What AudioInterface do you use?

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

What AudioInterface do you use?

Hey out there!

The audio interface, as the connector between the Laptop and Soundsystem, is beside Controller and DjSoftware the most important thing for the bitjockeys. There are so many different options, but which one is best? What are the most popular Soundcards? what Experiences do you have?

I think these questions are not only very interesting for me, but for all the people who are interested in digital music or who are planning to buy a new Soundcard in the near future - like me :slight_smile:

so…
what soundcards do you use? what pros and cons do you have noticed? would u recommend it to your friends?

cheers

2

well two weeks ago I bought a mixvibes u46 mkII (200&#8364:wink:and I’ve returned and I’ve ordered a NI Audio 8 DJ(360&#8364:wink:. I’m very happy with it and it worth all the money it costs.

the music flows through this soundcard. it just works, low latency, great sound quality and high outputs.

Yes is 160€ more expensive than 200€ soundcard but after a year, you won’t remember how much the card was, you will only remember if you are happy with your soundcard or not.

Moreover, with this sound card you can connect whenever you want a DigitalVinylSystem like traktor scratch timecoded vinyls/cd’s or mixviber, or serato…

3

I was using an external 24bit Soundblaster card but I had to use Asio4All drivers for headphone cue’ing and it failed me a few times. Therefore I purchased a Numark DJ|Io and that works PERFECTLY alongside my Numark Total Control with Traktor!

4

what problems did you have with the mix vibes card?

5

Audio 8 DJ a Pretty Good Soundcard

I have been using the Audio 8 DJ soundcard for a couple of months and its a great soundcard. Im not going to describe the features because the official website does it better job then me but rather the small problem I have encountered. The biggest problem I have encountered is a small procedure that I have to perform before I get audio out of my speakers. Maybe its because I have Leopard installed on my mac and the drivers are not working as they should, since its a new operating system. Anyways, the procedure is plug the interface first, then open Traktor 3.2 and hopefully it works, if not i have to, do it a second or third time. Another set back is the gray lettering against the black background its very hard to see in the dark and thank god for a cell phone. These small set backs, is again very small and the rest is working great. For example, I was giving a 101 class to my friends about why this soundcard is the bomb by comparing it to a computers soundcard (I know its not a fair fight) but for a moment they thought this small box was an amp/eq/input device.

My grammar composition is not that great so please understand haha.

6

well, maybe not problems but thinks I didn’t like it:

1.- Headphones output: not for headphone cueing. This output is linked internally to all outputs. In mixvibes forums is explained a trick to cueing with that output but not a real cueing because you will still listen 2 songs at the same time but one louder than the other. for real headphone cueing like a mixer you have to plug the headphones into a RCA output 3/4 or 5/6 with no amp.

2.- It didn’t improve the sound quality of sound blaster X-FI (PCI Card). And mix vibes has lower outputs (same song, same program, different speaker volume to listen it with the same level)

3.- this thing is really annoying: when I’m in traktor, I usually drag and drop songs not from the playlist, but the windows explorer. when I opened a folder outside traktor the sound stops (about half a second or less but noticeable).

And traktor didn’t run fluent at low latency (7’5-10ms).

Otherwise, audio 8, works flawlessly and it’s connected to same USB port I’ve connected MixVibes.

Moreover, Audio 8 is 2.0 USB protocol and mixvibes is 1.1. But I think is the less important thing.

7

To Play Out I Use An NI DJ Audio8.

In The Studio, I Use A Korg Zero8.

8

I use an Edirol FA66, which although it says it has 6-outs actually has 4 outs you can use and two digital outs that are utterly useless, so it’s just enough for DJing. Rock solid performance, it really does “just work”. Two things, 1. it’s firewire only, which limits the kinds of laptops you can buy, and 2. Although it can be bus powered (yay!) I haven’t seen a laptop outside of an Apple that has the necessary 6-pin plugs (boo!) so I still have to carry around a wall-wart.

200×140 11.8 KB

If your sound card is working well, you shouldn’t even have to think about it.

9

I’m using a Macbook and my external soundcard is a Miglia HarmonyAudio,
it has 4 stereo outputs and as I’m using an external mixer, I can connect the 4 decks in Traktor 3.3 to 4 channels on my mixer and then I use the cueing on the mixer. It handles up 24bit/96kHz. The HarmonyAudio also have a stereo input that I use to record my vinyls to digital files in high resolution. I have not compared it to any other soundcard but to my ears is sounds very nice. It’s rather small and connect to my computer thru Firewire. Supports Core Audio on the Mac and I’m running OS X 10.5.2 and have had no problem in the year I’ve had this soundcard.

/Calle

10

Numark DJiO

I’m using a Numark DJiO at the moment but I don’t think I’'m going to keep it.
You can only use it with a program that supports output routing such as Traktor or Ableton and its functionality overall is very limited. It supports 1 mic (2ch in) and 4ch out (the monitor booth output is the same as headphone out). The control panel basically only allows you to adjust the latency and that’s it! Just for dj’ing it still is a decent solution though.

With the latest drivers 2.8.9 and firmware 1.0.1(k1) you kan decrease the latency down to 128 samples 4.9/17.2 ms in the driver control panel and it seems to run completely stable on my E6750 - 2GB RAM - Vista SP1 system running 15 programs simultaneously with multiple effects. In Traktor it says 2.5ms with that setting. If I try to go lower I hear an occasional click when I try fancy stuff.

Bass is deeper than my other soundcard (Chaintech AV-710) and it seems to sound less fatiguing as well, kind of less harsh. This makes late night headphone-only mixing more fun. The extra bass also reduces the need to pump up the overall volume because now you can feel it in a similar way like you would with regular speakers… we do want to protect our ears right?
The DJiO sounds fuller than my previous soundcard as well. I’m not sure if I like that. Perhaps I could benefit from a better external soundcard that offers more transparency.

The headphones I’m using (not for cueing) are Sennheiser HD-555’s btw.

11

I play out on my audio8DJ and it works like a charm. If I’m running right into the DI box I just use RCA to 1/4" converters. Never given me a sound problem, regardless of the bitrate mp3 I’m spinning on.

12

I currently use a NI DJ Audio 8 with my current setup along with a Behringer uca202 for recording my sets into another computer.

Before i got the Audio 8 (came bundled with Traktor Scratch), i used an M-Audio Fast Track Pro, before that an Echo Indigo I/O, and the first one i had in college was a Hercules Game Theater XP audio card.

13

[quote=“corporation, post:12, topic:19, username:corporation”]
Before i got the Audio 8 I used an M-Audio Fast Track Pro…
[/quote] How did the MAudio FTP beehaved?

I’m currently using Fast Track Pro. Satisfied with the speed/latency (128samples, on a DJ-prepared windows xp). I’m using it with all kinds of amps and mixers. I usually have ground-loop buzz but I’m not sure if the soundinterface design is fully responsible for that. The card is sensitive to unstable amp/mixer inputs that generate(the amp) feedback(they output some noise on the input). Havent tried it with a galvanic insulator.

14

I just bought the NI Audio Kontrol 1 two weeks ago. I choose it because after my research it had the best value to specs ratio within my price range ($400). What it lacks in I/O it makes up in sound quality. I must admit I based my purchase off of numbers on a piece of paper rather than side by side comparison. I also got it due to the lack of negative feed back on the net. Time will tell if I enjoy the product. I have not been able to get it to work outside of Tracktor and I have not been able to use its MIDI controls as of yet. It works for what I need it to do so for now I am happy.

15

I’m using a PC, but I’m using a EMU-1212M pci audio interface with asio4all drivers for the master output sound with on board sound for the headphone monitoring.

16

Presonus Firebox for laptop gigs, M-Audio FireWire 410 for home studio. The 410 is definitely too delicate to play out (in my experience, anyhow; apparently the build quality on these can vary enormously).

If anyone is looking for a good deal on a new soundcard, btw, the Yamaha GO46 is a perfectly fine card. For some reason (maybe market glut) they didn’t sell well and I’ve never run across anyone who’s even heard of it. I think Yamaha’s closing them out, and you can get one for about $200. I’ve used it for midsize venues but not huge clubs with super sound systems, so I can’t vouch for it in an environment like that, but I like mine & it’s built like a tank. The reason I’m using the Presonus instead is because it has great mic pres and is a bit more configurable than the GO46 (I sometimes record gigs straight out of the soundcard into my iPod).

I have to say that I really miss my M-Audio USB Quattro. I still have it and it’s my backup card now. It’ s loud as hell and would survive a nuclear hit (god knows it’s been through similar). But it doesn’t have any real control panel or internal volume control.

17

Hi Guys

Yeah it’s a long post but read on and hopefully my experience will help you:

I run an M-Audio Firewire 410 soundcard hooked up to an Apple Macbook Pro and Pioneer DJM800 mixer with a VCI-100 Midi Controller. What’s all this got to do with the soundcard I here you say?

Well let me explain:

I present a radio style show live twice a week, 5 hours each night at my residency in a bar in the local town (350 people a night).

I work on my own taking requests and talk about sport, news events, show biz gossip and give loads of shouts to people in celebrating birthdays etc etc.

I need my gear to be VERY reliable, portable and easy to use.*
(*just because something says it can be done on the company website doesn’t always mean you will understand how to do when you try to do it yourself)

I had previously used an Echo Audio Indigo DJ which worked ok for a few years and was one of the best available at the time of purchase (but dated now) and moved up to the FW410 when I moved to the Mac laptop.

I like the FW410 for a few of it’s features:

The software interface is very good and gives a clear view of what is going on with the card. (I use it on my home PC as well as the Mac running Leopard)

The sound quality is fantastic - though I would note that the output is a tiny bit low ( I have to turn the gain up on the mixer a bit more, but not a real problem at all) and the latency is extremely good.

There are LED indicators on the front of the unit for each channel (two lights, one for right and left and channel ie 8 in total) that let you know visually if the audio signal is being passed through correctly. When you MUST have things working frequently, the more simple ‘IT’S WORKING’ lights you can have, the better in my opinion.

I run a 4 deck setup in Traktor 3.3 and have each deck running through the FW410 to an individual channel on the mixer. (traktor is set for external mixer) so I can monitor each channel and be playing four tracks at once (though i don’t) I normally have 1 deck playing the next deck cued ready and a bed (backing track) for when I’m talking on the third deck and the final fourth deck will have acpellas for mixing or vocal samples (jingles). Using the VCI-100 and the DJM800 mixer I have mapped the midi (via the FW410) to give Fader start to all four channels and EQ to all channels.

This gives me instant access to all four decks on Traktor with individual monitoring (cueing) and there is no doubt in my mind that the FW410 makes all of this possible in conjunction with the other items of kit.

It helps me do a great job, keeps the boss happy and it’s paid for itself many times over already, so I would highly recommend it.

I am always working on how to improve controls / sound etc and I hope to put together a guide on how I’ve done what I’ve do so far and post on here soon, in the mean time I’m really happy to offer advice about the kit used in this setup to anyone (I don’t know other kit so please don’t ask).

In short the FW410 is a high end flexible soundcard that I’m very happy to use.

And no I don’t work for M-Audio I’m a self employed digital DJ.

PS Great to see this site up and running, nice one Ean you are living my dream!

18

Presonus Firebox

I’ve just ordered a presonus firebox on the advice of mr golden in his audio card video.

Does anybody have any other thoughts on this soundcard before i hand over the rest of the cash??

19

I sadly bought a soundcard that I wasn’t able to use, gave it back, got another one and this one is just on it’s way back to thomann :smiley:
I firstly got an M-Audio Audiophile USB. It worked good down to 5ms latency and had a very nice headphone amp (sound quality was also good), but the bad thing was that the second channel output (for monitoring) was S/PDIF.
I had the same problem with the second card I ordered, the Echo MiaMidi.
I really thought that the “8 virtual channels” were assignable to the two 1/4" analog outputs. The Problem was, that I didn’t know at all that they were two symmetric outputs, one for each channel (I read about it in wikipedia after I encountered that I was just able to listen the outputs on the left earphone).
Here is the difference:
This is a normal stereo analog output:
___ ___ ---------
( || | |

L R GND

With the left and the right channel at the bottom (as it is on any DJ-Earphone).

This is an analog symmetric output:

___ ___ ---------
( || | |

  • − GND

There is the output at the bottom, which really “sends” the right OR left signal. The purpose of the - input (it’s not an output like on the stereo one) is the + signal sent back to the soundcard, to get a feedback if the signal is without noise. By balancing the difference, the (mono left OR right) sound output has got the best possible quality.

There were 2 of those analog symmetric outputs on the MiaMidi one for the left, the other one for the stereo output, so that I’ve got stereo output if I connect both to a mixer.
The second stereo channel is s/pdif, too on the miaMidi.
Now I just decided to get the Maya 44, which Ean featured in the low price soundcard comparison, because it certainly got the feature to output 2 stereo signals in common analog outputs :smiley:
I had 2 gigs (about 30 people dancing, I am not a professional) with a 20€ 5.1 soundcard, and all worked well even if the sound quality was not that good and a latency of 40ms (Everything under 40ms made clicks if I turned on the effects, but I was able to do a good mix, everyone enjoyed the night).

I hope that noone makes the same fault as me :smiley:

20

Another thing to verify on audio interfaces is whether the headphone cue is independently assignable. The reason I downgraded my Yamaha GO46 to a backup card is because, even though it had 4 outs and a headphone cue, I like the option to use one set of outs to record gigs directly from the soundcard (yeah, I know, it’s a quirk, but it’s often a LOT easier than messing around with the venue’s mixer in the middle of everything else you need to do, and I use a MIDI controller & Traktor’s internal mixer instead of an external mixer). Unfortunately the headphones could monitor Outs 1&2 or 3&4, but were not assignable. I found it out after I ended up recording the headphone cue. Oopsy.

But even if you don’t need the outs for my reasons, some cards aren’t flexible enough to assign the headphone cue where you want it. The M-Audio FireWire 410 excels at flexibility in this regard.