M-Audio DELTA 1010 manual Delta 1010 User Guide

Delta 1010 User Guide 15

Monitor Mixer is the first tab that appears when the Control Panel is opened. This tab controls the digital mixer built into the Delta 1010 PCI Host Adapter card and has the following controls and indicators:

<LEVEL FADERS: Each volume fader is controlled by dragging the vertical slider with your mouse, or by clicking on the small up and down arrows above the faders (these “fine adjustment” arrows will raise or lower fader in 0.5dB increments). The current fader setting is displayed numerically above each fader.

Note that the Monitor Mixer has no gain and that its faders only attenuate (reduce) incoming signal levels once the signals have been converted to digital audio. The highest setting is 0dB (or ‘Unity Gain’) and allows signals to pass through unaffected. The default fader setting (-144dB) is the quietest setting and will essentially mute the channel.

NOTE: To make precise edits to a level or pan slider, click a slider to select it and use the arrow keys on your computer keyboard to move the selected slider.

<VU METERS: Each channel features a VU meter that indicates audio levels in “dB relative to full-scale.” This means that the loudest possible signal is referred to as “0dB” and a signal that is, for example, 12dB lower than the maximum loudness is referred to as “-12dB.”

The meters are color-coded into three sections: green, yellow and red. The green section represents the “safe” zone and ranges from approximately -48dB to - 12dB. The yellow section ranges from -12dB to -3dB, and the red section ranges from -3dB to 0dB. Once a signal reaches (or exceeds) 0dB, it means the signal is overloading Delta 1010’s analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog converters and is “clipping” or distorting. Unlike the analog distortion found on guitar amplifiers and effects pedals, digital distortion is harsh, unmusical, and should generally be avoided.

Therefore, we recommend setting input and output levels so that the loudest peaks of your incoming signal will reach the top of the yellow range but will generally not enter into the red zone. Technically, your signal may enter into the red zone without resulting in distortion but this not generally recommended since it leaves very little headroom. In other words, one loud note during a performance or mix may result in a severely distorted recording or mix.

<MASTER VOLUME: The Master Volume section is found to the left of the Mixer Input section. These faders control the overall output level of the Monitor Mixer. The adjacent VU meters indicate the Monitor Mixer’s output levels and are “post- fader.” This means changes to the master fader will affect the levels displayed on the VU meters.