Not sure if the fact I was using the mixer with Traktor is the issue here, because I've used the mixer at gigs twice with it without issue.
This 3rd time however, I had a nightmare of a time with the mixer.
I use channels 1 and 4 for my decks A and B. During the set, channel 1 started getting noticeably quieter than channel 4. I then cranked up the gain all the way to compensate, only to not have enough signal still to match channel 4.
I got the sound engineer to just turn up everything so I could turn down channel 4 to match channel 1. No big deal to me, I could live with that being the issue for the set. BUT THEN Channel 1 decided to cut out entirely. So when that happened I decided it was in my best interest to change channels on the mixer over to 2 and 3 instead of 1 and 4 like usual. After a nightmare of a time doing that while playing my set, I eventually got my channels changed over (but I routed the decks backwards on accident haha. I had Deck A on 3 and Deck B on 2.)
The rest of the set I noticed that channel 2 kept on getting quieter and quieter as time went on the same way channel 1 had the issue. Luckily it didn't cut out on me like channel 1 did.
So my question is: Would this be a firmware issue? A hardware issue? Traktor issue?
I am under the impression that Traktor is not at fault here because Deck A was moved from the problem channel "1" to Channel "3" which didn't have issues. But yet Channel 2 which was Deck B, had issues.
I am going to be testing out the mixer again to try to repeat the issue later. I will report my findings.
Post is closed for comments.
I also forgot to add that during the whole set I was having the left side audio cut out intermittently, Sometimes the left side audio would give me a little bit, but sometimes none at all. Then sometimes it would give me full. I don't know if this was the master channel messing up or the individual channels as all I could see was the master stereo volumeter only having the right side.
Ok, after further investigation, when the channel 1 cut out on me and I rerouted my decks to different channels... I had them rerouted wrong on channel 2. I was only sending the right audio. So that is mystery solved on the continuation of the lower gain and pan issue. But the initial problem still is unknown to me. Why did it give me low gain in the first place and then cut out when I wasn't messing with the routing?
Yeah, I have no idea -- it sounds suspect, but the best way to truly troubleshoot it would be to use the mixer without Traktor and see if the audio has similar issues. If it does not, then it's possible that something within the software was causing it, possibly a MIDI mapping?
Check Traktor's settings: is AutoGain, Limiting and/or Headroom enabled? What is Traktor's Master Volume knob set to?
Well when I tried to duplicate the problem I ran it through Traktor again with the same session of Traktor form the night before. Even went through the same songs from the history, and it ran perfectly smooth.
I did play with a USB drive for 30 minutes or so too. But I was on channels 2 and 3 so I didn't try the channel in question. I'll try it again this week if I can and I'll post my findings if anything funny happens, but I doubt anything will. I've used that mixer a few times now without any issues. Just that once.
My autogain setting is on no matter what I'm using. I have custom gains saved on all my tracks, so it's not the computer set gain level. Limiter is on. And I turn down my master 3db in Traktor to make sure I don't ride or even touch the limiter ever even with it on.
@Sean > Maybe next time check the mixer; is it overheating?