Clip indicator with low signal

[spartanhooah]

We have D-Show Profile, and on one channel we're seeing about -12 on the channel meter, but it often turns red. It never reaches anywhere near a clipping level, however. What's going on, and how do we fix it?

[Sheldon Radford]

Hi,

The first thing to check is the Clip threshold level on the Options > Interaction page. It's set at a fairly conservative 6 dB below max dB by default; most users who are comfortable with the console and gain structure set this to 1 or 2 dB below max, or even 0 dB.

Also, if the meters are set to RMS, it's possible that transient peaks (which can be 10 dB or higher than the RMS average) are the cause. Try toggling between peak and RMS meter modes to see the different level indication.

A bit more about clip indication...

The clip indicator lights when any of several clip points in the chain are clipped.

It's possible to have a clean signal at the input but then clip further down the chain with large amounts of EQ boost, radical Compressor makeup gain, or clipping within a plug-in (this is the most common). Disengage each of these stages one by one and see if the clip indication goes away - that will tell you where the clip is occurring.

Sheldon

[Scott Fahy]

We had the same problem when we first started using our D Show. Change the clip indicator to 1db below max db and use RMS metering. The console can handle a lot of level, way more than you think.

Scott