KVR Audio

tizzler · Post by **tizzler** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:20 pm

Hi, I'm brand new into using hardware with Logic. I'm noticing the Logic I/O signal seems weak--I'm trying to drive a bus compresor pretty hard but not getting much signal. I've increased the Logic gain output, but still not much. Any thoughts on how to send a stronger signal? Gain plugins are just distorting it.

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:26 pm

If you are using an audio interface with +4 or -10 DB line outputs, then you won't be able to drive outboard processors very hard without an additional gain stage. My API bus compressor is designed to handle +31dB and a lot of other high end signal processors will expect +18-24dB signal levels. Gain plug-ins won't increase the amount of signal that your interface can produce.

thermal · Post by **thermal** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:15 am

justin3am wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 11:26 pm If you are using an audio interface with +4 or -10 DB line outputs, then you won't be able to drive outboard processors very hard without an additional gain stage. My API bus compressor is designed to handle +31dB and a lot of other high end signal processors will expect +18-24dB signal levels. Gain plug-ins won't increase the amount of signal that your interface can produce.

That’s not quite how it works. -10 dBV and +4 dBu are the nominal levels the applicable equipment is designed to work with, not the max possible output. Many interfaces can output +18 dBu from +4 dBu calibrated outs. Some as high as +24 dBu. Otherwise what use would an extra gain stage be - its output wouldn’t be higher than +4 if that was the max

thermal · Post by **thermal** » Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:40 am

tizzler wrote: ↑Mon Apr 12, 2021 9:20 pm Hi, I'm brand new into using hardware with Logic. I'm noticing the Logic I/O signal seems weak--I'm trying to drive a bus compresor pretty hard but not getting much signal. I've increased the Logic gain output, but still not much. Any thoughts on how to send a stronger signal? Gain plugins are just distorting it.

If the channel with the I/O plugin has a healthy level coming into it and your interface is set to output +4 dB nominal, the buss comp (which is probably expecting a +4 dB nominal signal) should be receiving a strong signal.

I usually turn down the outputs of my metric halo uln-2 when feeding outboard because they are really loud if the channel meter is hitting higher than -6 dBFS peak.

Could you maybe post a screenshot of the I/O plugin settings and channel meter readout (bypass the plugin to see the level you are feeding it with)?

tizzler · Post by **tizzler** » Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:27 am

Here's the I/O from Logic...

thermal · Post by **thermal** » Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:24 pm

tizzler wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:27 am Here's the I/O from Logic...

Looks a little crazy to me - is your interface set to output a -10 or +4 signal? The difference in nominal level is effectively 11.79 dB between the two iirc, so if you are outputting at -10 nominal it could explain things. But it would help if you could also post a pic of the mixer channel with the I/O plugin switched off please, so we can see the level you are feeding to it.

tizzler · Post by **tizzler** » Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:11 pm

See the attached screenshot for channel with the I/O and levels (I took this while the track was playing).

Screen Shot 2021-04-22 at 7.14.40 PM.png

thermal · Post by **thermal** » Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:39 pm

tizzler wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:11 pm See the attached screenshot for channel with the I/O and levels (I took this while the track was playing).
Screen Shot 2021-04-22 at 7.14.40 PM.png

with the I/O plugin off, please - as mentioned, need to see what the level is going into the I/O plugin

Signal Flow into hardware from Logic