Hi Bjorn,
>In the light of recent discussion concerning recording, I dare to ask a question maybe more suited to a "mixer-list", but I feel it may interest many attendees to the An1X-list:
>
>My mixer (like most I assume) have faders. In my set-up, I have set the volume knob on almost all my keyboards / synths to about 2/3 of max and then set the faders fixed to a value to make all the keyboards roughly the same "loudness". If a recording demands that one of the keyboards need more volume, I use the dial on the instrument to gain volume.
>
>Some people argue that the keyboards volume should always be maxed out and always use faders on mixer to adjust volume. Others claims that faders should be fixed at max and the instruments volume dial should be used to control the loudness.
>
>Is there any rule that says this is totally wrong or that is totally right, or is it cleanly up to the guy who listens (that would be me)?
It's more a question of how the mixer was designed, the levels of your instruments, and the performance setting (live, recording, etc.). I tend to use a method similar to yours in a live environment. I set the instruments at 2/3 volume for a "rhythm" setting, and then turn up to max (or nearly so) on solos. This is probably not the lowest-noise approach, but it has the practical benefit that I can always turn the volume up or down as needed. We don't place the console in the audience, so each band member is expected to keep watch over the levels. In a noisy club environment, the small difference in noise levels isn't noticeable.
In a recording situation, however, it's usually a good idea to keep the noise levels down to a minimum, because the noise can't be removed later. In this case, the standard approach is to turn the instruments all the way up, thereby minimizing the signal-to-noise ratio at the inputs, and use the faders to adjust the levels. The assumption here is that the background noise (hiss, pops, and hum) is pretty much a constant; if it's 2% of the total signal, doubling the signal level then makes it only 1% of the total signal, etc. There are two cases where this is NOT a good idea: 1) if turning up the instrument volume causes the mixer or recording device to overload (clip); and 2) if turning up the instrument volume causes the instrument itself to overload or change its timbre in an undesirable way. The first case happens when the output level of the instrument is greater than the maximum level that the mixer can handle. Mixers are often designed to handle everything from microphon
es, which may produce a few tens of millivolts maximum output, to "line level" devices that produce several volts of output. If you are using a line level device, it may be possible to send more signal to the mixer than it was designed to use. Most mixers have either a gain control or a gain selector switch, but these adjustments aren't always enough. Overdriving a mixer usually results in a harsh, nasty sound -- but then again, sometimes a nasty sound is exactly what you're looking for!
The second case often occurs when inserting effects units and tube preamps into the chain. A lower level of instrument output may give a desired sound (ex: tone warmth), while boosting the level may cause the device to overdrive or even overload, and the result may be completely different than was expected. It can also happen in the AN1x if the VCA Feedback is set at a high level, or between stages of some digital effects units like the Quadraverb 2.
Regards,
-BW
--
Bruce Wahler
Ashby Solutions\ufffd http://music.ashbysolutions.com
978.386.7389 voice/fax
bruce@...
