volume problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter hossmgee
  • Start date Start date
H

hossmgee

New member
I hope that someone can help me with this. I'm just starting to get into using Cool Edit Pro 2.0 and I keep having problems with the levels clipping after the second track is recorded.
I try to record each track as close to zero without going over, and I have, but on the playback the level meter clips and starts to distort. I also tried hard limiting each track and that makes it much worse even with max output set at -3.
This is using a Line 6 Pod 2.0 into a Roland UA-30 into the Usb. I would really appreciate any help anyone has to offer.
 
What's happening to you is normal, and *should* happen in fact.

Every time you add a track, it raises the overall level of the session. So if you record the first track as close to zero as you can, you don't have much room before things start clipping. Then when you record the *next* track as close to zero as possible - bingo - you're over zero when the two tracks get summed.

How to deal with it? Well, turn down the master volume for the multitrack session, so that it doesn't go over zero.

Also, if you're recording digitally at 24-bit, you can record things at a lower volume - no loss.
 
That really does help, I'll keep the input levels down. Thanks
 
Sure, you can record at lower levels, and the advantage is that you're not in much danger of clipping at that stage.

But have you found the master volume control in 2.0 yet? It's really useful.

View>Show Mixers Window
 
So does that mean everytime you add a track you have to lower the master? I can't picture having 20 tracks and the master being set at -51. What would you consider to be the ideal levels on each track and the master?
 
Why not just right-click on the volume of each individual track (when in multitrack view) and adjust them one at a time? I wouldn't think you'd need to lower the master volume everytime you need to bring the levels down. Besides, when you play with the levels of the individual tracks, even in the early tracking/overdubbing stages, it helps you focus where you'll be going with your final mix. This becomes more and more apparent with each new track you lay down. Of course, that's just me...
 
Yeah, what oerseas said - you adjust the volume of each individual track as you go, to put the tracks in right relation to each other. The master volume thing is what I do after that.

If I've got a busy mix with more than ten tracks, the master volume usually winds up around - 5 to -10, but that depends on what level I've set each individual track at, of course.
 
Welcome to the world of gain structuring. Not as big a deal when you are mixing in the box, but still important to understand.
Basically, you need to decide what part of your signal chain can take the most abuse and turn the other elements of the chain down.
Try setting your master at 0 and turning individual channels down to get yout mix under 0 db. Print a mix.
Then go back and bring the individual channels that need to be loudest to 0, set the other channels around that level and bring the master down to a safe level. Print it.
Compare the two mixes.

I like keeping master levels as hot as I can and adjusting tracks to taste, but not always.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top