Torn between two worlds! A&H and Traktor Scratch Pro A6/A10

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

Torn between two worlds! A&H and Traktor Scratch Pro A6/A10

Hi Guys!

Let me explain my conundrum. I recently purchased a Xone DB2. Love it! I had a Kontrol S4 before, and used timecode with my technics 1210’s.
S4 has been sold so now I have my Xone DB2 and 2 Technics 1210’s. I love the Xone DB2 for it’s crazy effects and beautiful build, but it’s sound card is not Traktor Scratch Certified. So no timecode…
I just purchased a Traktor Pro A6 to allow timecode and have it going into 2 Decks on the Mixer, almost immediately though I’ve noticed that the other two channels can’t effectively be used for remix decks as I can’t send the tractor signal to them. This is a damn shame because the Xone DB2 has a sound card INSIDE it, that could do exactly that. I just can’t use 2 sound cards in Traktor.

So my question is, do I just take the A6 back and get an A10 or do I lay here, pray that A&H Scratch Certify the mixer and lay asleep at night a richer man.

On a side note, it certainly makes you appreciate how much you get in a Kontrol S4 for such a small cost.

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The DB2 will never be certified, but you can send 1 or 2 remix decks through the 3rd output of the Traktor Audio 6.

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Yeah I’ve got that setup at the minute, it’s not bad. I want to grow my style heavily towards the whole Hawtin, Dubfire techno over 4 decks. I think I may just have to man up and get it here.
Heard some sneaky rumours of a MK2 A10 being released, anyone know much about it?

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Apparently it was a silent hardware update that removed the need for the external power supply. No other changes were made.

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Right okay, I’m going to go and swap my A6 for an A10 today. Kontrol X1 MK2 will be next. Sassy.

6

I find the X1 mk1 to be better suited to turntable timecode

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HOLD ON!!! before you go spending unnecessary money!!! Watch these videos, if you know a little about computers you can make it work.

I’m pretty sure this will work for the DB2

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That’s pretty much pirating now that NI have shifted to a hardware-based sales model. The majority of the cost of Scratch is contained within the audio interface or certified mixer.

Putting it that way, the only thing you “need” to buy is the Traktor timecode vinyl.

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i didn’t tell NI to switch to a “hardware based sales model” lol

so until they fix their software…well…the ball is in their court.

timecode vinyl here Pardon Our Interruption...

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I did actually try that, a shamefully that video was one of the main reasons I purchased the mixer. Not my most clever moment. It turns out that hack doesn’t work with mavericks and Traktor Scratch 2.5+.
I have actually purchased the Audio 10 now, it seems I have a whole other problem now but I feel I’d be shooting in the dark explaining this one.

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whats the other problem?

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Well it’s really strange. I purchased an Audio 6 and set it all up, worked perfectly but within the day I realised I would rather the extra 2 outputs from the Soundcard, I want to be moving towards the 4 decks environment.
So I picked up an Audio 10 instead, set it up the same including deck C and D. Now though, whenever I play audio directly from the computer through the soundcard into a channel on the mixer, I get peaking on the channel, it seems to be on almost every downbeat. I’m using a mac so once you have a soundcard plugged in there seems to be no master volume in the OS.
So now I have this flickering light on my mixer on everything from iTunes and soundcloud, even YouTube videos. It’s as if the output of the Audio 10 is just that bit too loud.

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yeah i think that in OSX whenever you plug in an external soundcard, OSX wants to just max out the internal volume.

Best bet is to reduce the gain a little on the channel, or to turn the player down ie. spotify or you tube internal volume

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Turning the gain on the channel doesn’t resolve the issue. I can turn the audio on the player down but it gets really tricky to keep doing it everywhere. Safari has it’s own audio output, iTunes, Spotify, Games. Just seems silly, I can’t wrap my head around why it didn’t do it with the Audio 6.

I’ve messaged NI and I’ll see what they come back with.

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Absolutely correct.

There is nothing for NI to fix. If you wish to use Traktor Scratch Pro you need an NI soundcard or Certified mixer. Just the same model as Serato.

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Do you get audible clipping/distortion? Have you checked that all channels are set to Line, including the software preamps in the DB2 settings?

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I’ve checked the channels, two on the DB2 support and 2 Line. I’ve tried sending the audio to all the different channels and it’s the same.
I personally can’t hear audible clipping, the red dot on my Xone DB2 is jumping to the beat though, seems to come on with every downbeat. I’m considering just taking it back and getting another one, it’s just agro though.

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I doubt you’re maxing out the line-ins on the mixer, so as long as your DB2 master out isn’t peaking it should be fine (tons of internal headroom on digital mixers). Someone else had the same issue on here recently.

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Where is your gain knob on each channel? The TA10 has a reasonably hot output (mine has more output than my TA6) and so start with your gains completely to the left, and turn them to the right till you get the desired level.

Gain structure 101 …

Also, did you get a TA10 mk1 or mk2? Does it have the same level output when you use the power-supply or more?

20

The red light seems to be signal coming into the mixer and flashes at virtually any trim setting on the mixer.
I haven’t tried it without the power cable, I’ll do that tonight.
I read up about the MK2 but the guys in the shop had never heard of it, so I’m quite sure mines a mk1.