New Mixer Crisis

[MintyDave 0]

I have just picked up a new denon dn-x500 after reading many reviews etc but there is either something seriously wrong with the mixer or me

 

Have connected the mixer up in a fasion that suits me so i can easily id the inputs. used the matrix inputs to assign the inputs to channels.

 

When up and runnng set the cue levels to just below 0db using gain control with eq flat. channel faders on 8/10 and master fader at suitable level. or this is what i used to do with my old kam mixer

 

This is where the problems lie. To get 0db on the cue level meter the gains have to be set in the 2pm position (used to be 9am on the kam). by doing this i am overloading the mixer and at normal gigging vol the limiters are going crazy on my powered cabs, the actual noise is distorted and sounds really harsh out front. The master levels are below -13db and barley regsiter at all

 

If i turn the gains back to the 9am position its crystal clear but still harsh sounding. then i have no way of setting my levels as the cue meter does not even register -13db

 

two of us were scratching our heads tonight and cant understand this at all. the kam mixer sounded better so there has to be something wrong.

Any thoughts?

[Excalibur 0]

I have just picked up a new denon dn-x500 after reading many reviews etc but there is either something seriously wrong with the mixer or me

 

Have connected the mixer up in a fasion that suits me so i can easily id the inputs. used the matrix inputs to assign the inputs to channels.

 

When up and runnng set the cue levels to just below 0db using gain control with eq flat. channel faders on 8/10 and master fader at suitable level. or this is what i used to do with my old kam mixer

 

This is where the problems lie. To get 0db on the cue level meter the gains have to be set in the 2pm position (used to be 9am on the kam). by doing this i am overloading the mixer and at normal gigging vol the limiters are going crazy on my powered cabs, the actual noise is distorted and sounds really harsh out front. The master levels are below -13db and barley regsiter at all

 

If i turn the gains back to the 9am position its crystal clear but still harsh sounding. then i have no way of setting my levels as the cue meter does not even register -13db

 

two of us were scratching our heads tonight and cant understand this at all. the kam mixer sounded better so there has to be something wrong.

Any thoughts?

The Denon has a really high output. There's an attenuation slide switch hidden at the back. Slide it across, and try again. Should help.

[MintyDave 0]

The Denon has a really high output. There's an attenuation slide switch hidden at the back. Slide it across, and try again. Should help.

 

I really love manuals

 

Level att - Use this to attenuate the master output level (-10db)

Reference is 0db

 

very helpful

 

Thanks excalibur. have switched it on and has made a noticable difference at home. signal light is barely coming on and no limiter light. even at reasonable home vol i still managed to get the limiters knicking in with the signal light being on constantly, with the switch set to off.

 

User error - i will put my hand up to that one. will see what happens tonight in the real world

[Norfolk DJ 0]

I really love manuals

very helpful

 

Thanks excalibur. have switched it on and has made a noticable difference at home. signal light is barely coming on and no limiter light. even at reasonable home vol i still managed to get the limiters knicking in with the signal light being on constantly, with the switch set to off.

 

User error - i will put my hand up to that one. will see what happens tonight in the real world

 

I will do the same with my 722's.

[MintyDave 0]

What a difference. A very loud clean warm sound coming out of the cabs last night.

 

its begs the question if somebody wants to get technical - why!

 

output specs are as follows

Main (balanced) 4dbm (1.23mV) 600hm load - i use the balanced outputs

Main (unbalanced) 0dbv (1.0mV) 1kohm load

All i can find on my rcf's is the input sensitivity value which is 4db

 

obviouslty the output attenuator switch on the mixer is on lowering the balanced outputs by 10db

 

my typical settings last night were, with good volume in an average size function room

 

Individual channel pre fader levels peaking at 0db with about -2 being the norm (gains about 1pm position)

Master output level about -8 to -6 max (master fader about 2pm)

The signal led was flashing occasionally and the limiters never showed any signs whatsoever.

 

Overall im a very happy customer now this is sorted and have to say there is definately a noticable difference in sound quality, as you would expect from a mixer upgrade, but am baffled why we had such issues with the mixers attenuator switch in the off position.

Edited December 12, 2010 by MintyDave

[Norfolk DJ 0]

 

I too tried the same as Dave last night.

 

Difficult to judge the music quality as I was standing in an alcove with the speakers on the dance floor. I tend to agree with what Dave is saying. I flicked the switch off during my last half hour and it sounded better, but this might be as the room was emptying towards the end of the function and less output was required.

 

This leads me to the question what is the point of the attenuator switch on the Denon mixers?

[Excalibur 0]

What a difference. A very loud clean warm sound coming out of the cabs last night.

 

its begs the question if somebody wants to get technical - why!

 

Overall im a very happy customer now this is sorted and have to say there is definately a noticable difference in sound quality, as you would expect from a mixer upgrade, but am baffled why we had such issues with the mixers attenuator switch in the off position.

Dave, glad it worked. I replaced a KAM mixer with a Denon, and the quality of the sound increased more than you would believe.

 

I too tried the same as Dave last night.

This leads me to the question what is the point of the attenuator switch on the Denon mixers?

 

I'm not clued up on the whys and wherefores, but from my experience, when you feed a really large input signal into PA systems, which is higher than the required level, it sounds distorted and horrible. Nowadays, there seems to be a lot more standardisation, which is good. Why does the Denon have such a high output, and an attenutor? I've absolutely no idea.

 

 

[Robster 0]

is it not for mic level ?

Edited December 13, 2010 by Robster

[gadget 0]

Dave, glad it worked. I replaced a KAM mixer with a Denon, and the quality of the sound increased more than you would believe.

I'm not clued up on the whys and wherefores, but from my experience, when you feed a really large input signal into PA systems, which is higher than the required level, it sounds distorted and horrible. Nowadays, there seems to be a lot more standardisation, which is good. Why does the Denon have such a high output, and an attenutor? I've absolutely no idea.

 

Could potentially be for a long signal cable run? or to go into a DI Box and then onto another mixer elsewhere? Or could be designed for bigger power amps that have a higher input requirement (sensitivity - e.g. 1.25v input rather than 0.775v) for full power output? Perhaps the bigger power amps need a bigger input so less electronics required to go from input to the output of several kW ?

 

I too want a DNX-500 or a DNX-900... as my current mixer is too big (and too easy to knock the channel faders, causing embarassment on a couple of occassions)..

 

Cheers,

 

David

Edited December 13, 2010 by gadget

[MintyDave 0]

Could potentially be for a long signal cable run? or to go into a DI Box and then onto another mixer elsewhere? Or could be designed for bigger power amps that have a higher input requirement (sensitivity - e.g. 1.25v input rather than 0.775v) for full power output? Perhaps the bigger power amps need a bigger input so less electronics required to go from input to the output of several kW ?

 

I too want a DNX-500 or a DNX-900... as my current mixer is too big (and too easy to knock the channel faders, causing embarassment on a couple of occassions)..

 

Cheers,

 

David

 

cant go wrong at 4u, enough enough space for a small rack ligt or something. watch the depth though. i have a kamkase 252 and have had to move it to the top of the 5u other wise it was about 1cm too tall. bit of a shame as i wanted a rack light above it not below but will live with that for now until the next upgrade

[gadget 0]

cant go wrong at 4u, enough enough space for a small rack ligt or something. watch the depth though. i have a kamkase 252 and have had to move it to the top of the 5u other wise it was about 1cm too tall. bit of a shame as i wanted a rack light above it not below but will live with that for now until the next upgrade

 

I've a Denon HD2500 - So I know what the depth issue is like! I've got a Gator 10u top 4u ABS case, which has quite a deep section above the 4u front bit - so no issues depth-wise there :)

 

Ideally I want an X900 at the top, HD2500 in the middle and an HC4500 at the front on the 10u top section and in the 4u front I want D4500 CD drawers. plus a dcx2496/deq2496... and my shure pgx receiver can then be velcro'd to the inside. I wish I could do away with the Maya44 USB card, but I use the REC out and a pair of analogue inputs for Freestyler DMX / to record the set (yes I record quite often, mostly for training purposes :p)

 

Cheers,

 

Davidf