Unofficial Mackie User Forums > DL1608/DL806/DL32R/ProDX Mixers
Advice Request for Migrating from DL-1608 to DL32R
Wynnd:
My own experience with a DL1608 suggests that recording levels can't be practically monitored on the mixer. Just keep them low enough that clipping doesn't occur. The Preamps are clean enough that it's not a problem. Just normalize your tracks before editing on your DAW. In the old days of tape, we were thrilled to get 60 db of headroom. Now we have 90-110 db. (Check out the Letters, King Crimson, Islands album. That was recorded with analog tape. Don't listen to it in a car with the engine running. It's an amazing piece of extreme dynamics.)
WK154:
--- Quote from: JMc on June 04, 2015, 06:48:06 AM ---I had Harpman over today and we did a little fiddling around with the DL32R so I could feel a little more comfortable around it. Thanks, Gio. You were a big help. He was also a witness to a bug I discovered when fooling around with the routing section while in the Input B tab. To put it simply, I cleared the default routing parameters and made some changes, only to discover that I could not exit out of the routing screen at all. I tried everything. Finally had to reboot the iPad, but did not need to reboot the mixer.
We recorded a few test tracks on a couple of channels. I couldn't help but notice that the recording levels seemed very low, peaking at maybe -18 db. The input gain on both channels was well past the halfway mark and no compression was used on either channel, which brings up another question... First off, is there any way to monitor the recording levels with the metering on the faders? Secondly, when the tracks are recorded, are they being recorded dry, or are they subject to the DSP settings on each channel? I want to make sure my recordings are laid down with no signal processing, if possible, so I can save all that magic for the work in post.
--- End quote ---
Say Hi for me to Gio next time you see him. To answer your recording question if you look at the DL32 manual (help on mixer app) pg. 249 & 250 (block diagram) you will note that inputs after being converted to digital (numbers) get routed to the I/O patch panel. This is the part missing in the DL1608 along with A/B input selection. The inputs are then routed to the USB outputs, there is no processing of any kind. You do however have loudness control in the preamp section. Since I don't own a DL32 I can't verify if A/B selection affects output to the USB for recording. I/O patch is a missing piece in the docs, nice :(. If it doesn't affect recording output then the fader meter is the recording level per channel. The I/O patch needs to be a multi-point patch panel for this to work. My question to you is how did you get the -18 db value?
Wynnd likes to mix in an anechoic chamber to get those kind of dynamic ranges ;) In the live world your lucky to have a noise floor of 50 dB SPL and at 120 dB SPL you might want to get ear protection to avoid damage to your hearing. My math says 70 db at best. He also didn't mean headroom but meant dynamic range. ;)
Wynnd:
I believe I left my anechoic chamber at someone's home. And I personally find 120 db to be TOO F'ing LOUD. (He's right about available dynamic range. But my point was don't worry about trying to get 99% on the recording.)
JMc:
Many thanks for all the replies... I just have one more question before trying out the DL32R for the first time tonight at a gig...
In the Masters Section, when I press AUX, I notice that all the faders are resting at the bottom, i.e. zero gain. Does this mean NO Aux signal is passing through each individual AUX channel unless I manually bring their levels up on the master aux channel screen? Other than this one nagging question, I think I've got the rest of what I need to know in check before the show tonight. At least, fingers crossed. Thank you!
Jeff
Weogo:
Hi Jeff,
Yes, you have to turn up the Aux masters to have signal coming out.
You can do this from the Aux Masters view, or, when you are setting levels, for instance for Aux-1, the Aux-1 master is there on the right of the screen.
I suggest plugging in a mic, and an amp and speaker to your various outputs and trying this out before tonight...
Good health, Weogo
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