Best way to manage output levels

General discussion about Gig Performer
1

Up front I am super new to using something like GigPerformer, VSTs and Audio Interfaces for live sound.

I have gone from using a keyboard with audio out into the PA to using an audio interface, VSTs and GigPerformer with volume/gain controls at every point in the pipeline. I assume the best thing for me to do is make adjust each rackspaces so their volumes in relation to each other ensuring the loudest is not clipping and then rely on the sound guy to control adjust the overall volume for the instrument.

What is the best way to find the peak volume my rackspaces? What I have currently been doing is enabling “Meters” for the wiring activity and if I see any red when playing dropping the output. Is this a good approach or is there a better way?

2

There are free VST plugins that can do level metering. These give much more information that those built in to GP. The latter just give some indication of the audio levels, but are not very precise. And they are not capable of displaying separate levels for peak and average.

3

I mostly rely on my ears. I play through the songs (song parts) and home and tweak the volume. Sometime in a recording, I will note that a specific part is too high or low and tweak it.
Although I note any “red” on the fader levers (in my widget panels) (and listen a bit more carefully when I see it) I mostly listen for any distortion/artifacts. But, maybe I am wrong. Maybe it should never go into the red in the digital realm…

One thing for sure, I do not have to constantly manipulate the volume in GP during a gig like I do when I use an internal keyboard sound (but, I suppose with higher end keyboards, you can pre-arrange the relative volumes of parts similar to GP).

Jeff

4

Keep in mind that level as an indicator is not allways the best idea.
Sound with much energy because of low frequencies have a high level but could be heard much lower than sounds with much high mids.
So in conclusion a sound could be heard much louder than another but they show the same level.
The best is trust your ears, your band mates and your FoH engineer.

5

There are free VST plugins that can do level metering.

Yeah I have moved away from using the wiring activity because even though they were going red they weren’t going red on other indicators. I’m guessing red just means high output. So now I am putting the built-in gain/balance VST after each instrument VST. This gives me a level monitor and also a gain control in case I need to drop volume for an instrument. Does this seem like a good idea?

Sound with much energy because of low frequencies have a high level but could be heard much lower than sounds with much high mids.

This could actually be related to an issue I am having. I have a grand piano VST in my rack and in one song I pair it with quite a sharp synth lead. While the levels are set just before red line, the piano sounds super quiet. Should I compensate for this by maxing the piano (quietest sounding instrument) and then lowering everything else to sound equal?

Side note. I find the more keys I play the louder the output. Is this normal? Do I need to set my levels based on quietest instrument plus number of keys potentially played at once?

6

Can I quote this?

7

I would think maybe the baseline should be set with the loudest part (yes, if your hitting more keys (and more harder (more velocity) will tend to be louder). Maybe that is as loud as you can get without distortion. Everything else should be lower.

But, you have to take into account the song (part), what role your playing relative to other instruments/vocals, etc.

8

How did you manage your levels when you were using a keyboard?

9

I still sometimes use internal keyboard sounds. I have to keep decent tabs on the master volume of the particular keyboard because (1) different sounds have different perceived volumes and (2) different parts should be at different levels in the mix (FOH can not make these adjustments).

[Or sorry, not directed to me]

11

I didn’t. I was the vocalist but the keyboard player left so I’m having to learn.

12

Yeah go for it. I know I sound like a massive noon.

13

I found this an interesting idea. Our guitarist will often play a little bit but likes the sounds built into the keyboard. So I’m now passing both midi and audio into the interface. Now I am setting the volume of the VSTs to align with the audio in.

My current issue I am finding is that the levels of audio in is between -25 to -18db depending how many keys I’m hammering at once. Does this seem too low?