ok, here's the thing, I have 1600 dollars (maybe) to spend in equipment, but I'm TOTALLY new at this, so, how can I start? software, hardware, equipment, anything, please, I don't care if I can get it used, but I need something to start with
MixMeister Control Hands-On Computer DJ System... (i'm not sure if mixmeister can be used with an external mixer tho).
nonsense, soundcard - yes, but 5.1 why??? (show me a club with proper working surround (or tracks mixed in 5.1 for that matter)however using a mixer with software mixing will get you closer to the real thing and improve the set quality a lot, but you will need at least a 5.1 soundcard then.
well i'm talking external real hardware mixer, not just midi controller.http://www.numark.com/mmcontrol
and everything that talks MIDI can be used as a mixer, just assign the controls and you're off, not just for MixMeister btw.
because an external real hardware mixer requires two seperate outputs from the pc, and a stereo-only soundcard doesnt have thatnonsense, soundcard - yes, but 5.1 why??? (show me a club with proper working surround (or tracks mixed in 5.1 for that matter)
and the difference is?well i'm talking external real hardware mixer, not just midi controller.
it does providing it runs full-duplex.because an external real hardware mixer requires two seperate outputs from the pc, and a stereo-only soundcard doesnt have that
the difference is that one is a mixer and the other is a midi controllerand the difference is?
eh? how does a soundcard with only one output give you two when it's full duplex?it does providing it runs full-duplex.
i know what i'm talking about, thank you.now go and do your homework
doing what?the difference is that one is a mixer and the other is a midi controller
obviously not...who said it has only one output, you made the differentiation on stereo and 5.1 surround which was misleading.eh? how does a soundcard with only one output give you two when it's full duplex?
i know what i'm talking about, thank you.
wrong, a midi controller doesn't interprate any signals at all, and doesn't work with analog signals either (and especially doesn't manipulate any audio!). a midi controller only sends signals to the pc (apart from clock sync etc). a midi controller is not a mixer, it's only a controller for the internal mixer of the software, hence the name!doing what?
both interpreting a digital/analog signal with the ability to manipulate.
of course you can also use a soundcard with multiple stereo outputs, or even several soundcards with one stereo output each, duh! it's just that 5.1 cards are the most common cards for such setups...obviously not...who said it has only one output, you made the differentiation on stereo and 5.1 surround which was misleading.
wrong, a midi controller doesn't interprate any signals at all, and doesn't work with analog signals either (and especially doesn't manipulate any audio!). a midi controller only sends signals to the pc (apart from clock sync etc). a midi controller is not a mixer, it's only a controller for the internal mixer of the software, hence the name!
specialised but possiblejust try to use a midi controller for mixing without a pc, with turntables or cdjs...
and off you go.4 RCA outputs for independent control of the house system and booth monitors
okay then, let me tap into your knowledge and please explain what you need the outputs for, which part of the setup goes where, just that I don't get anything wrong and understand you correctly, both in HW and SW.of course you can also use a soundcard with multiple stereo outputs, or even several soundcards with one stereo output each, duh! it's just that 5.1 cards are the most common cards for such setups...
and btw, full duplex just means you can open output and input at the same time, doesn't mean you can have several outputs open at the same time.
okay then, let me tap into your knowledge and please explain what you need the outputs for, which part of the setup goes where, just that I don't get anything wrong and understand you correctly, both in HW and SW.
i know everything is possible with special hard/software, and i also know high-end mixers are midi controllers too. i was trying to give a noob some starting point, thus explaining most common setups, mostly ignoring too expensive options
here is where we drift apart, you're describing prolly the most common bedroom DJ setup, exactly because of price.well then, the most common setups are:
full hardware: at least two turntables or cdjs running their audio into the inputs of a hardware mixer.
full software: the mixing software streams its master output to the soundcard and thus to the speakers. midi controller optional. cueing either via the controller (if it supports that), or via a second output on the soundcard, filled by the software. special case is only a single output with mono split of master/cue.
same can be achieved in full duplex on master and cueing channel, making only one output really necessary, though your model is valid and correct.software with hardware mixer: software sends two audio streams to soundcard(s)
cueing and mastering/streaming/sending the signal on one card is impossible w/o full-duplex, one of the most asked Qs in forums by newbies (don't call 'em n00bs pleez, hehe) but your right, our lil discussion isn't really helping but rather confusing, apologies to the OP but don't be scared off please, everyone started small., which are directed into the hardware mixer (similar to setup with 2 cdjs). cueing and mixing (and probably also gaining) happens on mixer. speakers will play the master output of the mixer. if you want to record the outcome on the same soundcard, it will have to be full duplex, otherwise not.
yesandno, it would highly depend on your chosen software as well - as soon as you bring real time effects into play (in software - not coupled to or taken from the hardware) latency becomes an issue, not necessarily in delay but in introducing artefacts (clicks and pops etc.)low latency is certainly desirable for any setup involving software, but as we're not talking about music production, most consumer soundcards should be good enough for djing.
if youre only sending a master output and a cue output to the soundcard, you're not using a hardware mixer, this only works with an internal software mixer, possibly with a controller device! thus it falls into my "fully software" category!same can be achieved in full duplex on master and cueing channel, making only one output really necessary, though your model is valid and correct.
the simplest consumer stereo-only soundcards have:in general, for easier understanding,
would you agree on common soundcard setup, not taking 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1 into account?
line in
line out
mic in
phones out
not at all and that's not what I said, you need to cue/monitor each channel of your decks, so virtually you have both channels though reproducing physically only the one that is live (or splitting in transition, still feeding only one physical channel), on a simplex or half duplex setup transitions would be impossible and your monitoring would happen on the master (correct me if i'm wrong).you seem to be confused what duplex means, duplex means having both in and out on one i/o channel. having several outputs going at the same time is not duplex.
routed into the software via USB (or MIDI/USB adapter which most even older hardware conceived mixers do, some better some worse / no I don't mean a pure MIDI controller/interface) that's what a hardware mixer does, controlling the software mixer, the very reason for using one in the first place and only needing one channel output (master), even the cueing goes USB, that's were we misunderstand each other, the soundcard becomes a pure output channel in this scenario and is not really involved in this funcionality.ps:if you're only sending a master output and a cue output to the soundcard, you're not using a hardware mixer, this only works with an internal software mixer, possibly with a controller device! thus it falls into my "fully software" category!
that's what the mixer becomes in a software setup, a midi controller, providing it talks and understands midi.pps: and before you reply, yes you can also use an expensive mixer for this, but still, in this case you're not using the mixer as mixer, but only as midi controller!
yes you are, again duplex is when you have both inputs and outputs going on the same i/o channel, this is not the case in what you're talking about, you're only talking about having multiple outputs going at the same time, duplex is irrelevant in this case.not at all and that's not what I said, you need to cue/monitor each channel of your decks, so virtually you have both channels though reproducing physically only the one that is live (or splitting in transition, still feeding only one physical channel), on a simplex or half duplex setup transitions would be impossible and your monitoring would happen on the master (correct me if i'm wrong).
yes exactly, so it doesnt function as a mixer any more (it doesn't mix audio, it only sends midi codes to the pc), the pc does the actual mixing. a midi controller for the software never sees any audio data and is in fact incapable of actually mixing two audio channels together.that's what the mixer becomes in a software setup, a midi controller, providing it talks and understands midi.