Correct way to apply volume when using an amp

[Arika]

Title is confusing, can't figure out any other way to write it

 

Essentially i'm trying to remove all buzz and noise from my audio set up, and i'm looking to get a headphone amp as i wish to eventually get some good high powered headphones. However my setup involves a mixer to bring in multiple devices to a single output. So i need help to understand how to get the cleanest sound into the Amp as it will be at the end of the chain.

 

Here's a simple diagram

 

Green is the individual channel volume

 

Blue is the main mixer out volume

 

Red would be the amp out.

 

 

Assuming i have the channel volume set at "0 gain" would i be better to lower the volume of the Main mixer output sending a "quieter" signal to the amp and then the bulk of the volume control is handled by the amplifier, or send a "louder" signal into the amp and pull down the volume?

 

Or is it even going to make a difference, will the amplifier pull up ANY white noise that is present in the source, even if it's originally inaudible.?

[Ahoy Hoy]

Theres a thing call the noise floor which is the background noise electronics create. The gain has to be high enough that its above that. So the simple answer is gain as high as needed but equalish across most equipment. The headphone amp will probably have the lowest noise floor so will be easier to have that lower on gain settings. While the mixer Im guessing is probably something cheap like a Behringer Xynx will have a high noise floor so the gain will have to be higher.


Set the gain on the mixer to as high as it has to be to get a decent signal. Set the output volume of the mixer high enough the amp gets a google signal and since the headphone amp is probably the best amp in the system have that at the lowest.

[The Flying Sloth]

12 hours ago, Ahoy Hoy said:

Theres a thing call the noise floor which is the background noise electronics create. The gain has to be high enough that its above that. So the simple answer is gain as high as needed but equalish across most equipment. The headphone amp will probably have the lowest noise floor so will be easier to have that lower on gain settings. While the mixer Im guessing is probably something cheap like a Behringer Xynx will have a high noise floor so the gain will have to be higher.


Set the gain on the mixer to as high as it has to be to get a decent signal. Set the output volume of the mixer high enough the amp gets a google signal and since the headphone amp is probably the best amp in the system have that at the lowest.

You're assuming that the noise doesn't scale with volume, I've always found that those Xenyx boards are reasonably good at low volumes (still wouldn't recommend one) with the noise increasing exponentially with gain increase.  

 

OP in short you really should be using something other than that mixer, if you're certain you want to use it then it's just trial and error to see what works for you with the gear you have. In short you will want to have the mixer on the volume settings that have the highest signal to noise ratio, from there just control the rest from your amp, I can't tell you specifically what those settings will be but that's what you want to do.

[Arika]

1 hour ago, The Flying Sloth said:

OP in short you really should be using something other than that mixer, if you're certain you want to use it then it's just trial and error to see what works for you with the gear you have. In short you will want to have the mixer on the volume settings that have the highest signal to noise ratio, from there just control the rest from your amp, I can't tell you specifically what those settings will be but that's what you want to do.

The mixer im using is a samson sm10, its got a fairly high snr at >90db, however that's only with everything non attenuated or boosted, but unfortunately it's not super loud that those settings.

[The Flying Sloth]

25 minutes ago, Arika S said:

The mixer im using is a samson sm10, its got a fairly high snr at >90db, however that's only with everything non attenuated or boosted, but unfortunately it's not super loud that those settings.

Which is fine since you'll be using a headphone amplifier