QU32 master output a bit low (or adjustable)

[crizdee]

Hi,

I kept thinking the volume wasn’t quite there at the first few gigs ive done? and can’t find any adjustment for it. so i plummed-in the old Mackie TT24 desk and Voila! The volume is there on the outputs.

Why does the QU32 have such a low output? or can something be done to give it some more level?

Chris

[Anonymous]

Turn up the fader or amp?

What output level are you running on each desk?

[crizdee]

Hi,

Master faders at Unity. The QU-32 is noticeably lower, ive been using the Mackie TT24 for years and i noticed immediately there was less lavel. Going into a Nexo controller rack i couldn’t get the push i needed. might be some adjustment on the Nexo controller but we also use an AD system with crown amps on full level and an active QSC KLA array levels on full.

Out again this Saturday with the Nexo rig outside event so was hoping to get a bit more level from somewhere.

Chris

[Anonymous]

What are the metered levels.

[mervaka]

Looking at the manual, the meters are in dBFS, and the last green LED is at around -10dBFS. 0dB on the Qu meters is at -18dBFS, so you have plenty of headroom to structure your gain hotter.

[crizdee]

Hi,

Ok So 0dbfs on the meters is outputting -18dbfs guess that is my problem. i don’t want to run the meters too far above -0dbfs makes me nervous in the digital world! plus i like to use the meters as a gauge, so having them banging redline all the time isn’t helping with that. maybe a firmware update can change this somehow.

Chris

[GCumbee]

Digital 0 being -12 to -18 is pretty normal in the industry.

[Andreas]

I’m just pointing to this recent discussion: less output than other boards
0dB on the meter is normalized to regular +4dBu on the outputs. As Nicola said, maximum level is +22dBu, which really should be sufficient.
Btw: No meter should ever run above 0dBfs… 😉

[samuel2230]

It should be understood that the QU/GLD meters are in analog dbu, not dbFS, so 0 is actually analog dbu zero and about -18dbFS. You can, and probably frequently should be, often going above the 0 mark on the QU. You aren’t going above digital zero until the outputs show peak…. actually, the peak light goes off a little early, at -3 db below 0dbFS. Maximum output is +22dbu, so the clip light goes off early at +19dbu. The output is about 2 db lower than a Yamaha QL/CL. I have noticed this as well. If the device you are driving will take 24db, add 2db of input gain if you want to to seem to perform similarly. Also, consider letting the peak light go off occasionally, knowing it’s probably still 3db below peak. I would prefer selectable options for just how the peak light behaves, like in avid or Digico.

[crizdee]

Hi,

checked it at a gig yesterday and the desk was clipping on the output long before our Nexo rig got even close to max level. our previous desk (Mackie TT24) could peak the nexo rig easily(Nexo TD Controller-Camco vortex 6 amps) Master meters were off the scale, so no doubt about it the output is lower by quite a bit. i guess about 6-10db.

Loving everything else about the desk. just need to look at a way to up the output.

Chris

[Anonymous]

I’ve never had issues with low volume and have really had to push the FOH?
However allways used my own amps etc.. With no processing?
Maybe that’s the difference?

[Andreas]

From the manual the TT24 is specified for +26dBu maxiumum output level, a difference of 4dB. Shouldn’t be that significant.

[Anonymous]

What was peaking?

I noted today that the input to the main mix was clipping way before the mix output was – I just had too many channels running hot.

Brought everything down in the mix and boosted the FOH fader – extra volume, still no peak light on the output. It’s important to consider what you are measuring, and to consider that the QU measurements are fundamentally non-analogue, despite their close approximation.

Can’t recall which car it was that the Japanese put a VGA screen in – because they couldn’t make an analogue rev counter that could keep up with the way it revved…

[Anonymous]

Apologies. I meant to say, I have ‘NEVER’ had to push the FOH to get good volume!
Always had really clear great volume!
More than enough!

[Author]

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