Post by: Dave Dermont on December 20, 2007, 09:33:56 AM
1. What's your favorite kick drum microphone?
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/27721/0/0/8 1/
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/24074/0/0/8 1/
2.What are your favorite headphones?
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/273533/81/?srch= headphones#msg_273533
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/255423/81/?srch= headphones#msg_255423
Another good way to get information is to use the Forum Search Function
I will leave this sticky and unlocked so people can make suggestions and we can kick around some ideas.
Be advised that the FAQ discussion will eventually be trimmed and locked, leaving only the FAQ.
Thanks
Post by: Danny Mullins on December 20, 2007, 09:49:51 AM
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/234265/16053/?sr ch=Advice+on+First+Sound+system#msg_234265
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/272209/16053/?sr ch=Advice+on+First+Sound+system#msg_272209
These are just a couple from a quick search, there are a lot more.
Post by: Andy Peters on December 28, 2007, 01:18:49 PM
Q: "I'm thinking about getting an Aural Exciter (or similar product). What do you all think?"
A1: "Don't bother. They all suck. Spend the money on another microphone."
A2: "Never use these things across the main outputs. They might be useful as on an individual channel insert. But you're better off spending the money on another microphone."
-a
Post by: SteveKirby on December 31, 2007, 01:39:55 PM
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/218674/23615/0// /17922/#msg_218674
This was listed on a thread about bi-amping. Bunches of newbs have asked about setting limiter thresholds and there is usually a response about either setting to prevent amp clipping (which technique is described in the study hall although largely obviated by built in soft-clipping limiters built into modern amps) or a comment about setting it to protect the speakers, but with no guidance about how to do that. Thank you Ryan Jenkins for this very clear response.
Post by: Ryan Garnett on January 02, 2008, 02:11:04 PM
A guide to what pieces of gear make up a system.
Post by: Donnie Evans on February 29, 2008, 03:17:26 PM
Calculating Limiter Settings
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/218674/23615/0// /17922/#msg_218674
Post by: Too Tall (Curtis H. List) on June 18, 2008, 11:47:18 AM
| Andy Peters wrote on Fri, 28 December 2007 13:18 |
Another FAQ: Q: "I'm thinking about getting an Aural Exciter (or similar product). What do you all think?" A1: "Don't bother. They all suck. Spend the money on another microphone." A2: "Never use these things across the main outputs. They might be useful as on an individual channel insert. But you're better off spending the money on another microphone." -a |
+1
They belong in a studio, if anywhere.
A band hired me to mix their set on another person's PA in a night club.
The guy had a nice system in general, but he used some kind of exciter over the mains.
I switched it in and out a few times, then I made a small EQ change on his 1/3-octave EQ and asked if it sounded the same as his exciter.
He said yes, while scratching his head.
Post by: Bennett Prescott on June 18, 2008, 02:12:43 PM
Post by: Tony "T" Tissot on June 27, 2008, 11:57:03 PM
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/335411/35327/0// /15490/#msg_335411
You'll learn - under-powering is not the culprit for driver damage. Expecting "Champagne" results from a "Beer" budget is.
My favorite quote: "Inexperienced operators often try to use a system that just doesn't have enough power (speakers and amps and AC power) to do the job properly, not the power of the speakers themselves. This results in pushing the system way too hard and making failures more common."
Post by: John Wilder on October 12, 2009, 02:36:28 AM
How does the amp get full output power when the "volume" knobs aren't turned up all the way?
The knobs on a power amp are NOT volume knobs. They do not alter the amplifier's power gain in any way.
They are "input attenuators" and they are a matching device. They are used to "pad" the input sensitivity so that the input sensitivity of the amplifier matches the mixer's "max before clipping" output.
Most power amps have an input sensitivity of 1-2Vrms with no input attenuation. However, a typical +4dB mixer can kick out about 8-10 volts before the mixer clips...WAY too much signal for the amp input with the attenuators up all the way. So the input attenuators give you an "adjustable pad", allowing you to match the input sensitivity of your power amp to your mixer's "max signal amplitude before clipping" value, allowing you to get max possible gain from your mics and from the mixer to the amps without the system being so sensitive.
You'll still get full power output...again, the power gain is a fixed value and cannot be altered. It's just gonna take a much bigger signal from the mixer to get that max output, which is a good thing. Benefits - lower noise floor, amps aren't near as sensitive/feedback reduction/elimination, ability to get max possible gain = highest signal/noise ratio.
Now if your amps are not reaching full output power before the mixer clips, you have your attenuators turned down too much. Open them up some. If the amp is hitting clip before the mixer is (i.e. you can still get more gain from the mixer without clipping the mixer itself yet the amp is already clipping), turn the attenuators on the amp down. The trick here is to get the mixer and everything downstream of it to hit its clip point at exactly the same time. This is known as setting a proper "gain structure".
With the speakers disconnected, if you were to inject a pink noise signal into a mixer channel, set the channels EQ flat with low shelving filters off, channel and main faders at "0" (unity gain), then slowly increase the gain/trim of that channel, everything downstream of the mixer including the amps should hit clip at exactly the same time the channel's "Clip" indicator just starts to indicate clipping.
Post by: Dave Dermont on October 14, 2009, 09:09:09 AM
| John Wilder wrote on Mon, 12 October 2009 02:36 |
How about... How does the amp get full output power when the "volume" knobs aren't turned up all the way? The knobs on a power amp are NOT volume knobs. They do not alter the amplifier's power gain in any way. They are "input attenuators" and they are a matching device. They are used to "pad" the input sensitivity so that the input sensitivity of the amplifier matches the mixer's "max before clipping" output. Most power amps have an input sensitivity of 1-2Vrms with no input attenuation. However, a typical +4dB mixer can kick out about 8-10 volts before the mixer clips...WAY too much signal for the amp input with the attenuators up all the way. So the input attenuators give you an "adjustable pad", allowing you to match the input sensitivity of your power amp to your mixer's "max signal amplitude before clipping" value, allowing you to get max possible gain from your mics and from the mixer to the amps without the system being so sensitive. You'll still get full power output...again, the power gain is a fixed value and cannot be altered. It's just gonna take a much bigger signal from the mixer to get that max output, which is a good thing. Benefits - lower noise floor, amps aren't near as sensitive/feedback reduction/elimination, ability to get max possible gain = highest signal/noise ratio. Now if your amps are not reaching full output power before the mixer clips, you have your attenuators turned down too much. Open them up some. If the amp is hitting clip before the mixer is (i.e. you can still get more gain from the mixer without clipping the mixer itself yet the amp is already clipping), turn the attenuators on the amp down. The trick here is to get the mixer and everything downstream of it to hit its clip point at exactly the same time. This is known as setting a proper "gain structure". With the speakers disconnected, if you were to inject a pink noise signal into a mixer channel, set the channels EQ flat with low shelving filters off, channel and main faders at "0" (unity gain), then slowly increase the gain/trim of that channel, everything downstream of the mixer including the amps should hit clip at exactly the same time the channel's "Clip" indicator just starts to indicate clipping. |
Actually, them there controls on the amp are NOT input attenuators. They are gain controls.
See this post by Bob Lee.
Post by: John Wilder on October 15, 2009, 12:08:48 AM
However...there was a very legit reason for leaving that fact out of my explaination.
When teaching a 'newbie' (after all, this is in fact FAQ for the live sound newbie), I don't prefer to teach them that concept as it overcomplicates things for the novice. It's much simpler to comprehend for the novice by simply explaining them as adjustable input pads.
Another reason why you don't explain it to the novice like that is because to most novices I've encountered, in their mind the term "gain" = "volume" and that's not the case. I've found that when teaching someone from scratch, my first goal is to get the false pretense that gain=volume out of their heads...it leads to the "I want more volume so I add more gain" mentality that leads to disaster everytime. I always teach that gain is a measure of amplification factor and that the channel's preamp in most "club/weekend warrior" setups has more than enough gain to drive the signal through the mixer and driverack all the way to the amplifier without having to add it downstream of the channel preamp at different points in the signal path. It's always much better to add as much clean gain as possible at the mixer channel's trim control upstream of the driverack and amplifier and only have to add a little at the amplifier, than it is to set your mixer channel gain low, then have to add additional gain at the amp itself by running the amp's controls full up.
Post by: Pat ONeill on January 20, 2010, 08:10:02 PM
