Confusion

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11-12-2009, 09:49 PM
LykeMic

Confusion

Ok....

So I'm a little confused.

I'm getting a VCI-100, and I have a MacBook Pro, which will run Traktor.

I know the VCI-100 doesn't have a sound card, but the system I will be running on for most of my gigs has a power amp with a set of speakers and subwoofers.

I need a mixer to plug into the sound system, so I'm buying the Numark DM950.

Do I need to buy an external soundcard, if I have the mixer?

What cables do I need to connect everything?

I connect USB to VCI, can I connect (1/8 to RCA) for Lappy to Mixer, and then 1/4 to RCA from mixer to Amp? Please help me out!!

Thanks

LykeMic
11-12-2009, 09:54 PM
DJ_Animus

I would think so, but Im not a mac head, so I wouldnt know for sure.
11-12-2009, 10:10 PM
Xonetacular

You need a soundcard to get the sound out of your computer to the mixer.... You will only need an RCA cable or two depending on how many output channels you are inputing into their mixer. It sounds like just one. You will need a soundcard like the Audio 2 DJ. There are mixers with built in soundcards but most DJ mixers do not have a soundcard and that Numark certainly doesn't... Also, most clubs have their own mixers.
11-12-2009, 10:19 PM
LykeMic

Really? Before I had the VCI, I was just using my laptop, and I was able to connect to the mixer using just a 1/8 to RCA and then with a 1/4--RCA from the mixer to the amp...
11-12-2009, 10:49 PM
DvlsAdvct

You CAN do that. I stress can because, well, you really really shouldn't.

Buying a cheap audio interface is a better and more reliable idea than using your internal soundcard.

And with the cost of the Audio2, you can't really justify not making the expenditure
11-12-2009, 11:03 PM
Xonetacular

Exactly, any laptop integrated soundcard is going to be unreliable and poor quality since it lacks the processing power DJ apps demand, you really should invest in an external soundcard and for your purposes the Audio 2 is a great choice. I've tried using my laptop soundcard and with some tweaks like using the asio4all driver it was passable for practicing, but it really wouldn't fly in a club. Even if the macbook pro soundcard is better, any cheap external will be in another league.
11-13-2009, 12:48 AM
BentoSan

Re: Confusion

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xonetacular

Exactly, any laptop integrated soundcard is going to be unreliable and poor quality since it lacks the processing power DJ apps demand, you really should invest in an external soundcard and for your purposes the Audio 2 is a great choice. I've tried using my laptop soundcard and with some tweaks like using the asio4all driver it was passable for practicing, but it really wouldn't fly in a club. Even if the macbook pro soundcard is better, any cheap external will be in another league.

The soundcard doesn't really do much processing other than decoding the audio stream from the pc. The processing of the audio ap is done by the CPU. The quality of a decent soundcard is what's imprtant, and the fact they have multiple outs and high quality low latency drivers.