Clipping & Line Levels

[DvlsAdvct]

Well, I always use autogain also. Pretty much I spend more of my time tweaking my EQ and volume levels to keep everything smooth, as well as slight blends with my crossfader.

The autogain doesn't bring it to red, it just makes sure the gain is all normalized and equal. Unfortunately Traktor doesn't have the colored LED's, so it becomes more of a pain in the ass.

[MisterMoleyMole]

ahh ok .. well many thanks for the info i will have a play tonight and see if i notice a difference

[DvlsAdvct]

Alright.

The best bet for me is to pick a song I know really well, like, you know all those secret little effects they put in that you have to listen to a song a million times to really hear, and you sit and listen to it. You tweak it over and over again until it sounds right. Now use that as a reference for all of the other stuff you're mixing as well. You'll know it'll at least sound close to right and tweak the little things on a track by track basis.

[BentoSan]

Actually i think its a bit more complicated then making sure that the light at the top of the program isnt clipping. You need to keep an eye on the lights the volume fader is putting out and make sure its not clipping there.

Think about it, if your clipping the hell out of your deck gain then reduce the master volume all you are doing is reducing the gain of an already clipped signal. You need to make sure that nothing is clipping anywhere along the way of the signal chain. So you have to make sure the individual decks arnt clipping, the master mix isnt clipping and at the same time your not clipping the mixers line in.

Id suggest working in that order, first make sure your individual decks arnt clipping, then make sure your master out isnt clipping then check the line on the mixer to make sure thats not clipping either. Keep an eye on your levels constantly ! Digital will sound crystal clear up to the point where it starts to clip while analogue with analogue the sound will graduarly degrade the more you clip the output.

It doesnt matter if your mixing in or out of the box a good dj keeps all the levels in check every step along the signal chain.

[mpetersen3]

Now that I have started mixing on 4 decks it makes clipping such a pita, really makes your monitor and constantly edit your levels to make room for new tracks. Also I feel like the DJIO has a weak preamp and makes me sound less loud than my labwerx compatriots. Maybe it is time for a new soundcard soon.

[Jack Bastard]

It doesnt matter if your mixing in or out of the box a good dj keeps all the levels in check every step along the signal chain.

I used to have a 'banned' list at the party house I used to live at, anyone who had to be told more than 3 times to keep it out of the red had their name scribbled on it for all eternity.

[alien2k]

You need to make sure that nothing is clipping anywhere along the way of the signal chain.

Exactly ! That is the point. The best practices in order to get the most power out of your sound system without clipping or deterioring the sound quality signal is to keep the levels controlled and optimized on every stage. So you need to know that you might face digital and analog clipping. In my opinion digital it much worse. Keeep levels controlled on every deck, then on your sound interface (both on the digital domain), then on the mixer, then on the master mixing board /sound system...

[MisterMoleyMole]

Actually i think its a bit more complicated then making sure that the light at the top of the program isnt clipping. You need to keep an eye on the lights the volume fader is putting out and make sure its not clipping there.

Think about it, if your clipping the hell out of your deck gain then reduce the master volume all you are doing is reducing the gain of an already clipped signal. You need to make sure that nothing is clipping anywhere along the way of the signal chain. So you have to make sure the individual decks arnt clipping, the master mix isnt clipping and at the same time your not clipping the mixers line in.

Id suggest working in that order, first make sure your individual decks arnt clipping, then make sure your master out isnt clipping then check the line on the mixer to make sure thats not clipping either. Keep an eye on your levels constantly ! Digital will sound crystal clear up to the point where it starts to clip while analogue with analogue the sound will graduarly degrade the more you clip the output.

It doesnt matter if your mixing in or out of the box a good dj keeps all the levels in check every step along the signal chain.

Good Morning Mr San,

So are we saying here that the auto gain in traktor could possibly gain to a point that the track will be clipping ?

Cheers
Gav

[BentoSan]

Good Morning Mr San,

So are we saying here that the auto gain in traktor could possibly gain to a point that the track will be clipping ?

Cheers
Gav

Nah thats not what i was saying but i said that i was having problems with that another time, now i dont worry with autogain at all.

I was saying that if you turn the deck gain too high, even if you turn the master volume down that all you are doing is reducing the gain of a peaked signal and it will still sound like crap. You want to make sure your not peaking on the on any of the deck at the same time as making sure your not peaking on the master meter.

If your mixing externally you just need to worry about the individual decks not peaking and not the master meter at the top of the software. Instead for the master mix you need to be keeping an eye on the master channel on the mixer to make sure thats not clipping.

[MisterMoleyMole]

ahh ok .... so, what i was playing with last night was just leaving auto gain feature on for the channels in traktor as that would prevent clipping, then turning the master down in traktor so no red lights, then just making sure no red lights on djm600 channels or master.

Voila ... no clipping ??