Best Ways to Capture "Record Out"

I wonder if we could share some ideas about the best ways to record our sets from the X1800 mixer.

The record out RCAs should work, but I would prefer to stay digital. The digital out coax is probably post master and would require particular equipment to capture, too…

USB seems to be the simplest method. When connected to my Mac, the audio device is capturing the mixer’s 4 stereo pairs as channels 1-8 and then channels 9 and 10 appear to be the “record out”! Perfect – this is just what I wanted to record on the laptop.

Now, to pull this off, I typically use butt (broadcast using this tool: https://danielnoethen.de/) for its simplicity. I know this app is somewhat popular, and I imagine others are up against the same issue. butt allows me to capture the audio to WAV on disk and stream up to dnbradio.com at the same time via shoutcast. This is my goal now with the X1800.

What I’m finding, though, is that butt doesn’t seem prepared to capture anything past the first stereo pair of the audio device.

So, I’m wondering how others are accomplishing recording. Are you launching Audacity or a fancy DAW to do the trick? I’d love to continue using butt, but it seems I might need to lay out $99 for a license of Loopback (https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/). Boy is that a buzzkill.

Is there an easier way to reassign the first two channels to be this record out pair? I experimented with creating an aggregate device in macOS’s “Audio MIDI Setup” screens, but I’m not sure it allows for quite what I need.

Much thanks for any thoughts!

I know in utilities you can set some audio parameters including assignment of channels. Have you checked those?

As I don’t have the X1800, I can’t tell how the audio driver behaves. In the past with other mixers I have had some success using ASIO4All drivers which allowed for more manipulation of incoming channels, like allowing more channels to be selected inside the software.

Have to say since I am using a Mac, I have not worried about this stuff much anymore though :slight_smile:

Thanks for the note, DJ_Vintage. I am on Mac and I have experimented with Utilities -> Audio MIDI Setup to no avail so far.

I have noticed that Nicecast seems to do what I need, so perhaps it’ll end up being the simplest solution at this point that I need to pony up $59 for that one.

Of course, it would be nice if there was another answer.

Easiest solution is to use Traktor to record because it enables you to access the USB audio channel that carries the master/record signal (9/10) via the ASIO driver. Audiacity and other simple audio editing programes don’t have that option so you only get access to the first two audio channels.

1 Like

The X1800 is natively recognized by OSX, so you don’t have to worry about installing drivers or anything extra.

You’ll need a higher-end (i.e. Pro) app that can handle multi-track recording or, at bare minimum, has preferences that will enable access to the usb/audio interface of the X1800 and its channels so you can define what channels the app should record for input. I know this can be done in Logic and Magix Sound Forge and, in theory, you could even setup one stereo track per channel or a single stereo channel to handle just the Rec Out of the mixer.

Once I get back from the road on Sunday, I can provide more specific directions for you when I have some time if no one else has chimed in.

Nothing fancy for me, RCA out into single mini-jack into the mike port of my iMac and audacity to record.

I am using a Reloop tape set on 320kbps to record.

Hi DJTwok, Iv seen those advertised - are you relativly happy with the recording quality, and roughly how many hours do you think you can record at 320kbps 2

Yes at 320 the records sound fine. It depends on what usb Stick you are using. The bigger, the longer can be recorded. For me I’m happy with 16gb cause I copy my recorded sets after every gig to my computer.

At home I’ve just been running a USB cable to my laptop and opening a session of Ableton Live - select all five pairs of audio ins in stereo, record arm all five audio tracks, and hit GO. I end up with all four decks routed to their own channels and a master feed of the entire mix.

Otherwise bring a cheap, portable TASCAM and just run one of the output pairs into the headphone jack on the Tascam. I did this for over a decade for live shows to record to a Sony Minidisc unit way back when. Worked perfectly. Tascam is a bit more modern :wink:

DJs looking to record their sets digitally rather than use REC OUT can instead use the DIGITAL OUT from the mixer with a handheld recorder like - https://www.marantzpro.com/products/view/pmd661-mkiii