Excellent advice.
However, I recommend a C/L in your system to protect against a dropped mic blowing your horn drivers.
Hope it helps.
What is a C/L ?
What is a C\L
- Thread starter LoudspeakerDJ
- Start date
What is a C/L ?
What exactly does this do, or atleast how? I guess it either increases or decreases the signal. Is this important? I use a crossover, and eq but thats really it. I know there is some sort of protection built into my amps and speakers. Is this overkill in some situations?
A compressor/limiter is never overkill. In professional audio rigs, you will see more compressor/limiter/gate units than graphic or parametric E.Q.'s, especially in live sound applications where there are lots of vocals that need to be ridden.
A compressor does just what it's name implies: it compresses the sound level by way of ratio and threshold. In laymen's terms, you can set a certain threshold & ratio level on the unit and the line level audio you have running thru your compressor unit will not allow the audio to peak above the level you have set, most times even if you jack the output gain on the mixer to its limits. It really comes in handy for wedding receptions when a toast is to be made and the person toasting has never used a wireless handheld before - they usually hold the mic down around their chest or something like that instead of speaking directly into the windscreen. It allows me to boost their audio level without feedback problems....
Unless you have real world experience with a unit like this, it's difficult to put into words. What I can tell you is that you can limit the amount of signal you send to your amps with a limiter, which will keep you from frying the amps.
Bounce, Fred, Steve - you guys wanna chime in on this one and try to put into words what I seem to be having trouble explaining?
Compressors mean tons of different things... Here is the DJ Wiki Reference:
http://www.howtodj.info/index.php/Compressor
http://www.howtodj.info/index.php/Compressor
A compressor/limiter unit in the processing chain is more than just another expense. It's not the McGuiver of processors... but I feel it is necessary.
Soundmen (and women) and recording rigs often utilize assigned C/L channels to each miced input. This is in addition to assigned EQ channels. The purpose is to shape and tone live sound. Hence the huge rack cases filled with processors. All that stuff costs money and is there for a reason. It ain't eye candy.
Live sound is not forgiving. You're working with a lot of PA system power. When your lead guitar yanks that G string 3 inches off the fretboard and lets it slap you'd better have something in place to protect your drivers...
Why a C/L unit for DJ use? Isn't the material we play already compressed and limited to death right off the CD?
Well, yes. Often it is. A C/L will not make prerecorded material sound worse. Actually, it will have a better tone. The main benefit is your ability to place a ceiling on your output. If you're working a venue where sound levels are restricted the C/L can keep you from going over the limit. This is critical if you lease systems or have employees running your rigs.
These units are a must for karaoke hosts as well. Remember, any mic is live sound. If a speaker or singer drops your mic the resulting pop can send enough power to your horn drivers to destroy them. A properly set C/L will keep this from happening.
DBX offers an excellent balanced C/L unit that is simple to set up.
Hope this helps.
Soundmen (and women) and recording rigs often utilize assigned C/L channels to each miced input. This is in addition to assigned EQ channels. The purpose is to shape and tone live sound. Hence the huge rack cases filled with processors. All that stuff costs money and is there for a reason. It ain't eye candy.
Live sound is not forgiving. You're working with a lot of PA system power. When your lead guitar yanks that G string 3 inches off the fretboard and lets it slap you'd better have something in place to protect your drivers...
Why a C/L unit for DJ use? Isn't the material we play already compressed and limited to death right off the CD?
Well, yes. Often it is. A C/L will not make prerecorded material sound worse. Actually, it will have a better tone. The main benefit is your ability to place a ceiling on your output. If you're working a venue where sound levels are restricted the C/L can keep you from going over the limit. This is critical if you lease systems or have employees running your rigs.
These units are a must for karaoke hosts as well. Remember, any mic is live sound. If a speaker or singer drops your mic the resulting pop can send enough power to your horn drivers to destroy them. A properly set C/L will keep this from happening.
DBX offers an excellent balanced C/L unit that is simple to set up.
Hope this helps.
Last night at an event I was saying to myself, "I hate how some songs are louder than others" Would this help even out the volume of all my channels? Am I crazy here?
A compressor would help in that situation. A limiter would not help even out the output of all the channels.