Traktor Scratch Poor (a.k.a. Ghetto Timecode Control)

**djproben** · 06-10-2010, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by photojojo

It's not that this process is illegal. It's the enabling of the guys who are "borrowing" the software from their friends or stealing it through torrents.

I get that, but it isn't illegal to "encourage" anything like this, and it seems pointless to get all exercised about it when the people posting by and large aren't the ones breaking the actual laws. I mean, if I post a video showing people how to use a screwdriver to start your car if you lose your key, am I encouraging people to steal cars because you can use the same trick to drive a car that isn't yours? Anyway, I don't want to reignite what looks like a 2 or 3 yr old flame war, I'm just curious why this has so many underwears all bunched up....

**sarasin** · 06-10-2010, 07:47 PM

no one was flaming bro...

I think Karlos kept it civil.

@Karlos

It's an honest debate it seems to me...

Don't take Karlos' back out as a flame type thing....he is merely not gonna get into his normal rant about legitimacy.

Nothing wrong with that...to me anyways.

**haze324** · 06-10-2010, 08:00 PM

This is a workaround and its a great example of outside the box thinking. Looking back at the VCI-300 there once was a translator here offered for folks to use the 300 with Traktor. Currently the Itch blog has a preview of Phil figuring out a workaround to use non-itch certified midi controllers for some commands. While not in the best financial interest of Serato and in this case NI - its is thinking like this that pushes the envelope and leads to other advances.

If this is truly a guy with a legit TSP and Audio 8 messing around with his software and soundcards at home. Well props to him for figuring something out others couldn't.

Is it ethical, moral, etc. Hey I'm not the ethics police.

**JesC** · 06-10-2010, 09:13 PM

Im sure NI is aware of this loophole or work around and they will patch in 1.2.7. Like Karlos said previously NI could be having the coders working on something else. But now they need to patch it. Its like trying to get Serato to run two decks w/o the SL1. Bottom line you need a Audio4/8 or Cert Mixer to Run TSP just like Serato needs SL-1/3 or TT57.

If you founds a crack to run TSP w/o the required gear, hey props to you.

**lethal_pizzle** · 06-10-2010, 10:03 PM

I don't see how it's illegal if you own a legal copy of Traktor Scratch Pro somehow, but:
You've denied NI some profit from the soundcard. Much of which will be used to make the software better for the whole community.
Mind you, when it gets patched we'll all be back to square 1 and this thread can go back to sleep for 6 months. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz No harm, no foul

**djproben** · 06-10-2010, 11:04 PM

If NI sells Traktor without the Audio8, I don't see how they have a valid interest in preventing this. Even if they sell it with the audio 8 ... if I lose my Audio8 or it breaks or something, are you saying my copy of Traktor is worthless? Or if I sell it? You can sell your Audio 8 without selling your copy of Traktor, and you can transfer license on your copy of Traktor without selling your Audio8. NI marketing even emphasizes that the Audio8 should be used with other software as a sound card; what if you want to make that your main soundcard on your desktop production machine and you want to get a cheaper card to lug around with your laptop? Anyway, just things to think about, I don't mean to be argumentative....

I agree with haze324 on this, this is clever and it leads to interesting experimentation that should be encouraged, even at the risk of egging on the occasional scofflaw. On another page someone figured out how to use the Numark V7 for Traktor. Arguably he's devaluing Serato by doing so (although the software is free so it's not a perfect comparison) -- he figured out how to use Serato to run Traktor DVS on unsupported hardware. That's a good thing, no?

**lethal_pizzle** · 06-10-2010, 11:26 PM

No it's not a good thing. As I've stated, you'd normally need an NI soundcard or an NI certified mixer to run Traktor Scratch Pro. And if your audio8 breaks then you will need to buy a new one. That is the business model, and that is the revenue the NI ploughs back into the production of the software.

SSL uses the same model. Your Numark V7 comparison is invalid because when you've bought the V7 you've already bought Itch anyway.

I won't deny that it is clever and interesting, but it is also a complete waste of time for any legitimate user. It will be patched.

Say you legally buy a software upgrade version of TSPro intended for use with your ghetto soundcard. When Pro is patched you'll be stuck on that version, unless you buy the missing soundcard. This will cost you more than the initial package anyway. So that makes this entire endeavour completely pointless and possibly a bit more expensive for anyone except...

...those who torrent a pirated version of Traktor, and use a $50 soundcard. These are the people who are actually taking the piss out of you and me and everyone else who buys their stuff.

This has already happened, with version 1.1.2 I think. The hack made the software pretty unstable, and the NI boards got filled up with thieves. Because a thief is typically more casual than someone who buys their stuff, they didn't know how to use the software. And the software was outdated, buggy and unstable because it was pirated.

A forum full of people who can't use their software (no matter what the reason) would not benefit NI either, through lost sales and reputation.

Now, your point about what the software is worth when your card breaks is a valid one but that is not the point I'm making. What I'm saying is this ghetto thing won't help anybody long term apart from pirates.

Soz for the rant.

**lethal_pizzle** · 06-10-2010, 11:44 PM

Also re: the point about knicker twisting. I've spent £500 on Traktor. Every year or two I'm happy to drop another £100 on paid upgrades to keep improving the software I like using.

People who steal the software contribute nothing. If they did, maybe the software could get better twice as quickly. Or maybe the upgrade would be £50 instead of £100.

A certain amount of the money people pay for any media that can be copied (CDs, DVDs, software) effectively subsidises the people that steal them instead.

So it does piss me off, yeah.

I don't really get how people think otherwise.