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Open Planet Software has introduced Sessions 3.0, a major update to its performance-oriented plugin host, and Sessions for iPad. Read the rest of this entry »

Serato DJ 4.0 overhauls the DJ software’s library with new search tools, easier analysis and an emoji rating system.

Serato has unveiled the latest update to its flagship DJ software, introducing a major overhaul of the application’s library and the tools used to organise and access tracks.

Serato DJ Pro 4.0 and Serato DJ Lite 4.0 are both available in public Beta now, each offering a raft of new ways to interact with the virtual crates that Serato uses to organise tracks in its library.

Both versions now let users add ‘favourite’ tags to quickly access their most used crates. The library also adds a new colour coding system to help users differentiate between crates more easily.

Serato’s library now displays more information about tracks too. Overall crate duration, size and track count are now displayed at the bottom of the interface, while individual tracks can be assigned an emoji-based rating system – allowing users to score tracks out of five stars, or five watermelons, ghosts, bombs, etc.

Serato DJ 4 also adds right-click functionality to the library, making it quicker to access and edit information about each track from within the crate interface.

All of these new tools feed into a new system of filtering designed to make it much easier to locate tracks quickly. Serato DJ Pro also adds advanced search tools, making it quicker to dig out tracks from the depths of your collection based on any relevant information you decide to input.

It all adds up to the most significant update the application’s library has ever seen, and one of the most notable Serato updates full stop. While organisation tools perhaps aren’t as sexy as things like new effects or advanced stem separation, track admin is one of the most important parts of being a DJ, and having access to the right tools can help turn a laborious task into something more fun and creative.

There are further improvements to the way Serato handles tracks in version 4. Track analysis is now automatic upon import, and the application can now analyse tracks while staying connected to hardware.

There is also now less of a divide between tracks that are imported to the library from a user’s own collection and those added from streaming services, as both types can be added to the same crates.

Serato DJ Pro 4.0 and Serato DJ Lite 4.0 are both available in public beta now. Existing users can join the beta via Serato’s forum

For new users, Serato DJ Pro is available for $249 or a $9.99 per-month subscription. Serato DJ Lite is free to download. Find out more on the Serato site.

Waves Audio has announced an upgrade to its Online Mastering service that they say delivers “enhanced clarity, tighter low end, pristine highs, and optimized loudness for digital platforms”.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

“This latest update brings not only optimized mastering quality, but also reduced pricing. In addition to the updated AI sound engine, Waves has also streamlined the computing process powering its Online Mastering platform, resulting in even more affordable prices for customers.”

Waves says that the newly enhanced “Precise” mastering style has been fine-tuned for electronic music.

“The new Waves Online Mastering nails clarity, tightens the low end, and adjusts the level perfectly for DSPs so I don’t even have to think about it,” according to Grammy-award winning composer and producer Dave Audé (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga).

You can find out more about Waves Online Mastering at their site.