View source for Gain Staging

<big>'''Gain Staging'''</big> 
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<td valign="top">The specific references to Signal/OL LEDs, Trims, and Remote Levels are all specific to the L1™ Model I and Classic. The principles are applicable to the entire {{PAS}}.

For Vocal Microphones try this short video tutorial.

{{T1 Gain Microphone}}

{{Get Plugged In Microphone}}


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== Ken-at-Bose ==
{{Model I icon}} {{Classic icon}} 
[[Image:THELinemenLibrary---004.jpg|200px|right|Tony Sarno of THE Linemen eats the mic]]
Ken-at-Bose <ref>[http://bose.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3976055944/m/7291046002/r/8661011102#8661011102 Ken-at-Bose Talks about Gain Staging in the Bose® Musicians Community Message Boards]</ref> talks about setting the gain for your microphone.

Please review the instructions for setting the trim level on Channel 1 and 2. Sing as loud as you're going to sing with your lips touching the windscreen and adjust the trim so that the LED just flickers RED. (You can do this with the channel and master volumes on the remote turned all the way down.

Remember that when you want to be your loudest vocally, you're lips should be touching the windscreen. You can always "work" the mic by backing away from it to lower volume but always remember that when you need to be loudest, you're kissing that windscreen.

This technique is true for ANY live amplification system, not just ours.

== Bill-at-Bose ==
{{T1 icon}} {{Model II icon}}
Bill-at-Bose <ref>[http://bose.infopop.cc/eve/forums?a=tpc&f=7521050644&m=9821050644&r=7191052284#7191052284 Bill-at-Bose Talks about Gain Staging in the Bose® Musicians Community Message Boards]</ref> talks about setting the gain on a {{T1}}.

One difference in gain staging the T1 and the Classic is that the T1 has a three-stage trim LED.  It lights up green when signal is present, yellow when you are getting pretty loud (8 to 10 dB of headroom left), and red when you dangerously close to or at full scale.

In a way, the yellow trim on the T1 is similar to how you treat the red on the Classic.  Some yellow during peaks is good on the T1, just like some red on the Classic is good.

If the T1 trim is going red, you should back off, you are definitely nearing or in compression.

A really helpful feature on the T1 is to go to the Prefs/Output Level menu, and see where you are relative to maximum output.


== Model II / Compact / F1 ==
On the {{Model II}}, the {{Compact}}, and the {{F1}} the Trim (Model II) and Volume (Compact/F1), these controls are actually trim controls. There is no master volume control later in the signal chain. The amps are running at full output. There is no need to "add a little extra" for headroom. If you do, you are unnecessarily amplifying noise (e.g. audible hiss/hum) during quiet moments, and raising the likelihood of distortion when you get loud.

=== Setting the levels ===
For the Model II run the source at the highest output and set the trim so that you see solid green and occasional flickers of yellow.

For the Compact run the source at the highest output and set the volume so that you see solid green, and no red.

For the F1 Model 812 or F1 Subwoofer run the source at the highest output and set the volume so that you see solid green, and no red.


== Bose FAQs Classic / Model I ==
This is an excerpt from the Bose FAQs<ref>[http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_STATIC_PAGE_EVENT&url=/musicians/support/product_faqs.jsp&ck=0#question32 What is the proper method for setting the gain on the PS1 Power Stand?]</ref>

There are three gain settings for the primary channels (1 and 2) and two gain settings for the secondary channels (3 and 4).

=== Channels 1 or 2 ===
To set the gain for the primary channels (1 or 2):

# Adjust the input gain. Set the trim for the individual channel at the back panel of the PS1 Power Stand. Supply a maximum source signal and watch the LED, when you start to see it flash red, back off slowly on the trim potentiometer until it flashes green again.
# Adjust the channel gain. The channel gain is controlled via the R1 Remote Control. With the master at zero, set the respective channel gain at 12 o'clock or 6 on the R1 Remote Control. At this point, the LED on the remote will be at the same intensity as the LED on the back panel of the PS1 Power Stand. This is considered optimum gain. The musician can then add a bit more from the R1 Remote Control if he/she requires.
# Lastly, the R1 Remote Control MASTER knob is the last stage of gain. This knob gives you control over all 4 channels of the PS1 Power Stand.

=== Channels 3 or 4 ===
To set the gain for the secondary channels (3 or 4):

# Adjust the input gain of the individual channel. These channels do not have indicator LEDs but are optimized for 0dB line level signals, such as from an effects device, mixer or CD player.
# As above, the R1 Remote Control MASTER knob is the last stage of gain. This knob gives you control over all 4 channels of the PS1 Power Stand.

== Owners Talk about Gain Staging ==

=== Owner gittar-jonz <ref>[http://bose.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/778102955/m/6351081922?r=5011018032#5011018032 gittar-jonz in the Bose® Musicians Community Message Boards]</ref> ===

Dialing in your sound IS a personal preference, but proper gain staging does have some technical right and wrongs.

The accepted rule is to set your gain as HIGH as possible, as EARLY in the signal chain as possible - and adjust each consecutive gain stage until you reach the last component. This will give you maximum headroom and the best signal-to-noise ratio. Every signal carries some noise with it, and if you set your gains too low at the front (preamp/mixer/processor), and then try to compensate for it at the end ({{L1}} ), you will be magnifying the "noise" as well as the signal. The "cheaper" the equipment is that you're using in front, the more obvious this will be.

The easiest way to do this is to just VISUALIZE how your signal runs. Whatever your signal from the guitar or mic hits first - be it internal or external preamp, processor, mixer, whatever - maximize THAT trim control first. Having LED's to visually see the clipping makes this job much easier - just sing or play as loud as you plan to (turn the master down - you don't need to actually make noise to set your trims if you have LED's) and crank the trim/gain until it flashes red into clipping - then back it off a bit to give yourself some room. Then continue down the path of the signal chain - this includes any "inserts" into the chain - adjusting each component until you finally hit the L1&trade; , which is the end of your chain.

Every piece of equipment that I've used in my L1&trade; has benefited from this rule. I've had some pieces that had intolerable amounts of noise (the Digitech Vocal 300 comes to mind) when the gain at the Digitech was set low, and the {{L1}} set high. When I reversed them back to the "rule" - set the Digitech gain as high as possible, and just adjust the trim at the L1&trade;  only as needed, it became a usable piece of equipment.

(minor edits by [[User:ST|ST]] <strike>PAS</strike> {{L1}} )

=== ST ===
See [[Gain Staging/General Principles]]


== Chuck-at-Bose ==
{{:Gain Staging/Chuck-at-Bose}}

== Gain Staging with a Mixer ==
{{:Gain Staging / Mixer}}




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[[category:Gain]]