ok, for setting gains with the DMM method, do i use 0dB tones, or can i get away with using, say -6dB or -3dB tones? I've heard recommendations for using as much as -6dB tone (that seems a little much to me)

so i guess what I'm asking is how loud does most music get? does it regularly hit 0dB, or more like -3, -6, etc?

anyone???

If you set your amps with a 0 db tone your amp will never clip, and due to the way music is recorded you will never reach peak output.

At a -5db tone will give you about 4.5 db more output than the 0 db, and this will keep clipping below .03% of recorded music. Very minimal clipping, not to many people can hear this.

At a -10 db tone will give you about 9 db more output, and this keeps clipping below .3% of recorded music. Again the clipping is minimal, and again most people cant hear this.

Hope this helps.

what i do is setup my amps with 0db tones i create. Mainly because i compete so i gotta make sure i get the most clean signal out for test tones.

For music, i always turn it up higher than the volume i had it set at when using an o-scope for the same reasoning u said above, to get more power due to minimal clipping. I don't turn it up much higher but a little bit higher.