Fat Sound, Maximizing levels in a DJ mix Options

[KarlBakker]

I am a DJ who uses a Hi-Fi CD recorder (Pioneer) to record continuous dance music mix sets. The sound quality is very good, but I want to get that Fat Sound you hear on professional Mix CDs.

I have tried the Limiter, Compressor and the Normalizer in Pro Tools (Free) but are unhappy with the result. Everything I try seems to result in a quieter, duller and less dynamic sound, which is the opposite of what I am trying to achieve. When I use a compressor, I cannot get the Gains anywhere near 0db without clipping.

Also, I only run a Mac Titanium.
Can anyone suggest a better approach?
Does anyone know of an inexpensive software option like Sonic Forges Wave Hammer but for the Mac?

Cheers
DJ Anton

[KarlBakker]

Synthetic,
Have you tried the Griffin PowerWave?
Looks like the EMI 2|6 but costs less.
Cheers
DJ Anton

[Synthetic]

nope... never seen that one... i would be cautious though... Griffin made the imic thing and I heard a few complaints about it and quality but it was only $40... sometimes I think you get what you pay for... but not always

heck... I noticed that there are a few members that are using solely their mic input on their computer which to my amazement can work but I don't think quality is as good due to signal levels and such. I am a big fan of Crystal Method's Tweekend for its sound quality as much as the music... its got great dynamics and clarity. To get that sound... a person has to get the best signal possible into the 24bit audio 44.1khz format (CM used 16bit on first cd and then realized the difference when working in 24bit and thus new cd is 24bit according to Remix mag) and it helps to use qood quality analog to digital input devices... so I tend to look for quality first then price

[KarlBakker]

Synthetic,
Thanks for the advice. Although I do not own a Crystal Method album, I am a real breaks lover - I DJ nuschoolbreaks and techouse around Chicago. My current CD recorder (Pioneer) is OK at converting from analogue to digital, but the recordings are straight to CD and therefore only 16 bit. Like many music nerds, I want better sound. So hopefully I can rig up my computer to do this and forget the CD recorder, although it is nice to have a stand alone machine with all the right controls and connections designed for recording sound.
Cheers
Karl