Tracking levels from Digital multitracker to DAW

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rockabilly1955

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so i record my 6 individual tracks simultaneously on a Korg multitracker and they are all averaging around -12 or so in the recorder with the occasional peaks a little higher. I then transfer those individual tracks into my pc DAW software for mixing. The track faders on the DAW mixer are at unity gain, but the stereo sum is still going over 0??!! Peaking at around +4. I am not recording too hot am I? or is it just a matter of turning the DAW track faders down to around -12 as well? :confused: I like my final mixes to be around -6 or so
 
Try making them average around -18dbfs. That is probably closer to line level.

Don't get confused between average level and average peak level. The average level would be the level of a distorted power chord or some other held note, not where the peak indicator seems to be dancing.

If you record everything at the same level, your mix will not sound very good if all the faders are at unity. Do you really want your hi hat and your kick drum at the same level? The bass guitar and lead vocals?
My guess is that when you actually mix it, you will be turning down some of the instruments. That will help.

What software are you using? (not that it matters much)
 
i use Magix Audio Studio v.11. Yeah, i do turn down the instruments when mixing them in. It just seems strange that the stereo sum would be going over when the individual tracks are well below zero. So when you are mixing in your DAW, do you start with the track faders at -18?? and master stereo fader at 0 and work from there?
 
First there's the question of how you are transferring from your recorder to your DAW. Are you transferring digitally via ADAT lightpipe or S/PDIF or something like that or are you transferring via analog lines?

If you're transferring analog, there could easily be a few dBs of mismatech between the D/A converter calibration on your Kirg and the A/D converter calibration on the DAW interface.

Your Korg may or may not have a maximum output specification (measured in dBu), and if it has one, the exact title of the spec can vary. But you need to look at that to determine just what what dBu voltage level 0dBFS equates to on the Korg, and therefore what dbFS reading a +4dBu line level voltage equates to. Then you'd need to look at the same thing on the A/D soundcard/interface on the DAW. It's possible, for example, that with everything at unity gain, what shows up as 0dBFS in your recorder may translate to clipping on your DAW, because the calibration on the converters is a few dB different.

If you can't find those specs to confirm the actual numbers, I'd simply bring the output gain down on the Korg until the peak reading on the meters meters on the DAW fairly well corrspond with the peak readings on the Korg. If the Korg oesn't give you output level control, then you'd have to adjust the input levels on your soundcard interface to acheive similar matching.

G.
 
It's very possible to have a converter calibration problem like glen said.

It is also very possible that you could just be clipping the mix buss. when you take two similar signals at (for example) -12dbfs and combine them, you will get a level of -6dbfs. It doesn't take too many things hitting at the exact same time to eat up 12db of headroom. That's one of the reasons why -18dbfs is safer.
 
Farview said:
It is also very possible that you could just be clipping the mix buss.
Click to expand...
oops, I missed the part of his OP that said "the stereo sum is still going over 0". I thought his tracks were coming in individually hot.

Yeah, if your tracks are coming in at basically the same levels as they show on your recorder, than certainly it would be very easy to have them sum too hot.

Sorry Jay, you had read it right from the beginning. :o

G.
 
tell me if this is acceptable....why or why not? can i record my tracks in my recorder pretty hot without clipping though and then when i transfer them into my DAW just turn down the track faders to about -18 or so, like Farview said?
 
rockabilly1955 said:
tell me if this is acceptable....why or why not? can i record my tracks in my recorder pretty hot without clipping though and then when i transfer them into my DAW just turn down the track faders to about -18 or so, like Farview said?
Click to expand...
How are you transferring to your DAW?

G.
 
As soon as you record too hot to begin with, you are screwing the pooch. There is no compelling reason to record that hot.

Turning the faders down 18db is too low, but not much of a problem.


Proper gain staging would be to record a line level signal (average level of -18dbfs) then if you transfer, transfer at line level. This keeps the signal out of the noise floor and away from the distortion caused by using up all your headroom.
 
If you transfer via usb, the levels shouldn't change. It's a straight data tranfer.

The only place you can change the levels of the files is when you record them.
 
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