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VeniceU
Operator Manual
Appendix C: Application Notes
This appendix provides application notes as a guide to help you with VeniceU console
operation. With its flexible routing and functionality, the VeniceU was designed with
real-world sound engineers in mind, working in the real world. So, for engineers that
haven’t got a great deal of experience in live sound engineering, the following
subsections may provide a few helpful guidelines.
Gain
The VeniceU has two types of input channel — mono and multifunction — both of which
also have microphone inputs. Gain is provided on these channels to allow the operator
to obtain the optimal signal for the system:
• Microphone gain — range is +10dB to +60dB (-10dB to +40dB with pad switch
enabled).
• Mono channel line gain — range is 0dB to +50dB (-20dB to 30dB with pad switch
enabled).
• Stereo channel line gain — range is -
4 (minus infinity) to +20dB.
Each channel of the VeniceU includes an LED meter, which indicates the channel level
(measured after the channel insert and EQ but before the channel fader). With the
insert and EQ disabled, the meter shows the level at the input in the following four
stages:
• -18dB: signal present
• 0dB: normal operating level
• +12dB: high signal level
• +18dB: 3dB before channel overload (clipping)
The input gain of the channel can be used to obtain the best operating level for the
console. Too small a signal level (too little gain) and the best signal to noise ratio will
not be achieved; too high a signal level (too much gain) and there is the chance of
overloading the channel, causing distortion.
Clearly, the gain should be positioned between these two points to gain an optimal
signal to noise ratio without overloading the channel. The ideal level for input channels
would be around +6dB with occasional illumination of +12dB.
Headroom
A channel signal is only permitted to swing high and low by an amount fixed by the
power supply. If the maximum output of the VeniceU channel strip is +21dBu
(0dBu = 0.775 volts RMS) then imagine the following situation:
Headroom is the amount of spare ‘swing’ available to the system. If 9dB headroom was
desired at all times, a maximum level of +12dB is required to retain the headroom.
To prevent overload the gain must be set to a point that even the highest output from
the microphone during sound check has some headroom left to prevent any surprises
during the show!
The console’s buses (that is, the left and right main buses) are the point where all
channel signals are summed together. In normal operation, it is unlikely that all