TVD UK
So based on my previous post (locked) it is not possible to get the correct vu readings to the ddj-1000 although it is with rekordbox, after several gigs with it, i just find i can't get on with it like that, so after 15 plus years with VDJ it is either find a controller that does work the way i want it or move from vdj to rekordbox. I just struggle to see how I set gains up on channels if what i am seeing is just "for show", and how I set master gains so that I know what I am putting out so when faders on max, and mixing transition I am never going to clip speakers. Never had any such issue with any other mixer i have used.
Posted Sun 15 Aug 21 @ 3:34 pm
PhantomDeejay
Are you looking for a solution or you just want to make a statement ?
I gave you a quite comprehensive answer on your previous topic.
But let's have another round:
1) The channel vu-meters on DDJ-1000 are scale-less. I mean the silkscreen of the controller does not have any scale printed on the VU's of deck channels. So please tell me how do you get useful information out of them in the first place ?
2) The way DDJ-1000 works (with it's default audio setup and headroom) you should not have to worry about distortion on any of the mixing stages until the sound leaves the controller.
Besides the fact that DDJ-1000 has enough headroom, VirtualDJ has also it's limiter that protects you from distortion, and even after that stage the DDJ-1000 also offers a peakstop limiter as well.
So, the only thing remaining is whether or not your controller output is too hot for your speakers.
In that domain, you should not really complain about vu-meters anymore.. Besides tweaking your sound system properly, the MASTER vu-meter of DDJ-1000 is an analog hardware operated vu-meter that also has a printed scale on it. So, it's the only vu-meter that actually offers some valuable information and it's the only vu-meter you should matter when you want to prevent your speakers/amps from clipping.
Channel vu-meters (even if they were analog) are not meant to be used to monitor master output and if the speakers/amps are going to clip, and I doubt if you can tell how much increase you will have (in db) on your master VU when you are going to mix 2 channels together by just looking at the channel vumeters.
3) Channel vu-meters in general are useful for 3 main reasons:
a) On analog gear to make sure that you're not overloading/distorting the inputs of the mixer circuits
b) To have a visible comparison between channels so that you can tell if one channel is too hot or too weak
c) To have a visible clue that a channel has some sound playing in it.
So, if we take out of the equation the first part (since there's no analog circuit to overload) the remaining two points are still able to be obtained by a digital VU. As I said before, I believe it's more whether you want peak vs power vu-meter reading, rather than what numbers those reading could possibly translate if they were converted to analog.
Finally:
Even if you switch to Rekordbox DJ, the channel vu-meters still won't really tell you anything useful. They won't tell you for instance where/when digital distortion can/will occur. They will work as you say.. "for show". And that's because they are showing a conversion of the digital world to analog that makes no real sense.
I guess you may feel more comfortable treating digital signal as analog. But IMHO that's not the right thing to do if you want to keep up with technology developments. If you look at most modern PA equipment they are already switching to AES protocol instead of analog. Guess what kind of vu-meters they use.. :P
I gave you a quite comprehensive answer on your previous topic.
But let's have another round:
1) The channel vu-meters on DDJ-1000 are scale-less. I mean the silkscreen of the controller does not have any scale printed on the VU's of deck channels. So please tell me how do you get useful information out of them in the first place ?
2) The way DDJ-1000 works (with it's default audio setup and headroom) you should not have to worry about distortion on any of the mixing stages until the sound leaves the controller.
Besides the fact that DDJ-1000 has enough headroom, VirtualDJ has also it's limiter that protects you from distortion, and even after that stage the DDJ-1000 also offers a peakstop limiter as well.
So, the only thing remaining is whether or not your controller output is too hot for your speakers.
In that domain, you should not really complain about vu-meters anymore.. Besides tweaking your sound system properly, the MASTER vu-meter of DDJ-1000 is an analog hardware operated vu-meter that also has a printed scale on it. So, it's the only vu-meter that actually offers some valuable information and it's the only vu-meter you should matter when you want to prevent your speakers/amps from clipping.
Channel vu-meters (even if they were analog) are not meant to be used to monitor master output and if the speakers/amps are going to clip, and I doubt if you can tell how much increase you will have (in db) on your master VU when you are going to mix 2 channels together by just looking at the channel vumeters.
3) Channel vu-meters in general are useful for 3 main reasons:
a) On analog gear to make sure that you're not overloading/distorting the inputs of the mixer circuits
b) To have a visible comparison between channels so that you can tell if one channel is too hot or too weak
c) To have a visible clue that a channel has some sound playing in it.
So, if we take out of the equation the first part (since there's no analog circuit to overload) the remaining two points are still able to be obtained by a digital VU. As I said before, I believe it's more whether you want peak vs power vu-meter reading, rather than what numbers those reading could possibly translate if they were converted to analog.
Finally:
Even if you switch to Rekordbox DJ, the channel vu-meters still won't really tell you anything useful. They won't tell you for instance where/when digital distortion can/will occur. They will work as you say.. "for show". And that's because they are showing a conversion of the digital world to analog that makes no real sense.
I guess you may feel more comfortable treating digital signal as analog. But IMHO that's not the right thing to do if you want to keep up with technology developments. If you look at most modern PA equipment they are already switching to AES protocol instead of analog. Guess what kind of vu-meters they use.. :P
Posted Mon 16 Aug 21 @ 9:41 pm
djfabrice
Hello
I encountered the same problem.
I found a solution on the VDJ technical support forum (Thanks to DJ C-Mux)
replace "VU_Meter" action = "get_level"
by "VU_Meter" action = "get_level & param_pow 0.5"
Here is the link for all the explanations.
https://www.virtualdj.com/forums/228714/VirtualDJ_Technical_Support/DDj-1000_hid_midi_script_bug_deck_level_.html.
I made this modification and everything works fine.
I put "the zero DB" on -9.
don't change software, I think VDJ is much better than Rekordbox.
GOOD mix
PS: Sorry for my english thank you google translate.
I encountered the same problem.
I found a solution on the VDJ technical support forum (Thanks to DJ C-Mux)
replace "VU_Meter" action = "get_level"
by "VU_Meter" action = "get_level & param_pow 0.5"
Here is the link for all the explanations.
https://www.virtualdj.com/forums/228714/VirtualDJ_Technical_Support/DDj-1000_hid_midi_script_bug_deck_level_.html.
I made this modification and everything works fine.
I put "the zero DB" on -9.
don't change software, I think VDJ is much better than Rekordbox.
GOOD mix
PS: Sorry for my english thank you google translate.
Posted Thu 19 Aug 21 @ 8:21 am