Karaoke Forums

To get the sound from our laptops to our speakers goes through a chain of devices each having their own level/volume controls. For example, there's my laptop, Lexicon Alpha USB Audio Interface, stereo output on my mixer, amp or powered speakers, etc.

Are you guys (and gals) maxing them out and controlling everything with your mixers? So, here are some questions:

Laptops - I have mine set at 80%. Should it be set at 100%?
Lexicon Alpha - I have mine set at the 1 o'clock position. Should it be fully clockwise?
Powered Amp (when I use passive speakers) - I have this fully maxed clockwise.
Powered Speakers - Using the 12 o'clock position right now.

I have thought about this and the right way to do this and I think we may have touched on this before but I want to see what you all use. Is it better to set volume levels for all devices on full (Unity Gain) and control everything with your mixer? How do you determine the best settings for each device?

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Electro-Voice Evolve 50... Taking Sound To The Next Level.

My computer is set at 100%
Alpha is set at monitor mix full playback, output 12 oclock.
Power amp (for passive) 100% - unless i'm trying to match gains between multi-amps then it can vary.
Powered speakers - depends but I have mine set at 0db which is about half usually.

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I also do 75-80% just because at full volume you will get distortion on an output especially if your using headphone out connector. if your using usb it's digital and you won't have that same issue so 100% is ok.

and my amp or powered speakers are max. it the source signal your pushing into the amp that can be an issue. so if your pushing a nice clean signal in to the amp then even at a max setting you'll get a nice clean output. your gains on your amp are for the preamp section. the final stage in an amp is all wide open and you have no control over that.

that's why signal structure is so important! if you can get a clean signal to the amp stage then you always have a clean output. but if you inject noise into the system at any stage before your amp is going to amplify it 100%.

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It's all good!

I set my Breakaway volume at -20dB
My Alpha is set at monitor mix full playback, output 12 o'clock
My Bose L1M1S is set at 11 o'clock
My Bose Tonematch vol is set at 9:30 to 10 o'clock trim set at 11 o'clock

However, I do mostly private parties so my Toonematch settings are not set in stone