Reclaimed BCN SCRATCHabl [Max for Live]

• Product: SCRATCHabl
• Developer: Reclaimed BCN
• Version: 1.2.0
• Format: Max for Live Device (.amxd)
• Requirements: Ableton Live 12 Suite or later
• Source: reclaimedbcn.com/scratchabl

SCRATCHabl is a Max for Live device that lets timecode vinyl or CDJs scratch, cue, and loop any audio or video file loaded into Ableton Live, decoding DVS timecode signal into real-time playback control rather than the tempo-locked warp behavior Ableton defaults to. It sits on an audio track alongside Ableton’s own transport, which stays free to run as an additional deck. Six timestretch algorithms across three quality settings, CDJ-style looping, and a built-in DJ effects chain set it apart from manually warping clips or reaching for standalone DJ software.

Key Takeaway

The core value is DVS timecode control over any file already loaded into Ableton, turning vinyl or CDJs into a real scratch interface instead of a tempo-locked clip launcher. Running two instances for a full two-deck mix gets CPU- and RAM-heavy, and there’s no standalone or VST build — it only runs inside Ableton Live with Max for Live.

Timecode In, No Clip Launcher

SCRATCHabl reads standard DVS timecode signal from a connected turntable or CDJ through an audio interface and maps that motion directly onto whatever file is loaded into the device — a WAV, MP3, AIFF, FLAC, or M4A, or the audio track pulled from an MP4 or MOV. Scratching the record scrubs the loaded file in real time instead of triggering a warped, tempo-locked clip.

Ableton’s transport stays free while a file plays through SCRATCHabl, so the session’s own clips and tracks function as an additional deck rather than getting tied up by the DVS input. A DJ can scratch a loaded acapella on turntable one while Ableton’s own transport runs a separate arrangement underneath, something a standalone DVS setup outside the DAW has no path to route into the same session.

SCRATCHabl is a Max for Live device, not a standalone application or a VST/AU plugin — it needs Ableton Live running with Max for Live active, either from Live Suite or a separate Max for Live add-on for Live Standard or Intro. A DJ working in Serato, Traktor, or a DAW other than Ableton has no way to load it at all.

Six Algorithms, Three Tradeoffs

Pitch and tempo separate on playback through six selectable timestretch algorithms, each producing a different character of artefact under fast scratches or slow drags. Three quality settings sit on top of that choice, trading CPU load against transient clarity — a lower setting keeps a scratch responsive on a fast cut, a higher setting holds detail better on a slow pitch bend or a held loop.

Picking the wrong algorithm-and-quality pairing for a source file shows up as audible warble or graininess on fast material, the tradeoff any realtime timestretch engine runs into. Six options exist specifically so a percussive loop and a vocal acapella don’t have to share the same compromise.

Loop Nudge Starts Coarse

Loop In and Loop Out set manual points on the fly, and pressing either button again after a loop is set halves or doubles it — a build-up trick familiar from CDJ loop rolls, without leaving the pads. Exit drops out of an active loop and continues playback from that point, and Reloop jumps straight back to the same loop from that same button.

Loop Jump bounces playback left or right by the loop’s own length while staying inside the loop, keeping a build fresh without resetting the loop points. Loop Nudge fine-tunes the in and out points after the fact.

The nudge step size is coarse by default — the fine-tune switch has to be enabled separately to get tighter, single-step adjustment on a loop point. A performer chasing a specific in-point starts with the coarse step and switches modes, rather than getting fine control from the first press.

Distortion Runs Parallel, Not Instead

A 3-band EQ and a bipolar DJ-style filter sit first in the chain for frequency shaping during a blend, cutting or boosting each band independently and sweeping the filter in either direction from center rather than only high-pass or only low-pass. Both live before the distortion and delay stages, so EQ moves shape what the following effects react to.

The distortion circuit runs in parallel rather than replacing the dry signal outright, adding grit without fully losing the clean source underneath it. The delay/reverb send carries a ping-pong feedback pattern for stereo-bouncing echo trails, and every stage in the chain — EQ, filter, distortion, delay — has its own kill switch that cuts it instantly rather than requiring a bypass toggle and a fade.

The effects chain sits after SCRATCHabl’s own scratch and loop engine as one fixed internal signal path, not as separately insertable stages. Routing a different plugin into the middle of that path means placing it after the whole device’s output, not between SCRATCHabl’s own internal EQ, filter, distortion, or delay stages.

Two Instances Is Where the Meter Climbs

The crossfader’s cut-in point and curve are both adjustable per instance, and the curve can invert — set up for practicing with the opposite hand, or mapped so two loaded instances share the same physical fader from a controller. Both sides of the crossfader read from every combination of loaded signals, so a blend isn’t locked to one specific pair of decks.

There’s no instance limit stated — SCRATCHabl can be loaded as many times as a session needs, each one an independent deck with its own timestretch, looping, and effects settings.

Running two full instances for a genuine two-deck mix is CPU- and RAM-heavy enough that at least one user reported it becoming impractical on their machine, needing buffer size and sample rate adjustments that a dedicated DVS application like Serato or Virtual DJ through ASIO Link Pro didn’t require for the same task. That load scales with every additional instance loaded into the same session, so a three- or four-deck hybrid set needs headroom checked before it’s built around SCRATCHabl rather than after.

FAQs