Input Gain Levels Vs. Virtual Mixer's Level Sliders/Meters: Please Help

[miroslav]

Once it's in the DAW...you can forget the S/N ratio stuff. What went into the DAW is what you got.

Your original signal is always there, always the same unless you *destructively* edit in the DAW (most DAWs don't unless you specifically choose to for some specific actions)...otherwise DAWs norally work in a virtual edit mode.
So...you're just raising lowering the track's OUTPUT...and not the value of the initial INPUT signal you recorded.
It's like the radio...when you turn down the volume in your car...you are NOT affecting the signal at the radio station...you are just affecting the output in your car.

 

[Farview]

I just thought that when the volume went down there, so did your input signal strength (gain) from the instruments you tried so hard to keep as high as possible for a good, strong signal.

You keep going back to this. You should not have your recording level as high as possible before clipping. I repeat: You should not have your recording level as high as possible before clipping.

Shoot for an average peak level around -12dbfs in the DAW with no peaks over -6dbfs. You will find that your plugins work better and your mixes sound bigger and more open.

I guess the strong input signal is a different thing than the volume of the recording levels in the mixer (channels).

Once the signal is recorded, the level doesn't change. When you mix it, you are just turning the volume up and down as you are listening to it.

It's just like when you are listening to your ipod. Turning your volume up and down doesn't change the level the mp3 was recorded at, it just changes how loud your headphones are.


Another thing, with 24 bit recording, signal to noise isn't really much of a problem. The digital noise that everyone is trying to avoid is below -120dbfs. The preamp you are using is much noisier than that (probably -96dbfs if you are lucky) and the more you turn up the preamp, the more the preamp noise goes up. So there isn't much to be gained there.

You are worrying about nothing. This used to be a big deal 20 years ago when all converters were 16 bit or less, now with even the cheapest 24 bit converters it isn't anything to worry about.

 

[Mike Freze]

Got it!! Thanks Farview and miroslav. I admit I made a mountain out of a mole hill. You guys are great! Love the analogy with the headphones or the car radio turned up. That really made sense.

Mike Freze