confused: +4 or -10 ?

[hatembr]

well..... what should one use??????????? i am really confused with this...
when i set to the audiophile outs and the mackie ins to -10, i get a little higher volume and more headroom in cubase! but will the mix sound very different than +4 ??
and what about the virus? what does its outs deliver? consumer +4 or -10?

heeeeeeeeeelp

[jasedee]

-10dBV is the standard for unbalanced devices, whose output @ 0VU with a 1k tone should be 0.316V

+4dBu is the standard for balanced devices, with an output reading (@ 0VU, 1k sine wave) of 1.23V

Theres about a difference of 2.2dB, which would explain the difference in levels you hear....which also equates to about 11.8dB more headroom when using a totally balanced system, running at +4dBu

Most synths operate at -10dBV, but for some reason I find the Virus too hot when I switch the -10 level, so I keep it at +4, and adjust levels of individual patches.....

Check the specs for the audiophile, and also the Virus......and, I guess, just try each and see which one works best for you....

:)

[grs]

Sometimes if I'm working on a ballanced mix at +4 I think the virus can't cut it (If the rest of the mix is huge) By turning up a part volume on the virus to high you can actually hear it distort! At -10 the virus has loads of power left over, so I'd say it's actually somewhere in between.

My current solution is to add a pre-amp or channel gain to the virus when working in +4.

Test all your sutdio components; mixer, convertors etc at +4 with a 0db digitally clean kik drum. I found my converters crackle a bit so this extra head room for me was going to contain distortions in transients of other instruments too.

[hatembr]

As far as the audiophile specs go, i know it can do both +4 and -10 , it is simply an option to check in the asio control panel affecting its outputs
but i din't remember i've seen this info in the virus manual, about balanced or unbalanced outputs....

[grs]

Are you talking about a virus b or a virus c? (or the new TI?)
My virus b I believe is -10 unbalanced.

[hatembr]

i'm takling about virus c, so i guess it is the same as b ?

[grs]

The TI has upped the specs to Balanced and your choice of -10 +4.

[jasedee]

Do you send the Virus audio to the DAW via alt 3/4 buss?

Leave the stereo line channel at -10dBV and keep the soundcard at +4dBu (The Alt 3/4 buss output is balanced) and then adjust the individual patch volume to suit

Obviously, if you find working another way suits you better, stick to it!!! You can spend alot of time worrying about this stuff......I do :)

And now Im up to my armpits in balanced multicore and TRS jacks :(

[grs]

Do you send the Virus audio to the DAW via alt 3/4 buss?

Leave the stereo line channel at -10dBV and keep the soundcard at +4dBu (The Alt 3/4 buss output is balanced) and then adjust the individual patch volume to suit

Obviously, if you find working another way suits you better, stick to it!!! You can spend alot of time worrying about this stuff......I do :)

And now Im up to my armpits in balanced multicore and TRS jacks :(

I'm curious when you say "The Alt 3/4 buss output is balanced", where does this info come from?
My understanding is they are all the same 1,2/3,4/5,6. Unbalanced, -10. with the 1 being doubled as a headphone jack (stereo) which makes it interesting being that it needs 3 points of contact in the jack housing. This raises more questions than answers.

[jasedee]

I'm curious when you say "The Alt 3/4 buss output is balanced", where does this info come from?
This is on the mackie mixer.....

[hatembr]

Do you send the Virus audio to the DAW via alt 3/4 buss?



yes i do! it is the easiest way to work with the vlz


Leave the stereo line channel at -10dBV and keep the soundcard at +4dBu (The Alt 3/4 buss output is balanced) and then adjust the individual patch volume to suit


i work with the stereo channels, their default position is +4, so i'll have to set them to -10.
And u said the alt 3/4 is balanced (page 16 of the pdf manual http://www.mackie.com/pdf/1402vlzpro_om.pdf .

one more thing, the audio ins of the audiophile are fixed i think, only the outs can be switched.... going to check this in the manual....


Obviously, if you find working another way suits you better, stick to it!!! You can spend alot of time worrying about this stuff......I do :)


I'll try this way jasedee! then compare to the way i am used to...



And now Im up to my armpits in balanced multicore and TRS jacks :(

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/images/031205_armpit.jpg

beeeeewwwww

[jasedee]

one more thing, the audio ins of the audiophile are fixed i think, only the outs can be switched.... going to check this in the manual...
Seems strange......I'd have thought it would be the other way around. Better double check (is it software switch or hardware?)

[hatembr]

it is software switch, an option to check in the asio control panel in output section
1/ Consumer
2/ - 10dB

only that.

[jasedee]

I am presuming the inputs are balanced +4 then? Which should work fine if the Virus is getting to the soundcard via Alt 3/4 buss (also balanced)

Now, for my next magic trick!

Are you using balanced cables/connectors? :)

[hatembr]

tricky question .... :D i am using both balanced and unbalanced cables, i don't remember if the virus is connected to bal or unbal.. going to check that once out of work

[mcoyote]

Hmmm...ok, the Virus has unbalanced outs, right? Everything else on mixer, the fireworx fx loop, and my Remote 25 Audio are all balanced -- so what should the setting be, for example, on my Fireworx' gain?

[hatembr]

tricky question .... :D i am using both balanced and unbalanced cables, i don't remember if the virus is connected to bal or unbal.. going to check that once out of work

i forgot to post here.... i was wrong, i'v checked my cables and they are all unbalanced! :S

[jasedee]

Hmmm...ok, the Virus has unbalanced outs, right? Everything else on mixer, the fireworx fx loop, and my Remote 25 Audio are all balanced -- so what should the setting be, for example, on my Fireworx' gain?
What kinda mixer??? Newer ones usually accept both balanced/unbalanced..

In the end, if your happy with things....then cool!