feedback on the hercules rmx

i dont know how well this will go down but here goes 🙂

been using my rmx for the past year and i fucking love the thing! it finally bridged the gap between djing live on mp3s that i really needed and has opened my eyes up to how versatile laptop djing can actually be!

now comes the bad points 🙂

the sound card in the rmx is a fucking pile of shit. i have to redline any system i am using to get a decent level of volume and even then it sounds bad. sounds even worse if i come on after somebody else who is using a half decent setup!

i recently purchased the numark omni control and while the layout of the buttons isnt as good as the rmx, the soundcard is 100 times better. i noticed a difference in the first 15 seconds of playing with the omni control.

also, you need to add more knobs for effects...the rmx is seriously lacking there(you might want to have a gander at the new ni kontrol x1 to get some pointers :))

anyway...its with a sad heart that i am retiring my hercules rmx for the omni control....due to the sound card issue and the fact that it got a pint spilled over it!

just my 2c.

Constructive criticism is a good thing. That's one way to learn and get better.

Now, could you be a little more precise about the audio problems you were having with the Rmx soundcard ?

Were you using the RCA or 1/4" jack as output ?

Can you elaborate on the differences you noticed between the Rmx and the Numark soundcard? 

i've been using rmx well over an year now and i personally don't see any difference between rmx and omni control in terms of sound card. both are 16bit. 

Sorry for the late reply,

Anyway...it didnt make any difference whether I used the RCA connections or the 1/4" jack connections, the sound quality was still as bad. It had a very muddled sound to it, making it hard to hear when two tracks were mixing together.

This wasnt just my RMX, my mate has an RMX and he had the exact same issue, I only realised what the problem was when I changed mixers.

djiatro - I know they both have 16bit cards but that doesnt make any difference...they can still be from two different manufacturers.

DJ Phatso - Thats all I am I trying to provide, a bit of contstructive criticism for the next Hercules product. As I said before, I love my RMX but the sound card was a major downfall which has led me to change what mixer I use.

Garyd,

I doubt you may hear ANY difference of quality between the audio of the DJ Console Rmx and the audio of the Omni Control when both are set properly (I have both Omni Control and Rmx, and I don't hear any difference of quality when using the same settings in the same software - Rmx jack outputs are louder than Omni Control RCA outputs), so I suppose your computer has a wrong setting in the software, or in the Rmx control panel, or in the computer.
Please detail:
- your configuration (computer: model, CPU, RAM, operating system, DJ Console Rmx driver, DJ mix software version)
- the specifications of the device on which you connect the Rmx, as the setting is not the same for public address speakers and for a hifi system),
- your setting in DJ Console Rmx control panel (of course, check the level of the output 1-2 and 3-4 sliders in the Rmx control panel)
- your audio settings in the DJ Mix software.

Hi,

I got the same problem (I´m post this at the german forum). The sound feels lile dumping, mushy not clear - maybe like a little filter and I try both Line-Outs....

I have compare this sound with the MK2 and MK2 was mutch better....   🙂

Maybe the next step is to buy a second Soundcard to fix this problem - because I was in touch with the Hercules support but they can´t help me.

So I will track this post maybe this post will fix all my problems.

Hello groove98,

Are you using the RCA or the 1/4'' output 1-2?

Are you using VDJ DJC or VDJ Pro? Have you tried VDJ Pro trila for 20 days ?

Have you the same problem when playing musinc with Media player?

Can you detail you configuration?
computeur
RAM
OS
etc.
VDJ version
Driver version ("ABOUT" Tab of the control panel)

When you say with MK2it is much better, is it only the sound level that is better or is there anything else?

With your mk2 are you  using the same audio cables that with your Rmx?

Hi lasic,

you are correcet firt of all you need all my configuration to analyze the situation.

So here we go:
Notebook Lenovo 3000 N200
CPU Core2Duo 1,8g GHz
RAM 1,5 GB
WinXP SP3
VDJ 6.xx
RMX 2009_HDJS_4

I tried both outputs and I heare a difference - the 1/4" is louder then the Cinch but the sound....
The setup is the same like on the MK2 also the cable.
Notebook USB --> RMX --> Amplifire --> Speakers

The most diferent between MK2 and RMX is the soundquality...the bass- and the middle-tone are not clear and powerfull and the whole sound likes a little bit overdrived.
I try some soundconfigurations but alway with the same output.

I hope you can give me some advice...

groove98

Hey guys ...i just read it here about the sound quality of Hercules RMX .I use more than year my console rmx and at the beginning i feel the same way like Garyd even this integrade sound which have the console is not enogh for playing live set somewhere..so how i decide this problem i bought Audio 8 DJ sound interface and from there my problems with the sound STOP! so if u need more quality sound buy a external sound card 24-bit/96khz..do not expect everything to be perfect in one product need it sometimes additional product to look and sounds better!!

Hi Monkata and Groove98,

In VirtualDJ 6, can you make sure you uncheck "Safe mode" in Config > Performance menu? This safe mode setting means bad sound for VirtualDJ.

Monkata, I also have an Audio 8 DJ and my test with Rightmark Audio Analyzer gives roughly the same result for the Rmx and for the Audio 8 DJ. Can you test on your side if you get the same result, http://audio.rightmark.org/index_new.shtml ?

Hi Maxdjack,

thx for this advice I will try this on weekend and I will report the results.

Hi Maxdjack,

this setting (uncheck Save Mode) is a default setting at my System - so this was not successful.

At the second step I try your sound-analyzer but there is no significant differenc between RMX and my Notebook-Sondcard at this tool. So I Plug in the Sound-Out from my Notbook-Sondcard and it sounds horrible!!!  🙁

I don´t know what this tool is analyzing but it was not the soundquality of the output.

So I will order a Audio 4 DJ to get thos answer --> RMX Soundcard less standard or good standard.

Thx for helping if you have more adviced please post it here.

groove98

Hi Groove98,

1) I understand Hercules Tech Suppport cannot help you if they get not more details : one cannot guess what happens in your configuration if you don't describe with much more details what happens.
- Do you get the same sound issue in the headphones plugged in the Rmx?
- What is your amplifier (manufacturer, model)? Which input on your amplifier do you use?
- Have you tested both in ASIO (when the box 'enable EQ on external inputs' is checked in VirtualDJ) and in WDM (when 'enable EQ on external inputs' is unchecked)?
- Have you the same result if you disable the Auto-Gain in VirtualDJ option panel?

2) Have you tested the Rmx with another software than VirtualDJ?
Mistaking a software preset for a hardware feature is the most frequent mistake, especially in music, so can you test in iTunes, or in Windows Media player, whether you hear this strange sound phenomenon?

3) Rightmark Audio Analyzer is probably the most used tool to test the sound quality on computers.
But, as for the Rmx test, the description "I Plug in the Sound-Out from my Notbook-Sondcard and it sounds horrible" is not precise enough to guess what you tested, and how you have tested it.
If you don't explain what you connect, which cable tou use, how you set the output volumes, how you set the input volume, whether you are in ASIO or in WDM, what is the buffer size in ASIO, which software you have used etc.., helping you to solve your issue is just a matter of luck. (Exactly as if I never learn the Highway code, my having or not a accident is not related to the safety of my car, it is just related to how much luck I have).

Maybe it's me, I notice a huge difference between the RCA and the quarter inch Jacks.  Are you going quarter inch from your mixer to quarter inch to rca into your mixer.  have you adjusted for quality vs. speed in Virtual DJ or are you using some other program.  Make sure you are enabling the eq.  I end up running my input gains up about a quarter way and my min output gain about half way on my mixer, using the Volume of the 4 K12 at about 1/4 way up.  LOUD and CLEAR for that 500-600 folks range...

Maybe it's me, I notice a huge difference between the RCA and the quarter inch Jacks. 

The larger professional 1/4" jacks do have a louder db output. I can't remember the difference of hand

Hi Maxdjack,

thx for your answer - I try my best to resolve all the questionmarks...

- Do you get the same sound issue in the headphones plugged in the Rmx?
- I got also a bad sound on the Headphone - it sounds like overdrived --> the high to high and the bass to low (maybe...if you turn the gain on max)
- What is your amplifier (manufacturer, model)? Which input on your amplifier do you use?
- Harman/kardon 35AVR, AUX input
- Have you tested both in ASIO (when the box 'enable EQ on external inputs' is checked in VirtualDJ) and in WDM (when 'enable EQ on external inputs' is unchecked)?
- This was also a advice from support, but the sound was on the same low quality
- Have you the same result if you disable the Auto-Gain in VirtualDJ option panel?
- My default setting was, disabled Auto-Gain

2) Have you tested the Rmx with another software than VirtualDJ?
- I try also with Traktor, but with the same result
- On weekend I will try WindowsMediaPlayer

3) Rightmark Audio Analyzer is probably the most used tool to test the sound quality on computers
- I tested this tool with conneced with my Soundcard of my Notebook
- I tested this tool with RMX
--> The results was the same...but I will on Weekend try once again.

So on my next post I will send you more details.

Hi Groove98,

1) I understand Hercules Tech Suppport cannot help you if they get not more details : one cannot guess what happens in your configuration if you don't describe with much more details what happens.
- Do you get the same sound issue in the headphones plugged in the Rmx?
- What is your amplifier (manufacturer, model)? Which input on your amplifier do you use?
- Have you tested both in ASIO (when the box 'enable EQ on external inputs' is checked in VirtualDJ) and in WDM (when 'enable EQ on external inputs' is unchecked)?
- Have you the same result if you disable the Auto-Gain in VirtualDJ option panel?

2) Have you tested the Rmx with another software than VirtualDJ?
Mistaking a software preset for a hardware feature is the most frequent mistake, especially in music, so can you test in iTunes, or in Windows Media player, whether you hear this strange sound phenomenon?

3) Rightmark Audio Analyzer is probably the most used tool to test the sound quality on computers.
But, as for the Rmx test, the description "I Plug in the Sound-Out from my Notbook-Sondcard and it sounds horrible" is not precise enough to guess what you tested, and how you have tested it.
If you don't explain what you connect, which cable tou use, how you set the output volumes, how you set the input volume, whether you are in ASIO or in WDM, what is the buffer size in ASIO, which software you have used etc.., helping you to solve your issue is just a matter of luck. (Exactly as if I never learn the Highway code, my having or not a accident is not related to the safety of my car, it is just related to how much luck I have).

Hello groove98,

Can you check if you get the same sound issues if you unplug the power supply of your laptop and operate on the laptop batteries?

Maxdjack i will do tomorrow  and post it here!