Monitor Volume and System settings?

[rj]

First.... I can barely adjust the levels of previously recorded tracks (Max them out) when I am adding a new track, which, is way too loud in the mix to hear the original tracks. I need to control the volume of the track I am recording (overdubbing) through the monitors, but NOT to the recorder. When I set the trim level in the Layla console the level is too loud. If I set it manually to be better into the mix, then the signal being recorded is too quiet. I mean I can use it, but have heard the the bit resolution will be poor since the signal is not hot enough.
Do you understand me??? HHHEEELLLPPP!!!
If I really cannot control the volume of a signal being recorded (At the proper level going to the HArd disk) then I gotta say.... The Layla and or CUBase sucks!! tell me Im wrong.
2nd.. In the system settings, If i set the buffer block size to a lower number, I get less latency. How does that affect my music?
And The Layla I have is of course 20 bit.. But in system settings it has a box to check for 24 bit... What are the optimum system settings for Cubase with a layla?
PII450 128 meg ram ScsiII ultra wide...
sardo@earthlink.net
Or of course, please reply here!!! Thanks.

[Emeric]

Well, this depends on your equipment setup. I take an output from the channel i'm recording into the first input of my soundcard, using the inserts on my mackie 1402. To control the volume of the track i'm recording, I either bring up the other instruments in Cubase using the faders (if i'm too loud, and bring down the master fader output in Cubase), or I bring down my guitar volume using the master faders on the real mixer(if i'm too quiet), which doesn't effect the signal level, since it's using the insert. If your not using an outboard mixer, then possibly the layla has some sort of monitoring or control of the signal levels via the software. I guess your main problem is in the routing of the signals.. you don't want to lower the volume of what your recording and have a weak signal, yet if you don't, it's drowning out everything else. So the solution is to balance it. Via hardware is what works for me. There may be another way, I will look into it.

The Aark 20/20 card is 20 bit as well, but I just set everything at 16 bit, 44.1KHz. Nothing is available to play back 20 bit, so what's the point. I've tried recording at 24 bit, but I don't notice any difference, except larger file sizes.

I will look into the monitoring problem more closely and post back.

Emeric

[ALAN MCKNIGHT]

hello. you need to set the recording level in the echo console. look at your monitor inputs there you can see how hot the levels will be during recordinr. also leave your output max out and do any other volumn changes from the mixer. that way you can probably achieve the 20 bits the system is capable of doing. i have been ueing layla and cubase and have not had a problem with the levels. try it and let me know if it works. alan