Audio 6 and multi cores
Do the multi cores still work with the audio 6? I thought I read somewhere they did not and cant find it now. The person I bought the audio 6 off of said they do so I’m not sure.
Also is there any advantage to using the multi cores over std rca’s??
You don’t need to use them anymore. The original intent with the audio 4/8 was that you could use them to switch between vinyl/cds and timecode without unplugging, but now that’s built into the sound card as “thru” mode. All you have to do is use normal rca’s now.
Thanks Gary squared
They did away with them so now if you want to use the thru mode you need to select it in the audio 6 control panel, you can still use multicores if you want and then you would just hit the phono switch on your mixer.
Only problem with the audio 6 is that when you select thru the signal is super quiet 
have to push those gains right up
you could use the phono inputs and lower ur output in traktor, not realy ideal for audio quality but in a home eniveroment unless u got good monitors u wont notice a differnence
Only use the phono input on a phono signal. If you send a line level signal (at any level) through a phono preamp, it’ll sound like shit. Look up the riaa phono eq curve for why.
Also, multicolor cables are just cables that NI’s marketing department decided to give a name and overcharge for. They’ll always work to do what they do.
And software pass through is fucking stupid. Use the multicores if you have them.
(edit: damnyouautocorrect)
That’s a little extreme isn’t it? If you’re not doing a lot of switching between vinyl and timecode there is no reason to carry around bulky multicores and fiddle with hooking up more stuff to a mixer and your soundcard.
My mate and I always use my multicores just as a safety net in case the laptop goes tits up (it never does, fingers crossed). I always have a dozen or so records in my bag for that and we mostly play venues with no extra CDJs lying around. At the one that does, I’ve got usb sticks loaded AND the multicores.
Typically we help setup right at the beginning and stay very late or until the end at our gigs, so I’d rather have everything set and not have to rewire the whole thing when we switch from/to the vinyl guys/if we’re thrown in the loop with everyone else after we’re done. Especially when you notice early on that the RCAs on one of the decks are a bit finicky and need lots of tweaking to get both channels coming through 
The laptop is set to hibernate, the A8 remains plugged in and bob’s your uncle. 
Multicores were just dreamed up as something NI could sell.
I’ve wanted 'em for ages - but couldn’t justify the cost (just because they look tidier than the maze of wires I’ve currently got!).
They don’t ADD anything to my system. I’ve already got splitters installed so all I have to do is flip from phono/line on the mixer.
If you’ve got 'em, use 'em. If you’re flipping between vinyl & timecode, that is.
Glad you posted this. I’ve been unplugging still.
Does the A6 and A10 work like the new SL boxes now?
With my Sl3 if I just unplugged the USB cable from the computer it would instantly switch to thru mode with the ac adapter connected. I know on the A6 and A10 you can set the thru mode in the soundcard control panel but what happens if you yank the cord out?
The way the new SL cards do it makes the most sense to me- not a fan of the SL1 method or no thru option on the card itself at all on the A8 without running through traktor or using splitters.
Enh. 30 seconds worth of work once or having to actually touch the laptop in order to play vinyl. Meh.
I have an NI Audio 6, a Torq Connectiv, and regularly play with friends that use a Serato SL1 or SL3.
Honestly, I think the best implementation was with the Torq box. It has a big ass knob to switch between the input and laptop signals. You just turn it one way or the other and it works as long as the interface is getting some sort of power, USB or AC. No switching in software or dealing with extra cables and routing.
It also works well using Torq software as an effects processor, since you to can apply the built-in effects (or VST) on the input signal (a vinyl record or the mic input) and you have a real analog wet/dry knob. Too bad Torq didn’t really catch on.
…and that it introduced short phase shifts that sounded horrid if the knob was anywhere but at its extreme positions.
…and that it had ridiculous sticker drift.
…and that the software kinda sucked compared to most of its competitors.
…and that it took years to get an update.
…and that’ it’s made by a company that obviously doesn’t give a shit about DJs (I actually like Avid, but DJs don’t matter compared to their other markets).
Not to hijack this thread and turn this into some debate about Torq…but I will say:
If you experienced phase shifts while using effects with the connectiv it was probably because you were mixing the analog input signal with the pass through from the computer…which is a no no. You’re basically mixing a direct signal with a copy of same signal delayed by some milliseconds, so even at the lowest latency it’s going to sound bad. You have to set the internal effects at 100% wet and only use the direct dry signal/knob on the connectiv. I’ve done plenty of live shows like that and it works perfectly.
I’ve haven’t experience any noticeable sticker drift since Torq 1.5 or so. Then again, I also never use absolute (only relative mode) with timecode vinyl. I’ll rock doubles a la mixtape style, but I don’t do a lot of hardcore battle-style beat juggling.
I own Traktor and an Audio 6. I also have a Mixtrack Pro I use with VDJ, and I own a variety of different midi controllers. I’ve tried probably every DJ app on the market at one time or another. I still prefer Torq for my regular weekend gigs. I personally wouldn’t say it sucks…to each his own I guess. Honestly, I’d use Traktor more if it had parallel waveforms. I live by parallel waveforms.
Yeah…there are reasons to like it.
I’m just saying there are a whole host of reasons it never caught on as well as SSL and TS.
Since we’re talking about multicores does anyone have a decent alternative? I’m using a handful of cheap RCA splitters but it’s a huge mess. The NI cables would be sweet but I can think of better uses of £75
Build a copy. They’re not exactly complicated.
How do you make a clean 3 way join between cables?