Headroom / Connecting your setup to the club mixer

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headroom not to clip things when you are pushing it to the maximum sound level you're planning on going.

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The max sound level you're planning on going SHOULD be set at 70% you should never PLAN on going above 70%. the headroom is there to allow you to increase volume when the track is just too plain quiet.

If you set your maximum sound output at 100% you've just sound checked and run unity at 100% instead of 70%

If you need it quieter than the max output (which should be 70% ish) then then just turn it down below 70%

We're actually saying the same thing. I see where the confusion is. If you re-read the first post I made on this thread, you'll see I never say to set any final output stage to 100%. I assumed the initial question was based on using Traktor with a midi controller, in internal mixing mode, with the output being sent to a hardware mixer installed in the club. In internal mixing mode in Traktor, a value of 100% on a midi controlled channel fader has no relationship to unity gain on it's own. I know that different software can apply additional gain beyond a track's native max (Ableton for example, in which case I would NOT suggest setting headroom with a fader at 100), but as far as I know this is not the case with Traktor. Say the master output is all the way down, eqs at zero, gain at zero, no fx. 100% on the channel fader means that the track is being played at 100% of it's native maximum amplitude. The controller is not using a input/output gain ratio, just a number that says how much of a maximum to let through. In this case, the dj software's gain control and/or master output stage is where "unity" first comes into play, and I would NEVER suggest setting any hardware channel or digital final output stage to 100, either during set-up or live. If you plan on setting a channel fader (only talkin' midi in Traktor) to 100 at any time in your set, getting enough headroom during set up should always include testing this with your other settings. THEN, match average fader output levels (about 70%, like you said) to the cdj volumes at their average levels using the settings you just made for plenty of headroom. It really doesn't matter what gear you use, as long as the rule of thumb is not to clip or max out any stage when playing at the maximum volume you intend to play at.

Someone please correct me if you know that Traktor does in fact apply additional gain to a track when beyond a midi value of 90-96 on the channel faders with gain set to zero. In my experience, Traktor won't distort or clip music at this setting until the Master output itself is clipping or if the channel gains are too high. Try this yourself with Traktor's master out barely on, channel fader at max, gain set to zero, listening through your headphone out with that set at 0db. Sounds to me like the first time clipping can be introduced is with the channel gains.

IMHO I think this discussion is mostly a preference thing in terms of Traktor + midi controller. I think you're 100% right when talking about general audio rules, and I do things exactly as you're describing on most rigs I work on. The midi controlled volume fader can introduce some new rules though. Personally I find that Traktor has plenty of gain available on the gain knobs to compensate for a quiet track without using the volume faders, and it's much easier to slam back to 100 on the faders when doing tricky controller techniques than to try and find 70%. Just FYI, I often have the gain on one track down a bit, rather than the other track up, to equalize levels.