Prime 4 Sound Quality is it Harsh?

[Adam_Vegys]

Hey everyone,

I just got a Prime 4 and read about how good the converters are… Im not saying it doesn’t sound crystal clear but I find the Sound a bit harsh and the first mix I recorded with it was not Satisfying. Almost like a certain high frequency is boosted a bit too much.

I have a crappy little Mix Tour that I used to use with an Ipad and thing actually sounded amazing, the mixes sounded full and punchy. I prefer the sound quality on the Mix Tour…

What do you guys think of the Sound Conversion on the Prime 4?

[DjMarcoMarco]

You got audio problem, because Denon P4 sound is excellent and smooth, this is denon audio signature. High frequencies are very smooth, very different from Pioneer sound, and no comparison with an ipad

[MilianAkeem]

If it the fault is not because of your recording set up ( settings, devices, cable…) than maybe try a reinstall of the software. Had some problems once with my x1850 (its not engineOS but anyway), reinstalled the firmware it was way better. I heard the Prime 4, never noticed a bad sound signature or to high frequencies.

[Adam_Vegys]

Maybe I will try a reinstall of the operating system. I find the whole thing a bit buggy anyhow.

I hope it makes a difference.

[MrWilks]

Once reloaded try a factory reset.

Also, check if the EQs are set to how you like them in the menu as ISO can add a slightly different sound signature. You can also change crossover of the EQs.

[MilianAkeem]

for the EQ settings look at that post

Got the Prime Go a year ago, still don't like the feel of it... your thoughts?

I have come to Prime Go from Pioneer/Reloop - I loved my Mixon 4 and Algoriddim DJay Pro AI!! I had a similar experience to you in terms of the EQ and the general feeling but I think for me it has settled down. I do miss having 4 channels/8 pads but actually love the (go) unit now . I fully get the sync issues - IMO not being able to fully adjust the beatgrid has made that useless - I can only move left/right not change the length/bpm… That said - I do love it!! Yes - the layout is quirky and…

It had that link for explanations on different EQ settings for different Mixers: The reason WHY A&H sounds warmer than Pioneer

[Pwnda]

I find that the Pioneer EQs are more harsh compared to the settings I prefer on my Denon! After reading the post linked and making the tweaks I would not go back!!

[Adam_Vegys]

Very strange… I hope my unit is not defective or I just got used to a lesser sound which I happen to like better… I have been making mixes on my old gear and then listening on my devices for years and was happy… I buy the Prime 4 with supposedly the best sound quality you can buy and suddenly I am not happy… I guess thats how she goes. I did just get an Elektron Analog Heat, that will def fix the problem…

[SlayForMoney]

@Adam_Vegys

I buy the Prime 4 with supposedly the best sound quality you can buy and suddenly I am not happy

Because you can hear your mistakes.

Because of the increased sound quality, highs are clearly separated and maybe you can even hear a bit more of the high freq range if you are younger or have less time spent near loud speakers (unlike me).

Trust me, I’ve been there. My “smoothest” mixes I have recorded were on my first analog crappy Gemini mixer that had like 3 audio converters from RCA out to the 3,5mm input on the PCI audio interface of a PC tower. Made a total mush of the high freq and blended everything nicely together. By today’s standards a shitty sound quality recording but sounds smooth

[DjMarcoMarco]

Maybe your files are not 320kbps mp3s

[Adam_Vegys]

They all are 320k

[MrWilks]

I have a Prime 4 from launch and I posted my findings in this thread:

Prime 4 - harsh/Muddy sound quality when loud?

Generally loving my Prime 4 but have an issue with my sound - let me explain… Myself and another DJ both DJ in a large party room in a late night bar. We use the same cables, same MODEL of speaker (although a different set) and same subs. Before I go on, yes the issue COULD be the actual speakers, but as far as I can tell, nothing is wrong with them. We both use Virtual DJ (use videos so please don’t judge) - he uses a basic Windows laptop with generic USB cable, I use a 3 year old Macbook Pro…

I find it sounds smoother on the RCA master out. Something is making it sound like the balanced master outs are out of phase as it does have a very different sound to the RCAs.

Maybe @Reese could merge these two threads?

[Reese]

I could, but I think the post dates on both are a bit too far apart. Maybe keep both topics IMHO?

[Jeff_Gates]

I realized this recently. My old little Hercules controller had much better sound quality through the headphones at least. Did you ever resolve this?

[MFDos]

Complaining about sound quality while using lossy compressed files is hilarious, these units sound however you’d like them to sound, read the manual and stop using mp3

[Reticuli]

Good advice, though I think it’s a stretch to say you can get any sound you want. You can certainly improve the sound of Prime by using lossless, but you only get about what you’d get from other brands with lossy files… maybe still slightly inferior on Prime. For some people, though, lossy on other brands isn’t enough. Sounds like the OP is accustomed to using lossy on other brands, so they’re in luck. Try a Tidal subscription for a month or rip some CDs to lossless, and see if that’s enough.