Beginner Question

[Benjamin619]

My recordings are too quiet, yet if I raise the volume they start to clip. How do I get better 'volume' from my recordings?

I record and mix in Sonic Foundry 4.0, and use a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS soundcard. I set up my guitar in one of two ways: 1.) the Stratocaster is plugged into my amplifier, and the Emulated Line Out is plugged directly into the soundcard. or 2.) the amplifier is mic'd, the microphone plugs into a Behringer Eurorack UB802 Mixer, and the mixer plugs directly into the soundcard.

In both cases, I don't seem to get adequate volume before everything starts to clip. The microphone-approach seems to work better in this aspect. What can I do to raise the volume?

 

[danny.guitar]

If you're plugging your amp directly into the soundcard make sure the volume is down and that you have it plugged into the "LINE IN" of your soundcard and not "MIC". Turn the volume all the way down on the amp and turn it up little by little until it's right.

If you're micing the amp, try turning down the gain a little on the Mixer, and turn the volume up on the amp to compensate. I've never used the Eurotrack, but they're should be a 'clipping' LED on the mixer somewhere to see if you're clipping the pres.