Rack Gear - +4 / -20 Input and Output Question - Soldano, G Major, SPX 90

[Cap217]

I am trying to figure out line levels to use. To simplify this let’s just use this gear.

Soldano sp77 -

Tc major 2 : pro +4 on the input setting as you only have the shoice of consumer or pro. But what do I set output range to? I have 2, 8, 14, 20 as an option. -

Spx 90 set to ? +4 or -20? -

To power amp


It seems that pro into the tc is correct because the signal would be too hot if not.
It seems 20db out is best but that doesn’t drive my spx90 all that much. I need to turn up the output knob on the tc to past 3 o’clock to get a decent signal into the Spx90. And that’s with the spx turned up the same amount, 3 o’clock.

I just feel that I have a large loss of volume through this or any rack chain I setup. Also, 20db out seems like it should be too much and 14 is the highest Id want to go but if 20db doesnt hit the spx hard enough, 14 is even less.

 

[panhead]

Whatever sounds best but i would think 4+ in 4+out

 

[Exo-metal]

Hit it hard, that's the beauty of these old rack fx. They have a certain character when you drive them hard. Unless you want crystal clean tones(I don't)...then that's what works for me Chris!

 

[Dave L]

As for those levels, it's basically just random numbers and no real standards. A H3000 is easily twice as loud at the output as anything else I've had despite it being "+4" just like the rest of them, just slamming the mixer. I doubt the G-Major is anywhere near that no matter what it says on the back. Use the loudest levels you can without distorting anything and don't worry what it says on the label or if you're at the top of the range, unless you encounter tons of noise.

Maybe try doing it one thing at a time and trying to keep the levels the same; first just the SP77 into the power section, then add the SPX and lastly the G-Major. One thing to consider with gain staging like this, is that it all depends on the signal from the source - keep the SP77 running as hot as you can into the G-major and it might sort itself out along the way.

And lastly, there's a reason why all those old racks used parallel paths and mixers, the digital studio stuff from the 80s, like the SPX90, was never really intended to be run in line.