Joe Bfstplk
Legend!
Can it also show how much (within reason, maybe max +10dB) 'into the red' the power amp is being driven?
So you want the meter to show you how much headroom you'd have if you had more headroom.Can it also show how much (within reason, maybe max +10dB) 'into the red' the power amp is being driven?
The new Headroom meter has everything to do with the power amp modeled in the Axe-Fx.Axe metering doesn't have anything to do with your power amp
Axe metering doesn't have anything to do with your power amp
What is being requested is insight into how far beyond the available headroom you are pushing it i.e., how much is it being overdriven.So you want the meter to show you how much headroom you'd have if you had more headroom.
The Headroom meter corresponds exactly with plate voltage at the power amp. It physically can't go above 0 dB. It's the behavior of that voltage as it dances with the ceiling that tells you what the power amp is doing to your gain structure. IMO, that's more valuable than a "what if" meter that doesn't correspond to what the amp is actually doing.
You get that information by watching it’s behavior. Does It slam into the rail only on signal spikes, or does it hover near the rail? Or maybe a combination of those things? Or does it never approch the rail at all? The fact that it never quite reaches the rail — that can tell you something about what Sag is doing.What is being requested is insight into how far beyond the available headroom you are pushing it i.e., how much is it being overdriven.
Depends on what end result you are after and what type of amp it is. Many of the classic amps get the dirt by driving the power amp into distortion. Mark series Boogies can do a bit better for classic rock sounds with a little bit higher master volume setting that 'tickles the red' in the power amp and less mid scoop in the graphic. Knowing how far past the 0dB point is useful info that is not always entirely obvious from watching how long/closely it hugs the power supply rail.You get that information by watching it’s behavior. Does It slam into the rail only on signal spikes, or does it hover near the rail? Or maybe a combination of those things? Or does it never approch the rail at all? The fact that it never quite reaches the rail — that can tell you something about what Sag is doing.
These are all indications of what the power amp is doing with your signal. And that’s what really matters. That’s much more useful information than the knowledge that “my signal would be 8 dB louder if I had a bigger power amp.”
How would you use that info?Knowing how far past the 0dB point is useful info...
I can 'splain it to ya, but I can't understand it for ya....How would you use that info?
You ain't 'splained it yet.I can 'splain it to ya, but I can't understand it for ya....
Actually, I did:You ain't 'splained it yet.
Depends on what end result you are after and what type of amp it is. Many of the classic amps get the dirt by driving the power amp into distortion. Mark series Boogies can do a bit better for classic rock sounds with a little bit higher master volume setting that 'tickles the red' in the power amp and less mid scoop in the graphic. Knowing how far past the 0dB point is useful info that is not always entirely obvious from watching how long/closely it hugs the power supply rail.
No, you ain't.Actually, I did:
True.Many of the classic amps get the dirt by driving the power amp into distortion. Mark series Boogies can do a bit better for classic rock sounds with a little bit higher master volume setting that 'tickles the red' in the power amp and less mid scoop in the graphic.
Non sequitur. The question stands. What makes it more useful than the current implementation? How would you use that information to dial in an amp? 'Splain?Knowing how far past the 0dB point is useful info that is not always entirely obvious from watching how long/closely it hugs the power supply rail.
Many of the dirty amps like Recto and Mark-series Boogies put out a rather compressed, peak-free signal from the preamp. The method you suggest for watching how hard/long it hugs the 0dB mark on the meter doesn't really help understand how far they are pushing beyond the available headroom.'Splain?
The current meter is basically analogous to the output level of a limiter. Essentially, I am asking for the input meter to go with it, with the 0dB point synced to the point of limiting/clip, for the purpose of determining the optimal amount of power amp drive signal.If the Headroom meter cannot/will not ever go over 0 dB, what is the purpose of having it read to +10 dB, or any level above zero?
Is the request for a different way the meter would show the headroom?
I messed around with it last night and it was pretty self explanatory: it's a ceiling for the signal. Max the Input Drive and Master Volume, turn on the Boost and you stay at the ceiling (-0.2 dB in my case). Turn off the boost and use different settings on the Input Drive and Master Volume and the varying, corresponding levels of how much below the ceiling (headroom) is visible. All readings respond to playing dynamics if the Input Drive and Master Volume are not set to 10.