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Author Topic: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking  (Read 22540 times)

Joe Pieternella

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #20 on: December 12, 2017, 02:25:17 PM »



Joe - to your point about gain.  I had the gain all the way off.  Actually, -5.  With no gain, shouldn't his level have completely been off?  What am I not understanding.  For example, on an analog mixer, if you turn the gain knob all the way off, there is nothing coming through the speakers for that channel.  Right?

I see why you would think that. In the Qu mixer the lowest gain you could set is indeed -5dB (I RTFM). The problem here starts at the Qlxd. It is currently putting out so much level that you are getting in to trouble. It is putting out line level right now while your mixer is expecting mic level.

Actually it's capable of putting out +18dBv enough level to drive some power amps into clipping.

At the back of your Qlxd there will be a switch next to the XLR connector.



Flip this switch first, it will drop the level going to your mixer by 30dB.

If this isn't enough you also have 60dB of adjustment range within the receiver itself.

If you are not able to reach the switch on the receiver my first advice would be to move the Qlxd to the line input on the channel which would get you a 10dB drop compared to your current situation.



Verstuurd vanaf mijn G8341 met Tapatalk

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Isaac South

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #21 on: December 12, 2017, 03:03:12 PM »


I see why you would think that. In the Qu mixer the lowest gain you could set is indeed -5dB (I RTFM). The problem here starts at the Qlxd. It is currently putting out so much level that you are getting in to trouble. It is putting out line level right now while your mixer is expecting mic level.

Actually it's capable of putting out +18dBv enough level to drive some power amps into clipping.

At the back of your Qlxd there will be a switch next to the XLR connector.



Flip this switch first, it will drop the level going to your mixer by 30dB.

If this isn't enough you also have 60dB of adjustment range within the receiver itself.

If you are not able to reach the switch on the receiver my first advice would be to move the Qlxd to the line input on the channel which would get you a 10dB drop compared to your current situation.



Verstuurd vanaf mijn G8341 met Tapatalk

Ahhhh - that makes total sense.  I am going to check that switch on the receiver asap.  In fact, we have 5 wireless mics.  I'm going to check all of them.  Should they be set to "mic" or "line"?  Which one?
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Scott Holtzman

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #22 on: December 12, 2017, 03:11:32 PM »

Ahhhh - that makes total sense.  I am going to check that switch on the receiver asap.  In fact, we have 5 wireless mics.  I'm going to check all of them.  Should they be set to "mic" or "line"?  Which one?

Rather than answer that question do you understand the difference between a MIC and a Line input as it was explained to you?

It is far more important to use this as a teaching moment to increase your understanding of gain staging that to tell you how to set the switch.

The receiver also has an output level adjustment.

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Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

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Joe Pieternella

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #23 on: December 12, 2017, 03:21:49 PM »

I strongly disagree.

He NEEDS the compressor, but with some adjustment finesse.  It sounds like the attack and release were too long.  Unless the ratio is high and threshold is low, he probably needs little if any make up gain.


You are right, we agree on this point. I never said he needed to drop the comp altogether. I even suggested he would learn/try to set it better. And only added the point about make up gains because I was wrongfully under the assumption that his problem was being caused the way I described in my first post;
preamp gain gets set-->compressor gets set to control dynamics--> level drops because of the compression--> gain gets added at preamp to compensate.

This last step kinda works. Because the output will still rise. But now we have these nasty peaks that show up when the pastor starts talking.
It's safe to assume that the people here will immediately recognize this as a (to) slow attack time.

When I got home I went through the spec sheets for the Qu and the Qlxd and found out some things.
The gain range on the Qu is - 5dB to +60dB
The peak led on the Qu flashes at - 3dBfs/+18dBu
The Qlxd has a mic/line level switch (30dB pad)
It can put out +18dBv when set to line level.

OP was at the minimum gain of -5dB already so he must have been getting a very hot signal. The only thing that could be doing this was the wireless receiver.

After fixing this we could start looking at helping out with compressor settings.

I also want to take this moment to state that I in no way mean any disrespect to any member on here. The people contributing to this thread have a combined experience which is probably bigger than the years I've been alive. I am still learning a lot here everyday. I just don't always seem to be able to make myself clear and feel the need to clarify.

Now back to the OP
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Isaac South

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #24 on: December 12, 2017, 03:30:46 PM »

Rather than answer that question do you understand the difference between a MIC and a Line input as it was explained to you?

It is far more important to use this as a teaching moment to increase your understanding of gain staging that to tell you how to set the switch.

The receiver also has an output level adjustment.

I 100% want to learn. I am not here to get free info.  I can assure you my goal is to become better at what I'm doing.  To answer your question, I do not know whether it should be mic or line.  And here's why it's muddy in my brain:

1. We are talking about a microphone.  So, I think it should be on "mic".

2.  But we are sending this microphone through an input on the mixer.  So now I think it should be on "line".

So which one is it?  That's what I don't understand.
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Rob Spence

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #25 on: December 12, 2017, 03:34:26 PM »

I 100% want to learn. I am not here to get free info.  I can assure you my goal is to become better at what I'm doing.  To answer your question, I do not know whether it should be mic or line.  And here's why it's muddy in my brain:

1. We are talking about a microphone.  So, I think it should be on "mic".

2.  But we are sending this microphone through an input on the mixer.  So now I think it should be on "line".

So which one is it?  That's what I don't understand.

So, what kind of input on the mixer are you using? Mic or line?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
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Isaac South

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #26 on: December 12, 2017, 03:40:15 PM »

So, what kind of input on the mixer are you using? Mic or line?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I'm guessing mic, since I'm plugged into the board via an XLR cable...
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Scott Holtzman

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #27 on: December 12, 2017, 03:46:23 PM »

You are right, we agree on this point. I never said he needed to drop the comp altogether. I even suggested he would learn/try to set it better. And only added the point about make up gains because I was wrongfully under the assumption that his problem was being caused the way I described in my first post;
preamp gain gets set-->compressor gets set to control dynamics--> level drops because of the compression--> gain gets added at preamp to compensate.

This last step kinda works. Because the output will still rise. But now we have these nasty peaks that show up when the pastor starts talking.
It's safe to assume that the people here will immediately recognize this as a (to) slow attack time.

When I got home I went through the spec sheets for the Qu and the Qlxd and found out some things.
The gain range on the Qu is - 5dB to +60dB
The peak led on the Qu flashes at - 3dBfs/+18dBu
The Qlxd has a mic/line level switch (30dB pad)
It can put out +18dBv when set to line level.

OP was at the minimum gain of -5dB already so he must have been getting a very hot signal. The only thing that could be doing this was the wireless receiver.

After fixing this we could start looking at helping out with compressor settings.

I also want to take this moment to state that I in no way mean any disrespect to any member on here. The people contributing to this thread have a combined experience which is probably bigger than the years I've been alive. I am still learning a lot here everyday. I just don't always seem to be able to make myself clear and feel the need to clarify.

Now back to the OP
Verstuurd vanaf mijn G8341 met Tapatalk

Joe I see Isaac has asked some more questions and is getting closer.  Start with understanding the difference between a mic and line input.

This is where teaching and experience diverge.  I mix with my ears not to the lights on the mixer.  Frankly if it sounds good with something in the red then that's cool.   Most mixers have room left after the lights before audible distortion. 

Somewhere along the line when they were being taught to mix, somebody told them to adjust this knob for a certain meter reading so mixing became an alignment task more than simple audible results.  If you are hitting a preamp too low and lowering the S/N ration when you make up that gain in the channel strip your ears should tell you that channel sounds thin and hit it a little harder. 

How you go about teaching this is difficult.  To a certain point if you have the right combination of experience it's intuitively obvious.  I learned gain staging setting up car stereo's in my teens in the late 70's.  When I see guys struggle I don't know how to teach these skills. 

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Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

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Scott Holtzman

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #28 on: December 12, 2017, 03:48:24 PM »

I'm guessing mic, since I'm plugged into the board via an XLR cable...

Correct (it should be labeled to) so you want to hit that channel with a lower level.  Mic inputs have microphone preamplifiers in them that line input lack (and have to be hit harder).

The connector is not necessarily the "tell" as a channel may have a mic/line switch on it. 

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Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

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Geert Friedhof

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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #29 on: December 12, 2017, 03:59:48 PM »

OK Isaac, It is quite simple: A MIC channel is for, ahum, MICS. That is: A mic connected with an XLR cable. LINE channels are for everything else like CD players etc. The major difference is the input level. A LINE source gives a lot more signal (hotter) than a Microphone.

Almost all mono channels with an XLR input are MIC channels. Almost all channels with a TRS (Jack) input are LINE channels. You can't use a line channel for a MIC, and usually not a mic channel for a line source, as you have experienced.

You should connect your sources to the correct input, and it should be possible to adjust the level with the gain knob that the level meter (VU meter) is comfortably near the green-yellow level. Red is always bad.

For all others: yes i know there are exceptions, but please keep it simple for once.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2017, 04:06:29 PM by Geert Friedhof »
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Re: Couldn't Stop Mic Peaking
« Reply #29 on: December 12, 2017, 03:59:48 PM »


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