Setting Proper Recording Levels

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One of the most simple concepts in the world of digital audio is setting proper recording levels. At the same time, I believe it is one of the most overlooked, especially among beginners and even people that have been involved in digital recording for quite some time. The biggest problem which seems to be an ongoing trend, is that people seem to think, "louder is better." This is absolutely not true when recording in the digital domain and if you are pushing your levels too hot, your recordings are suffering.

I have to assume that if you're recording digitally, you're recording in 24 bit. Most every digital recording system that I can think of offers you the option to record in 24 bit. This is extremely important because it relates directly to your overall dynamic range, which in 24 bit, is approximately 145 dB. So, what this really means is that your noise levels will be significantly lower, giving you more headroom to record at reduced levels. When setting levels don't try to get your DAW meter peaking as loud as possible without clipping. Even if you don't actually clip your signal, you have just used up all of your headroom and you will never get it back. Even if you think that by turning the track down after the fact, it's not the same. The damage is already done. On the other hand, if you set your levels to peak between -18 dBFS to -12 dBFS, you will have plenty of headroom to work with and when the time comes to make things loud, your tracks will sound cleaner, more spacious and bigger.

So, grab a hold of the knob on your preamp and turn things down! Watch your meters closely and keep in mind that when setting your initial levels, your vocalist or whoever is doing the takes will most likely perform or play much louder when the actual recording takes place. Therefore, you may need to come down even further once the session is under way. It's difficult to get levels perfect from an artist that isn't warmed up yet so, keep this in mind when you're doing rehearsal takes and such. Most importantly, learn from your own experiences. I encourage you to try this for yourself and compare it closely to your other recordings and draw your own conclusions. I'm confident you will be amazed with what you find.

Joshua Smith is the founder of Cloud 9 Produktions. Cloud 9 is a music production company specializing in creating unique sonic landscapes for artists, sound trackers and multimedia developers. Cloud 9 offers different leasing and exclusive packages at affordable prices. If your a rapper, emcee, lyricist or singer, Cloud 9 Produktions is for you!

Check us out at: http://www.cloud9produktions.com/

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