I ran a V2 > R-44 for a while and I always kept the gain knob on the R-44 one click above the lowest setting. I Kept the smaller (inner) knob at 12:00. Depending on the music and venue, I ran the V2 at 25 or 30 and adjusted the trim knob on the V2 accordingly. This way I got almost all of my gain from the V2.