Hi legends,
I've scanned quite a few pages in our forums and searched online for best info/best practice for getting the best results when performing live using controllers and havent found alot of good intel, so I'd love to know what you all do in the booth, for the following:
- To get the best sound quality on the club / festival rig
- preferences and settings you use, currently im using Traktor Pro 3 Plus
- What youve got in your kit when you set up, next to traditional / pioneer DJ booths.
- What is best practice?
From my recent gigs, i've wanted to start bringing my traktor / NI gear out to perform with, i cant stand rekordbox, however, I am still finding the best quality sound, and best performance on the PA will come from using the in house mixer/cdj's as a traditional DJ / via rekordbox USB. Most commonly, the booth will have:
DJM900 Nexus 2 Mixer
2 or 4x CDJ 900 NX2 units, linked via hub or directly
Sometimes even the CDJ3000's 2 or 4x
Recently ive brought my Traktor S4 Mk2 controller out and set up next to the pioneer console ready a little while before my set, and most commonly the sound tech would advise me to just run either an RCA line to a channel on the DJM mixer, straight out of the S4, so here are my thoughts.
With all limiters off on my Traktor software, and soundcard set to ASIO / 48, with a 128 buffer - i would assume this would yeald the best possible sound quality (and performance) as a signal to the mixer, which would be 'zero'ed' and vol I/O managed so there's no clipping or issues on either device.
Sounds like poo on a fully flown Martin Audio line array. (next to the quality of the output from the dj either side - using the pioneer rig / CDJ / USB Traditionally)
The rig was beautifully tuned, so I was annoyed the Traktor output was so cringe, set up like this. Assuming the S4 has some internal audio management that I couldnt access, and then doubling that audio management with that of the DJM900 NX2 on that Line channel, caused phasing and just an aweful sound..
Is the right method, to connect the controller directly to the DJM900 via USB?
Will this attain the quality I am looking for? What do you do in the booth.
After hearing the sound so poorly during another one of my sets last weekend, where i tried the same setup in a club environment, I decided to ditch the traktor, and jump over to using the Pioneer rig, as a traditional dj, which provided instant fullness, and a hugely better sound.
I have D2's an MPC Live, an X1, a Z1 and an S4mk2
Id love to explore using these more in my sets and performances, but not with the quality of sound ive experienced recently, it wouldnt be worth it, and would seriously down play my sets.
I know they can be better and know the traktor community can assist, what do you do to get the best performance, and results in these live environments?
<3 Ben