Cartridges and phono settings

[f1eng]

Bob - It is via the remote, using the display on the Devialet amp itself.  This is quite well described in the "firmware 8.1" manual, available via Google, plus a copy of this is automatically downloaded with the firmware itself.

Thanks Confused. Got it, read it, got a lot of testing to do!

If I may ask a few more questions to the group. There are 3 areas in RAM to sort of play with, Max Level, Loading and pf.

The configurator has the cartridge in it's library and as per the vendor, the Ortofon Cadenza Red is set automatically at:

Max Level: 0.45
Loading: 460 ohm
pf: 0

At this level, the meters are showing ~-60 to -45 range. 

Changing Loading, pf or Max Level, up or down does not seem to have any appreciable change in the meters.

Changing the Max Level down to 0.35 seems to increase the sensitivity requiring one to turn volume down a bit for same volume level as 0.45. It seems to a better setting for this cartridge. It generates the question, are others also find themselves changing the Max Level as well or are you sticking with what the vendor or configurator provides?

Thanks in advance.

Bob

There is quite a big range in average recording level over different LPs, certainly older recordings. Modern pop seems to have been manipulated to have almost no dynamic range and the level up against the compressors though.

I have LPs which get up to the orange level on the meter, but not all do. The run-in groove and "silent" groove between the tracks tends to be around -70dB so that covers about the maximum dynamic range of an LP system.

It is important not to clip the input ADC, so it is better for sound quality to be a bit low in level than a bit high.

Analogue has no fixed boundaries, so some records are recorded well over a 0dB level (where cartridge output is specified) at mid frequencies though some cartridges mistrack on these records.

You could raise the gain by specifying a lower cartridge output, as you have already tried. 
On the original firmware I set mine by ear, since there were no meters yet and the only indication of overload was the input logo flickering orange on the display. I still use those settings.