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Topic: Newbie question about RCA cables - Page: 1

Dieser Teil des Themas ist veraltet und kann veraltete oder falsche Informationen enthalten

ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Hello friends.

I have a gig in a couple of weeks, and since this isn't something I do very often, I don't want to get there and not know everything I should know. My first question is about sound setup:

- I mix at home with my controller, and I plug my headphones to the controller and the controller to my computer through USB. No speakers, just headphones. My current sound settings are Master - Mixtrack Pro II - channels 1 & 2 / headphones - Mixtrack Pro II - channels 3 & 4. Output: Speaker + headphones; Card: Numark Mixtrack Pro II. In order to play live, do these settings change? I'll probably be connecting my controller to the gig's main mixer with RCA cables, which brings me to my second question:

- What are the proper cables to do this? A few years ago I had a few gigs at a club and I basically had an RCA cable connecting my controller to the mixer, Left & Right (white and red cable). Will this be enough or is something else more appropriate?

Thanks!
 

geposted Wed 17 May 17 @ 11:59 pm
Thelema wrote :
I mix at home with my controller, and I plug my headphones to the controller and the controller to my computer through USB. No speakers, just headphones. My current sound settings are Master - Mixtrack Pro II - channels 1 & 2 / headphones - Mixtrack Pro II - channels 3 & 4. Output: Speaker + headphones; Card: Numark Mixtrack Pro II. In order to play live, do these settings change?


It looks like you currently send the finished "master mix" to your headphones, which leaves you without a headphone "preview" option (sometimes called curing, sometimes called PFL)
As in: You get the finished mix in your headphones?
Is that true?

In that case you'll probably want to change that. If you click the button under "card" in the audio options that says Mixtrack Pro II, this should automatically get set "the normal way"
But if you have never previewed in headphones before, I recommend you attach someting to master put, like a small pc speaker, and practice having different output in headphones and master out beforehand

Thelema wrote :
What are the proper cables to do this? A few years ago I had a few gigs at a club and I basically had an RCA cable connecting my controller to the mixer, Left & Right (white and red cable). Will this be enough or is something else more appropriate?

If the distance is short that will be fine
 

geposted Thu 18 May 17 @ 9:08 am
ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Thanks for the reply.

No, I get PFL (I just turn the knob and select the deck I want to pre-listen).
 

geposted Thu 18 May 17 @ 12:49 pm
" I'll probably be connecting my controller to the gig's main mixer with RCA cables "

i wouldn't just assume you can connect RCA cables to the house mixer, id find out previously if you need XLR, TRS or RCA. Nothing worse than getting there and finding out you have the wrong cables.

If this is a hobby for you call or go there and find out what mixer the house uses. If this is something you do on the regular carrying the the most common cables (from my experience, XLR to TRS and XLR to XLR male/female)

monoprice.com has every cable you can shake a stick at with very good prices to boot.



 

geposted Fri 19 May 17 @ 6:42 am
ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Thanks for the tip, I'll look into that!
 

geposted Sat 20 May 17 @ 1:40 am
ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Alright, so I got in touch with the promoters and they're telling me I'll have a chance to soundcheck. However, I still don't know what kind of equipment they're working with because they're different departments. I got a RCA cable today and also a Y cable. Should I carry a XLR cable just in case?
 

geposted Thu 01 Jun 17 @ 7:28 pm
I would carry in case of all scenarios

RCA cables
1/4 inch cables
XLR cables

if your decks do not have all these connection options you would need suitable converters to each option


 

geposted Thu 01 Jun 17 @ 8:34 pm
ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
My controller only has RCA outputs. I've also found some RCA to XLR, but does XLR have only one end or two?
 

geposted Fri 02 Jun 17 @ 1:17 am
ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
A new question, since I've forgotten: if I want to connect an RCA cable from my controller to my subwoofer, what are the settings I need to select on VDJ 8? I currently have it like this: http://imgur.com/a/YuV8f

but there is no sound anywhere.except for my headphones. What am I doing wrong? When I change "master" to "Speakers", the sound is completely muffled and seems to only be coming from the subwoofer.

 

geposted Mon 19 Jun 17 @ 9:36 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
The setting in the photo looks good.
I might install the Numark asio audio drivers for this unit, that's if they exist. You're using the windows audio drivers at the moment.

It's nothing to do with vdj.

Your speaker system needs to be able to take the full range signal (the master) and split it into two parts, the low frequencies and those above. Somewhere there needs to be a crossover which performs this task. Often a crossover is built into a speaker, or amp. Otherwise a separate crossover unit is needed.
 

geposted Mon 19 Jun 17 @ 11:29 pm
ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Should asio4all work? I also saw this https://www.numark.com/product/djio but it's discontinued. I have a gig soon and I don't want any surprises.

Should also mention: I was testing this on a desktop, with the speakers connected to the computer/extension cord and the Left/Right outputs going straight through to the controller. Audio was fine on headphones, muffled on subwoofer (speakers were silent).
 

geposted Mon 19 Jun 17 @ 11:59 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Your controller is what's called class compliant which means it uses the operating system drivers. Asio4all is supposed to be of greatests advantage when using old operating systems and so should not be needed.

Whilst using the house mixer just connect the main controller rca outputs to a mixer stereo input channel. 1/4" jack to rca adapters should be all that is needed and they are very cheap. Every mixer I've ever seen will accept 1/4" jack inputs. See http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Phono-RCA-to-6-35mm-MONO-Jack-Audio-Cable-Adapter-Converter-6-3mm-1-4-Inch-Lead-/291012006226?hash=item43c1aad152:g:z7IAAOxy4t1SfTEX

You have provided insufficient information about the speaker system to which you wish to connect a bass bin. What kind of crossover does it have?
 

geposted Tue 20 Jun 17 @ 7:35 am
Every mixer has 1/4 jack inputs ? I'm afraid not!

Even though ONE mixer would be enough to say otherwise, here we go:

Pioneer DJM-250:

Numark M101:

Behringer DDM4000:

Ecler NUO4:

Rane TTM57MKII:

Rane MP2015:


And finally:
Pioneer DJM-900NXS2:

Mind you that the RETURN 1/4 jack inputs are to be used in conjunction with the effect chain of the mixer (in other words you need to configure the FX Send/Return chain properly for them to work as "inputs" and mix their audio with the master bus).

Finally let's assume a Mixing console instead of a Dj Mixer:
Yamaha LS9:
 

geposted Tue 20 Jun 17 @ 1:23 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
It crossed my mind that someone might notice that..so you remove the 1/4" to rca adapters and use plain and simple rca connections for the mixer inputs. I think that covers the issue. XLR is never the only input method..unless you know different Phantom?




 

geposted Tue 20 Jun 17 @ 1:54 pm
ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Think I figured out the mistake I made: the two cables I disconnected from the subwoofer in order to plug in the RCA connected to the controller were the actual speakers, which is obviously why there was no sound. What I did after that was to plug the speakers back in, get a RCA splitter with a jack that I plugged into the subwoofer, and now there's sound coming from all the right places.

Now for the settings: currently I have both master and headphones set to Mixtrack Pro II (WASAPI). Turning the Cue Mix knob turns sound off but doesn't allow me to pre-listen, it just goes up or down and I can only hear it coming from the deck where it's playing. However, I can't hear anything on my headphones if I turn the deck volume down, and I'm supposed to hear it if I want to beatmatch properly. The Cue Gain knob turns the volume up or down on my headphones, but does nothing for the sound coming from the speakers.

This is probably very basic, but I'm just now trying to get around these things.
 

geposted Tue 20 Jun 17 @ 6:44 pm
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
On all my controllers I have a cue button to select the channel I want to preview. So you need headphone volume, the cue mix knob set for cue not master (sort of variable slider), and the cue channel button pressed!

You used the Y connector as a kind of very crude crossover..depending on your speaker system there might be a proper built in crossover?
 

geposted Tue 20 Jun 17 @ 9:41 pm
ThelemaPRO InfinityMember since 2010
The only connections on my speakers are the RCAs connecting the speakers to the subwoofer, a jack connecting the subwoofer to the computer, and the one that goes through to the extension cord. Either way, I'm betting the connections at the venue will be either RCA or XLR, but I have the Y just in case.

So, to wrap it up, when playing live, what exactly should the audio settings be on VDJ?
 

geposted Wed 21 Jun 17 @ 3:51 am
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
It depends on the venue but I suspect they won't have a DJ mixer..what I come across a lot are musician type mixers, they're so much more versatile. This means all the inputs/outputs will normally be available on the top mixer surface, and not the back like in the Phantom's photos. You will need 1/4" jack inputs for such a mixer, and rca for a DJ mixer as shown by Phantom.

The vdj settings in your photo are correct. Just connect the controller rca outputs to the venue mixer stereo channel. Their system will most likely have a limiter to protect the speakers which will set your maximum volume, but you can still clip the signal..so no red lights on any of your meters!
 

geposted Wed 21 Jun 17 @ 10:29 am
VDJ RonPRO InfinityMember since 2010
Here we go again..I don't think the Phantom lives in the real world. Look few venues will have a Yamaha LS9 - 16 https://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_ls_916.htm?glp=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxoj_3uDO1AIVnqntCh12VQnTEAQYAiABEgJ8XvD_BwE. They cost over £4000.

This is the type of thing you're often likely to encounter when using a venue pa system, maybe just a little bit bigger http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-MG124CX-12-channel-mixer-very-good-condition-little-used-/302332160140?hash=item466466a88c:g:~JgAAOSwcgNZLCsE
This is real world.
Venues don't like spending money..hm most are very frugal.
 

geposted Wed 21 Jun 17 @ 10:57 am
bigron1 wrote :
Here we go again..I don't think the Phantom lives in the real world. Look few venues will have a Yamaha LS9 - 16 https://www.thomann.de/gb/yamaha_ls_916.htm?glp=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxoj_3uDO1AIVnqntCh12VQnTEAQYAiABEgJ8XvD_BwE. They cost over £4000.

Yes, I live in outer space! :)

That being said, this mixing console is just an EXAMPLE to prove that NOT ALL mixing consoles / mixers have 1/4 Jack inputs.
The most common input plug on DJ Mixers is RCA, and on Mixing Consoles is XLR, or XLR and 1/4 jack combo.

 

geposted Wed 21 Jun 17 @ 4:11 pm
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