DXR15 Gain settings?

[fullcontact68]

Hi,

As you may be aware, I've just gone down the active route, and purchased a pair of DXR15's for a very good price (New)

I seem to recall reading somewhere about active speaker gain settings, some say leave at 12 o'clock (0db), some say run on max (+9db)


Do we have any best practices on how the line input gains should be set. Should they be left of 0db, or +9db, controlling the volume with the mixer, checking the clip led etc, or something else?


TIA
Edward.

[deltic]

Edward this is something that has been covered many times on the forum and generates a lot of miss conceptions and everybody has different ideas on gain staging.

If you set your gain through you mixer, so that all your levels reach the zero mark (0dB) Then you are not boosting or cutting the signal, This will give you a nice clean signal going in and a clean signal going out,then you can control volume from the mixer.
Also your speakers need to be at 0db, with the gain staging set like this you will get the best possible sound from your kit.

Setting your gains correctly means you will not need to keep checking to see if the clip light is on.

[fullcontact68]

Edward this is something that has been covered many times on the forum and generates a lot of miss conceptions and everybody has different ideas on gain staging.

If you set your gain through you mixer, so that all your levels reach the zero mark (0dB) Then you are not boosting or cutting the signal, This will give you a nice clean signal going in and a clean signal going out,then you can control volume from the mixer.
Also your speakers need to be at 0db, with the gain staging set like this you will get the best possible sound from your kit.

Setting your gains correctly means you will not need to keep checking to see if the clip light is on.

Cheers Andy,

Like you said, there are other posts, same say 0db, some say increase the speakers gain, hence the question :)

I'll leave it at 0db.

Many thanks

[musicology]

I leave mine at 0db. Very occasionally, if I find I'm driving the mixer into the red at a large venue or outside say, I'll turn the speakers up a bit to give me extra. You do lose some of the bass tho'.

[deltic]

I leave mine at 0db. Very occasionally, if I find I'm driving the mixer into the red at a large venue or outside say, I'll turn the speakers up a bit to give me extra. You do lose some of the bass tho'.

If you're driving the mixer into the red you are pushing a distorted signal to the amps and clipping will be the result.
If you have your gain staging set correctly you will be getting the best out of the system....being forced to overdrive mixer/amps for bigger outside venues quite simply means your amps/speakers are too small for the job.

[musicology]

If you're driving the mixer into the red you are pushing a distorted signal to the amps and clipping will be the result.
If you have your gain staging set correctly you will be getting the best out of the system....being forced to overdrive mixer/amps for bigger outside venues quite simply means your amps/speakers are too small for the job.

Like I say, I just turn the speakers up a bit and it solves the problem. Only happens occasionally but I can usually cope ok. If I get offered a job which is obviously too big for what I usually take out with me, I contact a mate who has a full concert rig if I need it!

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