Preamp / Studio Monitor Settings

[gradier]

So, here's the deal. The preamp volume goes from 0-10; the studio monitors go from 0-10 too. I have been playing around with these numbers...preamp nice and low (2-3) monitors up around 5-7. Or, balance it out so the preamp ideally sits in the middle of 4-5-6 and the monitors do too. Hard to tell which is better though. Is there some sort of 'golden mean' for this sort of thing, or should I just keep twiddling?

[esldude]

Is the preamp a DAC pre doing digital volume control or is it an analog volume control? Ideally on analog controls you want the volume well up because channel tracking is usually better there.  In your case I would put monitors on the low side of the middle like a 4. Put the pre on the high side of middle like a 6 since that's the one you will be adjusting up and down.

[wgb113]

What if you max out the monitor's control and only use the preamp?  Do you still get good range out of the Later's control or are you limited to a small window before it gets too loud?

[gradier]

3 hours ago, wgb113 said:

What if you max out the monitor's control and only use the preamp?  Do you still get good range out of the Later's control or are you limited to a small window before it gets too loud?

If I max out the monitor volume, then the range on the preamp is very limited before it gets too loud. 

[gmgraves]

4 hours ago, gradier said:

If I max out the monitor volume, then the range on the preamp is very limited before it gets too loud. 

 

The actual numbers are arbitrary and therefore, probably  irrelevant. The numbers on the speakers (I'm assuming that your monitors are self powered) have no real correlation with the numbers on the preamp's gain control and they are just there for reference (to insure repeatability). So, my advice is to keep fiddling. I would expect that setting the monitor volume at the mid-point (5) should give you enough range on your preamp, But then, I'm not there to hear the result. Just keep in mind that the numbers mean nothing, and have no relation to each other, They are there only to give an indication of how much of each volume control is in use. Some amps or preamps just have a series of dots or short lines to show the position of the control knob.

[esldude]

Well you could do some sophisticated fiddling.  Turn the monitors all the way down.  Set the pre to say 7.5 or give a bit of headroom left over.  Find the loudest recording you have.  Start that recording and turn up the monitors until you reach the loudest volume you can imagine ever wanting to hear.  That should put you in the ballpark to minimize further fiddling. 

 

If your volume controls are log-taper pots, which is more or less the norm for audio, keep in mind that 5 will be -6db from max setting.  2.5 will be -12 db from max setting.  With the best setting you probably will find times to be down around 2.5 and others up near 10 on the volume position.  What you are trying to avoid is running the pre-amp always below 2.5 out of 10.  It would be much too touchy to be comfortable to use, and if there are channel tracking issues this is where they will be the worst.  So set the monitors wherever you get to keep your preamp pot in that highly usable range for normal listening.