My 2 cents worth:
1-I record at 24 bit/48K. Why 48? It pushes the high frequency limit a bit higher, which also pushes the phase shift of the filter higher. Not saying I can hear the frequency difference, but the reduced phase shift makes the top end just nicer(certainly a subjective comment).
2-Re levels, Bob's suggestion to take -10 as the new "zero" makes a lot of sense. When I got started in PT(version 6
), I made 2 mistakes early on; I recorded things too hot, and I rarely used a Master track(I figured since it was going out to be mastered, why should I use one). Needless to say, my early mixes sounded a bit crunchy. As soon as I added a Master track, that clipping was easily seen and corrected.
3-Since I'm a creature of habit(including some bad ones
), my fix for tracks which are too hot was(still is) to insert the TRIM plugin in the last slot of all audio and instrument tracks, set to -8 and all in bypass while tracking. When I get to the mixing stage, I enable all the trim plugins with a single command(some trim plugins will be edited or bypassed as a mix progresses). That makes the entire mix drop in level, but keeps the relative mix intact so I'm not starting from scratch. Some are probably wondering why trim goes in the last slot instead of the first and the answer is simple. Putting it first will change how every other plugin on a track is driven. Putting it last changes nothing but the final volume. Also, if I need to raise or lower a track that has lots of automation rides, adjusting the trim plugin level makes for a simple and quick overall tweak. Trim is built into all my session templates and track presets
Food for thought
