• Registered: 2017-07-22
  • Posts: 70

Topic: Question regarding level meters

Good morning.

I note that using spdif digital input I read two different values between bottom bar led under spectrum analyzer and global level meters: the former (pre-fx or dual-fx) reach the yellow leds to the peaks, while the latter reach the first thin red led.

Not a huge difference, but red always indicates "take care"...

They should not be the same ?
Once selected dual or pre fx, it shouldn 't be applied to the global meter too ?

  • N00b
  • N00b
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  • From: Near Paris, France
  • Registered: 2018-10-03
  • Posts: 460

Re: Question regarding level meters

When dual level meter is activated, you have the pre-fx (thin lines) and the post-FX (thick line). The pre-FX is fixed and the post-FX depends on the volume and FX adujstment (B/T, loudness, EQ, crossfeed...).
The pre-FX can sometimes reach the red (inter sample peaks), but no need to worry about it (the ADI-2 has headroom for this).

If you have auto-ref level disabled (so a fix level) and your volume set to 0 (with all FX off), your pre and post-FX levels will be the same.
But as soon as you change the volume or use FX (B/T, loudness, EQ, crossfeed) or use auto-ref level, the 2 levels won't be the same. It's OK.

ADI-2 DAC (with stock PSU) - Neumann KH 310 A monitors - Cheap USB and XLR cables

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3 Reply by sinarca (edited by sinarca 2019-07-09 18:25:31)

  • Registered: 2017-07-22
  • Posts: 70

Re: Question regarding level meters

N00b wrote:

When dual level meter is activated, you have the pre-fx (thin lines) and the post-FX (thick line). The pre-FX is fixed and the post-FX depends on the volume and FX adujstment (B/T, loudness, EQ, crossfeed...).
The pre-FX can sometimes reach the red (inter sample peaks), but no need to worry about it (the ADI-2 has headroom for this).

If you have auto-ref level disabled (so a fix level) and your volume set to 0 (with all FX off), your pre and post-FX levels will be the same.
But as soon as you change the volume or use FX (B/T, loudness, EQ, crossfeed) or use auto-ref level, the 2 levels won't be the same. It's OK.


Thank for the answer.

But my surprise is why the horizontal led meter, set in Pre-FX mode, is not exactly equal to the vertical led in global level meter screen (AES and SPDIF vert bar to the right) once that I have set ADI 2 pro with no B/T, Eq, Crosfeed, loudness, auto-ref level.

Even if the g.l.m. indicators display the signal after internal DSP, keeping in mind that I have disabled all the DSP functions, they shouldn't be equal ?

I use only headphones, so the volume settings does not influence the reading of the meters set to Pre-FX

4 Reply by jiw (edited by jiw 2019-07-13 11:26:57)

  • jiw
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  • Registered: 2018-07-13
  • Posts: 161

Re: Question regarding level meters

The level meters on the bottom bar go red for signal levels above 0 dBFS.

In DIGICheck, for the default settings, the red begins at -1 dBFS for the level meters on the Spectrum Analyser, Vector Audio Scope and Totalyser and at -3 dBFS for the other meters. Thus, the meters may show different colours for the same levels.

Reference the signal peaks to 0 dBFS rather than to the displayed colour to determine whether the meters behave consistently.

  • Registered: 2017-07-22
  • Posts: 70

Re: Question regarding level meters

jiw wrote:

The level meters on the bottom bar go red for signal levels above 0 dBFS.

In DIGICheck, for the default settings, the red begins at -1 dBFS for the level meters on the Spectrum Analyser, Vector Audio Scope and Totalyser and at -3 dBFS for the other meters. Thus, the meters may show different colours for the same levels.

Reference the signal peaks to 0 dBFS rather than to the displayed colour to determine whether the meters behave consistently.


Thanks, good to know.