Technique generator
The technique generator builds a ready-made shape for a classic scratch from a few settings. Use it as a quick starting point: generate a baby, chirp or flare, then fine-tune it in the Shape editor.
Generating a shape
Section titled “Generating a shape”- On the Shape tab, click Generate… under the shapes list.
- Pick a Technique and set its options (see below).
- Click Create Shape.
The new shape is added to the shapes list and selected, named after its settings (for example “Baby 1/8” or “2-Click Flare”). Generated shapes use Seconds travel, sized for the current tempo.
| Control | Range | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technique | See the list below | Baby | The scratch to build. |
| Clicks / taps | 1 to 8 | 1 | How many fader clicks or taps each stroke gets. Used by Transform, Flare, Orbit and Crab. |
| Stroke | 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 | 1/8 | How long one stroke of the record lasts. Shorter strokes are faster. |
| Length | 1, 2, 4 or 8 beats | 1 beat | How long the whole shape is. The strokes repeat back and forth to fill it. |
Techniques
Section titled “Techniques”| Technique | What it does |
|---|---|
| Baby | Plain forward and back strokes with the fader open the whole time. |
| Chirp | Cuts the end of the forward stroke and opens for the second half of the back stroke. |
| Transform | Taps the fader in and out evenly through each stroke. Clicks / taps sets how many taps a stroke gets. Transform strokes are twice the Stroke length. |
| Flare | Clicks the fader closed briefly during the forward stroke and plays the back stroke open. Set Clicks / taps to 1, 2 or 3 for the 1-, 2- and 3-click flare. |
| Orbit | A flare that clicks on both the forward and the back stroke. |
| Crab | A run of quick taps on the forward stroke, with the back stroke closed. |
| Tear | A forward stroke that pauses halfway, so it sounds in two parts. The fader stays open. |
| Scribble | A fast wiggle on the record, about 16 times a second whatever the stroke length, with the fader open. |
| Forward | Only the forward strokes are heard; the fader closes for the back strokes. |
| Backward | Only the back strokes are heard. |
| Stab | A sharp forward stroke that moves fast from its first instant, with only its start heard. |
Factory shapes and phrases
Section titled “Factory shapes and phrases”ScratchCraft comes with a set of factory shapes in the shapes list. Rack pads 1 to 16 start with factory shapes assigned.
- Techniques: generated versions of the techniques above at a range of stroke lengths and click counts.
- Phrases: ten one- and two-bar lines that chain techniques together: Baby Chirp Line, Chirp Flare Combo, Orbit Run, Transformer Roll, Crab Cascade, Tear Stutter, Laser Rise, Scribble Burst, Drag & Release and Battle Phrase. They are timed at 120 BPM with Seconds travel, and end back on the cue so they loop cleanly.
- One Shot: a straight line that plays the sample from the cue at normal speed with the fader open, for 16 beats. It uses Deck travel, so it stays in tune with the deck’s speed.
Factory shapes are ordinary shapes: you can edit, copy, rename or delete them like any other. See Shape files.