Low output VCI 400 EGE

[Entheos406]

Always plugged my vci400 ege into a channel on my denon mixer and ran everything else off my denon. Upgraded to an rcf setup (315s over a sub 718as)

Ditched my mixer and started running everything off of my vestax for a cleaner setup and noticed something is off with the levels. If I run my vestal main at 12 o'clock that puts my all green and an occasional yellow on my MP3 playback level through tbe decks, but I have to crank my rcf 325a to 3oclock (4 or 430 is max) to get a good loud level. When I do this and then try to level my mics I have no play at all. If 7 o'clock is zero and 4 o'clock is max, 7:15 is a loud mic check that makes everybody think I'm a douche and 7:30 is clipping.

Did I just set up something wrong? Is there a minus 10db switch somewhere I hit? I know the software and firmware have been changed to get extra inputs but is something off? How come my inputs (mic and line in are so sensitive) but the music playback required my powered speakers to be cranked?

[ZxZDeViLZxZ]

Sounds like a gain structure issues my guess is something's turned down or up and dont see it

[Entheos406]

Sounds like a gain structure issues my guess is something's turned down or up and dont see it

Totally. Just waiting for a vci400 ege owner to tell me what is turned up or down because I can't make sense of it.

[ZxZDeViLZxZ]

Yeah I guess it could be just low sound from sound card I have seen that I don't know off top of my head but is it usb powered or ac adapter.... If usb powered get an ac adapter for it and try that if not then check your traktor headroom settings.... I know when I run my ns6 straight into my PA system the volume control is far superior then when I run from my ns6 to my behringer xenyx then to pa ... The issue shows up with gain structure because the ns6 already has a good volume output and then when I run to the xenyx it's already hot and then the xenyx tries to bump it up so causes shit to redline very easily which is not good... So now I run my xenyx into my ns6 and my ns6 out to my pa and I can achieve far superior sound quality

[Entheos406]

Yeah, it has an AC adapter. I get lost in traktor settings. Set it to default and then adjusted it enough to get sound to come out and never touched it again. I will look for and play with headroom settings.
Also, a side note, where do you default your vertical deck faders to? Was doing a side by side with a DJ at a club and he has his NS6 set so that his faders never move up above half and usually sit at about 30% and then he adjusts his gain to club volume. I always set mine so that I run the faders to the top and if I need a bit more boost I tweak the gain up on a quieter song. There aren't any notched settings on either controller so I just figured it's a digital fader run it to the top.

[ZxZDeViLZxZ]

I run my channel faders 75 to 100 however I adjust gain knob and I run eqs only ever at 50% if I'm straight into xlr I don't worry just set my gain to loud but not clipping loud then use eq and channel gain to control ... I find the channel faders are loose and easily bumped so I adjust channel gain knobs instead of channel faders.... I also run SDJ with auto gain so it normally keeps things in line also or helps... I really wish it had channel cu meters though that's help way better I find I normally am not looking at laptop when I'm mixing so it's by ear and such... Most the time once I have it cued and start mixing I will cut my headphones over to mostly all master and then right before I start mixing it I'll turn cue off on my channel I'm bringing in and mix that way.... My rule of thumb is you should be able to have your tracks beat matched and phased for more the. 32 bars so shouldn't have to have your headphones cued to it plus I can very quickly hear my incoming track and kind of know what's going on....

[ZxZDeViLZxZ]

In all reality it's not how you get the gain it's where you put it... The biggest issue is not all tracks are mastered at same level this is where I find issues occur... Mixing a track mastered and compressed at -1 with one done at -4 will pose an issue especially if the default gain of zero is going on... Gain structure is such an issue in my mind especially if your not djing at a venue with a sound tech to monitor what's going on... Redlined at the channel is garbage and a terrible practice and I see it lots way more then needs to be.... I picked up a new vestax typhoon for cheap with the exception of line faders for eq I love the thing almost entirely because it has vu meters for the channels which are so important that I can't believe controller manufactures left it out on pro grade controllers