Ok guys
Im seriously confused. Need some smart audio folks to help me out if possible. I guess this is a gain staging/Calibration question.
First the Set up:
Presonus RC500 Channel strip into a Focusrite Saffire pro 40 Via an XLR patch bay
So: condenser mic into patch bay input > xlr from patch bay output to XLR input on RC500 Micpre> Line out from pre to the interface. pretty simple. and..finally into protools
SOOOOOO...here is whats going on. I am trying to calibrate the system. using a tone generator, i can send a 1K signal at +4db into the mic pre. and adjust the gain and output so that the VU meter hits 0db
Here is the thing. The pre amp gain, doesn't seem to have an affect on the VU meter (should it?) BUT....when i adjust the output knob up, even slightly the meter pins, i have to back the output know WAAAAY down to almost completely down, to achieve a 0db reading on the VU. in protools tough the signal is very low, so I turn up the interface gain, to get it to -18dbfs on the Waves PAZ and protools meter which is measuring RMS, leading me to my next questions. WHAT meter type in protools is correct fr this process? and tracking in general. Currently im using the SAMPLE PEAK meter, and guessing where -18dbfs is, because its not indicated on that meter, so im shooting for slightly above -20dbfs on that meter.
So should my pre amp be acting like that, the output knob being SOOOO sensitive that the slightest boost pegs the VU meter with the gain knob set around 40?
And what meters should i be using to calibrate correctly? and where is -18dbfs on the sample peak meters
and why am i doing this anyway. Seeing that every source i record is not always going to be a steady 1K test tone, ill have to adjust the pre amp for that specific source anyway right....maybe it a flute, and ill have to turn up the output, or maybe its screaming rock god of a singer and ill have to turn it down....
First and foremost though, is the pre amp supposed to act like that, i thought the GAIN knob would affect the VU meter more than the final output knob...
Help me get my head around this please
Thanks
Im seriously confused. Need some smart audio folks to help me out if possible. I guess this is a gain staging/Calibration question.
First the Set up:
Presonus RC500 Channel strip into a Focusrite Saffire pro 40 Via an XLR patch bay
So: condenser mic into patch bay input > xlr from patch bay output to XLR input on RC500 Micpre> Line out from pre to the interface. pretty simple. and..finally into protools
SOOOOOO...here is whats going on. I am trying to calibrate the system. using a tone generator, i can send a 1K signal at +4db into the mic pre. and adjust the gain and output so that the VU meter hits 0db
Here is the thing. The pre amp gain, doesn't seem to have an affect on the VU meter (should it?) BUT....when i adjust the output knob up, even slightly the meter pins, i have to back the output know WAAAAY down to almost completely down, to achieve a 0db reading on the VU. in protools tough the signal is very low, so I turn up the interface gain, to get it to -18dbfs on the Waves PAZ and protools meter which is measuring RMS, leading me to my next questions. WHAT meter type in protools is correct fr this process? and tracking in general. Currently im using the SAMPLE PEAK meter, and guessing where -18dbfs is, because its not indicated on that meter, so im shooting for slightly above -20dbfs on that meter.
So should my pre amp be acting like that, the output knob being SOOOO sensitive that the slightest boost pegs the VU meter with the gain knob set around 40?
And what meters should i be using to calibrate correctly? and where is -18dbfs on the sample peak meters
and why am i doing this anyway. Seeing that every source i record is not always going to be a steady 1K test tone, ill have to adjust the pre amp for that specific source anyway right....maybe it a flute, and ill have to turn up the output, or maybe its screaming rock god of a singer and ill have to turn it down....
First and foremost though, is the pre amp supposed to act like that, i thought the GAIN knob would affect the VU meter more than the final output knob...
Help me get my head around this please
Thanks