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Learn How To DJ With Digital DJ Gear

7 Rules For Great DJ Sound Quality

VU meters

The switch from analogue to digital has introduced a whole host of potential pitfalls when it comes to keeping sound quality high. But it needn’t be that way. These seven rules will help you ensure your DJ sets sound as good as they can.

I think we can all agree that music is a powerful and wonderful thing, liberating both the mind and body. In my experience, the cleaner and purer the music, the deeper one’s consciousness can engage with it. Pure vs distorted sound are as different to the mind as 2D vs 3D images are to the eyes. We have a duty of care to our listeners to ensure that everything in the audio chain is as clean and transparent as possible. Distortion hurts and drives people away from your music, particularly in today’s clubs where sound systems are loud.

So more than ever, it’s important to understand what’s involved, in order to strive to deliver a clean signal when you’re DJing or producing music. That’s what these 7 Rules For Great DJ Sound Quality are designed to help you with.

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Over To You: Why Does My Digital Gear Sound Worse Than CDJs?

Traktor Audio 4

The Traktor Audio 4 (since replaced by the Audio 6) is a fine audio interface, and is capable of producing excellent results.

Digital DJ Tips reader Andrew Potter writes: “I have recently been doing some gigs on Wednesday evening here in Tokyo. Every time I play my digital set up through the club’s system, and then compare sound quality from that of the DJs using the clubs CDJs, I notice a perceivable difference.

“Somehow the sound quality from my Mac, Traktor and Audio 4DJ doesn’t have the clarity or ‘presence’ that my CDJ counterparts achieve. I am completely stumped, because it’s all wired correctly into the CD line in on the mixer. The filters are in neutral position too. I thought that digital should always sound better, but I’m not hearing this in reality. Have you or your readers had a similar experience?”

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Your Questions: What Are VBR MP3s?

MP3 VBR

It's a dry subject for sure, but it's worth understanding VBR if you want to get the best quality/size ration from your MP3s... or if you want to make sure you only use the best sounding MP3s in your DJing.

Digital DJ Tips forum member Eledamiri writes: “I was watching your video about digital music quality the other day and then I wondered what exactly variable bitrate (VBR) is? Every now and then I encounter files with 205 VBR, 240 VBR and so, especially when I download DJ sets from SoundCloud.

“So do you know if they are so much different from 320kbps MP3s? I’m more of a listener than a DJ, by the way, but this community is great, I spent a lot of time reading the stuff here.”

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