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What do you use to adjust overall volume from top of unit at sound check?


cragginshred
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Q1: depends on venue. If connecting to external mixer/PA as one of several players with a sound person running the mixer I would turn the volume quite high - say -6 to 0db in the Stadium’s Matrix mixer - and let him/her handle the mix. Turn up or down if requested. If playing without external mixer set Matrix mixer level as desired for the room.

 

Q2: Preset leveling is a manual and somewhat tedious activity that should be done with each preset as you develop your setlists. You shouldn’t leave it to be dealt with during a performance. There are lots of historical threads here about the task of preset leveling.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/29/2026 at 6:05 PM, cragginshred said:

Curious what you all use for volume adjustment as well as to level your presets to be the same volume?

 

@cragginshred

 

I am old school so normally I set a baseline "Clean" snapshot in each preset.  I use a metering tool on my iPhone like Decibel or Sound Meter Master thought here are many other ways to measure the dB for this clean starting point to get each preset at a "as close as possible" dB setting via a tone generator or an "11 on a scale of 10" open A chord.  Next I use my ear via my headphones to start my OG secondary test for what my ears hear and use a monitor like my EV for in the room.

 

At this point my various snapshots are compared in the same way per preset as I add FX blocks.  I do have the ability to have a friend of mine who is also a sound engineer come by when available or go to his studio for a final check once done.  I use my guitars Vol & Tone pots as well during rehearsals and performance so this may be qualitative and not quantitative for your purposes.

 

If time permits I get to the venue as early as the sound crew and assist them which give me a slight in to spot check 8 out of my various presets through the board.  Unless I have been way out of reality (which I have at times) I can make a few quick fixes.  Then again I do not use more than three or four types of Amp blocks so this could be rather cumbersome if I had to create or recreate lots of presets.  And I use presets per genre (Heavy Metal, Country, Blues, Rock, Jazz, Funk, etc.) as opposed to per a specific song which has kept my shoegaze manageable.

 

I am slowing down at my age so I have yet to really use Showcase with any group - most the players I work with now call me the "interesting old man" as I like to stay up with new technology to reduce the use of my rolling dollies as in my "I can lift tons of equipment" days.

 

And as @silverhead has pointed out the Matrix feature is my friend for many reasons AND the final stage is always the sound engineer for performance.

 

jpd

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