How to adjust volume of rig during recording

[RanBonOver]

I have PT 10 (Mac) and my audio interface is Eleven Rack.
I would like to to know how I can adjust the volume level of the track I'm recording.
The input signal is strong, so it records great. The ER rig sounds good.

However, I would like to lower the volume of that track as I record it so I can better hear the other playback tracks. I don't want to change the input volume because I like it's level - just the volume I hear during the recording.

Is this possible? Thanks!

[The Weed]

Lower the Record Fader. That only affects the monitor volume, not the input signal level. You can see this by switching to Pre-Fader Metering. There is also a Preference to Unlink the Play and Record Faders so you can have different monitoring levels during Playback and Record.

[Darryl Ramm]

You can just lower the track fader while recording. And raise it again afterwards if you want. You should have a mental picture of the signal flow in a Pro Tools track, the input is recorded to disk before the track fader. Adjusting the fader on a track never adjusts the level being recoded to disk on that track.

For bonus points you can also split a track fader into record and playback faders that are normally coupled together. Letting you operate with different track output levels when recording or playing back, but again, nothing here affects the actual level recorded to disk on that track.

You should open up the Pro Tools Reference Guide and read up on audio track signal flow, and on splitting faders.

[Darryl Ramm]

And because there are always multiple ways to do stuff… if you are in front of the Eleven Rack you can just turn down the Rig Output level there and that will lower the level that wet signal is being recorded to disk for that track, and the level you hear for the wet guitar while recording. You can then increase that level at playback by raising the track fader (or applying clip gain). There will be no effective loss of signal quality here since applying modest digital gain in the Eleven Rack or Pro Tools will be identical. The Eleven Rack has a rich set of level adjustments, and handy front panel controls and level meters so keep those in mind as well as the signal flow and clip gain, track faders and master faders etc. in Pro Tools.

[RanBonOver]

Thanks for your help on this. I have a solution (I think.) First a few observations:
1. Switching to Pre-Fader monitoring made no difference.
2. "Unlink Play and Record Faders" made no difference.
3. Lowering the fader during Record made no difference.
4. I tried to earn the "Bonus Points" but couldn't determine how to split a track fader.
5. I appreciate the "read the darn manual!" comment. I have been using a 3rd-party reference manual and was unaware that a "Pro Tools Reference Guide" existed. I did find it and used it trying to read up on signal path and the other recommendations. Thanks for that.
6. My solution was found in the "always multiple ways..." post. By adjusting the Rig Volume I was able to dial back the volume to a comfortable level when recording. I then used the clip gain to adjust it up so I could better control it using the fader. Problem solved, I think.

But, I'm wondering if I have a problem elsewhere because it appears that none of the other suggestions worked. I turn on my 11R, start up PT10 and I instantly have a guitar signal/output with no control in PT. It's like it's taking the guitar directly to the 11R Main Outputs with no routing thru PT. So...
I'm not sure I have the "I/O Setup" correct. Are there specific examples/images of how to properly set up the Input/Output routing for the 11R? The Reference Guide is "somewhat" helpful, but not specific to the 11R. A diagram/image of the 11R would be extremely helpful.

Thanks so much for your help. Love the forum.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by RanBonOver

Thanks for your help on this. I have a solution (I think.) First a few observations:
1. Switching to Pre-Fader monitoring made no difference.

And it won't, it just changes wether the track meters show levels pre-fader or post-fader, when tracking you usually want to be looking at pre-fader meters since that is the signal levels that you are actually recording to disk.

2. "Unlink Play and Record Faders" made no difference.

And it won't ever make a difference until you adjust the appropriate fader.

3. Lowering the fader during Record made no difference.

Mmm the Eleven Rack is a little more complex than it looks, I have long ago stopped using mine as interfaces, so may be rusty here... are you using Options>Low Latency Monitoring in Pro Tools? If so try unchecking that and see if then lowering the split record fader makes a difference while tracking.

4. I tried to earn the "Bonus Points" but couldn't determine how to split a track fader. e.

That is the unlink record/playback fader. Different slang name for it.

5. I appreciate the "read the darn manual!" comment. I have been using a 3rd-party reference manual and was unaware that a "Pro Tools Reference Guide" existed. I did find it and used it trying to read up on signal path and the other recommendations. Thanks for that.
6. My solution was found in the "always multiple ways..." post. By adjusting the Rig Volume I was able to dial back the volume to a comfortable level when recording. I then used the clip gain to adjust it up so I could better control it using the fader. Problem solved, I think.

But, I'm wondering if I have a problem elsewhere because it appears that none of the other suggestions worked. I turn on my 11R, start up PT10 and I instantly have a guitar signal/output with no control in PT. It's like it's taking the guitar directly to the 11R Main Outputs with no routing thru PT. So...
I'm not sure I have the "I/O Setup" correct. Are there specific examples/images of how to properly set up the Input/Output routing for the 11R? The Reference Guide is "somewhat" helpful, but not specific to the 11R. A diagram/image of the 11R would be extremely helpful.

I never said or even thought "darn".

There is a direct hardware mixer path in the Eleven Rack, certainly what you hear through when Pro Tools is not connected. It is not really called out clearly in any documentation I know. Try out the Low Latency Monitoring test I mentioned above. I just don't have a setup I can test that on anymore.

As for the IO setup that is mostly just (useful) cosmetics so you see easy to use names for IO paths. The names there do not change anything in terms of signal flow/behavior. If you don't see the IO names shown say in the Eleven Rack User Guide then on each of Setup>IO>{input, output, bus} pages make sure the Eleven Rack is selected as the playback engine and then on those IO pages select and delete any paths and then click the Default buttons. Then go through any tracks reassigning the correct input and output IO paths.

In conjunction with the standard IO naming the Eleven Rack session templates included in Pro Tools also can help you with Eleven Rack signal routing, but mostly I would suggest using them to play around if you have not done that already, you should get used to all this enough that those are simple to just create manually.

The IO setup in Pro Tools is especially beautiful, allows you to create say custom naming that describes what different inputs and outputs are in large complex studio setups. It is often worth just playing with that, changing path names yourself, seeing how that does not really affect anything except what Pro Tools shows in its UI, play with how to save/restore/default etc those IO Setups. And you know where to go to read up in this stuff... and there will also be tutorials about this from folks on YouTube or commercial lesson videos, especially on Groove3.

The Eleven Rack is a very old abandoned product. The old Eleven Rack Users Guide is the best/only real Avid documentation there is. User Benoni here and others have made useful YouTube videos about the Eleven Rack, there were some nice Avid videos around the launch and occasional deeper things posted on DUC years ago by Chris Townsend the lead developer, who long ago departed Avid. I am not sure any of those things addresses your immediate questions.

[RanBonOver]

Thanks, Darryl. All of this is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time. I'll try some things.
P.S. I was kidding about the "read the darn manual" comment. I come from an I.T. background and we had to often gently suggest that users need to put forth a little effort on their own and read the documentation. Point taken... and certainly no offense was taken... or intended. Thanks again.

[smurfyou]

I read Darryl's reply as he wouldn't say or think the word "darn". He'd probably say or think something more colorful the DUC would censor like **** or *******

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

I read Darryl's reply as he wouldn't say or think the word "darn". He'd probably say or think something more colorful the DUC would censor like **** or *******

Oh Will, ya know me.

But I love it when folks are here asking great questions and are willing to go do more homework etc. (and it's also challenging my recollection of the lovely Eleven Rack as an interface).

[smurfyou]

Eleven was a good box and I don't even play guitar.