• Registered: 2021-04-01
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Topic: Room EQ with positive gain on phones outputs — where does the boost go

Hello!

UFX III, TotalMix FX. I use Room EQ to correct headphones; one band is +5 dB.

1. Where does that +5 dB go? Who handles the overshoot — is there internal headroom, or does it clip? In Sonarworks you must lower the output gain to compensate for boosts; Room EQ has no such control, and the manual says nothing about it.
2. What is the correct approach here?

Thanks.

- Fireface UFX III + ARC USB + [Genelec 8331 + 7350]/[Genelec 8341 + 7360]
- ADI 2 DAC FS
- BFP FS

2 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2026-09-14 04:36:42)

  • waedi
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Re: Room EQ with positive gain on phones outputs — where does the boost go

to find out I would use Loopback on the Phones output and watch it in Digicheck.

If it does clip, then use Vol.Cal. (in the Room EQ at the bottom) to bring down the volume a bit until no clipping.

Vol.Cal. = volume calibration

M1-GoldenGate, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

3 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: Room EQ with positive gain on phones outputs — where does the boost go

It doesn't clip within the mixer - it clips at the I/Os where there is no headroom. As you directly see this on the level meter the intuitive and logical action that follows is to reduce the channel's output level a bit.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2021-04-01
  • Posts: 34

Re: Room EQ with positive gain on phones outputs — where does the boost go

Thanks. To make sure I read this right:

  • The mixer (including Room EQ) processes with internal headroom, so a +5 dB band on a near-0 dBFS signal does not clip inside TotalMix — same idea as a floating-point DAW mixer, where overs only matter at the output.

  • The only place that can clip is the physical output (DA), and that's exactly what the output channel's level meter shows.

  • So the rule is simply: as long as the output meter doesn't hit red, everything is clean; if it does, lower that channel's fader by the amount needed.

  • Volume Calibration in Room EQ is meant for level-matching outputs, not for headroom compensation — the fader is the intended control for that.

Is that correct? And is the internal path floating point, or fixed point with a defined headroom (e.g. 48-bit with ~X dB above 0 dBFS)?

- Fireface UFX III + ARC USB + [Genelec 8331 + 7350]/[Genelec 8341 + 7360]
- ADI 2 DAC FS
- BFP FS

5 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2026-09-14 11:05:20)

  • waedi
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Re: Room EQ with positive gain on phones outputs — where does the boost go

all correct

internal 46 bit fixed point
no headroom above OdBfs (at the output, internal mixing has a lot headroom for accurate mix)

M1-GoldenGate, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Registered: 2021-04-01
  • Posts: 34

Re: Room EQ with positive gain on phones outputs — where does the boost go

waedi, MC, thank you so much!

- Fireface UFX III + ARC USB + [Genelec 8331 + 7350]/[Genelec 8341 + 7360]
- ADI 2 DAC FS
- BFP FS