Members Tricyclerocks Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hi,Just wondering if anyone else has a problem with the clip light coming on a Lexicon MPX100 at ridiculously really low input dial levels. If it hits red (which it does really easily), will it affect the sound? And how much?Before you ask: no, I don't believe the channel aux sends aren't set too high (never more than 12 o'clock) nor is the master aux 1 send.I have two systems:1st: Board is Mackie CFX20 using FX send 12nd: Board is Mackie 1402 us aux 1. Thanks so much! You guys are all great.Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unalaska Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 If the source channel's gain is set pretty high then that's what is causing it. 12o'clock is unity on both boards, also you would want to use a POST fade send (aux 2 on the 1402). I don't know how much it will effect the sound. This is a parallel effect and the MIX knob on the MPX should be set all the way to wet or 100%. If it is clipping the clipped signal will mix with the original and it could go un-noticed. or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whataracket Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 I think the unbalanced input of the MPX100 was intended to be able to be used with either a line level input or an instrument level input (like a guitar plugged straight into it or in an amp's effects loop). I sometimes use one as a third effects unit driven by an aux send, and its input knob is set at just above the second mark (about eight o'clock). It sounds like yours may be normal, and you are feeding it with a fairly hot line level signal. Just set its input knob and the send you are driving it with so the clip light doesn't come on, and you should be fine. Very low input gain settings to avoid clipping are normal with a line level input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 Take a look at the manual, I think the input may be designed to handle a -20dBu or -30dBu signal and nominal -10. This would cause what you are seeing because your unbalanced outputs are roughly +4dBu. Turn down your aux sends and master a little bit, and be sure your mix control is set for 100% wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tricyclerocks Posted December 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hi all!Thanks for the input (pun intended).I do keep my aux sends and masters low, so I guess it's all fine. I never turn the input up over 8 to 9 o'clock, and of course it 100% wet. All the trims are set (basically) at unity and the aux is always post fader. I was just curious if anyone else had a problem keeping this unit under an apparent low peak LEDs while using (hopefully) proper gain staging techniques. Perhaps I should just invest in a MPX200 (which would alleviate the all annoying WallWarts) since these are used for live applications that fall out of the Furmans and take up two outlets. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unalaska Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 Gaff tape can hold wall warts in real good. Just back off the aux send masters and use unbalanced cable (may decrease level by 6dB but this would be a good thing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 Trims at unity??? What does that mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted December 22, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hi all!Thanks for the input (pun intended).I do keep my aux sends and masters low, so I guess it's all fine. I never turn the input up over 8 to 9 o'clock, and of course it 100% wet. All the trims are set (basically) at unity and the aux is always post fader. I was just curious if anyone else had a problem keeping this unit under an apparent low peak LEDs while using (hopefully) proper gain staging techniques. Perhaps I should just invest in a MPX200 (which would alleviate the all annoying WallWarts) since these are used for live applications that fall out of the Furmans and take up two outlets.Mike As Agedhorse asks...what do you mean the trims are at unity? "Unity" is a relative level, not a set position on a dial. If you're using ttrim dial position to set channel gain, you're setting up (literally) for trouble. Use the solo button individually per channel with performers playing that instrument or singing into than mic at performance level, and set the trim to just about 0dB on the meters, occasional peaks above that. Go channel by channel through this, and then set mix levels with the faders and then master level. Finally on to the subject at hand, set each channel post-fader send to the MPX100 such that it never clips. The metering is pretty accurate if my former MPX110 is any indication (it's the slightly newer version), so you can trust it to be worth heeding. Return from the MPX to a return or an unused channel, and set the overall level here for your intended efx mix. Less is more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dboomer Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 There is nothing magic about "unity". You have to know what's going into your unity thing and what it is driving for it to have real meaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tricyclerocks Posted December 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 Sorry! Misuse of a technical term.What I was trying to say is that I haven't needed to ever turn the trim past 12 o'clock, nor crank any channel faders or aux sends.I did a poor job while trying to give you guys as accurate description of what I was doing as possible.I had just been reading somewhere (not here, obviously) where other users of the MPX100 were complaining about how the clip light comes on very quickly in terms of the input gain and I had noticed the same thing. Someone else posted it was fine to stay in the red all night. I didn't believe it, so I figured I'd come to the pros while wondering if anyone else had come across this. Thanks so much and Happy Holidays to everyone!Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted December 22, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 On the merit of the MPX110 being functionally almost identical to the MPX100, I'll say that when I had one, if it showed clipping you could hear it clip. You'd have to isolate the return or send it to a headphone amp and have a listen to verify this, but I could hear it getting raspy. But there's no worries here. Keep it out of the red, and you'll still have more than enough wet signal to overdo your effects. You mentioned getting an MPX200. I'd do that, but for a completely different reason...the 100 and 110 have horrible, dastardly interfaces seemingly designed to thwart any attempt at reasonable live use. The MPX200 was obviously changed considerably in response to user complaints, as its interface is almost a joy to behold. For my money this is well worth what you'll lose by trading up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted December 22, 2009 Members Share Posted December 22, 2009 Do you use PFL or the meters to set the input trims? PS, unity (if it's even possible on the mic pre) would be down at the fully counter-clockwise position and even there, it's probably got 12dB of gain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whataracket Posted December 23, 2009 Members Share Posted December 23, 2009 On the merit of the MPX110 being functionally almost identical to the MPX100, I'll say that when I had one, if it showed clipping you could hear it clip. This has been my experience on the MPX100 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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