[Nono]

On 5 mei, 15:09, Mike Rivers wrote:
Nono wrote:
I guess, that if you aim at -22 dBFS on your digital meters, you'll
have 22 dB headroom on your digital console?

That's the way it works. You can have as much or as little
headroom as you choose because you can choose your "nominal"
level (above which, until you reach maximum, is your
headroom) with a digital system because the maximum level is
clearly defined on the digital scale. What's not defined,
nor standard, is the analog output level at full scale. A
digital console that's equivalent in headroom to an analog
console will put out about +24 dBu at full scale, but for
many modern digital consoles, +18 dBu is more typical. And
in fact, for many modern analog consoles, maximum output
level before (analog) clipping begins is around +19 to +20
dBu, not +24 to +28 dBu like the classic workhorses of the
1980s.

Maybe you can educate me on this point; what levels are you aiming for
when you're working with a digital console?

The output level out of the console that you aim for is
dependent on what it's driving. If you have a power
amplifier that clips with an input of +18 dBu, then this
sets the headroom limit of your system. If the console puts
out +24 dBu at full scale, you'll clip your PA system when
its meters indicate -6 dBFS. Some consoles (the PreSounus
StudioLive is a popular one) have an analog output level
control that allows you to match 0 dBFS on the output meters
to the clipping point of what follows it so you can run the
console at its maximum level if you dare, or, better, have a
realistic view of how close to clipping you're getting.

--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

Thanks Mike.