TüN™ 3.0 showing input sensitivity pane open
With VXi amplifiers and TüN™ software, setting input sensitivity has never been more accurate, consistent and simple. Since VXi amplifiers do not have a Input Sensitivity dial, input sensitivity is set within TüN™ 3.0, TüN™ Mobile or TüN™ Express software.
An important part of setting input levels on VXi amplifiers is watching the input signal strength indicators. Since they show when the input signal is being overdriven, they don't require a sine wave to dial in the input signal. Simply play loud music at 3/4 volume and increase or decrease the Input Strength level until the colored indicator turns yellow.
All three platforms of TüN™ software use colored signal indicators to identify the strength of the incoming signal. When adjusting input sensitivity, focus on the color of the indicator and not the number being selected (1-11).
RED: Input signal is being overdriven and needs to be lowered.
AMBER: Input signal is properly set for maximum, non-clipped performance.
GREEN: Input signal is present, but not yet at it’s maximum performance. Increase sensitivity until the signal strength indicator turns amber.
Remember, the stronger the input signal the lower the input number needs to be, while a higher input number is needed with a weaker input signal.
Lets now discuss setting input sensitivity within TüN™, TüN™ Mobile and TüN™ Express.
TüN™
1. On the SETUP tab click the icon to the right of the INPUTS label to open a drawer showing Input Levels and other settings.
2. With music being played at 3/4 volume on the source unit, use the drop down menu to increase or decrease the input sensitivity until the two round indicators turn amber. A minimum setting will be “1” while the maximum sensitivity setting is “11”. There will be a slight delay to the color change (if any) in the signal strength indicators while the DSP chip inside the amplifier is checking input voltage.
3. Repeat for all other channel pairs, if not using a 2-CH Input Mode.
TüN™ Mobile
1. Plug the VXi-BTC Bluetooth® communicator into the VXi amplifier being adjusted. Launch TüN™ Mobile on the Apple iPad or Android tablet and connect to VXi-BTC.
2. Play music at 3/4 volume on source unit.
3. On the SETUP tab within TüN Mobile, click on the next to the INPUTS label to open a drawer showing Input Level and other settings. Use the drop down menu to increase or decrease input sensitivity until the signal strength indicator turns amber.
4. Repeat for all other channel pairs.
TüN™ Mobile showing a strong, safe input signal
TüN™ Express
1. Plug the VXi-BTC Bluetooth® communicator into the VXi amplifier being adjusted. Launch TüN™ Express on the Apple iPad, Apple iPhone, Android tablet or Android smartphone and connect to the VXi-BTC.
2. Play music at 3/4 volume on the source unit.
3. After initial setup of the amplifier (Input Mode, Turn-On Management, etc.), swipe to the second page within the app showing the various Input settings for each channel pair.
4. Within the Level Setting panel, slide the Input Level setting up or down to increase or decrease input sensitivity until the colored signal strength indicator above turns amber. Swipe to any other channels being used and repeat the steps.
5. Another feature within TüN™ Express is Output Trim. This allows the user to maximize the output strength once the input level has been dialed in. As with the Input Sensitivity, increase Output Trim until the signal strength indicator turns red, then lower the Output Trim until the first number setting that does not display a red color. This ensures maximum input and output signal while limiting the potential to heavily clip the signal.
TüN™ Express displaying a properly set, safe input level
Some other things to be aware of when setting input sensitivity on VXi via TüN™ software platforms:
1. Input sensitivity is only set when using Analog inputs. There is no change in signal strength when using a digital signal via the TOSLINK inputs.
2. Each individual pair of analog channels needs to be properly set. Be aware of the VXi amplifier being used and the amount of inputs in use.
3. Don’t focus on the number being used when setting input sensitivity. It’s more of a guide to know where the level is set at. Focus on the color of the signal strength indicator instead.
Setting input levels has never been easier thanks to VXi amplifiers and TüN™ software.