If interested here are the settings I use on Florida beaches.................
Set your sensitivity till it is stable, usually between 10 and 2 if you look at the knob as a clock. It is important detector is stable, you will get fantastic depth even at the 3-4 o'clock setting, combined with a WOT coil I have dug 16 inches.
Set the discrimination to 0 (all the way counter clock wise). I dont use descrimination as you are masking gold many times..
Set Iron Mask to Discrimination on.
Set Threshold switch to Threshold (On silent search you adjust the threshold then switch to silent search, you will hear targets but not the humm of the threshold. I have tested it for hours and never seen it miss a target when used, but that is just my testing) I tested it by hunting an area in silent search, then switched it off and hunt the same area again to see if I missed anything.....
Track / Fix / Pinpoint Switch.....I use Fix, on track it only works in all metal. I never use pinpoint, no need, just X the target, or use the toe or heal of coil to locate. In Discriminate mode the Sovereign GT uses auto track.
Noise Cancel is used if the the threshold becomes chattery or unstable, usually caused by electricity or radio transmission and
most commonly of all, other detectors. This gives you the option of selecting a different search band,which many times will overcome this effect. (Like a freq shifter)
Notch is used to filter out certain trash targets, I personally don't use it as you will also be filtering out some gold. At the beach you want to dig all......Bottle caps give off a certain signal, but corroded, bent and old tops give off a different signal. I personally would rather dig 50 caps then mess one diamond ring....