User manual RANE ME 15

[. . . ] Occasional blinking of this LED is acceptable, but if it remains on more than intermittently you should turn down either the equalizer's level control(s) or reduce the output level of the preceding component to avoid audible distortion. LEVEL CONTROL: This controls the level of signal coming into the ME 15 /ME 30. Turn this control down if the Overload LED lights up steadily (meaning too strong an input signal). [. . . ] Don't use the system equalizer to make specific tonal changes in vocals or instruments; use the MIXER EQ controls for this. Since most equalizers are used for acoustical correction, the equalizer should be one of the LAST pieces of gear in front of the amplifiers and active crossovers. Any further up the line may cause electrical mismatch with other line level equipment. Here are a few GENERAL guidelines which may be useful in deciding exactly where to install the ME 15/30 in the system. Since system EQ is aimed at the ACOUSTICAL problems, it should be installed AFTER any compressor/limiters, which are designed to operate on electrical program material. For one thing, the equalizer slider settings will change with each new location, which in turn would affect the control voltage and threshold responses of any compressor/limiter it is driving and render it inconsistent. Secondly, healthyamounts of boost will often strain the dynamic range of compressor/limiters and increase the danger of distortion and/or overload. AFTER ANY SYSTEM GAIN Here is a trap many will fall into: mixer, compressor/limiter, equalizer, active crossover and power amplifier--all with gain controls, and all working AGAINST each other. The ME 15/30 has incredibly low noise levels, but it IS a line level, active component. If you have the ME 15/30 level control way down (to avoid overdriving the compressor/limiter which is wrongly connected AFTER it), then you must turn UP the limiter, crossover and amplifier controls to compensate; now you'll blame the equalizer for being too noisy. Whenever headroom will allow, try to take all the gain you can right at the mixer, and run unity levels from there on. This should give better noise performance from the mixer, as well. Connect the ME 15/30 just before the amplifier or active crossover if one is used. Take any required line gain before and/or in the ME 15/30; avoid taking a lot of gain in the crossover or power amps as this may create noise or hum problems. Mixers, mixer/preamps and the like often provide send/receive loops for additional effects or EQ, and the ME 15/30 will work well in this situation. Just be sure to keep input trim or gain controls turned up as far as the mixer input headroom will allow, to avoid taking excessive gain downstream and creating noise problems. [. . . ] Since you are starting from a "tuned" system, your ear will not be fooled into thinking bass is too high when actually mids are too low, or that highs are too weak when really the mids are too strong. Fact: analyzers don't have good taste--people do. Analyzers will consistently and accurately "tell it like it is", but ultimately personal judgement determines what sounds good or appropriate. [. . . ]