Recording Devive - levels in Windows?

R

roelsl

New member
ok, quick general question.
At what level do you set your USB Audio Codec in Windows settings usually?

My chain: MIC -> ART Usb DualPre -> WIndows laptop

In my Control Panel - Audio settings - Recording devices, I select the USB codec as default and set the levels to 20/100.If I go higher (50/100) the noisefloor becomes an issue, even if I don't have anything plugged into the usb interface.

What do you guys do?

thanks

roelsl
 
Not sure what 20/100 really means AFA actual digital levels (dBFS)....but you really should not be adjusting levels at the codec....the levels should be set at whatever device (your pre) is sending the audio signal to the codec.

IOW...the codec should be left at it's default level, which would be 100% on full. On my converters, there is no input level adjustment other than choosing -10 or +4....so the level is set at the output device that is sending the signal to the converters.

What is your "codec"...your A/D converter?
Are you just plugging into the "mic or line" mini-jack input of a laptop and using the on-board laptop converters...?
If the answer is yes...then that will always sound like shit for any kind of recording and yes, it will be very noisy.
You need a dedicated outboard converter interface...forget the built-in computer stuff.
 
Hi all,
Thanks for the reply. I'm not talking about my levels on the usb interface itself (the ART Dual Pre). I am talking about setting the levels in Windows, similar like the picture below. I set the level to 20 (our of 100 I guess). Ignore the 70 setting, that;s just a picture i found online and I don't use mic boost either.

How do you set the levels on windows once the usb codec is plugged into the laptop? Is there another way to set the levels at this recording window in the settings??

thanks

vista-recording-level.jpg
 
That art dual pre is a USB interface right, so shouldn't those windows controls be bypassed automatically?

Are you sure your drivers are up to date etc?

Is there any software mixer that comes with the art? Sometimes you have to open that to bypass windows controls.

For example, my motu 828 comes with cuemix fx and the presonus comes with universal control.
I can set those to "take ownership" if you like.
 
Massive Master said:
DON'T MAP THROUGH WINDOWS MIXER (period).
Click to expand...

If he didn't understand it the first time, saying it louder probably won't help.

Please allow me...

roelsl said:
...What do you guys do?
Click to expand...

roelsl, we use recording software that can access the audio input directly, without going through Windows built-in volume controls, (Windows Mixer.) If you are using a program such as Windows Sound Recorder, then perhaps you have no choice in the matter. Most recording software will record the assigned direct input at full volume, so the volume must first be set correctly at the preamp.

If you let us know what software you are using, we may be able to better help you.
 
Still, the interface ideally can't be mapped through Windows mixer -- Some are automatically not. But I've seen it with several where you can adjust all you want in the interface and then still adjust in Windows' mixer. That's no good as 100% isn't unity (and I remember unity being freakishly difficult to find - no indicator of any kind).
 
ok, thanks for all the help!
I use Adobe Audition 3.0 and choose my usb codec as the default interface in that software there obviously, but even if I ignore the windows volume control I have the pretty high noise floor (-55 db) coming from the usb thing as well, even if I unplug every source and just record 'blank' sound from the usb codec. Furthermore, you can tell adobe what you want, I still have to go into windows sound settings/control panel to tell them that I want to use that usb codec as my default recording device or else I won't hear s**t, excuse my french here for a minute.
According to the usb specs, the signal/noise ratio should be less than 90 db.
I'll send you a sound file later today to listen to.
Really appreciate your advice, this forum rocks!

roelsl
 
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