Sound Devices 788T - Manual (Page 88)

formation on actual signal peaks and thus not ideal for use during recording. In VU mode, the front
panel meter labeling is in volume units.
Peak Only
Peak-reading ballistics correspond to actual signal maximums, but don’t necessarily correspond to
perceived signal loudness. A peak meter has a near-instantaneous attack to display maximum signal
amplitude and a slow decay to allow the user to see them. Peak metering is essential for digital re-
cording, since signal overload can cause immediate distortion. The peak meters front panel markings
are calibrated in dBFS, decibels relative to full-scale digital signal.
Peak/VU
Peak/VU mode will display VU and Peak level information simultaneously. In this mode, the per-
ceived loudness (VU) is displayed as it is in VU mode, and the Peak level is indicated by the upper-
most LED. With this combination the user gets the best of both VU and Peak metering by seeing both
the perceived loudness and the peaks of the signal at the same time. Peak/VU is the factory default.
Peak Hold Time
Peak-hold indicators are useful for metering in applications when an overload condition is unac-
ceptable or when program material must not exceed a prescribed threshold. The Peak Hold Time is
user selectable in the Setup Menu option METER: PEAK HOLD TIME. The peak LED will hold its
position for the selected duration from 0 to 5 seconds in .1 second increments. This allows for easy
viewing of peak values that could otherwise go unnoticed.
Input Activity Ring LEDs
The LEDs surrounding the Input gain pots indicate the input activity for each input respectively. The
LEDs illuminate in various colors and intensities to represent the state of each input. Green = signal
activity, Yellow = limiter activity (pre- or post-fade), Red = signal overload (clipping). When a fader
accessory is connected the Input Activity Ring LEDs will only indicate pre-fade limiting.
If a digital input has been selected and the 788T detects a valid digital signal, the Input Ring LEDs
will follow the normal red and green LED behavior. The Input Activity Ring LEDs can be defeated
by color in the Setup Menu option METER: INPUT LED RING MODE.
When Mix Assist is enabled, the Input Activity Ring LEDs will illuminate green on automixed inputs
to indicate an open mic. This behavior overrides the metering behavior of the Input Activity Ring
LEDs.
See Mix Assist
Headphone Peak LED
The headphone circuit has an indicator for peak overload. Monitoring without a visual indication
of headphone clipping may mislead the operator into thinking that the record or playback signal is
distorting.
788T/788T-SSD User Guide and Technical Information
80
v. 3.02 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.
Monitoring and Me
tering
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