Mic Preamp/DAW gain setting ?

[waltert99]

Should I set my mic preamp to just below clipping before setting the input level on my DAW to unity or vice versa? I'm recording drums and using a Presonus Digimax 96k(just got it) into a Digi 001. Also, if anyone has any experience with setting the limiters, feel free to chime in w/comments!

p.s. I'm a newb to the forum so point me in the right direction if this should go somewhere else or if it has already been answered somewhere, thanks!

 

[scrubs]

Set your DAW gain to unity. Then adjust your preamp input gain to just under the point of clipping during the loudest portions of the song. When in doubt, record with a little less gain to prevent clipping, as it cannot be reversed once the waveform has clipped. As for limiters, I don't generally track with them, but if you want to, set it so that it doesn't allow any signal to clip the daw input. I wouldn't generally want the limiter working (actively limiting) during the song, just have it there to catch stray peaks.