1 Topic by Babaluma (edited by Babaluma 2023-01-18 15:23:09)

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Topic: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Conundrum, please bear with me...

My old Crookwood mastering console had a separate, dedicated balanced "Meter Output" at a fixed level. Therefore, anything sent to the main Monitor Speaker outputs, also went to this output, but unattenuated (i.e. before the main monitor attenuation). This went to my analogue VU meter which has its own 0, -3, -6, -9 , -12 and -15 dB meter attenuator switch. When the meter attenuator was set to zero, I had it set up so that my DAC sending a -14dBFS sine wave at 1kHz hit exactly 0dB VU on the meter. With quiet, dynamic material, or raw mixes, I kept the meter attenuator at 0dB, and then of course for more modern, mastered, and slammed material, I would set the attenuator anywhere from -3 to -9dB so that you still got a good reading on the VU meter (i.e. it wasn't permanently slammed to the right).

I am trying to replicate this on my ADI-2/4. I want the main monitors (on the XLR 1/2 Out) to obviously have their level controllable in the room, but I want a FIXED LEVEL version of the same signal to go out of another Output on the ADI-2/4 to the VU Meter, no matter where the volume for the main monitors is set.

Currently I have the main powered monitors on balanced XLR outputs 1/2, and the VU Meters on the alternative balanced jack outputs on the back of the ADI-2/4 (labelled 3/4 on the product info pics, but assignable to 1/2 or 3/4). In the settings I am using the device in Basic Mode: DAC, in Phones Out 3/4 the Rear TRS Source is set to Line 1/2.

What happens is that the level at the VU meter is not fixed and is following the volume level at the main output 1/2. Assuming I have two totally separate DACs available in the 2/4, how can I achieve this? Is it doable? Do I need to feed the VU from one of the Phones outputs instead? Do I need to have the device in a totally different mode (negating the use of easy Source switching from the remote)?

As it stands, the VU meter is basically unusable, reading extremely low. I have to have the main monitors at deafening levels to get the -14dB FS Sine = 0dB VU calibration.

Hoping MC or KaiS might be able to help me out! Sorry, I know it's confusing but hopefully I've explained it well enough, please ask if anything is unclear.

Thanks in advance,

Gregg

P.S. This is the VU Meter I use:

https://crookwood.com/vu-meters/2u-stereo-vu-meter/

And its manual:

https://crookwood.com/wp-content/upload … 0Guide.pdf

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2 Reply by MC

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

That's a setup error, and you wrote it yourself: you have two separate DACs, but you have set it to use only one of them, 1/2. Set Phones Out 3/4 - Rear TRS Source to Ph 3/4 and you get two independent level settings...

Of course then using the headphone on 3/4 will be restricted, but using output Ph 1/2 would work.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Thanks MC! Will give this a try today and will report back. So the same Source will be delivered to both 1/2 and 3/4? If it works I'm gonna be over the moon, I've missed my VUs bouncing! smile

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4 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2023-01-19 08:24:57)

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

In case you:

• Need the HP3/4 headphones out,
• Don’t need the digital outs.

You could buy a cheap DAC and connect the VU‘s there.
In “Default” setting the digital outs are pre-DSP and Volume, see manual page 46.

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Thanks KaiS! That's a great idea too, someone else also recommended a separate DAC for just the VU. Right now I'm not using any of the digital outs. I could probably just use one of those cheap but very high quality Chinese DACs, and hide it behind the VU.

I'll see if I can get it all playing nicely together on the 2/4 later today. I do regularly use the 3/4 Phones output, but it wouldn't be too much stress to forgo the VUs while using cans, cos I'm usually only using the cans for watching Netflix etc. wink There might also be a way to use Phones 1/2 instead, and just adjust the 1/2 volume from the monitors as needed when switching between monitors and cans.

Will report back later, thanks for all the help, it seems doable!

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6 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2023-01-19 08:30:29)

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

There’s an automatic switching / Main-muting SETUP option when plugging ‘phones.
PH1/2 even has it’s own, complete DSP feature set in the I/O menu, that can be activated when plugging the ‘phones.

So there’s a variety of options.

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

OK I've got half of the equation working, Line Output 3/4 is now routed to the alternate balanced outputs on the back, and then to the VU. All EQ etc turned off. Had to set it to "High Power" mode and -0.5dB level to get the -14dBFS Sine to read 0dB VU on the meter with no meter attenuation. It works like it used to! smile

Next I need to try using the Phones Out 1/2 instead of Phones Out 3/4, for headphone use, and load all my previous EQ etc. settings. Will try that part tonight.

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8 Reply by Babaluma (edited by Babaluma 2023-01-21 17:13:17)

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Thanks for all the help everyone, it's all working now! Had to set "Dual Phones Mode" to On. Headphone 1/2 now used as main headphone output, muting the speakers when inserted. 3/4 balanced out on the back is for the VU meter with a fixed level (can even lock it!) All EQ and headphone crossfeed in the right place for Phones 1/2 etc. I should have set it up this way from the beginning, but it's a very deep box!

Only thing you lose using Phones 1/2 instead of 3/4 is independent level control I think, but with a bit of care that's not a problem at all. Also, the VU meter stops working/showing signal with Phones plugged in (to Phones 1/2) any idea why that is?

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Babaluma wrote:

... the VU meter stops working/showing signal with Phones plugged in (to Phones 1/2) any idea why that is?

Same problem here:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 71#p196771

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10 Reply by MC

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

We will fix this. Seems the 1/2 mute control is not aware of rear TRS being on 3/4 now.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Thanks, good to hear it will be fixed!

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Another little problem, maybe related to this particular setup, so am posting here.

When I plug my phones into Phones 1/2 with the above setup (Dual phones mode etc.), I can only seem to monitor the Optical Source (a 24/48 stream via optical cable from my TV/monitor). This is fine for watching TV/movies, but I want to be able to monitor the USB signal coming from my PC with the DAC/Phones 1/2. I am in "DAC Mode" with the ADI-2/4 and I have "USB" set from the remote, but I only get silence. How do I choose to monitor the USB source and not the optical source?

Thanks in advance for any settings advice.

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13 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2023-02-10 11:43:19)

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Babaluma wrote:

I am in "DAC Mode" with the ADI-2/4 and I have "USB" set from the remote, but I only get silence. How do I choose to monitor the USB source and not the optical source?

Now that you come up with it:

I stumbled about the same bug just yesterday: Had to switch off the CD-Player (SPDIF Coax) to listen to USB.
Like a stuck “Auto -Input-Select” Mode.

This does not happen with ADI-2 Pro.

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Re: ADI-2/4 1/2 Out also sent to 3/4 Out with fixed level? VU Meter etc.

Yeah thanks KaiS, I've just been playing around with it. I CAN get it to work if I set Basic Mode to Auto and Clock to Internal, in the settings, but then I lose the functionality of the Remote switching Sources in DAC mode.

I understand it's still early days with the unit and its firmware, hopefully it'll get sorted soonish.

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