GAIN STRUCTURE

[mark francombe <mark@markfrancombe.com>]

OK,, technical people...

I have never been very good at technical stuff, despite having enough gear to launch a shuttle. 
So now i want a technical 101 type course in getting a good gain structure in my gear.
I just took receipt of a new EDP and got it up and running synched with the old edp (Jeez.. easy peazy and OMG what potential... having 2 EDP's is way more useful than having 2 EDPS)

As planned I took out a 3 U mixer from my rack and put in its place a 1 U  (both behringer I'm afraid, cant afford anything else). 

Now, for some reason,  the 2 EDP's are completely different sounding (old one is kinda muddy and bassy, loses top), and the thing is that I just cant get a good level without distortion on the loop (too high level going in) or too low and hissy.

Now some of the hissyness appears to be the effects that each EDP is going thru, (a red sound federation, on edp1 and a Roland EF303 on edp2) But each EDP only has ONE effect to go thru... surely that must be OK???

So now I have SO MANY input level controls on my system, something is causing distortion I dont know how to start... heres the signal chain.

1. From guitar (first a few stomps) First level control VORTEX
2. Second level control MIXER INPUT (two levels on switch +4 or -10) + track level. (up to here is ok, I can hear that my guitar is clean and undistorted, and has some headroom when I hit the thing (Vortex lights up red only on REALLY loud hits)
3. Third level control, SEND level (both track sens and overall SENDS level control)
4. Fourth level control EDP input level
5. Fifth level control EFFECT input level control (altho there is really no input level control on the red sound federation, just a gain adjust in one of the menus)
   
6. and SIXTH input level control MIXER INPUT (two levels on switch +4 or -10) + track level. (this is where EDPs + effects are returned to mixer)

So what is a good routine in figuring out a gain stucture, that is both loud and clean?... and what should I set the mixer level switches to... loud or quiet? (+4 or -10)

Now I dont want any... "Get better gear" answers... that just nonsense, Ive heard some of you guys recordings, and all have shitloads of effects and cables and SOUND GREAT!!! NO hiss.. 

Help me out... Im 35 years in music, and Ive NEVER realy got the hang of impedance or whatever... for instance, this beringer mixer has balanced IN's (if I use stereo cables) but EDP isnt that.. or any of my guys right????


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