HELLO ALL,

LOOKING FOR TIPS ON SETTING THE INPUT GAIN STAGES FOR CAHNNELS 1-16 (1-8 ANALOG/9-16 DIGITAL) FROM A DIGI 001. I TRIED USING WHITE NOISE ON EVERY TRACK IN PRO TOOLS TO SET THE METERS. CHANNELS 1&2 ARE HOTTER AND I AM GETTING SONIC DESCRIPENTICIES ON 3-8 (SOUND LIKE DIFFERENT EQ'S). BEFORE TESTING AND SETTING I HAVE RESET THE DA7 TO THE FACTROY DEFALTS FOLLOWING THE MANUALS INSTRUCTIONS.

MY BIG PROBLEM IS CLIPING. I READ IN THE MANUAL THAT RED ON THE CHANNEL INPUT METER IT'S NOT GOOD AND I HEAR SOME DISTORTION WHEN IN THE RED. ON THE ANALOG SIDE I CAN JUST LOWER THE INPUT TRIM BUT ON THE DIGITAL SIDE I HAVE TO LOWER THE OUTPUT THROUGH PRO TOOLS. ALL OF MY AUDIO IS AT LEAST -6DB IN PRO TOOLS. I TRIED LOWERING THE GAIN CONTROL ON THE CHANNEL WINDOW OF THE DA7 WITH NO EFFECT BECAUSE IT'S DIGITAL.

SHOULDN'T ALL THE METERS READ THE SAME ON PRO TOOLS AND THE DA7? WHAY AM I HAVING DESCREPENCIES WITH THE OUTPUT METERS OF RPO TOOLS AND THE INPUT METERS OF THE DA7 USING THE SAME WHITE NOISE FILE ON ALL 16 TRACKS OF PRO TOOLS? I RESET THE DA7 BEFORE DOING THIS TEST...

First off, you might try turning off the CAPS LOCK to make your posts easier to read.

1. Everyone's meters are different. You have to determine which is correct and adjust how you interpret the others.

2. If you are seeing different results on different channels, double-check that their settings are identical. It's extremely unlikely to have differing results if the settings are the same.

To get further answers, we need some more info:

1. what digital card are you using on the DA7?

2. what input-meter are you reading? Is it the red/green LED or the meter bridge?

Sory about the CAPS...


1. Everyone's meters are different. You have to determine which is correct and adjust how you interpret the others.

I figure using the same white noise file on every track in Pro Tools (-18dB) with the faders set to 0dB should be the refference to set the inputs on the DA7. The Digi 001 inputs 1 & 2 are XLR/1/4". While 3-8 are 1/4". I thought there may be a +4 dB/-10dB on the output to explain the higher output level of tracks 1 & 2 of the 001 but I didn't see anything.


2. If you are seeing different results on different channels, double-check that their settings are identical. It's extremely unlikely to have differing results if the settings are the same.


I know that's why I am asking questions. I reset the DA7 to the factory defalts before doing any testing. I would have to trust in doing so, would normal the DA7. I also don't have any plug-ins on the inserts of Pro Tools


To get further answers, we need some more info:

1. what digital card are you using on the DA7?

I bought the DA7 with 3 ADAT cards. I am sending the Optical out from the 001 PCI card to the ADAT card (I believe its slot 3) then routing the digital signal to inputs 9-16 on the DA7. I just thought of a test to send the 001 Optical out to my ADAT to see if the signal discreptencies are the same.

2. what input-meter are you reading? Is it the red/green LED or the meter bridge? [/QB][/QUOTE]


I am talking about the channel LED not the meter bridge. The meter is reading well below cliping, I think about -6dB to 10dB and the channel LED is in the red.
In other words my Pro Tools meters and my DA7 meter bridge as welll as the stereo bus are far from clipping while the channel LED distorts when it hits red.


Thanks for the info. Anything else you please let me know.

Are you familiar with recording with the Digi 001? I have a few questions regarding recording quality.


ruzonmoss

What are the balistics of your meeters on the meeter bridge set to? Are they peak? And what kind of program material are you running? Sounds like there 'could' be some transent peaks that are getting through without the meeter bridge seeing them, which also could be happening on the PT side, leaving you to think that it is a problen with the DA7.

Switch the PT outputs to the DA7 to see if the channel 3-8 thing follows, if it does, it is in the PT setup.

Mixing digi and analog at playback could be part of the problem because of delays in the analog side, I'm not saying they are, mind you, just woundering out loud. Is there a way to get all the PT outs to digital? That way you can check banks instead of channels. They all should be the same.

Thanks for the additional info.

I think you're on the right track with the different Digi outputs. A +4dBu signal will be much hotter than a -10dBv one, as you suspect. The outputs should be described in detail in the Digi manual. As a quick test, rig up a TS plug (leave the ring unconnected) and see if the level drops. It should drop by 6dB if it was originally a balanced connection (and now it'll be unbalanced).

The channel LED can be set to turn red at a different level. It may be in the UTILITY screen, but I forget.

Hermes has a good idea: If you swap around the Digi outputs, you can determine whether the different level is due to the output side of the Digi or the input on the DA7.

Though the DA7's analog inputs will be slightly delayed behind the digital inputs, this will only be a factor if you split a stereo pair between analog and digital. It's unlikely that you will. If the conversion delay is an issue, just use the channel delay to delay all the digital inputs so they line up with the analog ones.

Hey Rick & Hermes,

Thanks for the tips.

About the cahnnel LEDs, why would the channel over load and not the meter? Is the meter bridge the monitoring the output of the channels while the channel LED monitors the channels input??? To me that would explain my issue.

Also, haven't noticed a delay between the analog and digital channels. Maybe because I am editing as I go. What is the delay difference I should set the analog channels to?

The metering in the LCD (and the bridge) can be set to check the signal at three different stages inside the DA7 (pre-eq, pre-fader, post-fader).

The peak/signal LED always measures right after the A/D converter. Depending on what setting you have (default is -6dB) the LED will turn red long before you clip.

The A/D conversion delay will be very short, on the order of microseconds. You'd have to run a test to see how long it is. Usually it is never an issue.

When a SOLO LED button is selected, the MASTER L/R meter reflects the level of the solo’d channel.

The Threshold of the PEAK/SIGNAL LED can be adjusted from -10dB through 0.0dB in the [UTILITY>OSC/BATT] window.

Thank you for all of your helpful suggestions. A pat on the back to you and DA7.com for allowing us to communicate.

Much apperciated...


enzo
(ruzonmoss)

I just found out that my issue might be surrounding the fact that I have a non-supported Fast Mac 933mHz upgraded processor in my 466mHz/133mHz bus G4.

I was upgrading everything to get a better system together and shot myself in the foot.

Trying to land an Apple processor to re-install into my CPU. Will reply with the results.

Should be worth posting,