What volume do you record at?

[thajeremy]

are you serious? When I pull the fader up to +7 db I can hear a mouse jack off in my headphones. When I pull the fader down -7db I can't hear LA Traffic! (This is while pre-recording, With the record button on but not actually recording). I'm just trying to justify the way I record with some pro's on here. If the gain on my digi interface is set (for example) 12'oclock(and for anybody who is reading this and not familiar with converting time with decibels than 12'oclock is 0 Db), than what should my fader in pro tools be set at? Reading from the others reply's, there saying in the software to record at -12 or -14 dbs, but too me that seems extremely low for vocals and in order for the artist to hear themselves in the headphones I have to crank up the headphone gain and lower the instrumental track!!!(I record mostly RnB singers and Rap artist) So please clarify your opinion!

I have several clients who are RnB artists or rappers, so I know where you are going when you talk about having to turn the fader up so they can hear themselves in the cans.....maybe you should try this....

when you import the beat into your track 1, turn that fader down so that in your master fader, it is around -6 or -8 rather than turning the vocal track up.... Then send everthing out to a headphone amp for the artists monitoring....they can adjust their own levels in the phones and you can be on your way to a smoother mixing session...

 

[thajeremy]

so your telling me if my gain on the digi is 0db and move my volume fader in pro tools to +7 db and record me saying bullshit!, and than record a new track at -7db saying bullshit, your telling me if I move the fader to 0 db on both tracks they will sound the same(theoretically me saying bullshit at the same tone and volume into the mic)???

yes this is correct....if you say "bullshit" at the same volume both times...as long as the gain on your interface or pre amp is the same....your fader in protools can be at +7 or -30....when you move them to 0dB, they will be the same....the position of the fader in your ProTools mixer window has nothing to do with the signal being recorded....it only effects the signal at playback....

 

[mattr]

so your telling me if my gain on the digi is 0db and move my volume fader in pro tools to +7 db and record me saying bullshit!, and than record a new track at -7db saying bullshit, your telling me if I move the fader to 0 db on both tracks they will sound the same(theoretically me saying bullshit at the same tone and volume into the mic)???

...as stated in my first post.