I spent a lot of time at the front of house console, too. I ended up wearing ear plugs to mix. These days, it has to be loud to keep everyone happy.
Why Louder Sounds Better
It often gets to the point that you have to tell the band "I can't turn it up loud enough that you don't suck."
Why Louder Sounds Better
It often gets to the point that you have to tell the band "I can't turn it up loud enough that you don't suck."
My cheapish multimeter only had 200v and I tried to measure but didn't see anything. I put the probes on the banana plugs. I'll see if I can borrow a better multimeter at school.
Edit: Played some more bass-heavy songs and turned up the volume very high and at the bass peaks the multimeter showed 0.01 at the 200v mode. What does that mean? 1v? 10v?
Edit2: Turned up the volume even more and played some Deadmau5 (electronic music) and I hit 0.03 on the multimeter. Although that was pretty much as loud as I ever go with my EL70.
Edit3: Consulted a friend and he said I was using around 2.25 W if my multimeter showed 0.03. Is that really true? :O
Last edited:
0.01 on a 200Vac scale represents ~ 10mVac.
the 0.03 ~ 30mVac.
This indicates that your meter cannot read low Vac values.
Buy a cheap meter that reads down to 199.9mVac and down to 199.9mVdc.
The lowest valid reading on both these scales is 0.1mV
If you can get ohms as well for a cheap price then buy it.
the 0.03 ~ 30mVac.
This indicates that your meter cannot read low Vac values.
Buy a cheap meter that reads down to 199.9mVac and down to 199.9mVdc.
The lowest valid reading on both these scales is 0.1mV
If you can get ohms as well for a cheap price then buy it.
I've got FR88EX - seem quite power hungry - its good small signal performance doesn't mean much when needing spl in a larger room. What does it take to get a realistic reproduction of a snare drum?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
That's my multimeter, can I use any of the other things to measure more accurately?
That meter isn't going to do it. That's the trouble, most are made for measuring mains AC at 120 or 240 volts. See if you can borrow one with a 20 volt scale or something near that.
For cymbals you need a 19" tweeter.
A 14" midrange driver. 😀
For cymbals you need a 19" tweeter.
Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
I have this driver in my MARTELLO enclosure - but a 3" driver is not what I'd be looking for to produce the impact of a snare drum.
Here you go! (mine are similar but 10 cell)
Attachments
As Pano and others have mentioned, no DVM is going to give meaningful results on a music signal.
I recently checked the calibration of my old AVO 5 mk V against two DVM's that I have. DVM 1 is a mid price LCD meter, DVM 2 an old LED SOAR ME502. You can see clearly how the SOAR has limited accuracy at low AC voltages. The AVO is specced as accurate over the audio band up to 15khz and due to the inertia of the pointer etc it probably would give the most meaningful results on programme material.
I used to have a pair of Celestion SL6 bookshelf speakers with an 82db/1w sensitivity and I have had as high as 40+ volt peaks (measured on a scope) across those on music. That was done as a test to see what voltage rails I really needed for my amp when it was in the design phase. And that level of sound was unbearable for normal listening in a modest sized room. Having moved from the SL6's to some B and W's with a 92db sensitivity the requirements are very noticeably lower.
I recently checked the calibration of my old AVO 5 mk V against two DVM's that I have. DVM 1 is a mid price LCD meter, DVM 2 an old LED SOAR ME502. You can see clearly how the SOAR has limited accuracy at low AC voltages. The AVO is specced as accurate over the audio band up to 15khz and due to the inertia of the pointer etc it probably would give the most meaningful results on programme material.
I used to have a pair of Celestion SL6 bookshelf speakers with an 82db/1w sensitivity and I have had as high as 40+ volt peaks (measured on a scope) across those on music. That was done as a test to see what voltage rails I really needed for my amp when it was in the design phase. And that level of sound was unbearable for normal listening in a modest sized room. Having moved from the SL6's to some B and W's with a 92db sensitivity the requirements are very noticeably lower.
I occasionally have to put up with some high volume levels quite often daily. I hope I don't hearing loss from it, unfortunately there really is nothing I can do to avoid it.
Has to do with carrying my 2 month old daughter to pacify her when she is crying... She is over your shoulders, right next to your ears, and yes she has pretty big lungs....🙁
Hopefully, after she is done with this phase, 1 Watt on a 94dB/W speaker is still enough...
Oon
Has to do with carrying my 2 month old daughter to pacify her when she is crying... She is over your shoulders, right next to your ears, and yes she has pretty big lungs....🙁
Hopefully, after she is done with this phase, 1 Watt on a 94dB/W speaker is still enough...
Oon
Mine's 8months old, not much of a crier-until she got flu, your post just made me realise why my right ear feels like I've just left a concert!
Mooly, your results are better than I expected. Any idea what they would be like on 60Hz or 120Hz? I'll test mine on the 200V AC scale out of curiosity.
I spoke to the electronics teacher at school today and he told me I could borrow a better multimeter. But he told me that it was probably not made for music frenquencies, probably only up to ~100Hz.
Don't forget that your ears don't perceive every tone at the same volume.
120Hz is just an annoying HUM. The ears are most sensitive in the mid-range 300Hz - 3KHz.
You may well FEEL 120Hz rather than HEAR it.
I'll give in to the audiometrists amongst us here (or hear). The audiosensory organs in the body take an input from more than just our pink wavy things.
2KHz at 1W will sound much more penentrating than 120Hz at 1W.
120Hz is just an annoying HUM. The ears are most sensitive in the mid-range 300Hz - 3KHz.
You may well FEEL 120Hz rather than HEAR it.
I'll give in to the audiometrists amongst us here (or hear). The audiosensory organs in the body take an input from more than just our pink wavy things.
2KHz at 1W will sound much more penentrating than 120Hz at 1W.
Last edited:
Yep, 120Hz by itself at your typical listen levels should not bother you. That's one of the reasons I chose it. It is out of the resonance peak of most woofers, except the smallest, so should not give false readings because of that. Also all DVMs I've tested are accurate at 120Hz.
Of course the subjective level of the 120Hz tone is not important for this test, just the electrical level. You've already set the subjective level with music.
Of course the subjective level of the 120Hz tone is not important for this test, just the electrical level. You've already set the subjective level with music.
I will, when I get the multimeter. I was supposed to pick it up today after school but I simply forgot it. Hopefully I'll find him tomorrow and see if I can get it then.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.