Most DJ Laptops are fully capable of prerecording DJ Sets before the artist performs in front of the crowd. Unfortunately, we still see many amateurs skip this crucial step in their preparation for the big gigs. The reason? Most people simply don’t know how to record DJ Sets on laptop.
Fortunately, it’s not that difficult. It is much easier than creating music out of thin air, so you won’t have any difficulty getting the hang of it.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the different ways through which you can always be prepared for your gigs with a double-checked DJ set.
Why Recording DJ Set is Important?
Let’s say that you have a gig for the weekend. For the preparation stage, it should be a priority for you to record your DJ set before you play it out to the audience. Not only is it good for avoiding possible errors, but it also helps an artist to learn new things and promote their business.
Unfortunately, the trend for DJ artists is to just show up on the day of the event and try to skill their way out. But even the most experienced artists might slip up in the heat of the moment and make that one awkward error.
Thus, it’s always a mistake to skip the recording process, no matter how complicated it may sound.
Fortunately, recording your DJ set on a laptop is not as complex as the internet usually makes it out to be. We’ve come up with some simple methods that you could try to achieve that.
Ways to Record DJ Set on Laptop
Using a DJ Software
This is the simplest and the most obvious method. But it also comes with a lot of drawbacks, limitations, and question marks.
For instance, many free versions of a DJ software might not even offer this feature. Moreover, you can only record the music that you own specifically. You cannot record using any streaming service, the button won’t be visible to the users in this case.
Users can also only record the audio tracks that are streaming directly through the software. If you want to record anything from your microphones or other pieces of equipment, you won’t be able to.
Using a Mixer
One of the smoothest and most fool-proof methods for prerecording a DJ set on your laptop is to establish a connection between the Mixer and the laptop. One can easily do this using a USB connection.
Establishing a connection between the two allows your laptop to input four channels of audio into the mixer.
Moreover, the mixer is also capable of sending one stereo channel back inside the laptop simultaneously. What this means is that the master output of your DJ mixer will be playing digitally on your laptop live. Users have the option to set the stream for recording.
Not all the mixers have the recording feature, however. One popular name in the market that offers this ability is the DJM-900. The device is developed and manufactured by Pioneer Electronics, a popular brand in the DJ industry. So if you are opting for this particular mixer, it would be good if you have the latest audio drivers launched by Pioneer on your laptop.
The ideal situation is to tweak the settings and instruct the audio output to send the recorded output to the DJ software that you are using.
Using an External Audio Interface
Many people use this method if they are using an external audio interface (which is a basic requirement for most serious DJ artists). For this, you can use any 2-in external audio interface for your laptop.
What you need to do is feed audio output from either your DJ controller or mixer into the audio interface. The audio interface should then be plugged into your laptop through a USB connection. The recording process can then take place through any software meant specifically for recordings like Audacity or Quicktime.
Using a USB Drive
This is a great method for artists who are using a standalone DJ system or setup. For instance, some good options that professional artists often use are the Prim 4 developed by Denon DJ and the XDJ-XZ system manufactured by Pioneer Electronics.
In such systems, users have the option to plug the DJ gear into a USB drive. They can then hit the “Record” option to record everything that is streaming straight into the USB. There are, however, some streaming limitations to this process, but it’s a quick and convenient way to record DJ sets easily.
Read Also: How to DJ with a Laptop: Beginner’s Guide
Winding Up
So there you have it – 4 of the quickest and most convenient ways to record a DJ set via laptops. Following any of these steps is going to be easy enough provided you have the right pieces of equipment. We hope that this article helped you get the information that you were looking for and that your next gig will be a great one.
