Audio levels, Recording

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Audio levels, Recording

I found this one over on the pioneer forums.

http://forums.pioneerdj.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9491012904/m/8970003306

I found this interesting, that is bar all the banter, basically the guys get into a discussion about were you should have your levels when playing out and they touch on levels for recording as well. After reading this I have decided I want to educate myself some more on proper Audio practices.

Im planning on recording a mix from my CDJ, DJM 800 setup soon using my Audio 4 as a sound card and recording to Audacity.

Has anyone here done this? Im thinking on coming straight out of the (recording) outputs and into my A4, then obviously USB to MAC. I looked in the A4 manual for suggested set up and all they mention is that your incoming signal should be low, How low is low? should I using the recording limiter swithces on back of DJM800?

I read about some guys using the Digital out from their CDJS into Mixer and Digital out again to Mac. Am I to assume this is only a better method if you were without a USB external soundcard?

BTW, i gotta have a DJM 2000… I know some guys here ague they could do a lot more with a lot less, but I think I have the pioneer disease (excluding RB) i think…Dam it, I think ive become a pioneer fanboy!!

2

I have no real experience with your situation myself but I have recorded sets from decks digitally before and the best advice I could give is to try the levels out by recording a few bits on different settings and see what gives you the best results. Different people have different ideas on what sounds better so you may be able to find what suits you better?

3

DO NOT CLIP.

Don’t clip the mixer…don’t clip the sound card…don’t clip the recording software.

The levels should be as loud as they can be without ever clipping…but err on the side of being a bit quiet. Dance music is so incredibly compressed, you don’t really need to worry about the noise floor…you won’t hit it.

More information from someone who knows a lot more than me: http://tarekith.com/assets/Leveling.html

4

Bookmarked for future reading

5

when recording make sure the bars on audacitys input thing up top are at 75% at the most

you can import the track to mp3gain later.

this is basically how i do it, but with traktor instead of audacity

6

run your record or booth out into deck d in traktor mate, its a lot easier to keep an eye on the levels while playing that way.