Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - Anyone Using K-14 Metering?

lukejs · 9th December 2007

I wanna start using the K-14 system for monitoring...... Do I turn the volume all the way up on my Apogee mini DAC, send the -20 DbFS signal to one monitor speaker, and adjust the monitor speaker until I get -83 db on an SPL meter(at mix position) ? (or...do I turn the MIni DAC at around 75 % volume and then adjust the monitor speakers trim to get the 83 Db ? I'm wondering this because I saw something in the manuel of the Alesis Pro Linear 820 monitors I use , about getting adequate signal to noise ratio when the levels aren't up to a certain level... YOu think it makes a difference ? I'm guessing that it's probably better to have the Mini DAC turned all the way up.... How do you guys deal with the volume of your DACs and the volume trim on your monitors (and while we're at it.. the master volume from your DAW? (This volume issue always seemed trivial to me before, but now I realize how important it is for getting mixes that aren't squashed to death, and achieving more consistency ) Thanks Bob !!

9th December 2007	#206
lukejs Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas Posts: 924	DAC volume and Monitor volume levels.....??? I wanna start using the K-14 system for monitoring...... Do I turn the volume all the way up on my Apogee mini DAC, send the -20 DbFS signal to one monitor speaker, and adjust the monitor speaker until I get -83 db on an SPL meter(at mix position) ? (or...do I turn the MIni DAC at around 75 % volume and then adjust the monitor speakers trim to get the 83 Db ? I'm wondering this because I saw something in the manuel of the Alesis Pro Linear 820 monitors I use , about getting adequate signal to noise ratio when the levels aren't up to a certain level... YOu think it makes a difference ? I'm guessing that it's probably better to have the Mini DAC turned all the way up.... How do you guys deal with the volume of your DACs and the volume trim on your monitors (and while we're at it.. the master volume from your DAW? (This volume issue always seemed trivial to me before, but now I realize how important it is for getting mixes that aren't squashed to death, and achieving more consistency ) Thanks Bob !!