Where should my mic levels be on my interface?

[rjc7us]

Im using a presonus audiobox interface with a compressor mic. The software i use is mixcraft. The volume of my voice changes throughout the song. This causes distortion at the high parts but not at the low. How do I fix this?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

A compressor is not a mic, it's something that processes a signal. Perhaps you mean you have condenser mic. Which mic do you have?

There are at least two different Presonus Audiobox models. It might help to know which one you have.

Generally speaking, the target average level you should shoot for is around -18dBFS. That leaves plenty of room for the signal to vary without ever reaching 0dBFS. If you're getting distortion on the louder parts then your mic pre gain is probably set quite a bit too high. Turn it down.

If you're recording to commercially made backing tracks you may have to turn them down in your software. Same target average level: -18dBFS.

 

[gecko zzed]

The volume of my voice changes throughout the song. This causes distortion at the high parts but not at the low. How do I fix this?

There are two ways:

1 Moving closer to the mike during soft bits, then stepping away from the mike during load bits

2 Setting the input level so that you don't distort during the loud bits.