and intuitive FX and EQ control systems I have ever encountered, I have found myself using the built-in FX in Traktor Pro more than ever. One thing it has enabled me to do (and touched on earlier) is “FX Tapping”, essentially holding your ‘0’ point down and tapping in your maximum value without letting go of ‘0’. Especially when paired with the “Beat Masher” and “Beat Repeat” FX, it is frankly hard not to overuse FX due to the amount of fun to be had.
When paired with other software, the system (and especially the SCS3d’s) provides a very compelling solution to your MIDI controller needs. With Serato, Cue point juggling and drumming is a blast, loop control is super easy, and keyboard-less control is very possible. With Deckadance, I found myself using the sampler more than ever, and FX control is a breeze. If I had one complaint, it is that due to the lack of maturity of the SCS3m, there is not a huge amount of support available without programming it yourself. That said, new presets are being added all the time, so I do expect this to change. If I could ask one thing-I have been using the Scs3m with Logic 9, and it works like a charm. Any chance I could get Mackie HUI emulation so I could control Pro Tools? I would be extremely grateful.
“Do you wanna touch?”
So, after reading all that, I would imagine some of you have a big question. “Why should I use this over other controllers?” The answer is, while results may vary, the SCS3 system is by and far the most intuitive DJ-centric MIDI control system I have ever used. Due to the lack of buttons and knobs, there is a certain amount of chaos that goes on at first, leading to discovery of new techniques and ways to use your software that you may never have guessed at. Simply put-the SCS3-system forces creativity in such a natural way that you will find yourself DJing in ways you never thought of. It is one of those rare envelope-pushing gear sets that commands you to be more creative. And that, in the end, deserves a huge amount of praise alone. And the price of the set makes it an easy add on, given that the full system costs pennies more than buying two of the three pieces separately.
Update 1/4/09
While at this point I work for Stanton, I felt the need to amend the review to point out the new Serato Scratch Live preset. Among other things, it finally allows the user to manipulate waveforms on the SCS3d's, making it possible to do things like set up/tear down your decks for other DJ's while still being able to DJ, or have a mobile SSL travel DJ setup. As well, it allows for manipulation of Video SSL, making tight control of your video possible without picking up a TTM57.
Gizmo adds this - I've had a go with an SCS.3D and Scratch Live and got much better performance than I thought possible. There is a little bit of latency that does throw the finer scratch techniques a little until you adapt, but full waveform manipulaltion is very doable. And here's a couple of clips that show the SCS.3 system in action courtesy of CGDJ over at the skratchlounge.
In Summary
The first compelling set of DJ controllers allowing a DJ to both DJ sans-turntables or add individual modular units to their setup depending on their needs. Sick.
Plusses:
Intuitive layout
Well-lit LEDs provide immediate logical visual feedback
Fun and useful multi-touch controls
Small enough to fit in a standard laptop bag or on any DJ table
Large number of presets available, with more being produced with fair regularity
Minuses:
I like the feel of plastic or metal buttons better.
No Mackie HUI Emulation: I know this is total nitpicking, but I would love to use this set to control Pro Tools the same way I do Logic!
