• Registered: 2020-11-01
  • Posts: 10

Topic: MAC and Levels? Where to keep fixed at unity gain 0dB?

Hi,

I am trying to ensure that I am not doing anything odd with levels on my MAC.

In Audio/MIDI setup I see analog outs 1/2, and Phones 3, 4 are set to 0dB, and in top right where there is a speaker icon, I see 3 bars/waves, which corresponds to the 0dB I see in Audio/MIDI setup.

In TotalMix I have 0dB on all middle row faders.  If I play a youtube video (whose volume is turned all the way up), such as a RME tutorial, in order for it to not be insanely loud coming through my Adam A7X speakers (which are already set to two ticks below 0dB), I have to set the hardware output fader in TotalMix to about -35 dB. This results in me hearing at about 70dB according to my SPL meter.

Is this to be expected, that with 0dB set at every point in the internal computer chain,  I have to turn down the hardware output fader so much just to hear at reasonable SPL?

Just trying to ensure I don't have something odd going on in my gain staging...

Danke im Voraus

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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  • Registered: 2007-05-21
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Re: MAC and Levels? Where to keep fixed at unity gain 0dB?

Yes, this is expected.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

3 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: MAC and Levels? Where to keep fixed at unity gain 0dB?

But can be optimized. There is no reason to not lower the sensitivity of the Adam's to minimum (pot at full attenuation). Additonally, if you have a Babyface Pro FS, there is a switch on the bottom  - set that to +4 dBu. Now everything should match much better.

If you bought an older model used you can add attenuators, see here:

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=25399

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website