PLATO Complete Guide V1.1.1
Entotem Ltd.
34
8.
Input Levels
8.1.
Monitoring Input Levels
Now that you have your Plato system up and running, you can play music and save your
music collection to the internal Plato disk drive.
Tip: For optimum listening and recording quality, check that the peak gain levels do not peak
at over -6dB.
The input levels for both the left and right channels are displayed in the input level meter.
The input levels change as the music changes. The current input levels go higher when the
music is louder. The peak input level shows the highest input level reached during the
previous 20 seconds.
If the level peaks at 0dB, then the recording has been clipped, and this will lead to distortion
of the recorded track. This is shown by a red dot above the channel’s level meter. This clip
indicator dot stays visible until the Reset Clip button is pressed.
For optimum listening and recording quality, the level meters should be averaging at around
-6dB. This will ensure the full dynamic range of the ADC is achieved, without leading to
distortion due to clipping.
The peak input level will show spikes into yellow (-6 dB to -3 dB) and red (-3 dB to 0 dB)
regions to serve as a warning that clipping may be imminent, but no data will be lost until
clipping actually occurs.
If the levels are too low (too quiet) or are clipping, you should adjust the input gain up or
down using the appropriate ‘Source Configure’ controls to correct this, see section 8.2 on
advanced settings to make adjustments.
Peak input level
Current input level
