Traktor/Hercules Rmx - Low sound quality

Hi,

Im using Mac Book Pro/Traktor Duo/Hercules Rmx when playing at clubs. I usually connect the Hercules to an external mixer with Output 1/2 (this is due to the fact that Hercules Rmx does not have output that fits the club's cables). I normally have the internal Mac/Traktor sound on 80-90 % and normal gain (auto gain).

I experience that the sound quality is not as good as when I'm using CD-players (Pioneer) or turntables (Technics). It's not BAD sound quality (no glitches or anything), but the sound is rather low, dull and without the boost I'm getting with CD or turntables.

Is it possible to boost the sound with any settings? Do I have to use a pre-amplifier between the Hercules and the external mixer?

 

Though they are dedicated DJ controllers, Hercules products are still low budegt products so the Audo interface included might have a not so hot output levels as CDJs have.

However, I don't really get the "Outputs that don't fit the club's cables"..You mean you are pluggin your RMX on teh same mixer's as the CD decks/Truntables ore are you inserting another mixer. in any case you should be able to find cables that fit any type of plugs for each side (I guess the Hercules has RCA line outputs).

Also are you "sure" of the the quality of the tracks you are playing?

 

Thanks for your swift reply.

All my files are 320 bitrate.

I connect the RMX to the same mixer as the CD decks/turntables. I am not using another mixer.

I agree that Hercules are not high end. That is why I try to figure out ways of increasing the sound level and quality. Should I use a pre-amplifier? Adjusting the settings?

 

No preamps are not a good idea as normally at Line levels

 

Hello Runeo,

1) You should connect your DJ Console Rmx on club sound systems with the jack 1/4" outputs, not the RCA outputs: Rmx jack 1/4" have a louder output level (+4dBu on Rmx jack 1/4" outputs / -10dBv on Rmx RCA outputs).

2) Pioneer CDJ player output level is between +10dBu and +18 dBu (depending on the models), which is HUGE (studio standard is is +4dBu, the output level of DJ Console Rmx jack 1/4" plugs): the danger of a huge output level is that it can saturate the circuits of most home hi-fi systems, and sometimes damage Dolby decoders.
Pioneer huge output level is not related to quality, it is simply the oldest and simplest trick to mislead listeners in believing louder is better.
Both Pioneer CDJ-2000 and Hercules Rmx integrate the Wolfson DAC (Digital to Analog Converter), the output difference is just the amplification level, not the signal/noise quality.

3) If the output level was a relevant way to evaluate audio quality, nobody would have designed turntables with phono output, since even with the loudest Ortofon cell, the output level of a turntable as Technics SL-1200 Mk2 output level is 15mv, which makes -34dBu.

Made In Breizh
Team Member of Hercules DJ Mix Room

 

Thanks!

I did bring my jack 1/4" last time I was playing at the club, the the club's mixer did not have jack inputs (only RCA inputs and some other types of input).

Will I gain the extra dBu although I use a jack-to-rca cable in order to connect the jack output of the Hercules RMX with the club's mixer input?
---
And, further questions:

What about adjusting settings?
Is there any settings of Traktor or the Mac which may be adjusted to increase sound level/quality? Now I'm using sample rate 44100 Hz, 4,0 latency, 100 % sound volume of the mac, approx. 85 % sound volume of traktor (avoiding the red as much as I can) and auto-gain.

What about using another sound card?
I have read that the sound card of Hercules Rmx is not great (not bad, but average). Is it possible to use another external sound card - in particular I'm thinking about Audio 2 DJ - and deactivate/not use the sound card of Hercules Rmx? My suggestion would be to connect Hercules Rmx to the Mac with one USB, to connect Audio 2 DJ to the Mac with another USB, to further connect the Audio 2 DJ to the club's mixer. By this, I assume that I can control Traktor with Hercules while the sound streams through Audio 2 DJ. Does this work? And what about the headphones? Will the sound card of the Hercules be deactivated so that there will be no sound if I plug the headphones to it? How can I then pre-listen to songs that I am about to play?

A last, but least preferable, option may perhaps be to buy another controller, such as the Vestax VCI-100..

Thanks in advance.

 

Well, the VCI-100 will hardly help with your signal quality woes due to it's lack of sound card, a VCI-300 on the other hand might. Obviously, if you still plan on getting the Audio2 with that setup, the VCI100 would work brilliantly.

I'm still not sold on the idea of the (arguably qualitatively questionable) Hercules being entirely blame for that much of an audio quality drop, however. There's probably something else at work here (audio dropouts from slow cpu or whatever, or even bad quality mp3s - and yes I did see you said they were all 320. Might they be transcodes?)

Edit: one more thing: I do sometimes experience a weird crackle with my Audio8 if I plug it in without rebooting the mac. Beats me why, but I just make do and force myself to reboot it. I should probably get this looked into. Could be that you're having a similar issue, actually. Have you tried having your RMX plugged into your mac, and then rebooting? Also, I find that Airport being enabled on MBP's does cause audio dropouts/crackle.