Hey there guys, first time posting in the forums but a long time lurker!
Recently got a VCI 100se and so far it has been going great, I love it - as do many other obviously!
Ok so I have my first gig for the year coming up next Wednesday, this will be my first club gig with the controller. What I need to know is how to set it up in the club so as I don’t look like a fool and I don’t stuff up the clubs gear!
Here is what I have:
Macbook running Traktor Pro
VCI 100se
Audio 2 DJ
I know that I have to run the two channels from the Audio 2 DJ into the club’s mixer, but I don’t know which channels.
Once this is done can I cue in my headphones from the club’s mixer? Also what happens with the volume faders? Do I need to put the volume fader all the way up on the mixer then use my VCI as normal or do I have to volume and cross fade on both?
One more question, if I only have the two channels that are available on the Audio 2 DJ does that mean that I will only be able to have control over two decks in Traktor? Or would I still be able to make use of all four decks?
Good quality phono leads, take 2 just in case
possibly a laptop stand if the booth is crowded with TT’s
possibly a big foam pad to put ontop of a TT if you have no more room. DO NOT put it directly ontop of the TT without protection.
You need to run the master out from your audio 2 into the LINE input on any channel on the mixer. NOT phono. Make sure you get this right.
You then proceed to switch that channel on the mixer to line and max out the line fader. Use your headphones on the audio 2 as you do now. You will mix as you do normally, you’re just routing sound through one channel on the mixer.
Make sure that channel’s EQ’s are flat and also make sure in soundcheck that you dont max out that line input on the mixer. No red LED’s. After that, use the master volume control on the mixer to adjust the volume as necessary.
Man thank you so much! This helps a lot. I just want to clarify one more thing.
How intrusive will this be to other DJs that have sets before or after me?
I mean how would I go about swapping over with other DJ’s who are using the clubs CDJs and mixer?
shouldnt be a huge problem as you only need to plug into the mixer quickly the rest can be set up on the side and them moved to the center when he’s done with his set
So just say the mixer only has two channels? If the DJ before me plays his last song on deck A does that mean I need to plug into the Deck B channel and start mixing in from his?
I’m still a little confused how the swap over works! I’m starting to get the picture.
If the DJ before you is using TT’s he’ll be plugged into the phono ports for channel 1 and 2. You can plug into the line ports for channel one. So you can run concurrently with the other DJ. All you need to do is flick a switch on the mixer faceplate for that channel that changes the input routing for that channel to line instead of phono. Take a look at any mixer, this should make it more clear.
If the guy is using CDJ’s he’ll be using the line inputs already. Just unplug the CDJ he’s not using at the end of his set and pop your RCA’s in and youre good to go.
Try and get to the club early and check their system out, check with their people about who’s playing before you and what kit they use. If it’s computer then fine, just plug in into the free channel otherwise, try and have a chat with the other dj when he/she’s setting up.
Good Luck
Another suggestion for checking out your levels if you can’t soundcheck before it opens. Play a track at “full” volume in traktor while the gear is hooked up to the mixer, but ensure the mixers fader for your channel is at 0. Hopefully the mixer will have a VU meter for each channel. Ensure it’s not red. Adjust your gain accordingly.
One other thing that may not be so important. If your output sound routing in traktor is set as stereo (which it usually is) you may find that songs are sounding different or missing something because a lot of clubs are set up for mono. Easy fix as your playing. Won’t affect your wiring set up or result in any sound drop outs if you decide to go from stereo to mono mid set.
Ok so just a little update to this thread - I took the VCI out last night to a bar, got into the booth, had everything set up like you guys said, it came time to mix in from the previous DJ’s last song and I got NOTHING.
I think that it could have just been the shitty mixer that this bar had (masking tape signs and half the knobs/fader caps were missing)
It was alright though because I had a heap of back up CDs so we just span on the CDJs (which were equally as shit)
Hopefully this coming Saturday when we try it again it goes a little better - I’m now even more nervous though because the next gig is at a fairly intimidating place. Fingers crossed it just works and we rock our shit and impress!
Any more tips or pointers that you guys can hit me with so that I can do a bit of ont he fly trouble shooting if it happens again?
So this is it! We got it working and we smashed it! We only had a 40 min set but we jammed about 10 different genres somewhere in there and the whole room loved it!
Thanks for all the help forum people, you guys are the shit!
It was actually just a dumb oversight, I think I plugged into the phono inputs instead of the line. None the less I got it working at the place that actually drew a crowd - which I was very relieved about!
For future reference, phono’s have something like -12db gain, not 0 or +4 of a line input. Im surprised you heard nothing though, I would’ve expected it to work, just be very quiet.
You really took the time out to write that? Do you just lurk the forums to throw down some unhelpful elitist comment that is supposed to make me bite back, so you can then assumedly tell me just how much of a better DJ you are than me? Yes, there was about 10 genres in there, probably was overkill - you’re so wise. Or maybe it wasn’t? I’ll have to go and ask the packed out room, all of who were dancing and singing along the whole time. I’ll also go and ask the dj’s in the other room who were playing to no one because they all enjoyed what we were doing in our set more.
But no you’re probably right. I’ll just stick to boring house music or something now? Thanks for your great insight.
Yeah thanks! I’m glad it went well too!! I’m really not sure what happened the first time we tried plugging in. Could have been a number of things I guess. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again. I’m sure the more I use it the better I’ll get at trouble shooting.
