Organization	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Organization [Abstract]
Organization	1. Organization Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Select L.P. is a Delaware limited partnership organized in 1991 to engage primarily in the speculative trading of futures contracts, options on futures and forward contracts, and forward contracts on physical commodities and other commodity interests, including, but not limited to, foreign currencies, financial instruments, metals, energy, and agricultural products (collectively, "Futures Interests") (refer to Note 4, Financial Instruments). The Partnership is one of the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum series of funds, comprised of the Partnership, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Currency and Commodity L.P., Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Global Balanced L.P., Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Strategic L.P., and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Technical L.P. (collectively, the "Spectrum Series"). The Partnership's general partner is Ceres Managed Futures LLC ("Ceres" or the "General Partner"). The non-clearing commodity broker is Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC ("MSSB"). The clearing commodity brokers are Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC ("MS&Co.") and Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc ("MSIP"). MS&Co. also acts as the counterparty on all trading of foreign currency forward contracts. Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. ("MSCG") acts as the counterparty on all trading of options on foreign currency forward contracts. MSIP serves as the commodity broker for trades on the London Metal Exchange ("LME"). Ceres is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Holdings LLC ("MSSBH"). MSSBH is majority-owned indirectly by Morgan Stanley and minority-owned indirectly by Citigroup Inc. MSSB is the principal subsidiary of MSSBH. MS&Co., MSIP, and MSCG are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley. The trading advisors to the Partnership are Altis Partners (Jersey) Limited ("Altis"), EMC Capital Management, Inc. ("EMC"), Graham Capital Management, L.P. ("Graham"), Northfield Trading L.P. ("Northfield"), Rabar Market Research, Inc. ("Rabar"), and Sunrise Capital Management, Inc. ("Sunrise Capital"), (each individually, a "Trading Advisor", or collectively, the "Trading Advisors").

1. Organization

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Select L.P. is a Delaware limited partnership organized in 1991 to engage primarily in the speculative trading of futures contracts, options on futures and forward contracts, and forward contracts on physical commodities and other commodity interests, including, but not limited to, foreign currencies, financial instruments, metals, energy, and agricultural products (collectively, "Futures Interests") (refer to Note 4, Financial Instruments). The Partnership is one of the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum series of funds, comprised of the Partnership, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Currency and Commodity L.P., Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Global Balanced L.P., Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Strategic L.P., and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Spectrum Technical L.P. (collectively, the "Spectrum Series").

The Partnership's general partner is Ceres Managed Futures LLC ("Ceres" or the "General Partner"). The non-clearing commodity broker is Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC ("MSSB"). The clearing commodity brokers are Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC ("MS&Co.") and Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc ("MSIP"). MS&Co. also acts as the counterparty on all trading of foreign currency forward contracts. Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc. ("MSCG") acts as the counterparty on all trading of options on foreign currency forward contracts. MSIP serves as the commodity broker for trades on the London Metal Exchange ("LME"). Ceres is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Holdings LLC ("MSSBH"). MSSBH is majority-owned indirectly by Morgan Stanley and minority-owned indirectly by Citigroup Inc. MSSB is the principal subsidiary of MSSBH. MS&Co., MSIP, and MSCG are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morgan Stanley. The trading advisors to the Partnership are Altis Partners (Jersey) Limited ("Altis"), EMC Capital Management, Inc. ("EMC"), Graham Capital Management, L.P. ("Graham"), Northfield Trading L.P. ("Northfield"), Rabar Market Research, Inc. ("Rabar"), and Sunrise Capital Management, Inc. ("Sunrise Capital"), (each individually, a "Trading Advisor", or collectively, the "Trading Advisors").