SI Expression inputs mic/line conflicting info

Re: SI Expression inputs mic/line conflicting info

I only have limited experience on this soundcraft line. In the time I have in front of the board, I noticed effect that the OP mentioned... That vocals seem to drive the meter differently then a musical source. I think the meter refresh integration time may be slightly different then boards I am used to. Have any of the Si super users noticed anything to this effect?


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Re: SI Expression inputs mic/line conflicting info

Thank you. :D~:-D~:grin: Was that written somewhere obvious that I missed?

Chris

It might be, but I didn't find it either, found it in a moment of frustration, "WTF, this zoom is useless!" Click, click click everything everywhere, "whoa! What did I just do that worked?!??!" :^)
 
Re: SI Expression inputs mic/line conflicting info

I only have limited experience on this soundcraft line. In the time I have in front of the board, I noticed effect that the OP mentioned... That vocals seem to drive the meter differently then a musical source. I think the meter refresh integration time may be slightly different then boards I am used to. Have any of the Si super users noticed anything to this effect?


Sent from my iPhone

David,
The SI line, which includes expression, is unlike most consoles in the fact they do not supply a 1/4" jack for "line" input. What you find on the back of the Exspression will be an XLR for every channel which is used for mic level sources and for line level sources.

After receiving my own Expression I was actually a bit upset thinking that I would be choking the channel to keep my line source inputs from banging the channel strip hard. This is something I'm not in favor of as I feel that choking the channel by allowing very little input through the channel trim tends to effect the channel sound in an adverse way.

I use eight (8) channels for sound modules and other boards I have owned or own struggle when a line source is placed into the channel XLR, which is of course not designed for line level use, and that includes my beloved APB. It is almost impossible to lower the gain enough to make the channel useful without peaking the input. Soundcraft has through the miracle of modern electronics cured this issue on their boards, so that regardless of input type, mic or line, the channel gain will work effectively and allow proper adjustment of the source input to the channel. Nice stuff.

To the OP, I suggest you mute the outputs, plug in the source using the proper XLR input for the channel, then adjust the input gain for that channel until the input meter reaches the "YELLOW" LED and no further. That will be the point where your device input is more than capable of driving the channel cleanly and you can now forget about the input gain for that channel and that device forever. From that point your mix will be controlled by the channel fader which can read whatever makes the mix correct.