Recording Mixes on SC 5000 / X1800

The manual states:

Digital Link Select On to sum the outgoing signal before the Master knob and Booth knob, which you can use to control their output level. Select Off to sum the outgoing signal after the Master knob and Booth knob, which will have no effect on the output level.

Digital Link is for hooking up another X1800, so default would be Off. I think… :blush:

Thanks for all the detailed help and support guys. Unfortunately, I’m still having no joy in getting anything recorded! Some friends are begging me to back to Pioneer Nexus! I’m hoping that I won’t have to having seen the Denon light! Nu.Be

1 Like

Eehh wait what; you cannot record? It’s not like rocket science or anything.

and how is recording there different?

1 Like

Rekordbox has the record facility I was led to believe

1 Like

I’m flabbergasted.

“Onbegrijpelijk, ik haak af”

Hey Nu.Be, it seems we are talking apples and oranges here.

If you are using any kind of DJ software it will have an option to record your set. This has nothing to do with the kind of control gear you are using.

If you are wanting to use gear WITHOUT a computer/laptop attached, you would need some kind of recording device, like the Tascam you borrowed.

The X1800 has a record out option. It is RCA (red/white) between the RCA master out and the Jack Booth outputs. This is an analogue output and should go into the RCA (red/white) on the left-hand (input) side of the back of the Tascam. For this you would use a standard RCA/RCA audio cable of good quality. We are not talking monster cable with gold contacts, but something a bit above the standard cables that come with home hifi gear.

The record output of the mixer will give you the same signal the master output gets, with the exception of master volume control. This means that you play your mixes all night long and you can use the master volume level to make it louder or less so over the PA, without changing the actual recording level. This way, at the end of recording, it will seem like the mix was made with the same overall level, regardless of where the master level setting was at any given time.

The discussion branched out into whether or not it would be possible to use the digital out from the mixer (directly on the other - right - side of the booth outputs and also an RCA, just a single one), If it is possible, you would connect this output with a DIGITAL audio cable with ONE RCA on either side (careful, this is not half of a regular RCA audio cable, but an actual other cable. Typically they will have yellow connectors instead of red/white.) and run it into the digital in of the Tascam. The confusion has risen because maybe the digital output of the mixer is only suited for linking two X1800s and not for pre-master stereo recording purposes.

Interesting as that discussion might be though, for your current and direct need, hooking up the mixer to the Tascam using the analog RCA audio cable option is quick and simple. Play a few tunes, open the channel faders, read the Tascam manual how to set input level (0dB is always your friend) and start recording.

Done.

Clearly I am slightly prejudiced towards Denon gear, but the “come back to Pioneer, because Rekordbox offers recording options doesn’t hold true”. Again, just my personal opinion and 2 cents worth.

Hope you will try the analog option with your Tascam and let us know if you got what you set out to get.

5 Likes

Thank you very much for the detailed and helpful response. For the record, my Pioneer Nexus are sold and I am sticking firmly with my Prime gear! (Maybe just another confused head wobble on my part!)

I will look into all your helpful suggestions and am sure I’ll suss it eventually.

I’m confident that sticking with the SC5000 and 1800 are the right decision because, bottom line, they are far more innovative, future thinking and groundbreaking than any of the Pioneer equipment.

I love them and feel lucky to have the set up. Again, thanks everyone for your help and support.

Simon Nu.Be

I guess it’s all relative if you know what you are doing and I don’t…thanks for the constructive comment.

1 Like

You stated that you’re not new to DJ-ing and have used the flagship Pioneer NXS’s. That means you are potentially a Pro Audio user.

And you have NEVER EVER recorded ANYTHING?

Sorry for the caps, but for me that’s like saying “I drive in a car but don’t know how to operate the steering wheel”.

And sorry for the non-constructive reply. Hopefully someone else can help.

1 Like

We all take different paths, have different priorities and opportunities. Some may know how to replace every component of an advanced super computer, but never know how to program one. Others may know everything about sound dynamics on a studio production, but not know how to reduce the occurrence of feedback in a live situation. Very few know nothing, very few know “everything”.

If someone says something which doesn’t match, or go along with, our own experiences, please consider that given the experiences that they’ve had, on whatever equipment they’ve got the experience from, or with, they may also be right. Sometimes some situations have more than one answer.

6 Likes

OP said one of the main reasons to switch riders, was to eliminate laptop need. One could easily assume that he used a laptop in a CDJ environment, not unimaginable recording in software on his laptop, Rekordbox in Performance mode does have that option after all.