How high to turn the volume?

[Deutscher]

Hi guys,

Just wondering how you guys know how far to turn your gear up. Reason I ask this is because I am aware that you can adjust the gain of your MP3 files using MP3GAIN or Foobar etc. Reason I ask this is because I set my MP3 files to 89dB (default by MP3Gain). If you set your gain too high it can produce clipping correct? But the thing is, when I insert a original CD it comes up to ~100dB.

So my first question is, if I adjust my gain to 100dB etc will it clip?
Second: Is there a "standard" gain amount? like a set standard which original CD's etc would be? So I could adjust to that.

I got Alberts to install my audio and tune it, but they don't run you through anything, I asked them what I can turn it to, he said 28 on my alpine deck, but if I play an original CD is blasting and my MP3 not so much. At alberts they use Burnt CD's to test so what would they have it set to etc.

If I go by the listen to the speakers/sub, isn't it true that we don't hear half the distortion?

Anyone have a general guide I could follow? i.e If I hear distortion, take the volume down 2 notches or something?

Sorry if this all has been asked before (if so please delete)

Edit: To test my home DJ gear, I run a test file, 20Hz to 20Khz, but also that I can adjust using MP3Gain. I have crossovers set on my amps so I won't get unwanted frequencies going to the wrong speakers. Chuck a True RMS voltmeter on the speaker terminals and adjust volume to reach the required Volts. But apparently my sub isn't capable of producing the rated RMS (Hifonic Olympus 2412 - 2400rms).

[2LOUD2OLD]

1st things first, subs dont produce power, only amps do

now that we have sorted, just turn it down once you hear distortion. its not just your amps that can cause clipping, but your head unit too. it will have its own limit. assuming your gains have been correctly set, when turning up the volume on your head unit, as soon s you hear distortion turn it down by one, and that is your upper limit.

[Deutscher]

1st things first, subs dont produce power, only amps do

now that we have sorted, just turn it down once you hear distortion. its not just your amps that can cause clipping, but your head unit too. it will have its own limit. assuming your gains have been correctly set, when turning up the volume on your head unit, as soon s you hear distortion turn it down by one, and that is your upper limit.

So just one notch from when you can hear distortion?
Gains? you mean on my amps? what about the dB on each song?

[2LOUD2OLD]

dunno about songs, i onyl play cds so you've got me there

[Luke0011]

Well your mp3gain software basically is trying to mimic a true cd quality track with about 80 % less information or data. just remember approximatly 5 mins of cd quality sound is around 50 Megabytes. A 5 min mp3 track depending on the bit/rate of the encoding is around 5 Megabytes. Just stick with the cd quality wav files. and have a few mp3 cds

[commsirac]

Hi guys,

Just wondering how you guys know how far to turn your gear up. Reason I ask this is because I am aware that you can adjust the gain of your MP3 files using MP3GAIN or Foobar etc. Reason I ask this is because I set my MP3 files to 89dB (default by MP3Gain). If you set your gain too high it can produce clipping correct? But the thing is, when I insert a original CD it comes up to ~100dB.

So my first question is, if I adjust my gain to 100dB etc will it clip?
Second: Is there a "standard" gain amount? like a set standard which original CD's etc would be? So I could adjust to that.

I got Alberts to install my audio and tune it, but they don't run you through anything, I asked them what I can turn it to, he said 28 on my alpine deck, but if I play an original CD is blasting and my MP3 not so much. At alberts they use Burnt CD's to test so what would they have it set to etc.

If I go by the listen to the speakers/sub, isn't it true that we don't hear half the distortion?

Anyone have a general guide I could follow? i.e If I hear distortion, take the volume down 2 notches or something?

.

Im not really sure what you mean by with the 89dB for mp3gain and 100dB for CD. The dynamic range and S/N of CD is typically in the 90dB range.
It really doesnt matter, what you appear to be asking is "how do you know when your system has reached its limits"
.
Hopefully you will have enough level on all your tracks so the HU doesnt become the limiting factor here.

You can find the magical max vol setting so that the max output from the lineouts is at the 2V level on your HU just using a multimeter. Use a a CD with a reference signal at the maximum level of 0dB, and if you are sure you mp3s are recorded 10dB lower, then find the position of the vol control for that too. But knowing how far to set the gains on the amp, that requires you to look at what the waveform is doing when it is connected to the speakers its driving, you'll need an oscilloscope.

,Typically people only hear distortion as such when it grows to large levels, ie when a system is sent into clipping, which means you are sending potentially damaging voltage spikes to the high frequency drivers which dont have the power rating to handle them. Burnt out tweeters are typically the result of amps put into clipping.
The speakers may well start distorting badly before the amp starts clipping, in a way the speakers begin to clip....the cones cant follow the excursion of the signal properly and the sound is much the same. If its a high powered amp, assume its the speakers and vice versa!

Rule of thumb, turn it down at least two notches if you can detect any distortion at all.