User Manual

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Hence, you should always make sure that your signals stay at levels that satisfy these two
requirements—as loud as possible without clipping.
15.5.2 …and the Practice
To assist you in adjusting levels, the Mixer of TRAKTOR 2 is equipped with various level
meters and controls. Each level meter consists of a blue bar indicating the signal level.
The rule mentioned above can thus be translated as follows:
Best practices when adjusting levels: The levels should be kept in the upper third and
should not at all (or only rarely) touch the red top of the level meter.
By using a mixing technique where you swap the bass lines of two tracks as described in
chapter 15.4.9, Mixing In the Track by Using the Channel EQ and Filter, you should also
ensure that the main level (Master output signal) doesn’t clip or distort.
Checking the Level on Each Channel
Each channel on the Mixer provides you with a vertical channel meter. This meter shows
you the pre-fader level of the signal on that channel, i.e. the level of the signal before it is
adjusted by the channel fader. To adjust this level, use the GAIN knob:
Adjust the channel’s GAIN knob so that the level displayed on the channel meter stays in
the upper third without reaching the top.
Note that the channel’s EQ and filter settings also affect the signal level, as well as the
possible FX Unit(s) it is assigned to. Hence, when modifying any of these, you might need
to re-adjust the GAIN knob accordingly.
Of course, the artistic side of your tracks should not be overlooked: for tracks with a variable
average level over time (e.g. a track starting with a soft intro), you should consider the loud
est parts of the track when adjusting the channel level.
Matching Levels Between Channels
Moreover, in order to avoid any level jump when crossfading between two channels, the
average channel levels should match:
Before mixing in a cued channel, adjust its GAIN encoder so that its channel meter activ
ity roughly matches that of the channel currently on air.
Tutorials
Adjusting Levels
TRAKTOR 2 - Application Reference - 233