Maximizer - How does it affect the Internal Recording in Traktor

Will Day
Will Day Member Posts: 4 Newcomer
edited August 2022 in Traktor Software & Hardware

I can see how Maximizer is working and affecting the Master output, and that is all clear and makes sense. If i deliberately overload a mix with 2 or more tracks playing with bass not reduced, I can see the limiter working and the gain reduction in the maximize settings.

The Master VU red clipping lights don't come on. Obv with limiter off, it sounds awful and the red clipping lights on in the master VU (this is just a test, obv I would not have them like this)

But when recording back into Traktor using External mode. The Maximizer doesn't seem to stop the recording level clipping.

I've played around with the recording level, headroom on channels etc.

I would expect to see the levels hit a ceiling in the recording gain VU meters when the maximize was on. Then adjust the recording gain, so it is just under the maximum.

Then adjust the threshold back to normal levels -3.5 - -4.0dB ish.

Then the recording level won't ever go in the red.

But this doesn't happen.

Can someone explain how Maximizer works with the recording gain and what is actually happening?

thanks :-)

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Comments

  • Friedemann_NI
    Friedemann_NI Product Team Posts: 65 mod
    edited August 2022

    Hi @Will Day - the Maximizer (like the other Limiter) internally has 4 instances, each one running on the output of one of the TRAKTOR channels.

    If you record your mix internally you can observe how engaging the LIMITER button brings down your recording level in the same way as the Master level.

    If you record externally (via RCA cables), clipping happens at then level of the physical A/D converters of your input audio interface and can not be fixed by a limiter in software.

    I did a quick research and found that clipping of externally recorded mixes is a quite common issue, because the REC out levels of many mixer are quite hot. Users recommend to either turn down all mixer channel gains by a few dB or to use an attenuator in the recording cable (which is preferable as you don't attenuate the master output that way.

    If you record externally via USB it should technically not be possible to clip TRAKTOR's Mix Recorder, so if it sounds distorted, the clipping already happened in the mixer.

    Hope this helps.

  • Will Day
    Will Day Member Posts: 4 Newcomer
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/28160#Comment_28160

    I'm using an A&H DB2 via usb -it has built in SC. Traktor in External mode.

    So the four decks/tracks go to the mixer, gets mixed, and then the mixed audio gets sent back to Traktor, via the same USB, via the USB send, at So it is all digital.

    Adjusting the master or booth volume on the DB2 does not affect the recording level of the mixer.

    I normally have the recording gain in Traktor low enough, so there is no audio clipping in the recording VU meters.

    So it seems from what you are saying, that Maximizer is not and can not be used to help "maximize" the recording level in Traktor.

    Saying that, when I adjust the Maximizer threshold, it does affect the recording level seen on the Recording VU meters in traktor, so it is doing something????


    I guess the aim/hope was that I wouldn't have to master the recorded mix in Ableton with Izotope Ozone afterwards.

    Thanks

  • Friedemann_NI
    Friedemann_NI Product Team Posts: 65 mod

    So it seems from what you are saying, that Maximizer is not and can not be used to help "maximize" the recording level in Traktor.

    Only indirectly by maximizing the output of TRAKTOR

    Saying that, when I adjust the Maximizer threshold, it does affect the recording level seen on the Recording VU meters in traktor, so it is doing something????

    Exactly because it does something to TRAKTOR's output and thereby indirectly to your recording levels.

    I guess the aim/hope was that I wouldn't have to master the recorded mix in Ableton with Izotope Ozone afterwards.

    Sounds like a great feature request, we should keep in mind for future updates 😉

  • hankover
    hankover Member Posts: 1 Member
    edited August 2022

    Came here to ask the same thing. I also use an A&H Xone mixer with Traktor, and was hoping that the Ozone maximizer would make my recorded mixes louder/limited. Hopefully in the coming updates...

  • Will Day
    Will Day Member Posts: 4 Newcomer
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/28778#Comment_28778

    The email I received from NI helpdesk is

    "The recorder will not use the maximizer for the recordings, as it takes a raw feed of the audio device. If it were to use the maximizer, it would have to go through Traktor's mixer, which would then be "Internal" mixing mode. You'll have to do any audio processing outside of Traktor if you'd like to record an external audio source."


    So yeah, I'm hoping they add to External Mode also. As I'm sure a lot of people will. There are A LOT of people using A&H or DJM 900 mixers with Traktor. So it makes sense they add it.

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