Hercules controller

colly_06

Hi,
Recently been getting into dj'ing, using a laptop.
I just bought a hercules mp3 controller, it doesn't have a 4 channel soundcard, i was gonna get a djio for it to cue up songs and then i came across the hercules mk2 which has a built in sound card which would work out better if I sold the first controller, so does any one know if the hercules soundcards are decent quality?

Thanks

ironclaw

colly_06 wrote: »

Hi,
Recently been getting into dj'ing, using a laptop.
I just bought a hercules mp3 controller, it doesn't have a 4 channel soundcard, i was gonna get a djio for it to cue up songs and then i came across the hercules mk2 which has a built in sound card which would work out better if I sold the first controller, so does any one know if the hercules soundcards are decent quality?

Thanks

Hey.What software are you using with it?

The Mk2 does have a sound card and as a result there is a price difference. AudioPhiles would wince at the soundcard but its decent enough. The sound quality really stems from the quality of the MP3 or WAV your playing from. And then the headphones you use. And the the speakers you use etc. My Pioneer's sound excellent but only because they are connected to a decent mixer with a decent audio source. If you use a bad MP3 file it will sound bad. Simple really.

Remember there are other controllers out there. It can be easy at the start to buy as you need, however in DJ-ing its easier to buy something you can grow into rather than something you'll grow out of too quick.

colly_06

Thanks for replying,
I'm using virtual DJ 6,
I've currently been using an mbox mini as a soundcard, it's great quality but was really designed for recording, I just hope the built in soundcard will be of the same quality.I only use 320kbps mp3's,

cheers

ironclaw

colly_06 wrote: »

Thanks for replying,
I'm using virtual DJ 6,
I've currently been using an mbox mini as a soundcard, it's great quality but was really designed for recording, I just hope the built in soundcard will be of the same quality.I only use 320kbps mp3's,

cheers

No problem. Here to help. Are you using a $330 sound card with a Hercules! :eek: (Link: http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?itemid=4962&langid=100 ) Just kidding.

Well, if your serious I'd recommend the Torq X-Ponent or the Hercules RMX. Both are excellent with plenty of growing room built it. I'd avoid the MK2 as its quite old at this stage and wouldn't be surprised if Hercules discontinued it very soon.

garthv

Er, stick with the Mbox mate!

The sound card on the Hercules products are a pile of ****e. I got rid of my RMX for a Numark Omni Control because the sound card was so bad.

colly_06

Oh right, so is the numark sound card good quality?
And does it work with virtual dj?

Thanks

garthv

Yeah the sound card in the Omni Control is great, real crisp sound off it.

Havent a clue if it works with Virtual DJ. Don't really care either...get yourself Serato or Traktor mate. Virtual DJ is like Fisher Price DJ software

colly_06

I'm gonna look into the omni control,
would it be easy enough to attatch it to a set of speakers?
Do all speaker systems in clubs have 2 inputs, cheers

ED E

If the club provides a mixer then you can use two inputs. Amp systems only ever take one stereo feed at a time.

colly_06

Ok,
Well if i want to bypass the clubs mixer and just use the omni control as the mixer and plug it straight to the amp how would i wire it from the omni,

garthv

A club will rarely ever let you near their amp if there is a mixer there already.

All you need to do is to connect the Omni Control to one of the channels in the existing mixer and you are ready to go.

ironclaw

garthv wrote: »

A club will rarely ever let you near their amp if there is a mixer there already.

All you need to do is to connect the Omni Control to one of the channels in the existing mixer and you are ready to go.

+1

You'd just take the output from the Omni and put it through the mixer. However, remember the Omni is Laptop only while some DJ Controllers allow you to route CDJ's etc through them. Similar price range but a nice feature to have. e.g. Client requests a song from their iPod that you don't have, you can route it through the controller on one side.

ED E

ironclaw wrote: »

+1

You'd just take the output from the Omni and put it through the mixer. However, remember the Omni is Laptop only while some DJ Controllers allow you to route CDJ's etc through them. Similar price range but a nice feature to have. e.g. Client requests a song from their iPod that you don't have, you can route it through the controller on one side.

I bought a cheap mixer to go alongside my Midi for exactly that purpose, works a treat:)

colly_06

Ok cheers, my question about how to connect it to a mixer was because I thought output 1 was for deck a and output 2 for deck b so essentially 4 outputs into 2 inputs in the mixer. Is that right?

ED E

colly_06 wrote: »

Ok cheers, my question about how to connect it to a mixer was because I thought output 1 was for deck a and output 2 for deck b so essentially 4 outputs into 2 inputs in the mixer. Is that right?

You could, but shouldnt. The reason it has two outs mainly is due to the need to monitor. In 90% of set ups channel 2 is your headphones. You have two "decks" but they both run on out1. You switch between them with the fader on the Omni.

If you use the two, it means you can use no other sources(if the mixer is 2 channel, you're fine if its 4) and also makes the fader on the omni obsolete along with all the monitoring, you need to put your headphones into the mixer and control which side/mix its listening to on there.

colly_06

Cheers dude, got it now

colly_06

Another question: Would the djio be a better soundcard than the hercules inbuilt one?

ED E

Cant say for sure as I cant see any specs, probably wouldnt know anyway:p

That said AFAIK the IO is quite decent, I think it sounds lovely and it supports ASIO so it can do "Ultra-Low Latency" which is useful for scratching(which nobody does on midi..) but you can set the latency high(low performance) and then set a high sample rate, giving max quality for non scratchers. Its a rugged little thing, though the USB isnt as secure as I'd like. The DJMag guys drop it a few times during their review, no damage.

garthv

Output 1 is for your master output and output 2 is for your monitor.

Its a simple case of just hooking an rca cable into your speaker setup or route it through another mixer.