We mentioned in a previous article that Ableton and Serato would likely be making an announcement about some exciting developements the two companies have made since their creative partnership was announced in October 2008.  And they haven't disappointed.

Users of Ableton Live 8, Ableton Suite 8 or Serato Scratch Live/ITCH will now experience unprecedented integration in the world of the digital DJ.

Ableton and Serato present The Bridge—the first result of the partnership announced in October 2008.

The Bridge spans the gap between music production and DJing, creating a natural link between Ableton Live and Serato Scratch Live or ITCH. The Bridge provides a powerful fusion of DJ and production tools, opening a world of opportunities for DJing, remixing and live performance.

You can cross the Bridge in either direction:

Ableton to Serato

The Bridge provides Ableton Transport Control (ATC), giving DJs turntable-style control of their own multitrack productions. DJs can simply drag an Able

ton Live Set onto one of the decks in Scratch Live or ITCH and use their turntables, CDJ or ITCH controller to control the transport.

Serato to Ableton

The Bridge provides the ultimate mixtape creation tool. DJs can perform mixes in Serato Scratch Live or ITCH and save them as an Ableton Live Set. This way, the DJ can still perform the mix—better than cut and pasting it together in a DAW—but also has detailed editing options.

Pricing and availability for The Bridge

The Bridge is free for anyone who owns registered versions of both Serato Scratch Live/ITCH hardware and Ableton Live 8 or Suite 8. No release date has been set yet;