Ok another technical question.

I have been a DJ for years and years, but have only recently purchased equipment and started life as a mobile DJ. I am knowledgable on music and presenting, but lack technical knowledge.

Recently I have noticed the PFL on CDs is varying a lot. Now I know (community radio background) how to solve this manually, but I am looking into buying a compressor/limiter. Either Behringer Cpmposer Pro-XL MDX2600 or BEHRINGER MDX4600 MULTICOM PRO-XL.

How easy are these to use?
Can someone who lacks technical knowledge cope with using these?
Which one would people suggest?

Is a compressor/limiter a neccesary piece of equipment?
Will it prevent blast outs ?

Until I went out on my own I had a technogeek to help me with these issues!!!

I don't think a compressor/limiter will help with your problem. They just prevent the signal from getting too loud and causing clipping or overload which could damage the speakers.

If you are using CD's the only way I know of to keep the volume level constant is to set the PFL when you cue the track probably the same way as you do for the radio.

There's a review of the Behringer 2600 compressor limiter in the DJU reviews section.

The 2600 is fairly easy to use, and indeed has several settings which can be left on "auto", either just at the beginning of your usage and set maunally one by one, if required, once you feel the want/need to.

However, I would say that for the source level volume adjustments which you mention, it would be better to adjust these maunally, using the input gain controls on your mixers channels. This can either be done visually if the mixer has LED or VU meters, or simply by you listening in the headphones and flicking between listening to the channel that's already playing out, and the next source to be played.

If you set a compressor/limiter to do the adjusting of music channel levels, it would most likely impact the mic levels also (unless your mixer has separate mic outs to the amps).

Compressor limiters tend, I've found to be better at longer, slower, more subtle, overall volume adjustments - for example, I use mine to act as a continuously fresh pair of ears to keep my overall level output constant throughout the night, not slowly climbing up and up and up through the night.

Thank you for your replies. In other words I don't need a compressor/limiter for the reasons I thought I did. PFL is the best method. I'm doing something right.

Next question:

Do I need a compressor or limiter?

Would it be silly if I didn't have one or a waste of money if I did?

I warned you I know nothing about technical thingy me bobs.

I think I may be about to show myself up with this question!

What is PFL?

Jim

P re F ade L evel . In other words checking the level before you fade the music (or speech) in. Don't worry Jim I am always reading acronyms on here and don't have a clue what they mean!

Cheers for that.
I have everything on MP3 and I normalise them so there is no problem for me.

Jim

I always knew it to mean Pre Fade Listen.

http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/mixer/pfl.html

http://www.postaudio.co.uk/education/hardw...skcontrols.html

http://www.sweetwater.com/expert-center/glossary/t--PFL

http://www.allen-heath.co.uk/DL/WZ3%2014_4...c%20A&H.txt