Timecode sound quality

Hi,
I feel that the sound quality and feel isn’t as good as I’d like when using timecode to scratch.

To me it still has too much of a “digital” sound and doesn’t feel as “tight” as vinyl. I hear other DJs (mostly using serato) and it sounds fine. I find it most noticeable when you go from moving the record fast to then slowing right down?

It maybe that I need to optimize my set up so am looking for some advice, I’m using T3 and have a windows laptop.

1. what are the best timecode to use, Iv got the standard NI Blue ones. Is there any difference ?

2. what files are best, mp3, wav flac or does it make little difference? I mean in terms of how the sound is when scratching, obviously lossless is best.

3. Does your cart and needles make much of a difference. I’m using shure m447 carts, not using there orig needles now as discontinued but always had issue when using orig needles.

4. Using a PC, but what setting should id be aiming for and any tips regarding windows to make it better.

Many thanks

 

Hi after over a decade playing with TS and its predecessors I'm actually pretending to try to scratch now. My thoughts:

1. In my experience the timecode record used (as long as it's MK2) makes no difference. Some record colours are heavier or thicker than others which may affect the feel but not the sound.

2. If I care about the quality I'll rip or download the track in WAV. I've always felt it most "direct" in terms of the application having to decompress or decode, potentially saving a computing cycle or two, and at the least being truest to the original recording from a frequency perspective.

3. If the cart is tracking poorly then Traktor has to work harder to compensate. The Shure knockoffs are what I use too, and I notice no difference between those and my Ortofon Qberts.

4. Lower your audio latency as much as you can, and turn off key lock and flux on the scratch deck.

I found of all things affecting feel and quality, KEY LOCK was the main culprit and that was on a fairly powerful Mac. If you haven't done it yet I recommend starting there.

 

Thanks for response.

I have the mk 2 timecode and a genuine shure M447 cart with the “non shure needles” but decent ones.

couple of questions.. hopefully I won’t sound too dumb lol..

I don’t use key lock, when you say turn it off is the in settings or somewhere on the deck?

im mainly a old skool dj and still a dinosaur!

I just want it to feel really tight and not sound digital when scratching using either a wav, flac or mp3

what settings do you have ?

 

What’s up TeLLy?

What brings you out of hibernation?

 

Retirement! Been out of the IT game for a year now and after taking a break for my mental health and to make up for lost time with family, I find myself with a ton more free time and motivation to learn to scratch. WHAT IS UP Wyley good to see you again.

 

Well I'm a Mac guy first off so my settings don't really apply much to your situation but I'm on an i7 Mac from 2017 and I'm at sample rate 48K, lowest latency on the slider (audio interface settings) and while it's not a 1:1 translation from my old Toasted Marshmellow vinyl it's 1:0.999999999.

Key lock on the deck is, depending on your layout, visible right above the headphone cue button in your mixer section, under the KEY knob. Hope this pic link works, it's been a few years since I've been on. I notice a huge difference in sound quality (not necessarily latency) with that turned on vs off while doing anything more than a baby scratch.

Oh and like I mentioned I do WAV when possible but have really not had a ton of issues scratching FLAC or MP3 either, save for maybe kinda bleh sound quality depending how the mp3 was ripped.

See linked pic below, key lock is right between the headphone cue knob and the key knob in the mixer section. Not my pic btw.

 

COVID retired me and the bar that I had weekly gigs at. I dj for fun now. Glad to see you back.

If you need to blow off some stress I could invite you out to play some military grade laser tag outdoors. I started the business 2 years ago. The playing field is a patch of crown land in north Oshawa for pick up games.

As for timecode I find Traktor to be acceptable provided that the key lock is off. Comparing it to serato or denon I find they all have their pros and cons. I use my tt’s mostly for real vinyl now.

 

I may well take you up on that one day, though let's be honest I'll be wheezing on the ground 3 minutes in, begging for an iced frappuccino and an iPad to watch Amazon food shows on.

 

Thanks Telly,

Iv had a play with my settings and defo got improvement in sound when scratching.

I found that turning the latency down to its lowest but also the sample rate to 256 seems to work best on my laptop, I have a S8 mixer.

is there much difference between a sample rate of 512 v 256 sound quality wise, didn’t notice to much initially?

I get there is a trade off between latency v sample rate/processor requirement

 

Glad you got some improvement! I think you're referring to the latency setting of 512 to 256? Sample rate is usually 44.1, 48, 96KHz and for the record I sit happily on 48KHz. If you don't feel the difference between 512 and 256, you're good. Doubt you'd notice any real difference outside of analyzing a recorded session in the studio anyway.

Missing my S8, it had a surprisingly good crossfader to scratch on.

 

yeah it was decent enough but had 2 which both started leaking after a bit of hammer so I put a innofader in which I’d highly recommend

 

I inno almost every mixer I've got, in fact I worked with Elliot to get the 1st Gen S4 compatible wayyyyyyyy back . But I sold the S8 before I could do the same, needed the room. The fader caps were kinda skinny for me, I remember swapping the cf cap for one off of a Vestax.

 

this. so much this. so so so much this.