Setting gain structure with a piezo tweeter

R

Richard Stringer

Sophomore
Jan 13, 2011
124
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16
Boston, Lincolnshire, UK
Hi ya guys, i've got a bit on confusion here while setting gain structure with a piezo tweeter, right I ran a 400hz sinewave through my dj mixer and hooked up the piezo to my dj mixer's RCA output and as I eased the mixer's channel gain up I got right upto +5dbv before the piezo sounded. Now i'm confused, surely the clip point, according to the mixer's vu lights is at +0dbv right? I mean that's the maximum safe level to run at isn't it? Am I doing something wrong here do you think? Or can I absolutely trust the piezo to say within 1dbv that it really IS telling me the REAL clip point?

I was on the understanding that the first red light on a mixer whether it be a dj mixer or a live sound mixing desk was the clip point. The reason I ask really is because if the piezo is telling the REAL clip point I know exactly how to run my sound system and to what level on the mixer I can go to without clipping occuring.
 
Re: Setting gain structure with a piezo tweeter

Richard Stringer said:
Hi ya guys, i've got a bit on confusion here while setting gain structure with a piezo tweeter, right I ran a 400hz sinewave through my dj mixer and hooked up the piezo to my dj mixer's RCA output and as I eased the mixer's channel gain up I got right upto +5dbv before the piezo sounded. Now i'm confused, surely the clip point, according to the mixer's vu lights is at +0dbv right? I mean that's the maximum safe level to run at isn't it? Am I doing something wrong here do you think? Or can I absolutely trust the piezo to say within 1dbv that it really IS telling me the REAL clip point?

I was on the understanding that the first red light on a mixer whether it be a dj mixer or a live sound mixing desk was the clip point. The reason I ask really is because if the piezo is telling the REAL clip point I know exactly how to run my sound system and to what level on the mixer I can go to without clipping occuring.
Click to expand...
The LED's can be VERY far off.

THe Piezo is telling you the REAL clip point. The noise you hear is clipping. By using that method-you have found the REAL clip point-NOT what the meters show.

On cheap gear the meters are an indicator of something-we just don't know exactly what :(

Trust the Piezo!
 
Re: Setting gain structure with a piezo tweeter

Ivan Beaver said:
The LED's can be VERY far off.

THe Piezo is telling you the REAL clip point. The noise you hear is clipping. By using that method-you have found the REAL clip point-NOT what the meters show.

On cheap gear the meters are an indicator of something-we just don't know exactly what :(

Trust the Piezo!
Click to expand...

My dj mixer is a £900 Rodec Sctahcbox so i'm not using cheap gear anymore, i've saved up for decent equipment, but thanks Ivan you couldn't understand how happy I am, I can't believe I was about 4dbv away from clipping all this time when I thought the clip point was at +1dbv. I'm so glad I got the piezo now. What i'm gonna do though is make sure that the levels on the dj mixer after gain structure has been set, don't go above the +3dbv vu meter light, that way i'll have about 2dbv of headroom.
 
Re: Setting gain structure with a piezo tweeter

Ivan is so right. Piezo's rock. I can easily get within a half dB of a scope using your piezo method.

Best of breed: ClipCop

Read the links provided on that site if you'd like to know more about it.
 
Re: Setting gain structure with a piezo tweeter

I checked out the ClipCop, it's only available in the USA, not the UK it says on their website, also, the webist it states hasn't been updated at all since 2005. I tried with the piezo I bought and I heard the harmonics but I had to hold the piezo to my ear to be able to hear it, it was barely audible. I was under the impression that the harmonics sound would come through the piezo loud and clear.
 
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