Set up issues

[goochie002]

I have klipsch powered active speakers. These have a line and phono switch. These are connected to my pioneer DJ S3 serato mixer and the switch on the speakers set to line. My turntables are plugged into the mixer and all the switches on the mixer set to the computer icon (not line or phono) when playing through Serato.
My issue is then when I want to mix a track (say serato on the left turntable and just an ordinary vinyl on the right) I have to switch the active speakers over to phono which makes the whole set up redundant as I thought you could just flick the switch on the mixer to phono. Have I misunderstood the capabilities of mixing vinyl and serato or have I got the line in, phono and computer settings incorrect?
A helpful explanation on how to correctly set this up would be ideal.

[KLH]

Welcome to DJF, goochie002!

I would think that your assumption that changing the switches on the mixer would work. According to the manual, this is what happens. Is this not the case?

For connections:

* TTs should be connected to the mixer via Phono connections and ground. (Some TTs allow using line-outs, but I assume that's not the case here.)
* The mixer should be connected to the active speakers via mixer's main outs to the speaker's line-ins.
* The computer should be connected to the mixer via USB.

Once these the above is in place, you should be able to use the mixer's switches to choose the mixer's sound source.

[goochie]

Thanks for the help setting it all up. That’s exactly how I thought it should work. I can now just toggle between the vinyl and dvs.

Next problem, I followed the set up process and used the audio settings in Serato to calibrate each deck using the green scope thingy. All looks good.

Two things:
The control signal tone (that high pitched noise) is loud enough that it distracts me. Is this normal?

The bass is too bassy which leads me to believe something in the hardware set up isn’t right. I have the volume on the speakers set reasonably high as I believe the active speaker has the amp built in so should be doing the heavy lifting when it comes to amplifying. The mixers master out is set about 1/4 of the way round from the furthest left position ( so still in negative) but yet I still have to have the bass dial set low on the mixer on each turntable. My question therefore is, does this sound like a hardware set up issue? If not, should the mixer be in charge of these levels? Or is there a serato setting that can manage the levels? I assume the bass setting on the mixer should be in the middle position, like the majority of the other controls…?

My way of testing is by playing the same song once just through say Spotify via bluetooth direct to the active speaker and then again but obviously through Serato and the bass sounds totally different on both.

As usual, any help really appreciated.

[KLH]

The control signal tone (that high pitched noise) is loud enough that it distracts me. Is this normal?

You shouldn't hear the control tone. Only the computer should.

My question therefore is, does this sound like a hardware set up issue? If not, should the mixer be in charge of these levels? Or is there a serato setting that can manage the levels? I assume the bass setting on the mixer should be in the middle position, like the majority of the other controls…?

It depends on how you connected the TTs and mixer. You shouldn't hear the Serato DVS signal at all in normal usage.

Once the computer plays the digital audio to the mixer, the mixer is "in charge" of the level (volume) and brightness (EQ) of the sound. Commercial digital audio is usually mixed for flat EQ - meaning all EQ knobs should be in the middle position.

Comparing a digital audio file between your DJ setup and a streaming service isn't an apples-to-apples comparison, technically. Still, the audio should sound about the same if the volume levels are set comparably.