Problem recording DJ mix

[brusher78]

Hi everyone, I am trying to record a vinyl mix with audacity but having a hard time. I am running turntables through an Traktor Audio 8 soundcard and audacity. The problem is when I have the crossfader completely to one side, for example turntable 1, and cueing up turntable 2 silently, Audacity records both turntables. Is it possible to just record turntable when the fader is completely on one side? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance:)

Regards,

Very Confused

[waxcylinder]

You'd probably find it an awful lot easier to just record both vinyls onto Audacity and let Audacity do the cross-fading in software (rather than do it hardware prior to presenting the mixed signal).

Audacity is a multi-track edior that mixes down on export.

You will meed to record each vinyl on separate tracks and slide them along the time line to overlap and the use the fade effects - and then export.

And you will find it much easier if you use 1.3.12, which you can download from here: http://audacityteam.org/download/

WC

[brusher78]

Hi WC, thanks for the quick reply:) I'm new to the mixing so I'm not completely sure what you meant in your post. By recording vinyl on separate tracks, do you mean record them at different times? Would it be possible to just play my set and mix with my vestax mixer as usual and get Audacity to record what I did? Sorry if my question might be a little basic but I'm still not completely familiar with the technology Thank you again!!

Very Confused

[waxcylinder]

Yes I do mean record them at separate times. Record the first one and press the Stop button. Then record the second one - Audacity will create a second new track for this one. You can than use the Time Shift tool (a little square button with a horizontal black arrow with a head at each end) to slide tracks along the timeline (be sure to return to the normal cursuor, square button capital-I girder after).

If you overlap the tracks with that tool then you can cross fade by fading out one and fading in the other.

WC

[billw58]

It sounds like the problem is with the Vestax, or the connection between the Vestax and the computer, not Audacity. Audacity will record whatever is sent into the computer, and obviously the Vestax is sending the cue to the computer. Which outputs from the Vestax are you using to connect to the computer?

-- Bill

[brusher78]

Hi Bill, I connected all outputs from the Vestax to the Audio 8 sound card. From the sound card I have it connected to the computer via USB. I tried recording with Garage Band and it works fine. I'd much rather record with Audacity though. Is there something I havent set correctly in Audacity? Thanks in adavance!

[billw58]

Hi Bill, I connected all outputs from the Vestax to the Audio 8 sound card. From the sound card I have it connected to the computer via USB. I tried recording with Garage Band and it works fine. I'd much rather record with Audacity though.

That's an 8-channel I/O device with built-in phono preamps. You say you've connected all outputs of the Vestax to the Audio 8. Which outputs, exactly, and into which inputs of the Audio 8? I need a detailed description of how you have made the connections between your turntables, the Vestax and the Audio 8, as I am not familiar with that interface. It would also help to know which model Vestax you have.

You're obviously getting sound into Audacity, so try this experiment. Start Audacity and click on the recording level meter - this starts input monitoring so you can hear what's happening without recording. Start TT1 playing with the crossfader set to TT1. Cue TT2 - you can hear TT2 as well as TT1 through the computer, is this right? If so, disconnect a pair of cables between the Vestax and the Audio 8. Does the sound of TT2 go away? If so, problem solved. If not, replug those cables and unplug a different pair. Continue until the sound of TT2 goes away.

You're connecting the turntables to the Vextax only, right? The turntables are not connected directly to the Audio 8?

-- Bill

[kozikowski]

Yeah. You totally have too many things plugged in and too many sound pathways. There should be one stereo Line-Out or Program or some name like that from the mixer and it has your completed show on it, fades and all.

We're secretly enjoying your post. Most people post that they can't get their show into Audacity at all.

Koz

[brusher78]

I'm using a cheap Vestax VMC-002 mixer and I hooked it up to the Audio 8 soundcard like Native instruments suggested. I dont know the terminology so well but basically I have hooked everything up like this video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV26PLVs6Lo I was under the impression that I could run regular vinyl with the way they told me to hook things up.

Bill: I tried to monitor the input level before recording like you suggested. There is no signal coming from TT2 when crossfader is set to either TT1 or TT2. There is a signal from TT1 no matter which side the crossfader is on.

Koz: I thought just connecting through the soundcard would work best because my Macbook has no mic in. I was able to record vinyl without problem on my old PC laptop with the method you suggested. Plus I thought Traktor Scratch allowed play of regular vinyl so I thought why not give it a try. Hopefully I dont sound like a complete knob after this post haha

Thanks again for all the continued help

[billw58]

That is one complicated interface! Significantly, nowhere in the setup instructions do you connect the output of your mixer to the Audio 8! The cabling appears to split the outputs of your turntables, routing them to both the mixer and the Audio 8. The Audio 8 returns some kind of signal (controlled by the Traktor software?) back to the mixer through the Line inputs.

This appears to be primarily performance software. It is not clear to me how it is meant to work with regular vinyl (as opposed to the time-code controller vinyl controlling audio files stored on the computer). It does seem clear that the level faders for the individual TTs and the crossfader will have no effect on the audio going into the computer from the TTs.

With my limited knowledge of DJ setups, and my understanding of what you want to do (record your mixes live), you don't need the Audio 8. I could be wrong, but I think what you want to do is connect the output of your mixer (RCA rec out connectors) directly to the line input of your Mac with a dual RCA to mini stereo cable.

Since your issues are mainly with the Audio 8 and the Traktor software, you might try asking for assistance on their forum
http://www.native-instruments.com/forum ... .php?f=105

-- Bill