No peak LEDs on Allen & Heath Zed 60-10fx

[adammm]

Maaaaan !

no peak LEDs to let you know quickly and easily if any input is clipping

How come they left those off the design?

What are you supposed to do?

Yeah i know you can use your ears, but surely this is standard assistance for people setting up gigs in the chaos of real life ?

Didn't research closely enough to catch this omission before buying

Sorry, only day one or two with this one

I suppose you are supposed to PFL and refer to the main level meters?

Much prefer it if you can just scan for any sign of things clipping on any channel in use without doing something like that

Any feedback from established owners appreciated

(also disappointed that plugging into the Left channel only of the stereo inputs does NOT give you mono by default, that's another straightforward thing they should surely have built in, with minimal [if any] extra build cost ?)

General build and component quality looks good on Zed Sixty 10fx, but some design disappointments

[Bob Bickerton]

Sensible gain setting using PFL is a better way to work than clip LEDs, if you ‘rely’ on keeping an eye on clip LEDs then you’re probably setting your gain structure too hot.

Most desks offer mono input on one side of a stereo jack channel. I guess that’s a lesson in reading the manual before buying any piece of equipment

Bob

[James Perrett]

I'm with Bob - set the gains sensibly with PFL and, if you find yourself moving the faders down to control excessive level during the gig, think about reducing the gain further.

[Hugh Robjohns]

no peak LEDs to let you know quickly and easily if any input is clipping

How come they left those off the design?

Two reasons. A&H are an old-school company and do things properly, and to save cost in what is a simple budget mixer. If you set the desk gain structure sensibly you'll have plenty of headroom and so peak LEDs will never light up, making them a wasted expense!

What are you supposed to do?

Use the 'Listen' (PFL) buttons to check the channel level on the meter and adjust the input gain appropriately. With familiarity you'll soon get to know the typical gain settings for different mics and sources.

Didn't research closely enough to catch this omission before buying

There is that... But it also sounds like your operational techniques could benefit from a new approach too.

Much prefer it if you can just scan for any sign of things clipping on any channel in use without doing something like that

The trouble with that approach is that you will tend to work with very little headroom, and the mix will typically sound harsh and aggressive as a result.

(also disappointed that plugging into the Left channel only of the stereo inputs does NOT give you mono by default, that's another straightforward thing they should surely have built in, with minimal [if any] extra build cost ?)

Although a common feature, that simply isn't possible in this mixer because of the dual source inputs for both of the stereo channels. The RCA-phono connectors are wired through the normalling contacts in the 1/4-inch sockets for ST1, and the USB signal for ST2. And that use of the normalling contacts precludes their use for treating a single input as dual-mono.

General build and component quality looks good on Zed Sixty 10fx, but some design disappointments

If it's any consolation, it is a very good-sounding mixer that works very well...

H