External audio interfaces / sound cards
- Thread starter sawdust123
- Start date
Are you willing to carry and load/unload a complete "All inclusive" system everywhere you go? Would you rather have a modular solution that quickly and easily scales to size and needs of each event? Rhetorical.
That's essentially a question for anyone with a long term or business future in this. I get that there's a lot of older DJs who's gig roster is small, but system is large; composed of legacy gear to which they are emotionally attached. We just need to stay mindful of the audiences we serve, because if we deliver a legacy appearance we need to be sure that our audience is intrigued by it rather than quietly diminished in confidence.
I am not looking to add any size or weight to any of my existing systems. I am simply exploring ways to add capability to one of the systems by replacing some of its gear. My goal all along is a neater and simpler setup. I have external mixers I can add to any of my systems. I am just looking to avoid that.
If it's for DJ work the sound card should be in the DJ controller not external. The controller should be capable of being a stand alone system with at least two mic inputs and 2 or more line inputs independent of the USB channels. Everything else is auxiliary, even if it is actually controlled downstream
Something like the A&H mixer can be where your controller's main output passes through, taking advantage of EQ, Xover, Sends, or Recording capability, but everything else on the A&H such as microphones are added post controller.
The need for an external sound card just isn't there unless we're forcing ourselves to use outdated gear or bedroom DJ accessories for PC. Nothing wrong with dong that casually, but vintage novelty is not what the new generation of customers want us to show up with at a DJ/KJ event. In today's reality - people are not comparing our system to their top of the line home stereo or even a whole house system. They are comparing us to the ease and simplicity of their cell phone. They are impressed by how quick and responsive the system is to their desires rather than how many levers and knobs we have.
This is what makes A/V more attractive to me after decades of DJing. Not everyone can afford "state of the art" but there is so much great legacy gear just behind the curve that can reach the goals and functionality a small venue or organization wants and it can be done within their budget.. Automixers and older DSP units are dinosaurs to the current installation trends - but are miracle cures to non-profits and other facailities that are not endowed with millions of dollars for capital improvement or tax-payer funding. "Cutting edge" is a matter of perception - it really depends on where the customer is presently standing. For someone using 1985 technology - bringing them up to at least 2010 is a quarter centiry leap forward into the digital age. The results they get are dramatic, and in time that makes them more ambitious in their expectations and so the process continues.
Something like the A&H mixer can be where your controller's main output passes through, taking advantage of EQ, Xover, Sends, or Recording capability, but everything else on the A&H such as microphones are added post controller.
The need for an external sound card just isn't there unless we're forcing ourselves to use outdated gear or bedroom DJ accessories for PC. Nothing wrong with dong that casually, but vintage novelty is not what the new generation of customers want us to show up with at a DJ/KJ event. In today's reality - people are not comparing our system to their top of the line home stereo or even a whole house system. They are comparing us to the ease and simplicity of their cell phone. They are impressed by how quick and responsive the system is to their desires rather than how many levers and knobs we have.
This is what makes A/V more attractive to me after decades of DJing. Not everyone can afford "state of the art" but there is so much great legacy gear just behind the curve that can reach the goals and functionality a small venue or organization wants and it can be done within their budget.. Automixers and older DSP units are dinosaurs to the current installation trends - but are miracle cures to non-profits and other facailities that are not endowed with millions of dollars for capital improvement or tax-payer funding. "Cutting edge" is a matter of perception - it really depends on where the customer is presently standing. For someone using 1985 technology - bringing them up to at least 2010 is a quarter centiry leap forward into the digital age. The results they get are dramatic, and in time that makes them more ambitious in their expectations and so the process continues.
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The Denon controller was designed for the former ASIO audio codec which was the standard in former PCs. Newer PCs and controllers may use the WASAPI audio codec and may not be compatible with the Denon 6000. To make it compatible we often have to revert to older versions of whatever DJ application we are using making many of the best features unavaliable.
In my case, I'm selling my Denon 6000 despite having a working setup because I don't want to make the msitake of rushing out to an event with the wrong pairing of PC/controller and have to scramble onsite to make them work together in some seriously diminished capacity.
I'm an audio guy not an IT guru. Plug and play is what I really want from my gear, especially for simple gigs like weddings and other DJ events.
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If plug and play is your objective, get a MacBook Pro! With few exceptions, every modern, class-compliant MIDI controller will work with a Mac, with NO vendor supplied audio driver. The built in “Core Audio” driver is already there.
With that said, I was always a Windows guy, so I went that route for my DJ setups. I used Traktor with my MC-6000MK2 on Windows 10, but now I’m using Mixxx with Windows 11, and everything still works fine. I haven’t found any feature that doesn’t work.
I’ve heard that some MC-6000 users running Virtual DJ have experienced driver conflict issues on Windows 11 computers, but I don’t know the details. I do know that the other software manufacturers; Traktor, and Serato, still recommend downloading and installing the latest ASIO driver from Denon.
Unless you use serato and update your mac then serato no longer works
Had not heard that, but then, I haven’t used Serato. I tried it many, many years ago, but it never felt intuitive to me.
Are you a Serato user?
I set my systems up to use Serato, VDJ, and Mixx - and the PCs are Windows 7, 10, and 11. I abandoned OtsAv because it's just not even relevant anymore. Serato cares what operating system is used, and if a computer is older we may need to use an earlier version. VDJ and Mixx are a little more forgiving but a Win7 machine can force us into a version prior to threading and other advanced features.
I don't do Macs because of the cost and especially their persistant tracking and invasion of privacy. Apple is as close to George Orwell as a company gets and still holds the record for the largest Federal Law Suit Settlement for Privacy violations and online tracking. That really hasn't stopped them either.
If I had to do extensive show control I'd have to go MAC because that's where that software lives - but so far I've been able to do without it or rent a MacBook Pro when I need one.
I don't do Macs because of the cost and especially their persistant tracking and invasion of privacy. Apple is as close to George Orwell as a company gets and still holds the record for the largest Federal Law Suit Settlement for Privacy violations and online tracking. That really hasn't stopped them either.
If I had to do extensive show control I'd have to go MAC because that's where that software lives - but so far I've been able to do without it or rent a MacBook Pro when I need one.
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This is true when a major update is initially released. I've seen similar issues on Windows platforms - also when a major update is initially released.