Need some help with a problem we discovered. We have a QU-32 mixer and the LR main runs directly into a pair of Mackie SR1530’s. Realized that the signal we have going into the Mackie’s is way too hot. So when we have the master fader at 0, we were compensating by having the gain on our channels way too low. Which in turn was causing a whole slew of issues: we weren’t seeing good levels on the meters, really low output over usb, and gates and compressors were giving us fits trying to get them to work.
The Mackies don’t have a volume control on them.
If I set the gain on a channel where I’m seeing the meters at 0, then I end up turning the master fader to -40db to get a good sound level in the house.
I couldn’t find a way to lower the output from the QU on LR other than the master fader. Am I missing something?
We don’t know what kind of sound reinforcement you’re doing, but -40 dB of required attenuation is quite a lot.
Nevertheless, nothing’s stopping you from setting this value on the mixer as it is and possibly still having some reserves.
I can’t find your speakers online, but if they’re SR1530s, they actually expect a perfectly normal line level, and you’re not doing anything wrong.
As an alternative to your attenuators:
If you have a stereo mix left over, you could use this post-fade as the main for your speakers and reduce the sends and/or master accordingly.
SQ has 8 DCAs to work with.
Set input gain properly. Input signal will then hit your compressor, gate and EQ properly.
Set input faders to -10 dB. This will give you about 15 to be more of headroom to work with if you need to boost individual inputs as needed.
Assign inputs to DCAs as needed.
Use DCAs to adjust Volume sent to Main LR.
DCAs will not alter input signal through your processing.
If that doesn’t reduce volume enough, set up matrix L/R and send your Main LR to the matrix. That will provide you with one more point of volume control after processing.
As I said it’s a QU. This is the QU section of the forum.
That being said it still has four DCA’s.
I’d considered that. Trying to keep it simple.
Have a lot of different groups and volunteers with different scenes saved. The thought of getting everyone to use DCA and set up that way is a little daunting.
Using a matrix would be great but unfortunately they’re already being used.
Talked to my Sweetwater rep and he said an inline attenuator should work. So we’ll try that. Let you know how it goes.
You could use the ALT OUT connections and bring the level down using the ALT OUT level control while still running the mains at a nominal level, you could do the same thing with a matrix output and have XLR’s to plug into.
I guessing you don’t need a full 40db pad between the mixer and the speakers. That much pad would be needed is you were driving a truly mic level input.
I looked up the manual for those speakers and it just listed the inputs as line level. I could not find an actual input level spec.
Use a Matrix Output. This is exactly what they are designed to be used for.
You’ll mix your channels and Main LR output like normal (ie keeping the faders as close to unity as is appropriate for the situation). You will use the fader of the Matrix to get the signal level being sent to the speakers at the correct level. If you need to cut 40db of gain before it goes to the speaker, this will be done at the Matrix level. Once this is set, you shouldn’t have to touch the matrix processing/fader levels during a show. You will use the channel and Main LR buss for that.
If you have other outputs (like subs, etc) they can also be run of other matrixes which will allow you to “dial in” the mix of those outputs. If you need to adjust the overall output during the show, you will adjust the Main LR fader and the change will translate equally to all of the Matrix outputs.
No. They do not. At least ours don’t.
And 15dB still doesn’t even get us half way there.
I’m going to try the attenuators and see if they work. If they do that’s the simple solution.
If not I’ll have to figure out how to switch what we’re feeding the matrix currently to a different output.
Tried the Whirlwind 40db attenuators and that did the trick. Might not be the most professional way to fix our problem and if we were starting from scratch would probably just use matrix outputs. But for now it was the easiest way that caused the least disruption.
It’s really nice to be able to set proper gain structure so we can use gates and compression like we’re supposed to be able to.