ive been using hercules mk2 for some time now.... i had a lot of installation issues at first.... um er still have!
i is a great tool in theory but lacks in practice. it is not as stable as its analogue counterparts! ive had a quick look at the steel issues on the forums and it seems many a dj has major hick-ups with the console! is it worth buying? if yes what equipment additional equipment if any allows it to perform at optimal levels? is it worth investing in the new steel?????? has all the bug issues been corrected?????
seems many a dj has major hick-ups with the console!
then they are retards and have no clue about most simple computer matters. steel works flawlessly for me from the day one and it is just getting better. definitely the best value for money at the present market. never had any issues with any version.
hercules obviously listen and learnt from some critic about rmx and got everything right with steel.
seems many a dj has major hick-ups with the console!
Then they are retards and have no clue about most simple computer matters. Steel works flawlessly for me from the day one and it is just getting better. Definitely the best value for money at the present market. never had any issues with any version.
hercules obviously listen and learnt from some critic about RMX and got everything right with Steel.
Awesome! Thanks for the reply! Forgive my ignorance but what would be the correct buy, the rmx or steel... I use a laptop which has a soundcard (not a good one). Can one also access the laptop via the console like the hercules mk2! What is difference?
Hello Storm Lantern,
The main difference between DJ Control Steel and DJ Console Rmx is:
- there is no audio in DJ Control Steel,
- thee is an audio in DJ Console Rmx.
DJ Control Steel is a control surface very close from DJ Console Rmx control surface, but with a few improvements.
=> If you are happy with the audio interface in DJ Console Mk2 and are ready to keep on using your DJ Console Mk2 as sound card, then you can mix on DJ Control Steel and connect your speaker, headphones and microphone on DJ Console Mk2 audio interface.
DJ Control Steel has a few new features compared to the Rmx, as:
- some functions have moved: the pitch bend buttons is over the pitch fader (on the Rmx it is on the pad of buttons 1 to 6)
- a shift function has been added to the buttons 1 to 6, which become buttons 7 to 12
- the buttons which were Left & Right on the Rmx become Folder and Files, and they have a backlight to show if the browser is in the folder browser or in the file browser
- there are more backlights in DJ Control Steel.
DJ Control Steel is euros 100 cheaper than DJ Console Rmx.
=> If you want a better audio interface, then you should choose DJ Console Rmx, its audio is better than DJ Console Mk2 audio, and you cannot find an audio interface of this level for euros 100 (the price difference between DJ Console Rmx and DJ Control Steel).
Hey thanks for your valuable input bud! I have a clear understanding now and know what to buy now!
Keep it pumpin'!
Unless you just DJ in the bedroom, forget RMX , any Hercules audio, they are absolutely substandard. Btetter get real audio card, even cheapest will be better then any hercules.
Aviray,
I disagree with what you write on Hercules audio : your arguments against Hercules Rmx audio are welcome if you can list them, with a precise description of the symptoms, your configuration and how you set the USB power on your computer.
I use 5 audio interfaces for parties (Echo Indigo DJ (old cardbus for an old laptop), Echo AudioFire 8 (FireWire), M-Audio FireWire 410, Native Audio 8 DJ (USB), DJ Console Rmx (USB)) as weddings, camping parties and other balls, outside, inside and under circus tents, and the sound of the Rmx is good enough for me, I can either connect its RCA outputs on mixers, or its jack 1/4 output on PA amplifiers and in parallel to the mixer connexion, and I get a good sound.
I also disagree on your criticisms against VirtualDJ
- if you prefer a complicated graphic interface, I prefer a readable graphic user interface as VirtualDJ, but lovers of complicated graphics can also load complicated skins in VirtualDJ Pro to find Traktor style of displaying songs titles in tiny letters instead of VirtualDJ displaying of song names in large letters,
- for your conclusions on VDJ CPU useage, I also disagree as I can mix with VirtualDJ Pro 5.2.1 on my old Laptop with Pentium III 1.2 GHz computer, while Traktor Pro is not compatible with this computer (I mixed for 6 hours on this old computer with VirtualDJ on a wedding once when this bigger laptop got power issues). VirtualDJ 5 needs 5 to 10% of the CPU ressources of my Core 2 Duo 2 GHz computer for mixing, and it allocates the rest of the CPU ressources to analyze audio tracks when loading, so when you load an audio track, the CPU usage goes up to 100% while the track is analyzed, but if you move any button on the DJ Controller, VirtualDJ immediately allocates enough ressource for mixing, so you don't need to wait to get the mix operations processed on time: if you get an unproper response time, please precise your DJ Console Rmx drivers version and your version number of VirtualDJ.
If you dont hear the difference between NI or Echo and the RMX then be happy with it. Most of people do hear the difference but then it is their problem not yours.
Hello Aviray,
In my headphones, in home studio conditions I can hear the difference between the DJ Console Rmx and Echo AudioFire 8 if I play 24-bit audio projects in Cubase, but I don't hear the difference any longer when I go in 16-bit. In 24-bit I have measured a significant difference in the A-weighted Signal Noise Ratio with Right Mark Audio Analyzer, but the difference shrinked to 2 dB in 16-bit, and as the major 2-deck DJ mix software operate only in 16-bit/44 KHz (as VirtualDJ, Traktor or Serato Scratch Live), the difference in 24-bit is not relevant for my 16-bit use. Moreover, considering the very significantly lower SN ratio of public address speakers, the audio limit for public performance lays in the speakers, not in the audio interface
Please detail where you heard a substandard audio quality in the Rmx, since up to now the only clear descriptions of audio quality issues on the Rmx I have heard of were:
- saturation when setting the EQ to the max in VirtualDJ, but the deejay who mentionned it didn't understand it was a software preset, not hardware related (VirtualDJ 5.2.1 Pro EQ adds up to +35dB in EQ, so you can saturate in the software sound when you combine this EQ to the max with gain, and you get the same result on any sound card),
- plugging a Pioneer CD player on the audio inputs saturates the Rmx audio in, but Pioneer output level is +8dBu, this setting is out of any standard (the pro standard is +4dBu) which also saturates several mixers: I attenuate the Pioneer by plugging it to an analog console before going to the DJ Console Rmx, and I get a good sound.
The DJ Console Rmx has a better audio quality than the DJ Console Mk2 (Rmx has a better output level, and a better recording on the external inputs), so if you refered to the Mk2 when calling Hercules substandard, you should listen to an Rmx to build your opinion.
no, I talked about RMX, other are just toyware. As said if you dont hear, why bother, use whatever pleases you.
I'd like to know if you can use steel on normal computers or laptops, I would like to start djing, but i wouldn't want to spend too much money on a first mixer, and the price of the STEEL seems just right for me, only I just discoverd that it hasn't got a soundcard, does this mean that I can't use it on every pc or laptop without an extra soundcard?
what's the best option if I can't? to buy a separate soundcard (and which should I buy?) or the RMX or the MK2?
Hello DJ PCee,
When you mix on DJ Control Steel, you play sound on the sound card integrated to your computer or to a sound card added to the computer.
- If you want to do basic DJing and have only a stereo output on your computer, then once you have connected the speakers, you lack a stereo output to preview in heaphones so you need an external sound card,and you can buy a cheap one as Hercules Muse Pocket Lt (euros 29), a 5.1 USB sound card sothat you can connect 1 output for the mix and 1 output for the preview.
- If you plan to connect CD players and turntables, then you need a sound card with 2 stereo inputs in addition to the 2 stereo outputs, so you need better sound card than a Muse Pocket Lt, and you should either buy a DJ Console with built-in audio (as DJ Console Mk2 or Rmx), or you should buy, in addition to the Steel, a good audio interface for DJing as Audio 4DJ, MixVibes U46Mk2, Torq Conectiv (all at euros 199), or the new Hercules DeeJay TRIM 4&6.
There are 2 importants things you need to understand:
1) in order to fully enjoy and use any DJ software , you need a soundcard that has a least 2 stereo ouput:
- 1 is used for the main mix ( what the audience hear)
- the other is used to preview and prepare the next track or sample.
2) - A mixer is a device that will allow you to blend together 2 (or more) audio signal
- A controller is device that allow you to interact with a software, with having to use the mouse and keyboard (such as a wheel for a driving game).
The DJ Control Steel is a controller.
The DJ Console Rmx and Mk2 are also controllers , but also include a soundcard with 2 stereo input and Outputs.
If your computer doesn't include a soundcard, the Rmx or MK2 would be better choices.
thank you for the responses, in the meanwhile I've done some 'research' and I think I'm going to buy the hercules RMX.
