Rant on video scratching - how much is it worth?

[visualove]

Some beginning VJ's seem to be wondering if they need a scratchable DVD player, such as the Pioneer DVJ-X1 and others sure to follow.

In very few VJ sets have I seen video scratching, personally I look at it as sort of a novelty which rarely adds to the experience of the dancers. But I want to hear from people who have actually used scratching, inculding those who have done it with software.

My definition of video scratching is playing the video forward and backwards, repeatedly, controlled hands on (or mouse on, or midi on) by the VJ - live.

Very few DJ sets I hear use vinyl scratching now - it's more about beatmatching at the transitions between tracks and maybe some looping and sample triggering, occasionally effects.

VJ scratching may become more common in the future with more DVD source material and more people having the tools and using them. I don't have any problem with Pioneer or anyone else making money selling players (where is the mixer guys?).

So some questions:
How often do you use visual scratching?

What source material do you use?

When do you use it in your set?

What the DJ is doing at the time?

Anyhow rant-off...

PS I think that one set I saw on this site with the film "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" was a great use of scratching, not necessarily dancable though..

[trotskythecat]

I think scratching is a lot more suited to an A/V performance, personally. The only times I use scratching is when the DJs play glitch.

[wellREDman]

i scratch quite a lot, but not in a scratchy way like a scratch dj, but kinda to make things bouce back and forward to different subrythms

kinda hard to describe

[WordVirus23]

I like to use Esotic's scratch/frame buffer for the same thing as RED said... not very often... the DJ is usually picking his nose, I mean records :p I usually use it on overall output to make the output pulse chug-guhc style

..j...

[murk]

I use a combination of overall clip speed control, scratch style speed control (temporary speed changes), scrubbing (playhead positioning), and time delay buffers (mostly pete's TimeWarp).

Lately I have been using the DM2, and pdoom's DM2MIDI is really quite amazing. On the scratch rings it allows a value to be sent a certain amount of time after you stop scratching. This means you can make the clip resume normal playback speed immediately after a scratching session. The DM2 compliments the Peavey 1600x very well. I find myself using the DM2 scratch rings more than the peavey to control scratching, though I still use the Peavey to set the overall clip speed.

[VJFranzK]

Originally posted by wellREDman
to make things bouce back and forward to different subrythms

yeah, subrhytms - making the people seem to :jump2: breakdance

[PilotX]

Originally posted by wellREDman
i scratch quite a lot, but not in a scratchy way like a scratch dj, but kinda to make things bouce back and forward to different subrythms

kinda hard to describe

yep similar thing here - don't use it it every gig by any means, but eg: using dnacers or martial artists footage and trying (mostly failing) to get them moving with a hip-hop beat .. sometimes it works and looks great. sometimes it just looks a bit strange.

however, the time that scratching really comes into its own is when you are doing workshops with 14-17yr olds.. they really enjoy scratching the video. I really want some DVJs to take out to workshops with me ..

[devonmiles]

I scratch a lot when I vj at hip hop battles, the djs scratch like hell, so it matches quite well. I made footage with kombinations of funky movements, e.g chopping veggies, a guy in a wheelchair, a girl dressing up ( like in that alter ego music video ) and the like.

[xangadix]

With a gamepad (http://www.vjcentral.com/articles/view/id/gamepad_veejaying_%28joystick_veejaying_pa)you can do some pretty nifty scratching, I use it to animate short samples of 'artist' (Rappers, Vocalist, Singers, Musicians and DJ's) and making them appear to create the music you now hear. It's a bit more complex then only playing them backward and forward; there is also random jumping, fading, rewinding, switching direction and beat-syncing, but the effect works really well. Especially with dancers and rappers I can really 'visualise the music'. Quite literally.

[charlielangridge]

For our residency and various other breaks style nights we have developed a scratch based style, which works really well for us. We do use it a fair amount to get the clips working with the broken style of beats, but obviously it's not suitble for all night! Also, we only really use it for breaks, cos it really doenst work in our style for other types of music! Also cos video's only 25 fps, it kinda looks more like rapid cutting a lot of the time (although a lot of our material for breaks nights is shot specifically to look good for scratching).

So i guess what im saying in a very roundabout way is that scratching works for us in certain situations, but it has to be done well and supported by the rest of the set.

Infact, we do have a video of us scratching some of our footage in the "Reels" section of our website

http://www.rho-d.co.uk/visuals

[akira_k]

Originally posted by wellREDman
i scratch quite a lot, but not in a scratchy way like a scratch dj, but kinda to make things bouce back and forward to different subrythms Sort of similar approach over here... I also like to use it sparingly in certain phrases cmbined with the other shit that is happening.

Another way is hitting hard the "direction" button on modul8..... specially sweet when doing A/V ;)

[eps]

occasional scratches [when some more dynamics is needed]

mostly random buffer jumps [pete's timewarp and other effects of such style], mostly automated, mostly with live cams [sometimes with precompiled dvds]