Which headphone pre-amp to buy?

[snf]

If you're getting distortion with the limiter off then something is turned up too high. I seem to remember that the limiter affects the cue as well as the master, so if you're driving the limiter really hard (which it sounds like you are) then the tracks cued in the phones will be squashed together and really hard to listen to. You need to go through the whole signal chain, from channel gain -> speaker volume and make sure everything is set for optimum clarity, not volume.

so im a bit confused cuz since the traktor 2 update came out with the "headroom" feature, instead of turning down my main gain down on traktor, i use the headroom feature....is it better to do this or turn off headroom and turn down the main gain down?

and as far as the infamous loose nut, i already checked its not that, i kno when its loose, my sound completely cuts out

[deevey]

As I said I'm using a Numark I/O which does not have very loud output IMHO with V6's/7506 and the "Clean" volume out of Trakor is way more that needed ..deafening even.

Have you tried your built in sound card and see if that sounds as bad/low .. that should narrow down if its your S4 unit or The Traktor config.

When the volume is lowered in Traktor is there still noticeable crappy sound or is it only at high levels this happens?

BTW when I play out I run my headphone output into the club mixer on a separate "cue" channel for some extra oomph! (Ableton though).

How does iTunes sound though the headphones output of the S4?

[snf]

so far the current settings that are working better for me are limiter off, autogain on, software headphone volume, 1 notch or 1 - down from the default and the hardware headphone knob turned up...main gain -10 and headroom none.

so ironically the solution was to go lower on the software volume so the songs were clear to beatmatch :P but thats only if i run no headroom, with headroom on, i find myself turning up the software volume...

thx for the help guys!

but i am still curious how to use this "headroom" feature that was released in the latest traktor 2 update, is it better to run -9 with 0 main gain or headroom none and main gain -10

[Alex Wild]

so far the current settings that are working better for me are limiter off, autogain on, software headphone volume, 1 notch or 1 - down from the default and the hardware headphone knob turned up...main gain -10 and headroom none.

so ironically the solution was to go lower on the software volume so the songs were clear to beatmatch :P but thats only if i run no headroom, with headroom on, i find myself turning up the software volume...

thx for the help guys!

but i am still curious how to use this "headroom" feature that was released in the latest traktor 2 update, is it better to run -9 with 0 main gain or headroom none and main gain -10

It's not 'ironic' it's what I was saying all along, if you slam the software volume then it'll sound shit coming out the headphones!

The headroom thing is (afaik) just a failsafe to stop you clipping the master out when you get too excited in the mix. Do an experiment: Load a track and play. Turn the master volume up to full or until you can hear it distorting and see the master meter going red. Now change the headroom setting from 'none' down to '3', '6', then '9' and you will hear that the volume drops to prevent clipping, but the master meter still shows that its in the red.

[snf]

It's not 'ironic' it's what I was saying all along, if you slam the software volume then it'll sound shit coming out the headphones!

The headroom thing is (afaik) just a failsafe to stop you clipping the master out when you get too excited in the mix. Do an experiment: Load a track and play. Turn the master volume up to full or until you can hear it distorting and see the master meter going red. Now change the headroom setting from 'none' down to '3', '6', then '9' and you will hear that the volume drops to prevent clipping, but the master meter still shows that its in the red.

have u noticed with the headroom feature on, the volume on the headphones get lowered? i was using that before thats why i had to turn up the software volume. So for me if i were to use -10 main gain with headroom none, the software volume would be at default but if i were to use headroom -9 with main gain @ 0, i would have to use software volume turned up more to acheive the same sound.

[Alex Wild]

I cant say because I mix externally and cue through my mixer, but it sounds like you've found that the headroom feature does affect the headphone vol.

Tbh, I would sidestep the 'headroom' thing as it seems to be confusing matters. Just get everything set right without using it (which it seems maybe you have?) and get mixing!

[mostapha]

but i am still curious how to use this "headroom" feature that was released in the latest traktor 2 update, is it better to run -9 with 0 main gain or headroom none and main gain -10

I don't think there's any real difference between turning the headroom up and turning the master output down. It seems like the kind of thing that designers would do to try and trick moronic DJs into not clipping.

[rgtb]

I don't think there's any real difference between turning the headroom up and turning the master output down. It seems like the kind of thing that designers would do to try and trick moronic DJs into not clipping.

+1