An example of using a virtual sound card, or saving on Traktor Audio
Hey habr! This article will show you how to save some (maybe a lot) money on expensive sound cards by using the Virtual Audio Cable virtual sound card. There was already a similar article, habrahabr.ru/post/70416, but here the issue is considered in a simpler way, and with step-by-step instructions.
Once I was asked to help with the organization of a disco, but I did not professionally DJ, and for this reason I have almost no “cool” DJ equipment. (Notebook and Sennheiser HD203 monitors do not count). However, I am fond of sound and familiar with the basics. The problem is that you need to output 2 audio channels from the laptop: 1 - for headphones (listen to the song before mixing), 2 - directly to the speakers (must be playing something). It becomes obvious that two sound cards are indispensable. It would seem that we buy a cheap USB card with an output and an input for $5, and that's it. But no, the fact is that you can connect to Traktor Scratch PRO 2 (in my humble opinion, the most convenient program for mixing tracks and other mockery of music in real time) only one sound card. Native Instruments, on this account, offers to buy us, for example, Traktor Audio 2. Actually, an ordinary sound card with two outputs, worth $ 100. Of course, you can find a cheaper alternative, but somehow too expensive for one disco ...
Luckily, there is a Behringer UCA200 external USB sound card that came with the mixing console, which has 1 stereo input and output (RCA). Using a soldering iron, wire and several plugs, the sound card is connected to the mixer, the same story with a laptop. Of course, it was possible to plug the headphones directly into the laptop, but the mixer will give them additional amplification (and with a crazy volume around, it will not hurt), and then it all depends on the quality of the noise isolation in the headphones, fortunately, it is on the level. From a hard point of view, everything is connected and working, it remains only to make Traktor friends with sound cards. This is where the Virtual Audio Cable is needed. I settled on version 4.10.
Install Virtual Audio Cable. You don’t need to change anything in the Windows settings, except that you return your sound card to “default”, because. during installation, the program exposes the main itself. (control panel - change sound card parameters) Everything is configured quite simply:
Launch Control panel and add another channel. (We need two). Then we open 2 copies Audio Repeater (MME). In these two windows, we direct channel 1 - to one of the two sound cards, channel 2 - to the other sound card. Click Start. 
The rest of the parameters are optional.
Now, we need to set up Traktor. Open Audio Setup, and set the Audio Device to "Virtual Audio Cable". 
Do not forget to set the real laptop sound card to Win Built-In.
Next is the Output Routing tab: 
Where Output Monitor is your headphones, Output Master is the main bus. Close the settings, and if everything is done correctly, you will get something like this picture: 
Where the track from Deck A plays into the hall (crossfader is pushed to the left) and the track from Deck B plays exclusively into your headphones. (We turn the mix knob to 0 so as not to hear the track from deck A in the headphones, and turn the knob to the right as desired).
Well, on the mixer, everyone does as he pleases. It turns out that two channels are occupied, one is sent to the main mix to the hall, and the other to the sub or solo to the headphone bus, but, again, who has which remote control.
Everything works fine, on Windows 7 32-bit.
Software used:
- Native Instruments Traktor Scratch PRO 2.5.1
- Virtual Audio Cable 4.10
Used iron:
- Lenovo g580
- Sennheiser HD203
- Behrinher UCA200
- Behringer XENYX 1832FX
- Speakers, amps and other audio equipment have nothing to do with the topic
Tags: traktor, music, sound card, Virtual audio cable,
