Setting Volume Levels?

ROBSCIX

I was reading docs on the kX Project homepage, I came across something I don't really understand, I think it said for best audio Quality set my Master and Wave faders to 100%, and to crank my audio program to 100% I am understanding that correctly? I keep my volume levels relativley low, and I still notice that it's loud.. Can someone please clarify this for me. I would like to get the best sound possible using these drivers. Thank you for any help you may give me...

dj_stick

yes, if you send a signal to an amplifier and then speakers, you also amplify whatever noise is in the signal aswell, the noise level is generally the same no matter what the volume is, so if you send low volume and amp it a lot you will here more noise than if you send a high volume and amp it a little

ROBSCIX

Ok, That makes sense. So I should just crank all my internal faders i.e Wave,master to 100%, including whatever player I am using. Then just use my Speaker volume to adjust to whatever level I like?...does that sound right?

dj_stick

yes, but then again if its increased too much at the source it will be distorted, if your spakers sound a little distorted, decrease the volume on your computer a little…
but i think this distortion is only normally caused in external mixers… my mixer has never shown that my sound card is distorted…

HunterZ

My problem is that my front speakers, rear speakers, and subwoofer are all on different amplifiers with their own volume controls, so I don't like to touch them other than to make small adjustments to their relative balances. As a result, I end up using my Wave and Synth mixer sliders (not Master because I don't use Prolog or xrouting) to control the overall volume of sound on my computer, and the levels are usually around 10-40%. I know this is bad in that it decreases the signal-to-noise ratio, but I never notice any noise or distortion that would make it worth adjusting 3 or 4 knobs on 3 different amps to change the volume levels of my sound system

If I had a real speaker system with 1 knob to control all my speakers, I'd definitely run Wave and Synth at 100% (unless I saw clipping - i.e. sound levels over zero dB while the sound is still floating around in the DSP as data) and adjust my speakers when I want to change the volume level.

dj_stick

if the system works don't change it

HunterZ

Actually, you've inspired me to go speaker shopping I'm currently considering the Logitech Z-640's because I don't have a lot of cash to spare.

EDIT: Looks like the Creative T5400's beat the crap out of the Logitech Z-640's... Hmm...

dj_stick

hope the speakers work well for ya - me im using a 2.1 system, a pair of MA-10D edirol micro monitors, and some cheap sub that came with those "ROCK" 5.1 systems that was bundled w/ my DVD player

HunterZ

Right now my speakers are as messy as my DSP: I have the front stereo analog out going to a 10-band stereo graphical equalizer (for show) then into a cheap Sanyo boombox that is powering some unshielded Bose speakers (6" or so - I think they're either two-way or 3-way). My rear analog outs go to a Sony stereo receiver/amp that is powering some no-name speakers that are comparable to the Boses (in size, not quality). My subwoofer is a quite decent Boston Acoustics ported plastic-housed subwoofer (part of a 4.1 system that unfortunately only has 2.0 digital and analog inputs and does some kind of Dolby Surround/Digital decoding to feed the surround channels I think) that I'm running from the front SPDIF output of my AudigyDrive (or whatever it's called) - unfortunately it cuts out due to poor signal quality sometimes because I don't have a proper coax cable for it.

I want to get a proper speaker system for under $100 (US), but I'm afraid that I might be losing subwoofer quality if I do so. Actually, I'm afraid of losing satellite quality too

dj_stick

does sound a little messy… but i would keep it the way it is, and get a decent quality coax cable for the sub