[[email protected]]

I work in retail but have extensive of built-in sound system operation, from prior hotel & corporate office venues.


The system in our shop is pretty straight forward, similar to: http://www.proacousticsusa.com/produ....php?pId=25575

I have only seen the front of the final amp, and do not know the actual make/model. I can say from left to right it's about 12" wide by 6" high, with(left to right) knobs Mic1, Mic2, Aux, Bass, Treb, VOL.

All of the knobs are between 11-1 o'clock, except "Aux" - which controls the internet-fed background music and POP spots heard every 10 minutes, tailored to each store. Aux is down around 7-8 o'clock, or just above 1 on the knob scale 0-10.


We have a general and two asst mgrs set the music at different vols depending on who opens for the business day, but the problem is it seems a small range of adjustment(IE from 1 to halfway between 1 & 2 on the knob) produces a BLAST in volume! lol

I did manage a glimpse at the system while the general manager was adjusting it(typically to a whisper), and later offered to help him adjust settings to reduce this leverage. Of course he said, It's fine the way it is, politely though.

My suggestion would be simple enough: Lower the level of the audio coming from the PC feeding the music/store ads by a small amount, which would allow the Aux knob on the PA to be turned up into a more useful range of operation.


My idea is that lowering the input into that amp, would allow finer volume adjustment(having to move the knob a little more either way to set it, wihout blasting it or completely muting it), especially after turning it down for our monthly team meeting.


Is that a valid solution?

[Adrian Tuddenham[_2_]]

wrote:

[...]
All of the knobs are between 11-1 o'clock, except "Aux" - which controls
the internet-fed background music and POP spots heard every 10 minutes,
tailored to each store. Aux is down around 7-8 o'clock, or just above
1 on the knob scale 0-10.

Remove the knob and apply an anti-clockwise torque of about 200 ft/lbs
to the shaft with a Stillson wrench. The customers will be eternally
grateful.

--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

[[email protected]]

1:48 PM Adrian Tuddenham:

LOL you must be from the old school when in-store music was elevator-type!

Our mix is more 'real', a progressive mix( transitions throughout the day) from 1960s-80s to 1990s-Now - original artist recordings.

Think: (9am) Tax Man Shining Star (12pm) You Can Do Magic The Way You Make Me Feel (3pm) All Star Sweet Escape (5pm) Locked Out Of Heaven, Rolling in the Deep. Plus a modern country tune or two thrown in. No rap - this is family retail! lol


Problem is, the store mgr has it down so low you can't even here the store plugs: "This week, save 50 percent on select mark items!!". He says that's how loud it's supposed to be. Plus, the music just pushes me through my day. The assistant takes over, and suddenly you can hear it in the parking lot. lol There's no middle ground!

[Adrian Tuddenham[_2_]]

wrote:

1:48 PM Adrian Tuddenham:

LOL you must be from the old school when in-store music was elevator-type!

No, I thoroughly dislike unnecessary music of any type and loathe being
distracted by advertisments.

My local supermarket was singled out to be fitted with this abomination
a couple of years ago and I complained to the manager. During a survey
of customers, I expressed my dislike of it and explaind, as forcefully
as I could without being abusive, that it was distracting me, so that
when I got home I realised I hadn't bought half the things I had
intended to. It was so unpleasant that just couldn't wait to get out of
the place.

At first, it was only used during the daytime, so I changed my shopping
time to the evenings. Then they started playing the racket the whole
time the shop was open, so I have stopped shopping there altogether and
transferred my custom to a quieter supermarket a mile away.


--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

[[email protected]]

Well, my question is more of a technical one than of a musical one, but thanks for your 'input'.


1980s: "Wool - worth ray - dee - OHHHHHHHH!" lmao... I was a teen working in America's premier five&dime then. A timer-triggered cassette played the jingles then.

[[email protected]]

On Monday, June 16, 2014 2:17:32 PM UTC-4, wrote:
1:48 PM Adrian Tuddenham:



LOL you must be from the old school when in-store music was elevator-type!



Our mix is more 'real', a progressive mix( transitions throughout the day) from 1960s-80s to 1990s-Now - original artist recordings.



Think: (9am) Tax Man Shining Star (12pm) You Can Do Magic The Way You Make Me Feel (3pm) All Star Sweet Escape (5pm) Locked Out Of Heaven, Rolling in the Deep. Plus a modern country tune or two thrown in. No rap - this is family retail! lol





Problem is, the store mgr has it down so low you can't even here the store plugs: "This week, save 50 percent on select mark items!!". He says that's how loud it's supposed to be. Plus, the music just pushes me through my day. The assistant takes over, and suddenly you can hear it in the parking lot. lol There's no middle ground!

A lot of those multi channel commercial amps have small gain adjustment controls on the back with each imput. For the purposes of equalizing. Check and see. If so you can back off the input there.

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the sugg.

Of course the PA amp and whatever is feeding music to it are in a closet under lock & key.

But the biggest impediment is the manager's attitude - not a negative one - just one stemming from lack of knowledge of audio gear & gain staging. He is a retail manager, not an AV techncian.

[David Martel[_3_]]

Rocks,

It does sound as if something is out of adjustment. Your mission, I'm
afraid, is to convince the manager that he needs to have someone adjust the
unit.
If you can arrange an "after-hours" demo using your equipment to
demonstrate the possible problem then the manager may see that the equipment
may need some adjustment.
You're in retail so sell this adjustment.

Dave M.

[[email protected]]

On Sunday, July 6, 2014 6:27:41 PM UTC-4, David Martel wrote:
Rocks,



It does sound as if something is out of adjustment. Your mission, I'm

afraid, is to convince the manager that he needs to have someone adjust the

unit.

If you can arrange an "after-hours" demo using your equipment to

demonstrate the possible problem then the manager may see that the equipment

may need some adjustment.

You're in retail so sell this adjustment.



Dave M.
______________

Thx for the encouragement!

It's stimple gain staging. Whatever is feeding the music(a pc or standalone satellite subscription box) is too hot. It just needs to be turned down so the corresponding level knob on the main amp/mixer(Aux) can be operated in a useful range.

Another problem, as mentioned before, are the spots that break in every 10-15 minutes "Welcome to our store" "look for specially marked tags for half off this week". I don't know if those are fed from a separate source or handled by the same source that pipes in the music.

I visited our stores in neighboring towns and they all have the music at a much more listenable(but not intrusive) level.

If I keep mentioning it I know this otherwise quiet, mild-mannered manager will get hissy, so I've given up.

[David Martel[_3_]]

Rocks,

The issue is psychology not technology. The electronics is not likely to
be the problem. The manager is the problem. Since you can not sell the
manager find another salesman who can.

Dave M.

[[email protected]]

On Sunday, July 6, 2014 6:27:41 PM UTC-4, David Martel wrote:
Rocks,



It does sound as if something is out of adjustment. Your mission, I'm

afraid, is to convince the manager that he needs to have someone adjust the

unit.

If you can arrange an "after-hours" demo using your equipment to

demonstrate the possible problem then the manager may see that the equipment

may need some adjustment.

You're in retail so sell this adjustment.



Dave M.
__________________

Thx for the encouragement!

It's simple gain staging. Whatever is feeding the music(a pc or standalone satellite subscription box) is too hot. It just needs to be turned down so the corresponding level knob on the main amp/mixer(Aux) can be operated in a useful range.

Another problem, as mentioned before, are the spots that break in every 10-15 minutes "Welcome to our store" "look for specially marked tags for half off this week". I don't know if those are fed from a separate source or handled by the same source that pipes in the music.

I visited our stores in neighboring towns and they all have the music at a much more listenable(but not intrusive) level.

If I keep mentioning it I know this otherwise quiet, mild-mannered manager will get hissy, so I've given up.

[[email protected]]

On Monday, July 7, 2014 8:58:30 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sunday, July 6, 2014 6:27:41 PM UTC-4, David Martel wrote:

Rocks,







It does sound as if something is out of adjustment. Your mission, I'm



afraid, is to convince the manager that he needs to have someone adjust the



unit.



If you can arrange an "after-hours" demo using your equipment to



demonstrate the possible problem then the manager may see that the equipment



may need some adjustment.



You're in retail so sell this adjustment.







Dave M.

__________________



Thx for the encouragement!



It's simple gain staging. Whatever is feeding the music(a pc or standalone satellite subscription box) is too hot. It just needs to be turned down so the corresponding level knob on the main amp/mixer(Aux) can be operated in a useful range.



Another problem, as mentioned before, are the spots that break in every 10-15 minutes "Welcome to our store" "look for specially marked tags for half off this week". I don't know if those are fed from a separate source or handled by the same source that pipes in the music.



I visited our stores in neighboring towns and they all have the music at a much more listenable(but not intrusive) level.



If I keep mentioning it I know this otherwise quiet, mild-mannered manager will get hissy, so I've given up.

As I pointed out before there is almost always individual level adjustments on the back of multi-channel commercial amps for the purposes of dealing with the different input levels. Sometimes you need a flat head screw driver. Next time you are working and the "boss" is not, look.

[[email protected]]

james wrote: " Sometimes you need a flat head screw driver. Next time you are working and the "boss" is not, look. "

I know what you mean. I'm sorry, I thought I mentioned earlier in this thread that the PA equipment and main server are behind a locked closet door accessible only to managers/asst. managers.

[[email protected]]

On Tuesday, July 8, 2014 5:56:11 PM UTC-4, wrote:
james wrote: " Sometimes you need a flat head screw driver. Next time you are working and the "boss" is not, look. "



I know what you mean. I'm sorry, I thought I mentioned earlier in this thread that the PA equipment and main server are behind a locked closet door accessible only to managers/asst. managers.

At this point you're wasting our time. This is a technical forum and you have an organizational issue. If you can't get the manager to see the light then I suggest you just forget about it. Trust me, it's highly unlikely this is the last ignoramus boss you will have. As I get close to retirement I find looking back I mostly worked for idiots with the occasional exception. But then again I'm a federal employee and most managers in the federal sector got their job by having their noise so far up their boss' butt that they could smell their toothpaste flavor. Maybe other's mileage varies :-)

[[email protected]]

On Sunday, July 6, 2014 6:27:41 PM UTC-4, David Martel wrote:
Rocks,



It does sound as if something is out of adjustment. Your mission, I'm

afraid, is to convince the manager that he needs to have someone adjust the

unit.

If you can arrange an "after-hours" demo using your equipment to

demonstrate the possible problem then the manager may see that the equipment

may need some adjustment.

You're in retail so sell this adjustment.



Dave M.
________________

Thx for the encouragement!

It's simple gain staging. Whatever is feeding the music(a pc or standalone satellite subscription box) is too hot. It just needs to be turned down so the corresponding level knob on the main amp/mixer(Aux) can be operated in a useful range.

Another problem, as mentioned before, are the spots that break in every 10-15 minutes "Welcome to our store" "look for specially marked tags for half off this week". I don't know if those are fed from a separate source or handled by the same source that pipes in the music.

I visited our stores in neighboring towns and they all have the music at a much more listenable(but not intrusive) level.

If I keep mentioning it I know this otherwise quiet, mild-mannered manager will get hissy, so I've given up.

[[email protected]]

2017-Dec - Long-term update:


For over one and one half years, with the mods
made as described in my last post, it has largely
been 'steady as goes'. Perhaps it is better that
the music is routed through the wall pots, so
there is no volume war going on between various
store managers. (!)


Still a low-level background hum, from the same
amp with the sledge-hammered Aux. knob, but
at least Bass & Treble are about where I left
them after a glance inside a couple months ago,
when the door was left cracked inadvertently.


I did inquire of an IT specialist who needed the
closet while he was configuring new POS card
swipe terminals if he could examine the actual
music player/receiver for make & model nos.
No dice - all he could discern after gently picking
it up was a sticker on top: "My In-Store Radio".
Per a visit to that providers website, as well as
general web searchds, I was able to glean
ZERO info as to the actual make and model of
that small black box. I was trying to find a manual
for the thing, to read up on it's inner workings and
settings, just in case.


The only other significant, and sad item of note is
the gradual decrease in number of songs played
per cycle, now down to barely a dozen, and much
more recent songs of different genres. As
opposed to 15-20 songs per cycle a few months
ago, and over 30(!) songs per cycle as mentioned
two-three years ago. Guess that's why it's called
'background' music: it's not at all sbout the music
itself.

[None]

thekma wrote in message
...
theckmah's obsessively boring life story snecked

So youre still a retarded dumb****. LFKSN. FCKWAFA!