Quick question...

I have not played out much on many sound systems (clubs etc.), however I always cue each individual channel on my mixer by cueing them in my headphones and adjusting the loudest part of each track so that it stays below 0db on the meters.

if I were to play on any other club systems and mixers...would this same concept apply?

I wanted to check if there are any other methods in setting/adjusting gain and master volume... or if I have it down the way it should be

thanks for any help

yeah, its much the same principle in a club. be aware that the meter readings arent the be-all and end-all. i find vinyl is significantly quieter than CDs so its a struggle to match the volume of the DJ before me if im just going by the meters.

ideally it should stay AT 0, not below

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Something else to think abut when playing out is you gotta think bout the overall volume coming through those big systems too. Clipping be damned, if it's too loud you're gonna blow everyone out, especially with some of those high hats in some tracks. Noticed that when I giged at Pawn Shop down here in Miami. I had my sis go out on the floor and let me know when the volume was okay.

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quote:

Originally posted by miamitranceman Something else to think abut when playing out is you gotta think bout the overall volume coming through those big systems too. Clipping be damned, if it's too loud you're gonna blow everyone out, especially with some of those high hats in some tracks. Noticed that when I giged at Pawn Shop down here in Miami. I had my sis go out on the floor and let me know when the volume was okay.

loll, not a bad idea and def something to keep in mind

I usually try to take a stroll out on the dance floor at least twice during a set. I can hear if things are too loud, or not loud enough, and I can even get a better feel for the crowd...

On the mixer itself, keep it in the yellows and you should be fine. Just be weary that there is a lot more affecting your output than just your mixer.

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quote:

Originally posted by miamitranceman Something else to think abut when playing out is you gotta think bout the overall volume coming through those big systems too.

yeah, im really fucking shit at that always too quiet or too loud. but, thats what you get when youre not very good haha.

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quote:

Originally posted by pkcRAISTLIN yeah, im really fucking shit at that always too quiet or too loud. but, thats what you get when youre not very good haha.

can never be too loud...the sound level laws in north america are shit. for the most part when performing you really shouldnt worry about clipping the master unless it's ridiculous because it's not your speakers you have to worry about and you'll never hurt the house mixer. obviously this is within reason, im not advocating clipping your signal but people get a little too conscious about it.

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nah, im not worried about clipping. wouldnt happen on the system im lucky enough to play on from time to time. more that i can never tell how loud it is in the club relative to how fucking loud it seems to me.

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if you're playing after another DJ just crank your channel gains for better effect. it generally gets the crowd's attention when the club gets louder with the incoming dj.

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When you do play at a venue where they provide the gear, if they have a competent person running the palce (and that is a BIG if), they should be able to tell you where they want the volume to peak on the mixer. If they are really good at what they do (an even BIGGER if), they will make it so that when you're just kissing the 0 dB mark, you'll be at the ideal volume but if you go over it a bit, you still won't damage the system.

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In a proper club you have limiters anyway...

If you've never played there before, see if you can talk to the guy running the PA rig and ask what sort of levels he's expecting off the mixer.

Like ChrisB said, if they're doing their job properly the top of the mixer's output level is the top of the sound rig's capability. However, alot of sound guys run their rigs at full gain and use a compressor, and the DJ ends up having to keep the mixer turned down. I see this more often than I should. It's bad practice, adds unnecessary noise and encourages clipping. This practice has been exacerbated by the poor output stages of many DJ mixers, including the all-popular DJM600, which starts to distort way too early, especially if the XLR outs are not being used.

Limiting is good, but you want to avoid hitting the limiter if possible. It reduces dynamic range and flattens the mix. Some clubs keep the limiters tight to aim for a more constant sound level, but I'm not a fan of that. Music is meant to have ups and downs of amplitude and it adds to the feel.