DDM4000 Vs xone dx with Traktor Internal Mixer

[dj matt blaze]

The DX is not a mixer, its a controller with a 10x10 soundcard. Even if you use Traktor in external mode its still going through Traktor EQs internally. All this talk about the Traktor internal mixer sound quality is nonsense. The sound comes from the sound card which will always be internally processed through Traktor whether its an S4, Xone DX, XOne 4D, DJM900, it doesn't matter. All you have to do is move the EQ within Traktor and hear the difference. The volume faders and crossfader are disabled but the audio is still processed the same. You can then output that signal to an external mixer which will take the output signal from the soundcard(which was just processed through Traktor) and process it through that mixer. So if you sold your S4 because you didn't like the sound quality, it would be the same as any NI soundcard.

I use a DDM4000 in external mode with Traktor. I keep the Traktor EQs at 12 o'clock except for a little extra bass so I keep the bass EQ at 1 o'clock. My overall gain in Traktor is set at 2 o'clock with the limiter on. No matter what your soundcard, no matter what your mixer, your sound in the end is only going to be as good as your speakers.

[deevey]

The DX is not a mixer, its a controller with a 10x10 soundcard. Even if you use Traktor in external mode its still going through Traktor EQs internally.

Not everyone keeps everything @ 12 o' clock, which granted is probably as flat as you get.

The sweep on an EQ can have a dramatic effect on the mix, some people do not like the traktor presets, 1 o'clock on one mixer is entirely different to 1 o'clock on another.

All this talk about the Traktor internal mixer sound quality is nonsense.

I think the point being made is that you can push the output more on an Analogue mixer without the same degradation in sound quality than when you push the digital mixer output in Traktor, e.g. If you use external mode you are not relying on Traktor's master out being high enough rather you are utilizing the Analogue Mixer to increase the volume instead which has more low distortion headroom to play with.

I did have this issue with my old numark DJ I/O which had horrendous output in Ableton and would need to push the Gains all the way up on the Xone 42 to get equivalent levels to the CD jocks playing beforehand without clipping the software.

In saying all this, the sound quality should not suffer one Iota either way unless you are pushing the output volume to the clip level which you should not need to do in any case.

My personal feeling would be simply to run with the DX solo unless you really want/need a huge setup which includes the DDM for FX or Midi control.

[djproben]

For me the difference isn't about the sound quality per se; it's the difference in frequencies you can modify using the EQ knobs. Traktor's internal mixer frequency sets are pretty lame no matter which option you chose (that said, I usually go for their Ecler simulation), and they don't isolate. But yeah the sound quality itself is a factor of the sound card, and the Audio 8 is pretty decent. The thing with the NI soundcards is (at least with the 4/8) there is limited control over rec level, which can be a problem for some folks depending what you're doing.

[deevey]

But yeah the sound quality itself is a factor of the sound card, and the Audio 8 is pretty decent. The thing with the NI soundcards is (at least with the 4/8) there is limited control over rec level, which can be a problem for some folks depending what you're doing.

He's got a Xone DX

[dj matt blaze]

The thing with the NI soundcards is (at least with the 4/8) there is limited control over rec level, which can be a problem for some folks depending what you're doing

.

wouldn't you just adjust the rec. level in Traktor?

The OP has an audio 10 with 1210's with a DDM4000 and wanted to use the DX internally instead of the DDM4000 for mixing, hence the internal mixing question. You still need the A10 to run timecode so the DX soundcard wouldn't even be utilized. I guess in the end the difference will be not being able to push out as much output without the DDM4000. The gains would have to be raised in Traktor.

I will have to do a test to find out exactly the difference in sound quality between soundcards because I have the DX and have an audio 6 and I never tested it out since I always ran through the DDM4000 myself.

[Timmyboy]

Thanks guys for all the info and opinions. I have some free time this weekend to move everything about so I will try it out and post my findings.

I think i will notice the change in workflow of the mixer and fx more than the sound difference. However the thing i will notice to most is the different eqs in traktor.

Which eq set do people prefer?

[djproben]

Which eq set do people prefer?

The DB4 by far. But I just prefer isolation EQs for whatever reason; I feel like I have more control over the sound that way. But if you mean which do we prefer in Traktor, I'd say the Ecler set; it's the best sounding (to me) in Traktor's EQ options. But my preference overall is a user-selectable set of frequencies like you have in the Ecler Evo 5 (or the DNX1700 or the DDM4000). Then you can do as you wish (and my choices most closely emulate the Rane TTM56 to be honest). But you're splitting hairs at that point; the difference between a bass control centered at 100Hz and 300Hz is really not that big.