What Is The Correct Technical Definition for Headroom?

[Vancebo]

It's a question that I should of known the answer to but sadly don't.

I do sound at a local guitar society. It gives me lots of experience getting workable sounds out of myriads of guitars, pickups, mics, etc. through my Bose model 2. Our best regular player (who literally plays drums on his guitar) said to me "Remember, I like lots of headroom". Now, I am familiar with the term but I was just wondering if I really knew what it meant and how to achieve it. I probably am delivering good "headroom" without knowing it.

[MaurysMusic]

He needs you to set the input gain at such a level that when he plays his LOUDEST, it does not overdrive the mixer. If his loudest passages are just barely illuminating the clip light, then you've done the job.

Does that make sense?

[fazool]

Originally Posted by Vancebo

It's a question that I should of known the answer to but sadly don't. ...

should "have" or the contracted "should've"






Anyway, on to your question:

Headroom is a vague term referring to how much volume a guitar can produce clearly. It's like the maximum volume a speaker can put out before distorting and the sound collapses.

It's the same concept with a lot of the same physical foundations.

A Guitar with a lot of headroom can produce more volume when played harder, but it might not be as responsive to a delicate touch such as soft fingerstyle playing.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by Vancebo

It's a question that I should of known the answer to but sadly don't.

I do sound at a local guitar society. It gives me lots of experience getting workable sounds out of myriads of guitars, pickups, mics, etc. through my Bose model 2. Our best regular player (who literally plays drums on his guitar) said to me "Remember, I like lots of headroom". Now, I am familiar with the term but I was just wondering if I really knew what it meant and how to achieve it. I probably am delivering good "headroom" without knowing it.

Headroom is the amount of volume, measured in dB, available above a nominal operating level before distortion.

[Daddyo]

Quick answer. It is the "clean" (undistorted) sound level (volume) that an amp/speaker produces. The devil is how one defines "clean." Is it audiophile clean? THD below .1%? Guitar amp clean - maybe that's 1%THD but manufacturer's don't seem to have a convention to follow. Is it the guitarists "feel" about what is clean? Some guys think that the fat tone a Deluxe Reverb has on 7 is a "clean" tone. And the speaker can have as much effect as the actual amp.

I wasn't much help.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by MaurysMusic

He needs you to set the input gain at such a level that when he plays his LOUDEST, it does not overdrive the mixer. If his loudest passages are just barely illuminating the clip light, then you've done the job.

Does that make sense?

Hi MM...

This is the process to attain headroom I use.

The dicey part is when there is no 'clip light' available (on amp, or preamp, or board). Individual channel input clip lights on PA boards are fairly common, on amps less so, and preamps about 50/50.

[Vancebo]

This all cements it for me. I always set the input light to where it might turn from green to yellow at the loudest playing. I just didn't know I was providing ample headroom when doing so.

[Vancebo]

Now, I have another question that I will ask in a new thread.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by Vancebo

This all cements it for me. I always set the input light to where it might turn from green to yellow at the loudest playing. I just didn't know I was providing ample headroom when doing so.

Those lights typical tell you when you are approaching the headroom limit. A spec of -6dB from running out of headroom (i.e., distortion) is common for a "yellow" light. A "red" light can mean several different things, over limit, at limit, almost over limit, kinda near the limit. With tube analog gear, that may be desired (and the circuit will handle things). With solid state analog gear, that usually isn't a good thing (although getting close can be desired for certain things). For digital it is fatal regardless of source, musical style or creative aesthetic.