Some mixing desks do have provisions for connecting prosumer gear. With Logitek, if you change your Normal Signal Level from 0 to -20, we will match at the console's input/output card without putting a match box in between. Other manufacturers may also do this. Check the console manual. But if you have the means you will be happier with a pro audio card with balanced audio, as unbalanced cards are susceptible to noise and crosstalk.
John Davis Logitek On Sun, Aug 10, 2014 at 6:37 AM, Wayne Merricks < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi, > > Just to confirm what others have said in more detail, unbalanced prosumer > type cards (Tried the Delta 66 and a 1010LT) don't seem to push out enough > volume even when maxed out in alsamixer. There is not much you can do > without putting some sort of gain amp in between the card and the desk. > > I had some success using RED 502 unbalanced to balanced converters > (passive transformer with ground lift). But they're about £30 per channel > so can get expensive if you have 3 stereo outs to the point where just > buying a decent sound card makes more sense. > > > On 2014-08-09 14:33, Alexander Strauss wrote: > >> Hi Keith, >> >> I have similar problems with an external USB device. Did you manage to get >> higher output levels in the meantime? >> >> Cheers, >> Alex >> >> >> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- >> Von: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] Im Auftrag von >> Gavin >> Stephens >> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 7. August 2014 06:18 >> An: Rivendell Users Group >> Betreff: Re: [RDD] M-Audio Delta 410 low output levels >> >> Rivnedell normalises audio to something like peak -13dBFS if you have it >> set >> to normalise on import etc... The meters in Rivendell are also more like a >> real(ish) VU meter, not a peak meter like in Cool Edit/Audition etc... >> don't >> get the two confused. It normalises to this low peak level by default to >> protect those using professional sound cards. >> >> Some cards (not sure about the 410 you'd have to check) if balanced still >> don't have a decent output level, they are prosumer and not a full +24dBu >> output capable card. I have a Terratec Phase 22 with balanced but the >> output >> is +8dBu max so it's not a real professional level card which should be >> +24dBu max with a norminal of +4dBu. >> >> But on a pro card, you don't normalise audio to within a few dB of 0dBFS >> on >> a PC. You run a reference tone normally 1KHz at about -20dBFS on your >> audio >> file, to calibrate VU meters (which are an averaging meter not peak) to >> 0VU >> on analogue equipment. You'll then find when you take away the test tone >> and >> apply programme audio you'll get peaks of anywhere from say like -13dBFS >> to >> -6dBFS with some headroom left over. A -20dBFS test tone would give you a >> nice +4dBu norminal (average) output on a professional balanced audio >> card, >> with 20dB of headroom for peaks which gives you the full +24dBu output of >> the card. (24 - 20 = 4). >> >> If you had an audio file normalised to say -2dBFS on the PC, this would >> run >> a pro card extremely hot (+22dBu out all the time with an average of about >> +14dBu output) and doing that can end up cooking some outputs or inputs >> +or >> add distortion very easily elsewhere. >> >> On a cheap noisey card however with unbalanced outputs built to drive >> tiney >> sounding speakers an audio file that's peaks are about -9dBFS means >> turning >> up the stereo and also the noise. >> >> I suggest you go through the archives and google what a real VU meter is, >> and the SMPTE reference for 0VU is. It's been talked about a lot before in >> the past in the mailing list and is one of the hardest things to show and >> explain sometimes to budding audio engineers that have grown up on >> domestic >> sound cards with ripped CD's near 0dBFS on their computer (in the consumer >> world full of noise). >> >> Cheers, >> Gavin. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Keith Thelen" <[email protected]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2014 1:05 PM >> Subject: [RDD] M-Audio Delta 410 low output levels >> >> >> Hello all! >> >> This probably falls into the category of ‘dumb questions normally asked by >> newbies’, but… >> >> Fresh install of RD Appliance. Sound card is a Delta 410 under ALSA >> (ice1712/envy24). All the outputs work, but the levels are awkwardly low. >> Had to crank everything in alsamixer all the way up to make it even mildly >> useful. The VU meter in RDAirplay looks fine, with the peaks occurring >> right >> >> below 0… but at the console, even with the pot wide open, the peaks are >> around -30. >> >> Is there some trick with this card/software setup that I’m missing? >> >> >> >> --------------- >> Keith Thelen >> Kanabec Systems >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Rivendell-dev mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://caspian.paravelsystems.com/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev >> >> >> --- >> This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus >> protection is active. >> http://www.avast.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Rivendell-dev mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://caspian.paravelsystems.com/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Rivendell-dev mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://caspian.paravelsystems.com/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev >> > > _______________________________________________ > Rivendell-dev mailing list > [email protected] > http://caspian.paravelsystems.com/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev >
_______________________________________________ Rivendell-dev mailing list [email protected] http://caspian.paravelsystems.com/mailman/listinfo/rivendell-dev
