Where's ya line fader at eh ?!?

[Funkedub]

so ... all the way up to 10?

or leave it around 7-8 with some head room?

I seem to recall when i started mixing a lot of mixers had line faders with markings around the 7-8 mark to indicate "this is as far as you turn it up" ... but this clearly wasn't always the case.

So do you leave your headroom on the line fader ? or keep the fader max and let the gain do what it should ?

[crazy_tripper]

keep fader maxed so you can do things like drop it out then back in quickly etc

[richcur]

Fader maxed. Gain 12 oclock by default

[Gruso]

I'm a headroom kind of guy most of the time. I probably should/could use the faders more creatively though.

[Random_Kiwi]

Faders to the hilt...sometimes backed off while in a mix...but it's just easier to max them out for being able to drop it out and back in again without going past your 7/8 mark.

Thing I love most about the A&H's...max the fader, set the gain, max the master output and it equals exactly when the channel is gaining at...you can only red line them by red lining the specific channel.

[Fr3d]

Have the line faders on max, gains are usually always up about a 1/4 way from minimum. Keeps things @ the 0db line. Current mixer is a ecler smac 30 and ortofon dj-e om needles

[Spitchen]

Depends on the mixer and the setup of the sound system I'm playing through.

I usually max the channel faders and main out and have gains so no red lights ever show. Assuming the sound system is using a proper mixing desk to control the volume and eq of the room.

However, if playing at a party where the main out of the DJ mixer is the main volume control source then of course you wouldn't max out the main out unless the speaker amps have been set previously to account for this.

Apparently, Pioneers sound the best when channel faders and main out are maxed and gains are kept down.

[rancho]

i do a lot of channel fader smashing so i like to have them maxed. often ill mix a track in using channel fader but one its in it stays maxed.

[Andrew Wowk]

Yeah I max the faders too and just use the gain to control volume

[andreas]

I have mixed up until now with the faders maxed however I have been starting to mix around
8 so that when both tunes are in you arent driving stuff into the red & makes for an easier
cross between tracks???

[DJ Fusion]

I still have my faders at around 80%, probably an old habit from playing clubs. Another bad habit is never using my crossfader, it used to leak and I got so used to mixing with my faders that its hard to go back.

[Portal]

^^ Not a bad habit for mixing Dance Music IMO.

[Random_Kiwi]

Man, I've never used the cross fader for actually mixing from A to B - cuts and shit and just dropping some extra highs, but even then, I mostly upfade it...cross fader is only good for stratching or that "1...2...3...4th beat from the other track...drop back to original track" kinda sillyness.

[DJ Fusion]

But upfaders cramp my style for cutting up da happy hard. ;)

[gamblore]

I have mixed up until now with the faders maxed however I have been starting to mix around
8 so that when both tunes are in you arent driving stuff into the red & makes for an easier
cross between tracks???

That's what the gain and the master out is for

[palaeo-tech]

Let the gains do their work, leaves less margin for error if you get over excited dropping in with the line fader. I always gain match in the headphones and adjust as i'm bringing it in to make sure there isn't going to be a drop in volume as I segue.

[DJ Fusion]

I do both, I match the gains to get my track volumes levels then I mix them up to 8 on the fader. I try to never touch the master out when possible.

[Bekay]

my faders go to 11





& thats where I keep it

[Spectrum]

Fader maxed. Gain 12 oclock by default

Do all the tracks you play have the same perceived volume?

What reading do you get on the pre-fade-listen meters?

[richcur]

Do all the tracks you play have the same perceived volume?

What reading do you get on the pre-fade-listen meters?

Almost, I "cheat" as well as having alot of time on my hands... prior to burning to disc I edit the volume of each track.. *ducks for cover from the producer element*
70% of the time the tracks are fairly closely matched volume-wise, but yes, a glance at the pfl meters is still a must.

[Skerik]

had an incident at a club the other nite, running the system full tilt, maxed output on desk, amps, you name it, and bugger-all volume.

like 35% of whats its capable of. Really had me thinking for quite some time...

Even going so far as to tracing cable runs and looking for signs of rats

Wanna know what it was? - the fader was on 8, not 10. pushed it up and BAM! welcome to noisy town.

I now think back to all the desks i've played on over the years (and theres a truckload of them) only a handfull have actually given me a true fader-position=actual-volume.

The Rane Empath stands heads and shoulders over the rest of the desks ive mixed on, and thats not a cheap desk! I spose what I'm gettin at here is simple - run ya faders to full, and use the gain properly. Unless u are on one of these aforementioned wonder-desks

I really want to mix a set on a rotary desk, think that would suit me to the ground.

[Spectrum]

Almost, I "cheat" as well as having alot of time on my hands... prior to burning to disc I edit the volume of each track.. *ducks for cover from the producer element*

Ah, I see! :lol:

[andreas]

If you have both faders at max will you not then push things once both signals are together?

[palaeo-tech]

If you have both faders at max will you not then push things once both signals are together?

You're right, typically it's not a good idea to do that but it depends on whether you're adjusting the perceived level of the signal by using something like a filter or EQ. It's fun to experiment with different techniques, line faders aren't the be all and end all of mixing.