DJ MIX Volume/Clipping

Hayz · Post by **Hayz** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:04 pm

Hi there, can anyone give me a tip to make my DJ mixes louder without clipping? Also, the right channel seems to be slightly louder than the left channel when recording via my external sooundcard. Should I tweak the left line gain to match the right exactly even though this means turning the gain on the left higher than the right gain dial? Cheers Hayz

thefool · Post by **thefool** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:12 pm

compression can make the things sound louder without clipping, but it will go out over the dynamics. You should go for a 0db at the master channel when its done

edit: this is for a dj mix ok, not so aware on that. somebody in here probably got some tricks

snakedogman · Post by **snakedogman** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:16 pm

you can use a compressor or limiter on the master channel, just take care you don't squash your dynamics to death.
I do use a limiter on the master myself when I do a mix but it's really mainly working on the mixpoints when two tracks are playing together and creating extra loudness. So at those points the limiter will kick in, keeping things under control and allowing you to get a couple more dB's at the end.

Hayz · Post by **Hayz** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:20 pm

thanks guys, but what about the channel difference, should the right and left channel be the same? Should I therefore set the gain on the left channel higher to compensate for the lower record volume?

thefool · Post by **thefool** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:25 pm

I think its in general best to do it the other way, lower the right rather than increasing the left.

Same as with the eq'ing, subtractive eq'ing is prefered over additive eq'ing

But are you sure its the sound card and not the record being intentionally done that way?

snakedogman · Post by **snakedogman** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 1:30 pm

yeah, I'd see if you can find where the volume difference is coming from. What are you recording from exactly?
If you can't solve the problem in the signal before it enters the soundcard, then I'd say go ahead and use the channel gains, that's what they're there for.

Hayz · Post by **Hayz** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:05 pm

I'm simply recording a mix from my turntables to my MACBOOK Pro via an external Alesis IO2. I noticed that the right channel is always louder than the left on every mix I do, even though the gains for the left and right are set exactly the same...jsut wanted to know if I should compensate by turning the left gain up to match the right or lowering the right to match the left...how can I tell if it is meant to be that way! If it is happening on every mix the likelihood is it isnt meant to be that way right?

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:19 pm

I've found a limiter does amazing things for bringing up over all volume and balancing channels. Just don't abuse it.

John Sweet · Post by **John Sweet** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:15 pm

If you regularly mix more than 2 channels for whole songs, then try compressing or limiting them individually with per-channel inserts before mixing.

Mixing into a limiter sounds really shitty to me. The sounds seems to punch one another out instead of lying together, I don't know how to explain it.