DJing Discussion

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What's a good Recording Device

DJ Franchise42 11:30 PM - 1 October, 2006
I just brought an iKey and it sucks. I need a good recording device to record my mix's. Any suggestions?????
Konix 12:04 AM - 2 October, 2006
Minidisc.
Fáda 12:49 AM - 2 October, 2006
I'm having the same problem! I downloaded that audacity and it recorded in the wrong format, was pretty wack, but if you were more of a computer whiz it might work for ya. But i need somethin straight up. I have an iMic, so somethin to work with that..
AMF 2:04 AM - 2 October, 2006
You need to get a decent soundcard and some software (like sound forge). It's literally as simple as that. I only do home recordings so my soundcard is the audiophile 2496 from m audio. (I also have protools. But I don't use that for recording my mixes). And the 2496 only cost $99. And any editing software should be fine. Someone else will have to chime in on the software part. Cuz I only use sound forge. And that costs about $150.

Now for recording at a club, I've heard of people using a usb or firewire soundcard. And they run serato and the recording software at the same time. But I would guess that you'd need a pretty good computer to do both at the same time.
Julls 2:08 AM - 2 October, 2006
I only record at home too like AMF. I also use Sound Forge, but I use the built in sound card on the computer. It works good for me.
DJMark 2:58 AM - 2 October, 2006
The best portable mobile-recording device I've used: Creative Labs Nomad 3. Makes good-quality recordings, you can adjust levels on it (has onscreen meters), and will record up to 4 hours continuous as WAV or up to 10 hour continuous as MP3 (up to 320kbps). It's unfortunately been out of production for a couple years...you might have luck finding one used though (an 80gb model is on eBay right now). Two things to know: you really need a Firewire connection for transfers, because the USB is v1.1 (slow!), and it has no support for Mac (you have to use Creative's rather sucky software to move files out of the unit). That said, the unit has worked great for me the last several years.

If you have a 5th-generation iPod, there are a couple add-on accessories that can be used for line-in recording. Belkin makes the TuneTalk, which has a 1/8" line-in and will record WAV files into the iPod as "Voice Memos". Quality is good, but there's no onscreen level indicators so some trial and error is neccessary (seems like a really big omission given the cost of the product).
society 3:07 AM - 2 October, 2006
Quote:
The best portable mobile-recording device I've used: Creative Labs Nomad 3. Makes good-quality recordings, you can adjust levels on it (has onscreen meters), and will record up to 4 hours continuous as WAV or up to 10 hour continuous as MP3 (up to 320kbps). It's unfortunately been out of production for a couple years...you might have luck finding one used though (an 80gb model is on eBay right now). Two things to know: you really need a Firewire connection for transfers, because the USB is v1.1 (slow!), and it has no support for Mac (you have to use Creative's rather sucky software to move files out of the unit). That said, the unit has worked great for me the last several years.

If you have a 5th-generation iPod, there are a couple add-on accessories that can be used for line-in recording. Belkin makes the TuneTalk, which has a 1/8" line-in and will record WAV files into the iPod as "Voice Memos". Quality is good, but there's no onscreen level indicators so some trial and error is neccessary (seems like a really big omission given the cost of the product).


Yeah, I sometimes use my Nomad 2, but it's kind of dying on me :P
eugene 3:13 AM - 2 October, 2006
Minidisc is the best for me.

www.answers.com

This is what I have, and it works wonders. Record and download a 2 hour set in wav. format, then download it via usb to your computer in 5 minutes. One of my favorite pieces of equipment in my arsenal!

It was and still is pretty cheap, check it out.
DJ Unique 5:03 AM - 2 October, 2006
DJ Franchise 42
Sorry to hear about your iKey displeasure.

I also bought an iKey last week and I agree with you, the iKey is junk. I used it to record my Saturday club gig in WAVE format. The sound quality was horrible and no VU meters. I returned the iKey and purchased an M-Audio Microtrack 24/96. I will use it next weekend and will let you know the results.

By the way, the iKey Plus is due out soon and it's supposed to be better.
phil 6:12 AM - 2 October, 2006
Fada: I am pretty sure you saved it to the wrong format. Go to edit - preferences (ctrl + p). There you can setup everything.

Just want to make clear that Audacity, like any other expensive software, records uncompressed. So the only limiting factor in terms of quality is your soundcard. It wouldnt sound better using Soundforge for example.

If you record in Audacity and save the mix as WAV it has the 100% the best quality you can achieve with your current setup.

So save your money and maybe invest in a better soundcard before you buy an expensive audio-editing tool, which doesn't improve the quality of recording.
AmphetaMarinE 11:20 AM - 2 October, 2006
phil...
Audacity is open source (Read: free)
A very good (Legal) alternative to sound forge for those of us on a tight budget :)
Osiris 12:34 PM - 2 October, 2006
Quote:
I only record at home too like AMF. I also use Sound Forge, but I use the built in sound card on the computer. It works good for me.


I use my built-in sound card also, and like Julls, it works just fine for me as well. Pretty much with any sound editor I've ever used, I've never had a problem using the built in sound cards. Even on my custom builds, using something like a cheap Sound Blaster Live card-- all works fine for me. On my laptop, I've got what looks to be a cheapo Realtek High Definition sound card and ya know what??? It works for me. :)

Maybe I just have my settings different from other people. Here's what I do: If you're using Windows, go into [Start > Control Panel > Sound, Speech, and Audio Devices > Sound and Audio Devices]

> click the Audio tab
> click the volume button under 'Sound Recording'
> make sure you have 'Line Volume' selected (assuming you have the master outputs on your mixer going directly to the 'line in' on your laptop).

Once you've done that, you should be able to use pretty much any audio editing software to record your sets.

There's only one software application I've used where sound quality was an issue, and that was with Sonic Foundry Vegas. It had some background hiss. Any other apps (Acid, Soundforge, Audacity, etc...) recorded very well.
AMF 12:52 PM - 2 October, 2006
I thought I was getting a decent sound too when I used the on-board soundcards. But after I bought a pro/semi-pro soundcard the difference was night and day. Granted, this was about 5 or 6 years ago. Maybe the onboard cards have gotten better, I dunno :P
Osiris 3:13 PM - 2 October, 2006
Quote:
I thought I was getting a decent sound too when I used the on-board soundcards. But after I bought a pro/semi-pro soundcard the difference was night and day. Granted, this was about 5 or 6 years ago. Maybe the onboard cards have gotten better, I dunno :P


Maybe sound cards have gotten better, or maybe you're right about the Pro Audio cards sounding better. My whole take on it is, if it sounds good to me, why shell out more dough? Because even though I am by no stretch an audiophile, as a DJ, if it sounds good to me, more than likely, nobody aside from probably an audiophile would notice the difference anyways. Of course, that's just my opinion. <shrug> :)
AMF 3:27 PM - 2 October, 2006
^^^ great point! Sorry. I guess I got caught up in the technical aspect of audio. If you're spinnin' at a party and that s**t still bangs, f**k it. Keep rollin' with whatcha got and keep that $100.
society 3:34 PM - 2 October, 2006
For me, the biggest difference in buying a decent soundcard was latency. With onboard soundcards, there are usually no ASIO drivers which means there's usually unacceptable amounts of latency (you hit a key on a keyboard, the sound comes out one second later--not conducive to making ANYTHING where rhythm is key).

This is normally not a problem for a DJ if you're strictly recording a set, but as soon as you want to sync what you're doing to an existing track or something--instant headache.

There are workarounds (ASIO4all: free ASIO drivers you can download to work with your existing card, but they never worked right for me) but I went with a relatively inexpensive M-Audio card that has ASIO drivers, high quality sample and bit rates, and decent input/output options.
Osiris 3:46 PM - 2 October, 2006
Quote:
For me, the biggest difference in buying a decent soundcard was latency. With onboard soundcards, there are usually no ASIO drivers which means there's usually unacceptable amounts of latency (you hit a key on a keyboard, the sound comes out one second later--not conducive to making ANYTHING where rhythm is key).


That's a very valid point and even something that might make me consider looking into one for a future purchase... I haven't had any latency issues thus far, but then again I don't have other things like Ableton Live running at the same time either. But, being that's something I plan to learn in the future, I will definitely delve into it further.
Kool DJ Sheak One 5:03 PM - 2 October, 2006
Microtrack-22 hours of 24/96 mp3 recording on 2 gig compact flash card.
Much better than minidisc as you can instantly transfer mixes via usb.
Better than internal software because you can record everybodys sets. Like im finna do next monday. Then you can peep tha technics.
phil 9:38 PM - 2 October, 2006
Quote:
phil...
Audacity is open source (Read: free)
A very good (Legal) alternative to sound forge for those of us on a tight budget :)
yeah, maybe my bad english was the problem :D

Quote:
Just want to make clear that Audacity, like any other expensive software, records uncompressed
Does this sentence mean, Audacity is not free? Just to improove my english skills. I wanted to say that Audacity records in the same quality as the expensive audio-editors.
Osiris 9:58 PM - 2 October, 2006
Quote:
Quote:
Just want to make clear that Audacity, like any other expensive software, records uncompressed
Does this sentence mean, Audacity is not free? Just to improve my english skills. I wanted to say that Audacity records in the same quality as the expensive audio-editors.


No. It's free... I think he's just saying it is capable of outputing with the same quality as more expensive solutions.
phil 10:03 PM - 2 October, 2006
LOL. Yeah i meant/know it is free, just weren't shure that my sentence maybe included that it is not free. Man english is difficult ^^

Quote:
I think he's just saying it is capable of outputing with the same quality as more expensive solutions.
Yes that is what i tried to say :D
Freddagreat 10:49 PM - 2 October, 2006
ttm 57sl <---- Best recording device for live mixes
KMXE 4:04 AM - 3 October, 2006
i agree with the Minidisc - its reliable, there's no possibility in distrupting your laptop when you're playing out, and you can fit a long-ass set on 1 disc (long play).

if u got a powerful laptop, then the whole soundcard and recording onto the laptop would work, but i'd give it a proper test run before doing it live - just as a precaution.
digital_steve 4:53 AM - 3 October, 2006
MBox 2 by digidesign! Go pro tools!
Fáda 3:32 PM - 4 October, 2006
Just got Adobe Audition, SHIT ROCKS! Much better than audacity, much better!
DJ Franchise42 8:25 PM - 9 October, 2006
So I just returned the iKey and got talked into buying the M-Audio MobilePRE USB preamp and audio interface. Has anyone use this before. And I'm only doing home recording but should i use it on my lappy or desktop?
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 4:19 AM - 10 October, 2006
Quote:
Microtrack-22 hours of 24/96 mp3 recording on 2 gig compact flash card.
Much better than minidisc as you can instantly transfer mixes via usb.
Better than internal software because you can record everybodys sets. Like im finna do next monday. Then you can peep tha technics.
yo Sheak, can that thing handle (accept) those new 8Gb cards?
DJ Unique 6:12 AM - 10 October, 2006
I used the Microtrack this weekend and it worked well. The sound quality is much better than the iKey. The display has VU meters (stereo), elapsed time recorded and time left on CF card. I was using a 4 Gig Patriot CF card.

On a 4 gig CF Card, you can record 6 hours, 45 minutes of WAVE audio (or 1 day, 5 hours, 49 minutes of MP3 audio @ 320 kbps), according to M-Audio. I recorded 5 hours of WAVE.
s42000 3:21 PM - 10 October, 2006
Quote:
ttm 57sl <---- Best recording device for live mixes

True ... true - just make sure you have the haddrive space.
s42000 3:21 PM - 10 October, 2006
^harddrive space^
Kool DJ Sheak One 4:10 PM - 10 October, 2006
Quote:
I used the Microtrack this weekend and it worked well. The sound quality is much better than the iKey. The display has VU meters (stereo), elapsed time recorded and time left on CF card. I was using a 4 Gig Patriot CF card.

On a 4 gig CF Card, you can record 6 hours, 45 minutes of WAVE audio (or 1 day, 5 hours, 49 minutes of MP3 audio @ 320 kbps), according to M-Audio. I recorded 5 hours of WAVE.


Unique, make sure you update your microtrack on the latest firmware. There is a lot of bugs with the initial release.
And Mike, I think you can use an 8 gig card, but thats a little overkill. 1 gig is like 24 hours of 224bit mp3 recording. Sound quality is top notch.
I used it last night for the Serato Sessions. I'll have to post it up somehow.
DJ Unique 5:26 AM - 11 October, 2006
Yeah Kool DJ, I updated it as soon as I got it.
I love this gadget.
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 9:02 AM - 11 October, 2006
so Sheak, would u recommend that M-Audio Microtrack as a way of archiving wax to digital? thanks for your feedback (i really wanna get one... but gotta hustle for more gigs 1st)
Kool DJ Sheak One 4:37 PM - 11 October, 2006
Yes, The mp3s I make from wax with that thing are fat with a "PH". No more 40mb songs made on serato! I record every set I do, and make cds outta dem. Shit sounds butta.
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 5:42 PM - 11 October, 2006
ah man, im sold... (now i just need how much $ again?)
Kool DJ Sheak One 10:17 PM - 11 October, 2006
I got mine for under $300 (retail is $499) at Sam Ass.
They got em on ebizzle too.
I highly recommend this gizmo. Its great to hear back sets, because we all know we are too busy to enjoy the music when we are squinting at a zillion songs.
And Mike, I made new and improved stickers that Ima send to you fo sho!
DJ Unique 12:59 AM - 12 October, 2006
I got mine for $317 @ the big GC.
Do a search for the best possible price from online retailers.

The beauty is all the features in such a compact device. It's a stand-alone recording device that has inputs for 1/4", 1/8" and S/PDIF. It has audio monitoring via 1/8" or dual RCA's. Display has VU meters, time elapsed, time left on CF card and battery info.
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 4:24 AM - 12 October, 2006
does that thing have a built in mic?
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 4:26 AM - 12 October, 2006
thanks Sheak!... i too found some medallion size glow in the dark thingies for holloween, but i forgot to buy em (at some dollar store)
DJ Unique 7:06 AM - 12 October, 2006
It comes with a plug-in mike.
www.m-audio.com
Click on the picture so you can see all the accesories it comes with.
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 9:50 AM - 12 October, 2006
nice Unique! i just shot off a quick email to Santa :)
DJ_Mike_Coquilla 7:48 AM - 23 October, 2006
ok. so like, has any one got a chance to peep Zoom's new H4 Handy Recorder ? --> www.zoom.co.jp 4-track on tha go
sweetL 8:22 AM - 23 October, 2006
i use a nhmz9000 minidisc.

always found it to be nothing but fantastic.