Hi Terry!
-> DS> I just read some information about system PA balancing
One simple and basic concept for consumer level equipment, on a knob
set volume knobs at 60% or about 1 o'clock for "optimal" performance,
if you think that straight up and down isn't sufficient. This is not
based necessarily on any scientific principles or anything, it's just a
"rule of thumb" and if nothing else a good starting point until you
season to taste. All sound systems need some kind of tweaking to match
a room, and unless you have a very good ear, expensive test equipment
is needed to verify this as a fact.
 As far as stages go, ideally you want the gains to be set to a level
that is not to soft, not too hard, but is JUST right.. Don't allow peaks
to distort that stage, and don't have the gain set so high to get a weak
signal through that your noise floor goes through the ceiling.
 Most engineering types that I have talked with would usually design
controls to be somewhere in that midrange mentioned above to give that
control the most usage if needed under normal use.
Many mixers have a detent or center unity gain position as an example.
Mine is seldom set any other way in my keyboard system  giving me
control at the keyboard(s) local volume controls, the sound system is
then set to a maximum needed volume otherwise  and I control everything
from the playing position, considering everything from keyboard to the
listeners ears within my domain to adjust during performances. This
works very well for me during performances.
Bonnie *:>
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