My definition of 'headroom' is how much more you can increase the level on any given input until it clips (i.e. distorts). A sound engineer can bring up levels but there's no way clipping can be fixed.
Usually the audio level on any output will be some kind of idiot lights or a meter. Either way, many times the approach is to bring your level to the point at which it's near the red line but doesn't go over. This is also why a lot of people get clipping in their music as there is zero headroom. If there are any unexpected peaks in the audio level, they are guaranteed to clip.
To get your music louder, turn it down. Don't run the levels so close to the redline and give yourself more headroom in your mix. You can bring the overall audio level up and down on the final output from your mixer but everything has to be immaculate up to that point as a clipped sound is a speaker smasher, it definitely will destroy them and I have blown up many.
There are two options for the level for any given source as you can increase the level and you can increase the gain. If you raise the gain while lowering the level, the effective volume level will stay the same but the sound will get more crunchy and the converse approach will make it cleaner. That kind of crunch won't break speakers and may give you more of a bluesy sound, etc.
The main thing is clipping. With many people using multiple devices, generally the solution is to run them through an intermediate mixer into a looper. It's imperative there be as much headroom as possible on these inputs. Do not push them too hard. The loop will be an aggregate of all the sounds you throw at it. If all of them are overdriven, what good thing would you expect to come from the aggregate loop.
None of this has anything to do with your play as you may nail a perfect set but if there's any clipping then people will remember that and not the play that went with it.
Usually the audio level on any output will be some kind of idiot lights or a meter. Either way, many times the approach is to bring your level to the point at which it's near the red line but doesn't go over. This is also why a lot of people get clipping in their music as there is zero headroom. If there are any unexpected peaks in the audio level, they are guaranteed to clip.
To get your music louder, turn it down. Don't run the levels so close to the redline and give yourself more headroom in your mix. You can bring the overall audio level up and down on the final output from your mixer but everything has to be immaculate up to that point as a clipped sound is a speaker smasher, it definitely will destroy them and I have blown up many.
There are two options for the level for any given source as you can increase the level and you can increase the gain. If you raise the gain while lowering the level, the effective volume level will stay the same but the sound will get more crunchy and the converse approach will make it cleaner. That kind of crunch won't break speakers and may give you more of a bluesy sound, etc.
The main thing is clipping. With many people using multiple devices, generally the solution is to run them through an intermediate mixer into a looper. It's imperative there be as much headroom as possible on these inputs. Do not push them too hard. The loop will be an aggregate of all the sounds you throw at it. If all of them are overdriven, what good thing would you expect to come from the aggregate loop.
None of this has anything to do with your play as you may nail a perfect set but if there's any clipping then people will remember that and not the play that went with it.
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