Allen & Heath 24 XONE:42 User Guide
It is most important that the system level settings are correctly set. It is well known that
many DJs push the level to maximum with meters peaking hard in the belief that they are
getting the best from the system.
THIS IS NOT THE CASE !
The best can only be
achieved if the system levels are set within the normal operating range and not allowed to
peak. Peaking simply results in signal distortion, not more volume. It is the specification of
the amplifier / speaker system that sets the maximum volume that can be achieved, not the
console. The human ear too can fool the operator into believing that more volume is
needed. Be careful as this is in fact a warning that hearing damage will result if high listen-
ing levels are maintained. Remember that it is the QUALITY of the sound that pleases the
ear, not the VOLUME.
OPERATING LEVELS
The diagram below illustrates the operating range of the audio signal.
NORMAL OPERATING RANGE
. For normal music the signal should range between
–6 and +6 on the meters with average around 0dB. This allows enough
HEADROOM
for
unexpected peaks before the signal hits its maximum
CLIPPING
voltage and distorts.
It also achieves the best
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE-RATIO
by keeping the signal well above
the residual
NOISE FLOOR
(system hiss).
The
DYNAMIC RANGE
is the maximum signal swing available between the residual
noise floor and clipping.
An important note …
The human ear is a remarkable organ with the ability to com-
press or ‘shut down’ when sound levels become too high. Do
not interpret this natural response as a reason to turn the sys-
tem volume up further ! As the session wears on ear fatigue
may set in, and the speaker cones may become hot so reducing
the effectiveness of the system and listeners to gain any benefit
from increased volume.
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