BillFitzmaurice.info

Hey all,

How would I go about measuring my mixer output?...it seems to have gotten really wimpy. I can crank up the gains and it barely lights up its own output meters or the DEQ 2496 which is next in the chain.

Thanks!

Donny

With a voltmeter. Use a sine wave input.

doncolga wrote:How would I go about measuring my mixer output?...it seems to have gotten really wimpy. I can crank up the gains and it barely lights up its own output meters or the DEQ 2496 which is next in the chain.

The DEQ has a "pad" button on the back for the input. I forget the values, and it's in rack...but check that setting.

What is the input to the mixer? Are you sure that is producing a high enough signal. Headphone jacks rarely produce as high an output as say the "line out" on a CD player.

Does this happen with more than one input channel to the mixer?

Is the input to the mixer expecting a "phono", "line in", or "mic" signal level?

And use a sine wave, 1kHz is a handy frequency.

If it won't even indicate much on it's own meters, don't worry about the pad on the gear downstream from the mixer.

If it's an RCA connector output, usually it's anywhere from 200 to 317mv (0.317 volts) at 0db. XLR and usually (1/4") output is 0.775 to 1.5V measured between pins 2 and 3 (or tip and ring) of the connector at 0db.

SoundInMotionDJ wrote:The DEQ has a "pad" button on the back for the input. I forget the values, and it's in rack...but check that setting.

+12dBu or +22dBu (both MAX)
I've been deliberating which to use for ages. If you use the +22dBu in and want to use the aux out as a through line (no processing), the aux output is max +12dBu, so it distorts
If I use the +12, my mixer sends far too hot a signal and I can't expect DJs to keep it below -4dB

Donc - Check for dodgy leads? from your description it sounds like your mixer isn't getting a hot enough signal

On most mixers I've ever seen, the signal for metering is picked off before the final output buffer stages. Even with a shorted output connector the onboard meters should still read normal.