Volume from Digi 002 rack too loud.

[George Siede]

So many volume controls...so little time.


I am trying to balance the playback volume in my home studio from multiple devices and software applications so I get proper volume for mixing and for bouncing to disk without blowing myself out of my chair.

I am running the main ch 1 and 2 output of my Digi 002 rack into a little Mackie 1202 mixer along with a keyboard and a drum machine on other mixer channels. I set the keyboard and the drum machine channels to unity gain as well as the main output of the mixer and then set a volume on my powered monitor speakers to a comfortable level (there is a also a seperate physical volume knob on my hardware synth module and drum machine too which I just set part way up).

But now the playback volume on the Digi is a lot louder than the other channels so I have to pot it down from unity. It is equaly too loud when I playback audio from itunes just to listen to or for free-standing Reason sessions (not within a ProTools session).

Now I can adjust the output from within Digi CoreAudio Manager to bring down the volume from itunes and free-standing Reason sessions but that leaves me with ProTools sessions that are too loud at unity gain. If I just bring down the master fader in ProTools to get volume down to match - won't that effect my bouce to disk operation?

I see that there is a monitor level knob on the front of the Digi interface so I suppose I could run out of the monitor outs rather than outputs 1 & 2 so as to use this knob to balance the volume.

I'd like some guidence as to the proper procedure to set all these volume knobs and software controlls to get proper mixes and bounces-to-disk as well as a good listening balance between devices and programs.

Thanks,
George Siede

[Ken P]

the only thing that comes to mind on this is by chance are you coming out of the 002's +4 outputs and in to a -10 input on your mixer? not sure what the 1202 specs are...

my guess is your keyboard and drum machine are most likely -10 unbalanced and the 002 outputs are +4 balanced, so you would have to level match betwen all your devices at the preamp stage in the mixer. with no level matching, your -10 devices are going to be quieter relative to any +4 devices.

[tele_player]

Ken - I think you've got the right idea.

George - first thing to do is set the output level switches on the 002 to -10; if that's not sufficient to get the levels where you like, try the monitor output, and use the monitor level knob to adjust things.

[George Siede]

I don't think there are any +4/-10 output switches.

There are +4/-10 switches on the inputs of channel 5&6 and 7&8 but not on any outputs.

I will try using the monitor outputs rather than the main outputs so I can use the monitor level knob on the front of the 002 rack to match volume of my other devices.

Thanks,
George

[maccool]

There are -10 Alt Main outs right next to the Main Outs.

[George Siede]

Your're right - I saw those before but I was looking for a switch that would change the main outs to -10 like the one on the inputs for chanels 5,6,7,8. I didn't use the alternate -10 outputs next to the mains because they 're unbalanced RCA jacks and I was using a balanced 1/4" cable to go to the mixer.

I just hooked it up using the monitor outs so I can control playback volume from the front level control of the 002 to balance with other stuff and that seems like a fine solution.

Thanks,
George