Master Rack... how freaking stupid am I?

Basically I don’t change the master-rack. But I’ve set up three states in that rack. Each state drops the volume by 10db. Most of the time my output is too hot for the FOH :smiley:

My master rack has two inputs and outputs - one for my keys, the other for guitar. Makes it easier for the sound person…

It contains mainly limiters and volume controls that are mapped to sliders/rotaries on my keyboards that give me a range of -6dB…+6dB so I can adjust on-the-fly when the volume of one of my songs is too wimpy or too hot compared to the rest. I usually make notes of such adjustments during rehearsals and then bake them into the songs later…

Also, it contains a separate monitor output path with an additional volume control (mapped to slider/rotary) for my on-stage active monitor, for those club gigs where we all just play from instrument amps or where I just want a keyboard amp on-stage and focus the monitor wedges on vocals. This way, I can adjust my monitor volume to adapt to the on-stage noise level without changing the route to the P.A.

Cheers,

Torsten

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I usually make these adjustments with a DI box - most techs are happy to receive DI’d signals and are suspicious of audio interface output… My (passive) DI has a pad switch, so I can lower the level as needed.

Cheers,

Torsten

Never used a DI box in the past 3 years cause of balanced outputs of my audiointerface (first RME, now Focusrite). I don’t have any jack-cables anymore :slight_smile:

There are more reasons to use DIs than just the balanced signal. I wouldn’t like to be without them in a live situation, personally.

yup - ground lift, galvanic isolation and impedance conversion being my top three…

Don’t DI boxes prevent phantom power going into your outputs? Some older boards send all or none.

That’s actually part of the “galvanic isolation” bit… Other DI boxes (active ones) can actually draw the power for their circuitry from phantom feed. But you don’t really use active DI boxes for keyboards - you’d want those for lower level signals - active DI boxes contain a preamp circuit that can boost weak signals. Keyboard signals (and audio interface signals) are strong enough to use passive DI boxes.

Cheers,

Torsten

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