You require to make sure that all of the songs you record would be playing back at the appropriate volume for the listener. To start with, set your monitor level. Listening to a song that you are familiar with will help. Be sure it is a zero peaking song. Have it at the level it is suppose to be at. A pleasurable listening level. Once you’re at this stage, do not change the monitor levels but instead adjust the master track of the song you are working on. It’s suppose to sound at a suitable level for listening. Then check the meter levels to make sure they are not on over-load. If it is on overload then consider setting a limit instead of turning the level down. Make a note of the level setting thats on the monitor. You’ll have this in future to relate to.

Try to remember that it’s not how high you get the volume to, but the quality of the volume that will make the recording a success. Ideally, it would be to record the level of the instrument that it is meant to go to not beyond its means. Technology is a marvellous tool but it doesn’t beat common sense and instinct.

Dont lose sight of the fact there is no need to record at maximal volume of a multi-track. Several people would argue then why is it necessary to have a sixteen bit dynamic range it youre not going to use it. A come back to that remark will be why bother trying to record the cabasa at exactly 16 bits when it’s never going to represent more than twelve bits in any event.

Several other issues of not wanting to have the sound cranked up to maximum is in the event you’ve to use a favourite. These’re not exactly user friendly when having to be used at low level. But if you record at logical and practical levels you could avoid redundant time consuming worries such as these.

You can end up with a couple of large mixing problems if you are utilising an analogue mixing desk long with something like hi-hat recorded at max, on digital multitrack. If various of the items are always peaking at zero then when turned off, you would still hear them in the backdrop. This is in reference to items like hi-hats, cabasas or cymbals for instance

In this case, you should not be surprised to find every of that electrical leakage being reverb on the hi hat, as merely one cause. Items like bass drum and snare drum are meant to be played loudly but not the top kit items or the quiet instruments.

What im trying to say is to keep in mind to find the average levels. From there youve a couple of leverage to work with, either up or down as the situation or sound or instrument dictates. In the very end, youre going to end up with a superior piece of recording. After all music is all about sound.