![]() ![]() Arguments for higher resampling rates are better placed when it comes to internal mixing and playback effects, and the jury’s still out on whether it makes a perceptible difference in the real world. There’s a subtle difference in sound that I could probably train myself to identify, but the important part is that objectively the two manufacturers’ interfaces don’t sound better or worse than each other. The SNR of the NI cards is marginally higher, so to get the Rane interfaces to equal volume requires a miniscule gain tweak on the mixer, but clarity and sound reproduction differences aren’t so much subjective as they are conjecture: I consistently failed to identify which was which in a gain adjusted blind test, even when pitting the NI card’s 96kHz mode against the Rane’s 44.1kHz (although the SL4 also supports 96kHz). Pushing the same track out of the Audio 10 and the SL4 into a mixer, I couldn’t hear a difference. When it comes to sound quality, it’s a dead heat. Rane’s cream of the crop, the SL4, features five inputs and two USB sockets which allows two computers to share the inputs or hot swap between them – considerate clubs could install one of these for the ultimate in Scratch Live convenience, and the colossal price tag indicates this might be Rane’s target market. ![]() To get the same number of connections from Rane you need to jump up to the S元, but that sits at the same price point as the Traktor Pro enabled Audio 10, which gives the S元 a sound thrashing when it comes to features: four DVS enabled ins/outs plus a fifth aux channel with optional ¼” mic input and 5 pin MIDI I/O. ![]() Both have two DVS enabled phono/line ins and outs, but the Audio 6 also has an aux in/out to complement them. Traktor Scratch Duo with the Audio 6 is the lowest price of the pile, closely followed by the Rane SL2. Of course you can upgrade Duo to Pro, but that then impacts the buy in price. Because Scratch Live just comes in one flavour, it doesn’t matter which box you get when it comes to software features (except for physical number of decks supported) – unlike NI, who have Traktor Scratch Duo for people who buy the Audio 6 and Traktor Scratch Pro for those who opt for the Audio 10. Something slightly more involved, however, is the feature comparison between the NI and Rane Serato products. Of course, which style you prefer is an entirely personal decision – but a design aspect that I think really works is Rane’s decision to put ins and outs on opposite sides of the box rather than right next to each other, which is really handy in stressful changeover situations. Native Instruments’ offerings don’t feel any less sturdy and the SL2 and Audio 6 and SL4 and Audio 10 are roughly the same weight, but the lightly brushed steel and high gloss black plastic fascia are liable to tempt you into carrying a cleaning cloth in your DJ bag. ![]() Rane’s interfaces feel like they’re built to withstand a beating, and their matt black industrial design means you won’t shed a tear if they take a couple of bumps. In this generation, Native Instruments offer a choice between two audio interfaces with the Audio 6 and 10, superceding the 4 and 8, Rane between three with the discontinuation of the SL1 and the introduction of the SL2 and SL4. One of the biggest updates is the audio interfaces on offer, with both sides getting a refresh. Scratch Live remains at version 2, but a couple of point releases have tightened up performance, added effects and further extended the super knob concept with ultra knobs and advanced macro mapping. That said, since our last article Traktor’s undergone a major release and now boasts a new look, sample decks, and yet more effects. On one hand, we’re not going to reinvent the wheel today – many things from our mid 2010 piece hold true so there’s little need to restate them. Considering that each side is sporting both new hardware and new software, it seems apt for us to revisit the debate and update the situation. The last time we did a comparison between the two juggernauts of the DVS world feels like a lifetime ago. ![]()
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