Increase the volume in my heaphones while recording vocals

[BLG]

How do I increase the volume in my heaphones while recording vocals? I'm already recording at around -6dB, but I can't hear myself while singing over the music. The volume of the mic is very low in the headphones.

[Darryl Ramm]

Some clue what you are doing might help.

How are you monitoring? Hardware/via interface mixer? Or software/via Pro Tools? What interface do you have? What mic? Any separate preamp? Separate headphone amp?

What is the mic preamp gain set to? Are the levels into Pro Tools kinda OK?

-6dB what? dbFS? pre or post-fader meter? What's the peak input dBFS when looking at classic meters in *pre-*fader mode on the input track?--no don't necessarily wind up the preamp gain to that up to make the "volume louder", I just want to start and sure you are somewhere in say the -6 to -18 dbFS range. If you are -6 dBFS pre-fader then do not increase the preamp gain any more. Does playback after you tracked sound OK?

If any of these terms don't make sense... Google or search the PT Reference Guide PDF. (either way you might want to read the section on "Signal Flow by Track Type" in the Pro Tools reference guide and make sure you understand fader, meter, and plugin signal flow/sequence)

[arche3]

Turn down music track in cue send.

Sent from my SM-F711U using Tapatalk

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by arche3

Turn down music track in cue send.

A message from the musician's hearing union.

[Tweakhead]

something as simple as this submix tutorial might help you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2SkN9kj4Us

[Stephen Bond]

Originally Posted by BLG

How do I increase the volume in my headphones while recording vocals? I'm already recording at around -6dB, but I can't hear myself while singing over the music. The volume of the mic is very low in the headphones.

Agreed, turn down the music and you'll be able to hear the vocal. For most situations, you'll want to have the recording track louder than it will be for the final mix. You'll be able to hear mistakes and the performance much better than if it is buried.

The other thing to do is to try a compressor on the chain, either outboard with hardware on internally with a plugin. You'll get the RMS level up so you'll be able to hear it better. -6dB is plenty hot enough already IMHO. I usually go for -10dB for the peaks. You can easily add gain at any time with a DAW but sorting out clipped audio is not so simple.

Stephen

[Extreme Mixing]

Agree with the others. Use a VCA and turn the band down. That will keep the balance the same but make your vocal louder against the track. When you're done, remove the VCA and the band will snap back to where it was.

Steve