Thursday, September 13, 2007

How can I avoid saturation when a CD player plugged in DJ Console MK2 line input plays a too strong signal?

Some CD players output level is +4dBu while DJ Console MK2 is designed to support input signal around -10dBv: as a result, when the CD plays a +4dBu signal in DJ Console MK2 line input, DJ Console MK2 input may saturate, and cause a bad audio quality.

The solution consists in attenuating the CD player output level by connecting between this player output and DJ Console MK2 input an attenuating gear as volume knob for headphones (cheapest solution)
- Koss VC-20
- Shure EA650
or a mini mixer (more expensive solution) as
- Nady mini-mixer
- Behringer Xenyx 502

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

How can I record the DJ mix with the microphone talkover in DJ Console MK2?

DJ Console MK2 talk over function is a hardware mixing of:
- the microphone analogue signal
- with the analogue signal output produced by the DJ software in DJ Console MK2,
so the talk over is not processed in the DJ software (VirtualDJ or Traktor), and as a result when you record your mix in the DJ software, the talk over is not recorded.

To record the mix with the talk over signal, you must
- connect DJ Console MK2 output 1-2 to the stereo line in of your computer integrated sound card (with a stereo cable)
- and record the stereo line in on your computer integrated sound card with a software (as Syntrillium CoolEdit Pro, Adobe Audition, Sony Sound Forge, Waveosaur….) which will record the mix as background task.

Friday, September 7, 2007

How can I avoid saturation noise on the hi-fi systems playing sound from DJ Console MK2?

On some hi-fi systems, DJ Console MK2 audio output is noisy and saturated, because DJ Console MK2 output level is +4dBu (pro level) while hi-fi systems generally expect a -10dBv output level (consumer lever). Lowering the audio level in DJ Console MK2 control panel doesn’t change anything since the control panel mixer reduces the audio signal but keep the output level unchanged, so the noise remains equal.

The solution consists in attenuating DJ Console MK2 output level by connecting between DJ Console MK2 output 1-2 and the hi-fi system an attenuating gear as volume knob for headphones (cheapest solution)
- Koss VC-20
- Shure EA650
or a mini mixer (more expensive solution) as
- Nady mini-mixer
- Behringer Xenyx 502

If you meet this saturation issue after connecting DJ Console MK2 to some DJ mixers which don’t support +4dBu signal, setting the input gain button on the DJ mixer input at 25% should suppress the noise.