Gain Levels...recording

[StainedClass]

When recording into PT from a pre, where is it better to set gain levels. On the hardware or software.

Should I max out the signal and attunate it in PT or feed in a mid level signal and pull it up in PT.

[Mike Tholen]

where does your gear sound best?
would you slam a tape machine?

I observe 0dBVU.

[StainedClass]

would you slam a tape machine?

I dont get the corelation

[Mike Tholen]

well if you read your first post you said someting to the effect of-Should I max out the signal...and turn it down in PT.
well that would be the same as slamming your tape machine with level and turning it down at the fader.
no? [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[Chief Technician]

Originally posted by StainedClass:
Should I max out the signal and attunate it in PT or feed in a mid level signal and pull it up in PT.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You should attenuate it in PT. When recording to any digital media, you want to maximize the number of bits that you are using. If you record everything without exceeding -6dBFS, then you might as well use a 14 bit system. It is a more efficient use of the bit depth to record as hot as possible and then attenuate.

Keep in mind that if you record at a low level and then boost the level significantly in PT, you are also boosting the noise floor, quantization error, etc. for that track.

[5down1up]

there was lots of discussion about recording levels before .

the problem & decission "how to record" starts when you have to calibrate your a/ds . they take a analogue signal @odbvu and send it to the converters in . now you can calibrate those inputs ( on most devices ) to your specific needs @ xdbfs . if you would calibrate f.ex 0dbvu = 0dbfs and start recording f.ex a singer , you would probably figure out very soon , that you overload your a/ds in fact of the dynamic range of the singer . if you hook up now some drums you can imagine what would happen . doing soundcheck and adjustments all day long and as far as the recording starts , the drummer peaks all inputs in the red zone ( which doesnt sound very good at all ) .
thats why people tend to adjust their gear to other levels . they take again the 0dbvu signal and calibrate their interfaces to f.ex -14dbfs .
means you record a 0dbvu signal at -14dbfs into your computer . the outs of your interfaces should be calibrated the same . so if you record a 0dbvu signal you have -14dbfs input and -14dbfs output which is similar to 0dbvu and gives you the freedom to work with analog outboard gear as well . if you are now working with a setup like that and you would go and record as hot as possible ( 0dbfs ) you would get a analog signal thats +14dbvu . you would get +14dbvu output which is unusable for any kind of outboard gear . simply load in a "mastered" drumloop or cdtrack and you know what i am talking about .

so , thats the simple stuff , hope that helps a little . good luck [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Mike Tholen]

Originally posted by Chief Technician:
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by StainedClass:
Should I max out the signal and attunate it in PT or feed in a mid level signal and pull it up in PT.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You should attenuate it in PT. When recording to any digital media, you want to maximize the number of bits that you are using. If you record everything without exceeding -6dBFS, then you might as well use a 14 bit system. It is a more efficient use of the bit depth to record as hot as possible and then attenuate.

Keep in mind that if you record at a low level and then boost the level significantly in PT, you are also boosting the noise floor, quantization error, etc. for that track. <hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">this is such a crock of ***** .
if I have to explain further, you wouldn't understand.
[img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[mpayne]

Well, i will then [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

When working in a fixed point system (like TDM) observe 0 dbVU. It just sounds better.

how was that?

malcolm

[audio1234]

This is dependant on the dynamics of the source material.You have at least 100db of headroom to white noise going into PT.As long as your peaks have enough headroom dynamically from there max point to white noise you capture all 24 bits.

Going in to -3db peaks has no relavence to the amount of bit depth you capture,in fact you will have garbage in a PT world with that thinking. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Machead]

Could you make this clearer for us dummies?

White noise to headroom? so whats louder going in preamp or PT?