How To Mix Live Music Chapter 6 - Gain Structure

This time we have a very important topic, which I have witnessed even some seasoned professionals get wrong from time to time. It is “Gain Structure”. It is crucial to understand if you want to get a clean and consistent mix every time!
An English subtitle is available.

#HowToMixLiveMusic #YamahaProAudio #YamahaAudioversity #Yamaha

[dcdckeju]

This is still relevant in 2024-2025. Thank you Yamaha for these training series.

[chuntoon]

This is the best 10 min description of how to gain stage I've ever scene & I never heard the way you suggest to start a song playing through the speakers and work back

[tineandkiefer]

-20 DB is the optimal target on digital mixers… this is the secret ingredient that I have never hear before and have never known 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[farn]

thank you for confirming what i've always held true about gain structure and the amps. i wish more engineers would turn them up to suit the room rather than running then wide open all the time.

[oscarchuduk]

То видео, которое я так долго искал, где доступно рассказывается какой уровень сигнала брать за отправную точку. Спасибо большое!

[JoeDombroski]

I always like to talk about the acoustic gain of a system, not just the electronic gain. This includes acoustic or line source, and the last gain stage, the listener's ears. For instance, if a keyboard's output is set to 25%, you will introduce noise. If the microphone is not properly placed, the input gain must be turned up, introducing noise, and possible non-linearity. Most mic preamps become slightly non-linear as their gain is increased beyond 35 dB (just past noon). For instance, some Yamaha consoles use a small relay to add in HF boost to correct for a decrease in HF response as the preamp gain is increased. In a PM1D you can actually hear a little click inside the console around 40 dB.


As far as amp gain, it depends on the amplifier. If the amp is pure analog, you should not run the amp below 75%. The gain knob may be a passive divider. If you are running an amp below 50%, you should consider a smaller amp+.

[drnewcenstein]

Quick tip for matching power amps to speakers: Yamaha PX series amps include DSP presets (crossovers and whatnot) for their S112V 12" passive speakers, as well as the CXS15xlf subs.
The PX3 amp is max-power-matched to the S112Vs, and the PX8 is max-power-matched to the CXS15xlf subs. I've got these two amps and a pair of each of those speakers, and they're great.
Are they "transparent"? Don't know, don't care. I know enough about EQ to reshape tone to compensate for a speaker's "coloring" effects. Personally, I think people waste too much energy chasing FRFR setups. The incoming tones are heavily edited in the mixer anyway, because they're not flat enough. Make the p.a. a part of your signature tone, people, just like your instrument, amp, and cabinet.

[brianbarron]

Nice to know how to use the digital gain feature on the TF mixers.

[OceanBirdsMusic]

Great Video! However if I'm correct, you get the best sound when the amp is at the max volume (also called unity gain right?) because you otherwise loose punch, definition, etc… Right?

I personally have no problem working with some faders at low level and I don't feel like I am having difficulties adjusting levels even when the fader is in the lowest half.
I also find that having more power than I need guarantees that my vocals will be on top of the mix in the event that the band plays much louder at any point during the concert.

This theory has been confirmed to me by at least two top engineers who do stadiums (one of them even worked with Michael Jackson)

Same theory confirmed for the master fader at unity gain whether it's a mixing desk or a summing mixer.

I'm wondering if the right way to put it is: best to avoid having the amp at full volume ONLY IF it's a noisy / low quality amp?
I haven't had any noise with the amp fully open apart from some of my first jobs (bad equipment).

Please let me know what you guys think, I might have misunderstood something, always happy to learn :-)

[nnamdiakachukwu]

Please how can I get the app on my smartphone to check the levels, please help me sir please

[UnknownScinotech]

Sir, can the features mentioned by you about TF mixer be available in Soundcraft SI Impact also or can we use SI Impact Mixer instead of TF Mixer?

[derekrushe]

I thought it was -18dbfs that the ad/da kicked in at on a digital desk?

[johndc]

Hello. Does this mean that on analog mixers 0 db is the ideal gain level while in digital mixers -20 is the ideal gain level?

[ebony]

when are you uploading eq in for drums and other instrument?