recording levels

[dobro]

Hi, still trying to get it up - the volume on my CDs. Newbie question about recording levels. This should be as hot as possible without clipping, right? And can clipping be repaired in the mix - no, right? It's okay to go into the red on the record view meter a little bit and occasionally when recording, right?

Hopeful, right?

 

[drstawl]

I usually watch the digital V/U display when setting levels and while laying down a track.
Particularly useful is the "hold" feature which displays the highest level found since the last time it was reset. When doing a digital recording, 0 dB is there only for the occasional transient. The meters on tape machines are calibrated differently (as to color-coded regions) since it's OK to hit +4 dB if the tape you're using can handle it. Vegas Pro actually does a smooth color blend from green to yellow to orange to red, with red occurring (and this is subjective) ~-2dB.

 

[sonusman]

On my ADAT's I can hit red quite a bit before hearing any distortion depending upon what kind of instrument I am recording. If it is something that contains lots of high frequencies then the red (which by the way could mean 0 db, or over 0 db on digital, they don't give you a way to tell since the light only means that you have reached 0 db on most digital equipment) occasionally is really no problem because you are probably just seeing a very quick transient. Now if we are talking a bass guitar, then you may want to pull that back a bit. Low frequencies tend to distort (audibly speaking) a lot easier.

If you a dealing with analog, well, you seldomly have much to worry about when you clip the signal because the signal to distortion level is linear. Meaning, the more you clip, the more distortion you are going to get. But analog gives you a lot of room to playing above the clipping stage before you hear distortion. Of course with digital, clipping is clipping. You almost always will hear digital distortion.

So here is the rule. It didn't distort if you didn't hear it distort.... Really, it is that simple. If you can't hear the distorting, who cares what the meters say. Just use you ears, good or bad, for the finale say. That is the rule always in recording anyway. Who cares what the meters say. Just make sure it sounds good.

Good luck.

Ed

 

[dmcsilva]

Ed,

Thanks for that confirmation of what I thought was true. It's really been messing with my mind to see my level meters in Vegas consistently go over 0 dB all the while watching those on my out board mixer stay below 0 dB. I know that if they cross the 0 dB threshold on my mixer distortion will occur. But, I have to boost levels in software beyond this threshold just to get a decent volume in mixdown. And, although the meters in Vegas say it should be distorting, I never hear it.

This gives me peace of mind.

dmc

 

[dobro]

Thank you, gentlemen - I'll be quiet for a while now - it's time for less talk, more action.