QSC K series volume question
 

On the back of K series powered speakers the gain or volume dial on the left and right channels are marked as follows. All the way left, off. 12 o'clock position 0Db. All the way up, +10 Db. What should I know about this? Especially the 0 Db at 12 o'clock Thanks all.

Don't worry about it. Just set them where you need them.

An arbitrary algorithm, no doubt there are better:

1. Turn off the K
2. Use the line level output of your mixer to connect to the line level input on the K.
3. Set the K controls to 12 o'clock
4. Set the K equalization to front-of-house or flat if on a pole, or monitor if on the floor
5. Set the mixer master to zero.
6. Set all the mixer channel controls to 12 o'clock
7. Reduce the trim control on any mixer channel that is lighting its overload light
8. Turn on the K
9. Set the mixer master to desired room volume
10. Then tweak everything else on the mixer to taste.

The Ks are *ridiculously* loud. I have not yet run mine at 12 o'clock.

I agree largely with Jon's outline, and he's absolutely right: figure out what works for you.

Here's how I run my K8:

1) set K to 0 or off.
2) set gain stages/levels on your mixer/gear to optimal levels.
3) set output on mixer to unity.
4) Turn up K to desired level—or even a little louder than desired and dial back on mixer to provide a little headroom.

I own the QSC Touch Mix 16 and it actually has a section where it shows the levels that the K12 speakers should be set at. They have them just past 12 o'clock. I believe there's a white line in that area as well. I usually leave it there and then adjust my levels on the mixer. I don't think I have ever set my levels on the mixer first and then adjusted the speaker levels. That seems a bit backward to me.

The K12's are loud but I personally find that they don't start really pushing a lot of volume until you get them past 12. I sometimes plug my acoustic straight into a single K12 when playing at home and it's usually set at 12 so it's loud but not overpowering.

Man. The last gig I did with my K8, I had my mixer set to output at more-or-less unity on the meters and set the K8 at about 9:30 or 10:00. This was a VERY loud restaurant—and they asked me to turn it down a little.

Edit: I thought I started a thread about this a while back. Turns out, I did.

It could be there your mixer just has a hot output or that mine doesn't. Usually at 10 on my K12, there's enough volume but nothing close to filling a noisy restaurant.

Entirely possible. My rig sends a pretty hot signal out to FOH.

With my current gain staging, if I set the K to unity, I would have very little room on my mixer for overall volume adjustments (i.e. "blowing your head off" would be somewhere between .2 and .5 on the mixer's volume!).

It's helpful to know that the control on the back of the K speakers is not a "volume" control, per se, but a sensitivity control. It sets the input level it takes to drive the amp to its maximum output. So you want to set it at a point where the level you're sending from the main mixer output can drive it to the level you need for the room (whether or not that's maximum, depends on the room, of course), and you want to have some play on the mixer's output control so that small adjustments don't create big differences. This is, of course, assuming that the gains upstream from the mixer's output are set properly.

The zero spot at 12:00 is usually a good enough starting point, but move it either way, depending on what you need at the main mixer control to get the levels and the workable control you need. For most acoustic gigs this is going to be fine.

Louis

Assuming you've got the volume right with one of the many cascaded gain controls, the only really important control is trim, in particular with mixers with no overload lights. If you distort the front end of the mixer you can be chasing ghosts a long time trying to figure out why things sound sporadically bad. These days all this stuff is so low noise it's not essential to keep the gains ideally set.

I've used the K10's since they first came out. I use mine with a Soundcraft mixer. They are my small PA system. Those controls assuming you are running line level really attenuate the gain. That 10dB figure doesn't mean that much.

What source are you using with the K10's? I generally run mine at about 2 o'clock. Unless you are using the mic setting you should have the system set so you don't have to run your output source ( mixer, preamp etc) above unity gain.

Thanks all members for posting your replies. I've been traveling today for work and haven't checked in until now. I'll try your suggestions and go from there. Things were a little confusing and I didn't want to blow something up!

Not to hijack my own thread, but after comparing the K 10 to the K8 I chose the K8. I thought the larger K10 was a slightly more interesting speaker but not so much that it ruled out the K8. I was going to buy the K8 and never look back. THEN a unblemished K10 demo came up from a reputable dealer and I bought it and am not looking back. That's my story, Smoky

I've used the K8 as well. They all use the same components except for the sub woofer and the enclosures are different sizes. It really comes down to the size of the situation. The K8 has a very wide dispersion but short throw and the K12 is narrower with a long throw.

What is your application? What are you using into the K8?

No Cochese, I got the K10. I'm not a pro, just like hosting some friends and I and sounding good!