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Oscilloscope, overhyped and underexplained
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<blockquote data-quote="keep_hope_alive" data-source="post: 8250782" data-attributes="member: 576029"><p>the OP is mistaken in their assumption that using test tones and a scope is a flawed method. The "dB left on the table" is called headroom. that headroom is reserved to allow for a wide range of songs - including SPL tracks or bass CD's.</p><p></p><p>i've seen songs that are mixed to result in near 0dB bass lines (while letting the music clip and sound like crap). Every song has different bass line amplitudes. The point of using a scope is to ensure that clipping NEVER happens. Not to operate at the edge of clipping at every moment. The latter is what you did and why you destroyed your gear. People are going to give you a hard time for that because you did it knowing you would clip your output.</p><p></p><p>No matter what gain method you choose, misuse of the volume knob is what causes damage.</p><p></p><p>Every song is mixed differently and older songs were done with a lower dynamic range so they have a lower average signal amplitude compared to modern music that is overly compressed/limited. You want to leave some headroom in the system to account for different recording levels. You also want to leave headroom in the sub level setting to allow for adjustment given the amplitude of bass in the song.</p><p></p><p>but by maxing all sources and using a 0dB tone, you guarantee you will never clip the output. but you will also never achieve rated power output of the amplifiers. if you want to be able to clip the output of the amp at will given certain music sources, you can increase the gain setting beyond what you determine from using a scope. if you use -3dB tones or -5dB tones then you still need to be aware of the musical source and the signal amplitude of the source.</p><p></p><p>you can view songs in Audacity or Goldwave and apply bandpass filters to see what the signal strength is of various frequency ranges. however, each song is different so it's for amusement only.</p><p></p><p>an oscilloscope is the correct tool for the job because it is the only tool that lets you observe the waveform, but you still need to understand what you are measuring and how it relates to music. typical instructions for using a scope include using 75% usable volume and 75% sub level settings to let you get more signal strength for weak recordings.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="keep_hope_alive, post: 8250782, member: 576029"] the OP is mistaken in their assumption that using test tones and a scope is a flawed method. The "dB left on the table" is called headroom. that headroom is reserved to allow for a wide range of songs - including SPL tracks or bass CD's. i've seen songs that are mixed to result in near 0dB bass lines (while letting the music clip and sound like crap). Every song has different bass line amplitudes. The point of using a scope is to ensure that clipping NEVER happens. Not to operate at the edge of clipping at every moment. The latter is what you did and why you destroyed your gear. People are going to give you a hard time for that because you did it knowing you would clip your output. No matter what gain method you choose, misuse of the volume knob is what causes damage. Every song is mixed differently and older songs were done with a lower dynamic range so they have a lower average signal amplitude compared to modern music that is overly compressed/limited. You want to leave some headroom in the system to account for different recording levels. You also want to leave headroom in the sub level setting to allow for adjustment given the amplitude of bass in the song. but by maxing all sources and using a 0dB tone, you guarantee you will never clip the output. but you will also never achieve rated power output of the amplifiers. if you want to be able to clip the output of the amp at will given certain music sources, you can increase the gain setting beyond what you determine from using a scope. if you use -3dB tones or -5dB tones then you still need to be aware of the musical source and the signal amplitude of the source. you can view songs in Audacity or Goldwave and apply bandpass filters to see what the signal strength is of various frequency ranges. however, each song is different so it's for amusement only. an oscilloscope is the correct tool for the job because it is the only tool that lets you observe the waveform, but you still need to understand what you are measuring and how it relates to music. typical instructions for using a scope include using 75% usable volume and 75% sub level settings to let you get more signal strength for weak recordings. [/QUOTE]
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