Should you push volume through the mixer or speaker?

Hi all I'm running a traktor kontrol s4 with one Yamaha MSR250 Active Speaker (250W 10". I'm wondering if I should be pushing volume through my mixer (1): ie. have my speaker level set to something like 3/10 and then have channel meters up/use gains from there to push volume. OR push the volume through my speaker (2): ie. set my speaker level to something higher like 5/10 have my channel volume faders below the halfway mark and mix from there. Currently I use method (2) but my MSR has a limiter light on the back that keeps lighting up from hard bass kicks and I'm wondering if i'm messing it up!

http://lghttp.17114.nexcesscdn.net/8...msr250ca_2.jpg

Set the mixer to pass the MAXIMUM signal that it can without clipping. Keep the MASTER level on the mixer at that same level from this point on.

Turn the level controls up until the PA is "too loud."

Use the channel controls on the mixer to control the final sound level in the room.

So with channel faders all the way up;

set channel gains

set master gain

(make sure your not clipping)

have the speaker on what ever level your comfortable with


I don't know why you would use channel faders as a control for overall volume, that's what the master is for.

The limiter is there so you don't cause any damage to the speaker.

Whether you turn it up on mixer or speaker, it will not affect whether your speaker clips or not. The gain knob on speakers/amplifiers usually just attenuates the input signal. Clipping happens after all the gain knob stages when the signal is too strong.

Put channel faders and S4 master to max, and turn the Master down a few dB below clipping on the speaker to give some headroom.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by amadeus

I don't know why you would use channel faders as a control for overall volume, that's what the master is for.

---

The channel faders are not used to set the system volume. The channel faders are used to adjust the specific volume of the individual tracks.

Using the method I described above, the speakers can be a little "too loud." The master is set to allow the maximum signal pass without clipping the mixer.

Setting the channel BELOW their maximum allows for minor adjustments in the overall system volume using a control that you will be touching anyway. For a "loud" song, I have the channel fader on about "7" (in the case of my mixer, this is about -3dB)....and that makes the SPL in the room "loud enough, but not too loud."

For quiet songs, I can turn the channel level up to "10" (on my mixer this is about +6dB). This gives me about 9-10dB of "fudge" without touching the channel gain. That much headroom is enough for (almost) all the songs I will play in a typical set. This, combined with the "auto gain" setting in Traktor allows me reasonable control of the overall sound levels without a lot of thought.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by makar1

Whether you turn it up on mixer or speaker, it will not affect whether your speaker clips or not. The gain knob on speakers/amplifiers usually just attenuates the input signal. Clipping happens after all the gain knob stages when the signal is too strong.

---

This is true. The input gain on an amplifier is a "sensitivity" control, and not a "power" control. The only sure protection against clipping is a hard limiter. However, setting the gain structure of your PA system properly will get "everything" in the signal chain to "clip" all at the same time.

See these for more....

http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/h...ain_structure/

http://www.rane.com/note135.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by soundinmotiondj

Setting the channel BELOW their maximum allows for minor adjustments in the overall system volume using a control that you will be touching anyway. For a "loud" song, I have the channel fader on about "7" (in the case of my mixer, this is about -3dB)....and that makes the SPL in the room "loud enough, but not too loud."

For quiet songs, I can turn the channel level up to "10" (on my mixer this is about +6dB). This gives me about 9-10dB of "fudge" without touching the channel gain. That much headroom is enough for (almost) all the songs I will play in a typical set. This, combined with the "auto gain" setting in Traktor allows me reasonable control of the overall sound levels without a lot of thought.

---

I never understood why people did this (Have their volume fader below the max). Surely that's what the gain knobs are for?? Set the max volume using the gains, and then you have the full length of the fader to control the volume. Personal preference I guess, as long as you know the volume coming out is acceptable for you then that's fine, but I'd hate to have to make sure my volume fader was on 7 instead of 8 or 6. In the heat of the moment, I want to push it to the top and know that the volume coming out is the max volume. If it's slightly too low, increase the gain slightly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by robdquick

I never understood why people did this (Have their volume fader below the max). Surely that's what the gain knobs are for?? Set the max volume using the gains, and then you have the full length of the fader to control the volume. Personal preference I guess, as long as you know the volume coming out is acceptable for you then that's fine, but I'd hate to have to make sure my volume fader was on 7 instead of 8 or 6. In the heat of the moment, I want to push it to the top and know that the volume coming out is the max volume. If it's slightly too low, increase the gain slightly.

---

Agreed!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by amadeus

Agreed!

---

Double agreed.

I like to pull the volume out and back in. Could never get the same spot each time unless I held one finger there as a indicator.
Too much effort for when you 'in the mix'.

Each to their own though...

id let the amp do most of the work...thats what its there fore, but make sure you're not sending a signal that is clipping