Settings for powered monitors

[BlackOctopus]

Hi
I have a pair of Roland DS50-A powered monitors that i am using for my home studio. I wonder if anone knows the best setting to make on these at the back of the monitors to playback at low volume?
I have to monitor at a low level in the evenings as i am in an apartment. Currently i have turned down the TRIM to 24db.
There are 2 other knobs for LF TRIM and HF TRIM and these are still both set to 0db...i want to get an 'accurate' as possible sound at as low a level volume as possible..does this make sense? Thanks.

[TeeCee]

What are you driving the monitors with? You need to send a lower level into the monitors at night. As for the LF and HF trim, that would be to possibly adjust to their environment, not for volume adjustments.

[BlackOctopus]

I am driving the monitors with the output of a Yamaha Motif synth - which is set to output at +6db.
The motif output goes via L&R mono 1/4 inch jacks - into the Pro Tools MBox - which outputs to the monitors.
My problem is getting a hot audio input signal in pro tools LE software...i have to really crank up the master volume output on the motif and also set the gains on the mbox to high..and then i get a 'passable' audio waveform (Mbox is set to LINE) ...the consequence of this is that all my levels are way up there, so i have to turn down the volume on the back of the monitors other wise it really would be LOUD! It would be good to control the whole spectrum of volume from MBox but i haven't got it right. Thanks.

[TeeCee]

You need to adjust the audio level leaving the MBox, then. It should do it. If Digidesign is making non-pro stuff, there's some strange things happening.

[BlackOctopus]

Problem with that is there is no *actual* knob to adjust the output of MBox unless i am mistaken?
Source gains 1 & 2 control the input of the incoming signal from your instrument...then the only other knob is a two way mix knob for the audio thats in the computer.
Input is all the way to the left<<
Playback is all the way to the right>>

So once i have recorded audio into the computer and wacked up the playback, the only other setting i can think of available for output is the actual volume of the mac itself. So i am looking for the best settings for playback at a low volume.

Also, If i record 1 midi track and 1 audio track i have to also set the Mix knob halfway between Input and Playback to hear a balance of both. So i am doing a lot of juggling of levels at the moment, which i would rather avoid. Just set it up once and then know it's ok.

[TeeCee]

Is there an output gain in the MBox software console? Maybe it's part of the difference between Mac and PC drivers (this is NOT a dig at Macs, I believe you can music on whatever you want to).

[BlackOctopus]

Tee Cee
I checked on that with the Digidesign people and it appears that although it is the same LE software for both MBox and Digi 001 - it is not the same!!
With 001 LE software you can do exactly what you are saying and set an input / output amount in the preferences...Not so with the MBox..
This is my only complaint with the MBox really. I think i will have to set the input setting on Mbox to INST instead of LINE.. and see how it goes...This will give me a decent input level, but also a louder room volume which is the concern. Thanks.