Levels question

[hawk]

I'm using 2 mics for acuoustic guitar. I set the individual mic levels so that they are almost to, but not in, the red on my 24/96 card. It records fine w/o clipping. Then when I playback, I get major clipping. I'm assuming the 2 levels are adding together somehow? So, my question is, how do I set my levels to overcome this? Or should I forget about it and just lower them after I record?

thanks

 

[ruined]

I'm assuming you are recording the channels separatly, so yeah just lower the levels now that you have them recorded. Just play around with the levels for whatever sound you want.

 

[thajeremy]

I would set the levels lower before you press record. Then add some compression and bring the levels up to where they need to be.

 

[hawk]

Maybe I'm not explaining it correctly. I always thought if you set the levels for each track to just below clipping, then you wouldn't have clipping. But when I play back both tracks simultianeouly in the Multitrack view, they clip. It's like the two tracks' volumes are adding together. This makes it tough to set the initial levels 'cause you don't know if it's gonna clip or not when you play it back.

*Note* I never ran into this problem when recording just one track at a time.

 

[lpdeluxe]

When you record several tracks, and play them back, the tracks are "summed," or added together. Non-clipping individual tracks WILL clip when played back together. One solution is to use the Mixer Window and lower the overall playback volume (Window/Mixer/left click, which brings up a volume slider).

 

[Farview]

If you have 2 identical tracks, when you mix them together it will be 6db louder. There is also no reason to record that hot.

 

[hawk]

When you record several tracks, and play them back, the tracks are "summed," or added together. Non-clipping individual tracks WILL clip when played back together. One solution is to use the Mixer Window and lower the overall playback volume (Window/Mixer/left click, which brings up a volume slider).

Okay, I figured it that's what must be happening. Should I turn down the master volume, or the volume for each individual track?

Er, come to think of it, if they're both roughly the same volume to begin with I guess it wouldn't matter.

 

[hawk]

If you have 2 identical tracks, when you mix them together it will be 6db louder. There is also no reason to record that hot.

So then you're saying I should set the levels lower when recording so they don't clip when played back together? How is that better than just turning them down after they're recorded? Sorry these are such noobish questions.

 

[Farview]

So then you're saying I should set the levels lower when recording so they don't clip when played back together? How is that better than just turning them down after they're recorded? Sorry these are such noobish questions.

It's a matter of gain staging. All of your analog equipment is designed to be used at line level. That is where the signal to noise and distortion levels are at their best. Line level analog (0dbvu analog) translates to -12dbfs digital.

When you are constantly above line level, you are running the analog circuitry out of headroom, you are adding noise from your mic pre by having it turned up louder than it needs to be and possibly clipping the converters without knowing it. (there is no way to detect a digital over, since you can't go over. If the 'over detector' sees more than a certain number of full scale samples, it assumes a clip and turns on the light. The number of samples it takes varies by manufacturer)

When you are recording 24bit, you have a noise floor that is quieter than most of the rooms, microphones, preamps, etc... that you are recording with. If you record with your peaks at -48db you will still have better resolution and signal to noise than a 16 bit recording. (presumably your destination format, a CD)

So, there is no benefit to recording with your levels so hot. There are more reasons for dropping your recording levels, but I'm tired of typing