Recording DJ set

Normally Rekordbox is capable of making a good quality recording via the internal recording option. You can set the auto normalize function, and recordings can be saved in loss less format. In this case your recorded mix will sound as good as the quality of your tracks.

When all your recordings in Ableton, Rekordbox, Audacity, etc. can't make a satisfactory recording, maybe the orignal mixed tracks are not in high quality. After all you can't make perfect mix recordings with lower quality tracks.

Personally I use loss less AIFF tracks, each about 50-80MB in size. When I record a mix in Rekordbox with those tracks, and the mix in finished, I use Platinum Notes to improve the sound quality. The result is a smooth normalised track, with just a little extra warmth in it, and absolutely not over edited.

I have eeverything if Flac and Aiff from Junodownload and Beatport

Can you explain more about the quality of your mix recordings then? What is it that makes your mixes sound less good? The flac and aiff files of Juno and Beatport are 16Bit/44,1Khz, so they should sound perfect.

Are the individual flac and aiff tracks you mix, in high quality when you listen to them separately?

Did you check your recording settings in Rekordbox? Highest loss less quality, and auto normalize, when preferable?

What brand/type of mixer are you using in between the CDJ-900's? And do you use RB in Export modus with recording via the mixer's soundcard, or a seprate audio interface? Or do you use RB in Preformance mode, with the internal soundcard of the laptop/PC?

The recordings lack dynamics and energy compared to the original.I have a DJM 900NXS2 and a classic free rekordbox.

Here are photos of how I set it up

https://forums.pioneerdj.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360055083671-Best-recording-

As far as I know, the older free Rekordbox version has no internal recording capabilities. Only the full version has this recording option, which you can activate by checking the [Record] box on the upper left corner of the Rekordbox software. And you don't see this checkbox in the older free version.

Your DJM-900NXS2 is set as soundcard towards it's Audio Out. Most probably your DJM-900NXS2 Audio-Out is connected on to the Audio-In of your laptop or PC. In this case the internal soundcard of your laptop or PC converts the analogue audio signal from the DJM-900NXS2 in to a digital music file on your harddrive. Then the recording quality is as good as your internal soundcard.

What I personally would do, is installing the full Rekordbox version, which you can use free without any limitations, for 30 days. You can even leave the old free Rekordbox version on your laptop or PC. Close the old free Rekordbox version, open the full Rekordbox version, click on the checkbox for recording, push the red record button, make a simple and short mix, and listen back to the result. I am almost convinced that this will sound in the same quality as your original tracks.

Otherwise buy an affordable but good quality audio interface, like the Focusrite Scarlett 4i4. You can even buy the older and also perfect 2i4, maybe secondhand. Use two XLR-to-Mono JACK 6,3mm cables to connect your DJM-900NXS2 Main Audio-Out [L+R] in to the 6,3mm Jack Audio-In on the front of the 4i4. Use a USB cable to connect the 4i4 on to your laptop/PC. Choose the 4i4 as soundcard in your audio settings. Use Ableton Lite, Audacity, etc. select the 4i4 as soundcard, and record your mix from any Rekordbox version you like.

Again, personally I would purchase the full Rekordbox version, so you can record your mixing internally. Even with automatic normalizing, and in 16bit/44.1Khz quality. It's actually a bit akward in my opinion, to own a NXS2 set, and use a free Rekordbox version.

I have Rekordbox 5.8.2 and recording goes normally And automatic normalization also works, so why buy a paid Rekordbox? If I record in RB or Audacity, I hear no difference.

In your previous reply you stated: "I have a DJM 900NXS2 and a classic free Rekordbox."

Now you write that you use the full version Rekordbox 5.8.2 and recording goes normally. What is the problem then, if all is ok?

When I record a mix in Rekordbox full version, the sound quality is the same as the original used aiff tracks. You can only reduce the quality by changing the Rekordbox recording quality in to a compressed mp3 file.

If you are recording your mixes in Rekordbox 5.8.2. and the settings for the recording are loss less wav 16bit/44.1Khz, then the result should be perfect. If the result is not that good, use Platinum Notes from Mixed In Key, to master your mix extra. I do this since a couple of weeks, and I must say that the sound quality is noticably better and warmer. 

Nowhere I wrote that I have paid full version, I wrote that I have a classic version which means Free .. and recording in freeversion works without a problem .. The problem is that the recording lacks dynamics and energy compared to the original and it does not matter what software I use.

No hard feelings chappy, I'm just a bit confused. As far as I know the old and free Rekordbox version goes until version 3.3

I did not know that the old free Rekordbox version is updated up to version 5.8.2, exactly like the full and paid Rekordbox version.

Is n't it that you 'think' that you have the free version, because you might have received a free licence for the full Rekordbox version with the purachase of your NXS2 set? As you probably know, you always get a free Rekordbox licence together with most Pioneer DJ hardware.

Anway, the last thing I can only think of, is that the free Rekordbox version has a limited recording quality then. Again, I never found the option to record a mix within the free Rekordbox version 3.3. But you have free Rekordbox version 5.8.2, and you can also do recordings within the free Rekordbox version, so probably I missed quite a spot there.

Maybe Pulse, one of the Pioneer DJ mods in this forum, will read this topic too, and can come with some additional ideas or solutions, to get your recordings in better quality. I'm aswel a bit confused about your software and hardware explanations, as well as out of any further ideas to help you. 

I have DJM 900 NXS2 + CDJ 2000 NXS2 and i really didn´t get full license Rekordbox