record DJ set, but High quality recording

[bmo]

ah ok cheers,

I was more looking for a computer based solution, so i would have less things to carry with me.

Thanks for the post though.

[Jester]

i'd go for the audio 4 over the line in anyday mate. do you use the booth out or record out of the mixer?

[bmo]

i'd go for the audio 4 over the line in anyday mate. do you use the booth out or record out of the mixer?

I use the record output. Should I be using the booth instead?

thanks,

[Jester]

Ok maybe try both and see if it makes a difference. We actually use the master out on the djm600 as we have xlr connected active speakers, otherwise the booth out usually. let us know how it goes mate

[Flash101uk]

Ive had this issue for a while.
You need some post processing of your mix to bring back the life. Personally I use a 2:1 compression that brings the gain back up to 0db in audacity. Nice and simple but does the trick.

[bmo]

thanks for the replies guys, I used my audio 4 last night through Audacity, and think the quality is better.

The only thing i'm trying to figure out is how to output the input higher. I.e. I have the input going into Audacity and recording and outputting to Soundflower for online streaming.

Do you knwo if there is a way to increase the volume while you're mixing instead of after?

[Nicky H]

What do the levels look like on the meter bar in Audacity?

Are they low/quiet there as well?

If so you can increase the volume on each audio track at the left hand side - just above the pan controls.

[bmo]

What do the levels look like on the meter bar in Audacity?

Are they low/quiet there as well?

If so you can increase the volume on each audio track at the left hand side - just above the pan controls.

Yea I don't get the volume option until I start recording, then I have to stop recording to set it, but then a new track is started when I go to record again.

The input level (the red coloured levels) is fine, but the output is lower.

[mostapha]

If you use your input to record into something that does live low-latency monitoring, you can use that to record and use its output to stream using soundflower or jack or whatever.

Honestly, if I were doing that, I'd just use Traktor's recording and streaming. The mixes on my mixcloud page (which should be linked in my sig) were all made either in Ableton Live as rendered studio mixes or recorded using Traktor's recording off a random output from my mixer (probably the record out, knowing me) into my FS Open. If you're having serious issues controlling levels, you can probably get a reasonable outboard limiter for less than the cost of a professional DAW. Plus you get to sound like a stud when you describe it to people.

If you go with a DAW, you want to record the audio direct (simple) and between what gets recorded and what the DAW outputs, you probably want a brickwall limiter with just a bit of gain in front of it…control the unintentional peaks but keep the volume up for streaming. Aim for no more than 2-3 dB of gain reduction at the loudest points.

So, in summary

DJ Mixer -> Some input -> DAW (record the input) -> Gain Stage -> Limiter -> Soundflower -> your streaming program.

Or

DJ Mixer -> Hardware Limiter -> some input -> Traktor for recording & Streaming.

The downsides of the second option are that it's really easy to squash the sound to death and that once you screw up, you recorded the screw up…in a DAW, you can always render the recording with less limiting (or pre-limiter gain). Your stream will still be messed up because it already happened, but the recording won't.

The simplest DAW that I know will work is Ableton Live (don't need Suite but Live Lite doesn't have what you need), but if you're willing to find a limiter plugin online somewhere (there are free ones available…OS X comes with one, for example) then you could do it with just about any DAW that does live monitoring.

If you're not monitoring the DAW's output and just streaming it online, latency isn't even really a concern…it just has to do it in real time, even if it takes a second or two to process the audio. Reaper looks like it might be a good choice if you want to take the cheap route (it costs $40 unless you make more than $20,000/year from music) or Ardour might work if you want to take the free route…I just haven't used it.

If I needed to do that today, I'd probably just use Ableton Live because I already have it…or I'd take advantage of the educational pricing while I can get it and use Pro Tools or Logic just because I could.

[MrPopinjay]

The input level (the red coloured levels) is fine, but the output is lower.

You're using Audacity right? It only turns red when you're clipping. Turn it down.