Usb Sound Card For Dj Laptop

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1. Usb Sound Card For Dj Laptop Computers
2. External Sound Cards For Laptop
3. Usb Sound Card For Dj Laptop
4. Sound Card With Usb Output
5. Usb Sound Card For Dj Laptop Windows 7

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It’s one of the most common questions beginner DJs ask us: I’ve got a budget DJ controller (for Christmas/birthday etc) and I absolutely love it, but it hasn’t got anywhere to plug headphones in. What can I do?

The standard answer is to buy a decent DJ sound card. (Here’s where to find out more about why you need a sound card, and more about some budget sound cards.) However, having to find the cash for another piece of kit when you maybe just want to see if DJing is “for you” is not what many people want to hear.

So when Digital DJ Tips reader Kidsinister got in touch to say he’s successfully set up Traktor on his PC with a sound card bought on the internet for just $1, we thought it was worthy of further investigation!

Before we hand over to Kidsinster, bear in mind the following:

• The DJ sound cards we normally recommend have TWO outputs – one for the headphones, and one for the main speakers. Thus when you use one, you bypass the laptop’s internal sound card altogether. This solution, on the other hand, still uses the laptop’s internal sound card for the main output. As such, the sound quality you’ll get is limited by how good your laptop’s sound is
• We haven’t tested this on any systems other than Traktor on a PC. It probably works in Virtual DJ, for instance, as that software is flexible – however, you may find in some versions of some software that the hardware configuration options are limited. A good thing to do is ask on the software forum to see if anyone can confirm that the software that came with your particular controller can be configured to work with external sound cards like this one
• This is a great, cheap and ingenious solution for practising, for convenience (it’s tiny), and for playing house parties, small bars and so on. However, for bigger gigs, as you’re relying on the internal sound quality of your laptop, you will want to test it on the sound system first to make sure it sounds OK – chances are a proper DJ sound card will outperform your laptop’s internal sound card, and the difference will start to become more noticeable on bigger PA systems

Where can I get it?
It’s a tiny, mass-produced item that looks just like a USB drive, but with a headphone and a microphone socket on it.

For our purposes, we’re interested in the fact that it gives us that extra headphones socket – somewhere to plug out headphones in to while the main headphones socket on the laptop is used to power our speakers.

Buy it from Amazon.com.

How to do it…

These instructions are for Traktor Pro on a PC. We haven’t tested this and we also have no idea whether it works on other software, other versions of Traktor to the one Kidsinister tried, or on the Mac. It’s likely to, but we can’t guarantee it. Then again, it’s only $1 – what have you go to to lose? We’re ordering one today so will report back…

Here’s the instructions from Kidsinster:

• “The process is pretty much plug and play, no real hassles to be had. Firstly, the $1 USB card doesn’t need installation software, you plug it in and there’s a new hardware brief prompt. I’m currently using it with Traktor Pro, on an old Windows XP laptop, 1.5Ghz/2GB RAM with zero lag.
• “Next thing I did was download Asio4All, and after installing there should be 2 devices in the device list in Traktor, one being the on-board sound card, and the second the $1 sound card.
• “The little power button next to both should be highlighted for both sound cards to run. Then in Traktor settings, under Audio Setup, select Asio4All v2 on the drop-down menu for audio device.
• “My friends and I have noticed that once you select Asio4All as the audio device in Traktor for the first time, you have to restart Traktor or else it will not be recognised.
• “After restarting Traktor, go back to the settings and select Output Routing. Under Output Monitor, for each L/R channels, select whatever the $1 sound card is called (mine is USB Headphone Set 1/2), and for Output Master select the on-board sound card. You plug the headphones directly into the USB sound card to monitor.

How good is it?

Over to Kidsinister again:

“In terms of loudness and clarity, with regard to monitoring only, I’m fairly certain it can be used for an actual gig (I plan to try it anyway).

Usb Sound Card For Dj Laptop Computers

“However the problem is loudness and clarity of the master output, because it will be determined by the quality of the on-board sound card (the laptop one I have is mediocre).

With this alternative, it’s possible for beginners to spend next to nothing on equipment whilst learning”

“My plan is to use it for a house party, by using the on-board sound card output and putting it through a channel on an actual mixer, essentially so I can amp the volume, and control the master levels to get a clearer sound.

“With this alternative it’s possible for beginners to spend next to nothing on equipment, whilst learning.”

• Thanks to Kidsinister (twitter.com/kidsincity) for the idea and the instructions for this article.

Have you set up your DJ software/controller using any type of non-DJ sound card? What did you use? Would you like to share any tips or tricks you’ve got with us? Or have you used this particular little device? Whatever, we’d love you to let us know your experiences with us.

Now go to:
All About Sound Cards for Digital DJing
DJ Sound Cards Under $130: Top Models Reviewed & Rated
Coming Soon: How To DJ Properly With Just a Laptop

External Sound Cards For Laptop

We pick five of the best audio interfaces for digital DJs, featuring products from Rane, Native Instruments, Focusrite and Numark.

An audio interface is the missing link between a DJ’s laptop set-up, the club’s sound system and, ultimately, the dancefloor. As such, a solid, reliable and easy-to-use interface is essential for any digital DJ who wants to play consistently trouble-free sets – we’ve all seen the nightmares that await those who roll into a gig unprepared. To ease you along this potentially hazardous path, we have selected the five best DJ audio interfaces on the market across a range of prices, from high-end solutions for professionals using Serato to cheap solutions for occasional iPad DJs.

Native Instruments – Traktor DJ Cable

As its name suggests, the Traktor DJ Cable from Native Instruments isn’t a sound card but a simple splitter cable. Aimed primarily at users of Native Instruments’s Traktor DJ for iOS, but also compatible with Traktor Pro 2, the cable plugs easily into the headphone jack of an iPhone, iPad or laptop and splits the audio signal, allowing the audio to be routed through a mixer and allowing separate headphone monitoring, controlled by Traktor’s internal mixer.

While the Traktor DJ Cable is no substitute for a full audio interface, and doesn’t allow separate channels to be routed through a DJ mixer, if you need a quick and easy solution for plugging a computer into a soundsystem at a house party, or need an emergency backup to carry around, this is ideal. At under £10, the price can’t be argued with, and it works with other software if you’re not a Traktor user.
More info/Buy

Numark – DJ iO2

Numark’s original DJ iO audio interface offered DJs an affordable, lightweight and compact solution for playing from a computer, featuring two independent RCA stereo outputs, a 1/4” microphone input with level control and dedicated headphone output. This updated version does everything the original did with the same number of connections, but does so in a much more aesthetically pleasing shell including blue hub lights that glow when the unit is powered up.

Like its predecessor the DJ iO2 is a reliable piece of kit from Numark, but improved in a number of small ways. The device supports the faster USB 3.0 connections (if your computer also has USB 3.0 ports) and is also compatible with iPads and iPhones with the use of an Apple Camera Connection Kit. The DJ iO2 may not be the flashiest option here, but for a portable piece of kit that won’t break the bank, this is the best of the bunch.
More info/Buy

Native Instruments – Audio 2 Mk2

Originally released in 2009, the Traktor Audio 2 was Native Instruments’s most streamlined audio interface for use with its Traktor software, allowing allow the user to output both channels of their Traktor set up to a DJ mixer separately or mix internally in the computer and use one output for headphone monitoring and the other as your master output. While not featuring quite as many outputs as Native Instruments’s and Audio 8 interfaces for four-deck mixing, it more than did the job for basic two-deck mixing in compact form.

This updated version does everything its predecessor did with the same 24-bit/48kHz resolution sound, and is is suitable for use with Traktor Pro 2 as well. However, chief improvement in this new version of the Audio 2 is plug-and-play support for the Traktor DJ app, making it one of the best solutions for those who might need to DJ from their iPhones or iPads. The one downside is that the included 30-pin cable will only work with older Apple gear, but for those with recent models an official Apple 30-pin to Lightning adaptor should ensure full compatibility.
More info/Buy

Usb Sound Card For Dj Laptop

Focusrite – Scarlett 2i4

While the rest of the interfaces we’ve featured in this list are all predominantly for use by DJs, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 is equally suited to both digital DJing and small home studio set-ups. Much like its predecessor, the Saffire 6, the Scarlett 2i4 features Focusrite’s rock-solid build quality together with two XLR inputs and crisp analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue conversion, ideal for those who might want to use it for recording with hardware like a vintage synth. The included Scarlett plug-in suite – which provides EQ, Compression, Gate and Reverb facilities – are ideal for this.

Crucially for DJing however, the Scarlett 2i4 features four RCA outputs for outputting two stereo channels, and a separate headphone output for DJing. Bonus extras come in the form of MIDI in and out for those who might want to use it as part of a live hardware setup, and a feedback light around the gain knob, which turns red when the audio input signal is too loud. The direct monitor control on the front panel will also allow you to hear what’s being recorded through speakers or headphones, bypassing the computer and avoids distracting latency that can be introduced by the audio software. At under £150 for what is a well-featured piece of kit that will do more than just facilitate DJing. The Scarlett 2i4 is a great option for those who might want to make the leap to production in the near future.
More info/Buy

Sound Card With Usb Output

Being a Serato-focused interface designed to connect four turntables or CDJs in any configuration for use with timecode vinyl and CDs, the connections are much more complex than a standard DJ interface. If you’re a Serato DJ or Scratch Live user, there’s no better standalone interface for playing with multiple decks, with additional auxiliary input and output that can be assigned to Serato add-ons like The Bridge (for using Ableton Live in tandem) and LiveFeed for recording mixes.

Usb Sound Card For Dj Laptop Windows 7

Perhaps the most appealing feature of the SL4 is the dual USB port, allowing two computers to be plugged in at once. If you’ve ever performed a DJ set with Serato in a club and been stuck when it came to switching over without cutting the sound. If that’s a familiar situation, the SL4 could be the way to manage this without having to reach for a spare CD to fill the gap. There’s no getting around the fact the SL4 is one of the priciest audio interfaces on the market, coming in as more expensive than even some of the smaller studio models, but the ASIO and Core Audio drivers mean the SL4 can also be used as a production tool in the studio as well.
More info/Buy