Quality, Quality Quality

[djlt]

I know this is probably been asked a few times but no defintive answers... I am always struggling to get my sound right in Ableton. I use it primarly for DJ'ing and I download all my tracks in 320Kps MP3 quality. I use an M-Audio Audiophile external firewire sound card.
The sound just always seems dead and distorted. I have a compressor on the master to act really as a limiter but does anyone have a setting that they have been using as a permanent solution.
Essentially what I want is to enhance the sound anyway that I can and to give a better atmosphere about the track. All this while limiting the volume so certain tracks do not blow the system out of it.

Anyone like to share the neverending question?

[Mr Man]

maybe its what you are doing and not what you are not doing, doing, ding dong, ding dong - perhaps just take that compressor of the master and pay more attention to your faders during mixing to prevent clipping the master. using Ctrl+click drag to pull the faders down slowly so not to cause a noticably sharp drop in volume.

[beats me]

I use an M-Audio Audiophile external firewire sound card.

There it is. Change that.

[Tone Deft]

his monitors are probably worse. what are your monitors?

the music sounds flat and lifeless? that's what compressors do.

you don't add effects to make it sound better, you stop farting around with the audio to make it sound better.