surfsup1955 Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 I picked up a CP8 a few weeks ago after trying various powered speakers, nice little FRFR. One question I can’t seem to find any info on is setting the input gain? For now I just set it to 0db and go for it, however the “SIG” indicator light actually comes on 3-4 clicks before the 0db setting using the Helix. I’m thinking I should probably set it back 3-4 clicks and readjust everything else. Any advice from owners of QSC or other similar powered speakers is welcome. I can’t believe the QSC Guide says nothing about what to do with this knob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunedinDragon Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 I set mine at 12 o'clock or 0db which is unity and send the signal 1/4" line level output into Input A. Never had any problems at all. If you go into input B make sure the Mic Boost is turned off if you're sending line level input as Mic Boos is necessary for Mic level signals. Input B can be used for either Mic or Line input. Input A is always Line level. Both inputs can take XLR or 1/4", but I see no particular advantage to using XLR if it's just a short run on stage. The Sig light is always on (green) if a detectable signal is coming in. The Limiter light is the one that would light up if your signal is too high. All of this is outlined on page 9 of the documentation. If you don't have a copy I've included a PDF copy of it below. QSC_CP_Speaker_Series_User_Manual.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfsup1955 Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 Hey Dragon, appreciate the response and info. No, the Users Manual didn’t come with mine, just a 3 page Users Guide - I’ll bookmark that. The Manual (pg 9) still leaves me guessing what QSC’s recommended setup is but based on your usage and the results I’m getting, I’ll stick with the “unity” setting. I’ve been cranking it pretty loud and have yet to see even a flicker on the Limiter light so I’ll keep an eye on that and adjust the Gain accordingly if ever needed. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunedinDragon Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 21 hours ago, surfsup1955 said: The Manual (pg 9) still leaves me guessing what QSC’s recommended setup is but based on your usage and the results I’m getting, I’ll stick with the “unity” setting. I’ve been cranking it pretty loud and have yet to see even a flicker on the Limiter light so I’ll keep an eye on that and adjust the Gain accordingly if ever needed. Thanks! I think you'll find most manuals for pro gear are going to be fairly lacking in specific recommendations given they typically are dealing with people that already have some knowledge about live sound. I will say QSC manuals tends to be at the far end of the spectrum in this regard. In term of general guidelines, most of these type of powered speakers are designed with two different channels so it can accommodate both an instrument as well as a vocal input, which are two different signal levels. Line level is the most commonly used as that's what is typically fed to these speakers from mixing boards and is the default output level from your Helix. As far as the gain knob, that's really a preamp for boosting or cutting the signal that goes to the amps in the speaker. It's the common convention to at least start with your gain at unity as that means nothing is being added to the signal nor taken away from the signal. Therefore if you need more volume you can control it from you Helix master volume knob which performs the same type of function as the gain knob on the speaker. There's nothing particularly wrong with adjusting the gain on the speaker other than to invite pushing the speaker too hard and inviting the limiter to kick in, particularly if the signal coming into the speaker is too hot. I personally own quite a number of powered speakers for different uses as monitors or FOH speakers. In all cases (other than my QSC KLA line array speakers) I leave my gain knob on the speaker set to unity and control the signal level from the mixing board, or from the Helix master volume if I'm going direct to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfsup1955 Posted July 10, 2019 Author Share Posted July 10, 2019 That’d be me :) The only gear I’ve owned that resembles “live sound” equipment would be my acoustic amps (SWR and Fishman), both of which, as I recall, their owners manuals err’d on the opposite side of that “spectrum” and provided novice guidance for proper gain control settings. I appreciate the additional info and clarification - keeping the CP8 at unity and using the Helix master volume will be a much simpler setup. Which is what I plan to keep doing. Thx again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.