jkowtko
Well-Known Member
If "the mics were clipping at the board" -- then you have a problem at the input stages and not necessarily the output.
Let us know what mics you are using, and what board you have.
I can tell you a few things right off the bat:
- If you solo (or PFL) the input channel and listen directly on your headphones, then you are listening to the input stage of the input channel, very early in the signal chain. At this point it is the mic system, channel input gain, insert jack, and possibly EQ (if you can solo past EQ).
- If the mic are all wireless, you may have to turn down the transmitter gain considerably to eliminate clipping. Also check the volume control on the receiver (although I usually always run the receiver at full volume) and make sure you have the mic/line output switch set to match the way you have connected to the input channel on the board. Since your board is old I would suggest bypassing the channel pre-amps and use a 1/4" TRS to the line input jack on the board -- and then make sure your receiver output switch is set to "line". Also from the receiver's end, use XLR or balanced output if available ...
- Another sanity-check is if you have an insert device plugged into the insert jack, pull out the insert and see if it clears up. I've mistakenly had a compressor on the input jack before with the dBu level on the compressor input/output jacks set to the -4 (consumer) level, which caused the compressor to clip. Switching it to the +10 (professional) level cleared this up.
Curious to hear what you find ...
Thanks. John
Let us know what mics you are using, and what board you have.
I can tell you a few things right off the bat:
- If you solo (or PFL) the input channel and listen directly on your headphones, then you are listening to the input stage of the input channel, very early in the signal chain. At this point it is the mic system, channel input gain, insert jack, and possibly EQ (if you can solo past EQ).
- If the mic are all wireless, you may have to turn down the transmitter gain considerably to eliminate clipping. Also check the volume control on the receiver (although I usually always run the receiver at full volume) and make sure you have the mic/line output switch set to match the way you have connected to the input channel on the board. Since your board is old I would suggest bypassing the channel pre-amps and use a 1/4" TRS to the line input jack on the board -- and then make sure your receiver output switch is set to "line". Also from the receiver's end, use XLR or balanced output if available ...
- Another sanity-check is if you have an insert device plugged into the insert jack, pull out the insert and see if it clears up. I've mistakenly had a compressor on the input jack before with the dBu level on the compressor input/output jacks set to the -4 (consumer) level, which caused the compressor to clip. Switching it to the +10 (professional) level cleared this up.
Curious to hear what you find ...
Thanks. John
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