Topic: SBM-1 Peak Lights

[Dutchman1101]

I searched a bit and could not come up with what I was looking for. At what point do they start coming on? I taped Outformation last weekend and I had the lights going off like crazy. At one point they were on for like 2 to 3 seconds. Looking at the waveform in Wavelab the peaks kind of flatten out at one point. Does this mean clipping? If this is the case them the SBM-1 is really forgiving. I only saw a few flat points on the waveform and the lights were going nuts!

[dgodwin]

The lights come on usually at around -3 or -2 db.  Where it flattens out (past 0db)  in wavelab is where you clipped.  When I ran it, I tried to get the lights to just occasionally flicker.  I was usually happy with the results. 

[anhisr]

I have to agree.  When I ran an SBM-1 I tried to rarely see the lights  When I did, not for that long.  2 to 3 seconds is way to long. 

[macdaddy]

2 seconds...? yikes.

i am in the minority, but i like to see my lights go off once, and then i turn the levels down ever so slightly, and i hope to never see the over lights on the sbm1 again...

[cdevs]

I'm with Macdaddy. My limited experience is that the lights (on mine) come on at 0db.

[Dutchman1101]

I don't thinnk they come on at 0db, I think it's more like -2db so you do want them to come on. Like I said before I only saw the waveform flatten out once and my lights were going NUTS! I'll have to some more tests but I think the SBM-1 is pretty forgiving.

[macdaddy]

no doubt it is aforgiving unit, but you are losing every iota of headroom by setting your levels so high...

i just figure that if i keep normal peaks at -2db (or just below, keeping the lights off, but just so), then i have enough headroom left for that slap of the bass or drum burst that shoots the levels up to lightin and beyond...

ymmv

[Dutchman1101]

no doubt it is aforgiving unit, but you are losing every iota of headroom by setting your levels so high...

i just figure that if i keep normal peaks at -2db (or just below, keeping the lights off, but just so), then i have enough headroom left for that slap of the bass or drum burst that shoots the levels up to lightin and beyond...

ymmv

Very true. I usually only set my levels to the point where I see them come on every so oten but last weekend I had a bit to much to drink and didnt really feel like messing the levels too much. I agree that you really should leave some headroom.

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

i like to see my lights go off once, and then i turn the levels down ever so slightly, and i hope to never see the over lights on the sbm1 again...

Thats exactly how I ran mine.  If I never saw it light, I would bump the levels slightly until I saw it go off once.

I asked someone who should know and being told that the SBM light would illuminate when it detected consecutive samples at 0db. 

[macdaddy]

i like to see my lights go off once, and then i turn the levels down ever so slightly, and i hope to never see the over lights on the sbm1 again...

Thats exactly how I ran mine.  If I never saw it light, I would bump the levels slightly until I saw it go off once.

I asked someone who should know and being told that the SBM light would illuminate when it detected consecutive samples at 0db. 

there are other threads on this here...

i remember one, where some folks were talking that they wanted to see those over lights dance all night long...

i couldnt imaine such a thing, and i remember saying so at the time, but to each their own...

i will say if they are dancing, it is not as bad as when that light just stays solid - they you are just topping out consistently, which is NOT what you want...

[cdevs]

The whole lights-a-poppin' thing makes me think of the D-5 days, when you had to get those lights blinking pretty regularly, or end up with a whole lotta hiss.

If I've had a few beers (common at a show...), I've been known to briefly slip back into the old habit of "lettin'-em-fly". Then I sober up and remember that we're digital now.

[Brian Skalinder]

I asked the same thing when I first got my modSBM-1 and received conflicting answers (same as this thread).  So I tested it myself.  My "over" lights kicked in at ~-2dBFS.  The only way to know for sure is to test your SBM-1 (which it sounds like you're doing).  Once you know at what level the lights kick in, you can make an informed decision about how frequently you want 'em lighting up as you record in different scenarios - some scenarios require more headroom, some less.

[marc0789]

The lights come on usually at around -3 or -2 db.  Where it flattens out (past 0db)  in wavelab is where you clipped.  When I ran it, I tried to get the lights to just occasionally flicker.  I was usually happy with the results. 

same here...occasional reds = no problem....I take it down a touch if I seen them popping up too often.

[capnhook]

I don't thinnk they come on at 0db, I think it's more like -2db so you do want them to come on. Like I said before I only saw the waveform flatten out once and my lights were going NUTS! I'll have to some more tests but I think the SBM-1 is pretty forgiving.

I've had my new (used) oade line-mod for about a month now......about a half dozen shows........looked at the waveforms in Audacity.....and agree with the Dutchman and Brian here that mine begins to glow at -2dB, and definetly produces overs if on brightly for even a *short* moment.  But, to me, that's the real reason you don't want to see these lights on at all.    YMMV

edit---spelling