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Tech discussion => General info - Tools,How to - => Topic started by: marcmozart on March 11, 2013, 10:40:30 PM

Title: Digital Converter Levels into Console
Post by: marcmozart on March 11, 2013, 10:40:30 PM: What reference levels are you guys using to hit the console?
I heard 0db on VU-meter = -18DBFS is common. Does that leave enough headroom if a fully mastered signal is hitting the channels line-input?

Is there are way to fine-tune the line-level on the Input-board? Same for the output-level from channel that hits the mix-bus? Can I calibrate the output-level from channel to left side and right side to mix-bus separately? Some of my channels have a 0.5 to 1 dB difference between pan far left and pan far right.
Title: Re: Digital Converter Levels into Console
Post by: brewery on March 12, 2013, 06:38:36 AM: i wouldn't mess with the line amps, everybody will expect a +4dBu alignment. -18 works fine for me, and it's not like you have mastered tracks coming in when you're mixing.
'modern' cds will of course totally slam the meters, but i just back down the line trims if i have a hot ref, and i have pads on the computer and cd player feeds (both normalled to stereo machine playbacks)

you can always play around with the converter alignment of course.
Title: Console Alignment
Post by: marcmozart on March 12, 2013, 09:01:20 AM: I got the 24 Channel SSL Alpha Link Converters. The thing is, the 4K channels don't pass the same levels from input to quad-bus output if set to unity gain. This is what I want to align and I wonder how to get there.

I believe precise alignment between console and converters on all channels is important so I can trust all channels to behave the same.

Of course the question is, where to align, at the master, at the channels, and at what cards?

EDIT: I found a document entitled
Service Calibration Procedure
611 I/O Module Calibration
18 September 1996
Issue 1.01

It answers the 611 Channel alignment questions.
Title: Re: Digital Converter Levels into Console
Post by: kilmister on March 13, 2013, 09:34:19 PM: Hey.

I was just about to write calibration procedure I have written down when saw your edit.
Would you mind to share your document to the tech manual area?

Cheers,
Paavo
Title: Re: Digital Converter Levels into Console
Post by: marcmozart on March 14, 2013, 09:02:33 PM: No problem - I'll post it as an attachment.

Cheers.
Marc
Title: Re: Digital Converter Levels into Console
Post by: kilmister on March 14, 2013, 10:36:20 PM: Excellent, thanks a ton!

-Paavo
Title: Re: Digital Converter Levels into Console
Post by: Artur D'Assumpção on March 17, 2013, 01:52:11 PM: Although consoles are definitely calibrated for an optimal 0dbVU = -XdbFS level, the exact level for conversion I think is a matter of taste of how hot you want to drive your console. With the old Apogee AD-16X and DA-16X converters I've seen producers to use -18dBFS and others -16dBFS on the same console.

The idea is always to keep the console calibrated to specs, and then tune your AD/DA converter to meet your taste. The Apogee's were "tunable" on the frontpanel in increments of 0.1 dBFS.
Title: Re: Digital Converter Levels into Console
Post by: Artur D'Assumpção on May 23, 2013, 05:38:38 PM: Marc,

Could you share the procedure documents?

Quote from: marcmozart on March 14, 2013, 09:02:33 PM
No problem - I'll post it as an attachment.

Cheers.
Marc
Title: Re: Digital Converter Levels into Console
Post by: kilmister on May 23, 2013, 07:33:28 PM: Marc has posted them allready to:
http://forum.sslmixed.com/index.php?topic=298.0
;)

-Paavo