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Setting Recording level in Auria
So, I did this on my latest creation. And I set it to -38 db I believe, for the Rock DM, and both guitar parts. Bias FX straight into Auria. Mainly just to make sure I wasn't clipping while recording. On previous songs, I have noticed Rock DM does this to me.
When comparing this recording to a previous recording of the same song, same guitar and drum parts used, I prefer the sound of the first attempt. With the recording level set to default 0.0. Even without any EQ on the drums. They sound more full? Or at least I am able to discern all of the different drums(parts), and it is easier to apply EQ to the drum track.
The guitars, sound more full in the song I didn't decrease the recording level, even with the same EQ preset applied to them in each song. Is this something that will correct its self during the mixing and mastering stage? It isn't even that it all sounds quieter, too my ears, it sounds like Auria didn't record my tracks as good? The same level of quality as before?
Is this just my ears playing tricks on me, or is there something to lowering the record level that affects the recording quality?
Thoughts? Or, this is my second big question today. Tell me to shut up and dig a hole. Cuz, maybe only one question a day on here? 
Comments
No worries man, with digital recordings what you put in is what you get out. In your case I think you might wanna do a recording with the best input possible as this will definitely increase the fidelity of the audio captured.
I try to hit -10 to -20 in the channel strip indicator. This seems to be a good spot where I have lots of headroom, and it sounds good. I have definitely noticed that when I record something too quietly, it's lacking tone. I'm not sure why this would be, as I don't understand the mechanics of digital sound well enough. I do find at times that it's a challenge, as adjusting the various levels sometimes doesn't seem to have much of an effect, it's weird that way.
-18dbfs is generally considered the optimal goal for digital, it is often calibrated to 0 dbvu. That means if you're hitting 0 on your digital meter you're slamming your analog front end and no need to do that. No real noise floor to contend with, so keep it conservative. You can always add gain later if you really need to, once it's digital the headroom rules are a little different. -38 is overly conservative though, no need to go that low. Still, unless there's a large dynamic range you can still record fine at that level and increase the gain later. The input level, as long as it's not clipping, is not necessarily related to fidelity, unless you're referring to proper gain staging through the whole process, in which case that does make a difference.
There's lots of good reading out there on this, search especially for articles by Paul Frindle. Some people don't agree, and that's ok too, if it sounds good then it does, but I've noticed much better recordings and mixes on my part once I learned to aim for -18.
Thank you for the answers guys!
I have read that -18 is what to aim for. I guess I don't really understand what I am doing when I set the record level to a certain setting? Long press the record button and it gives you this option in Auria. So I brought it waaaay down like I said, to prevent clipping, and it didn't sound as good as the previous recording where I didn't mess with the recording level. What exactly am I doing when I bring down the recording level?
Wow. No idea. Learned good things again from you here.
I'd agree in a pure digital utopia. In the real world of so-so AD converters (it's not always that I have an Apogee available), so-so recording gear (not every studio has a hi-end Neumann or a ribbon mic), so-so noise insulation, cables etc., I still prefer a tad hotter than -18dbfs, even if I have to put a HW compressor before the converters in the recording stage (with vocals, it's a must IMHO). But as they say: to each its own.
even if I have to put a HW compressor before the converters in the recording stage (with vocals, it's a must IMHO)
I really am in the dark here, doing none of the foregoing, nor knowing what they are or mean. Lots of headroom for improvement
P.S.: -18dbfs works better if you get -18dbfs RMS. Then the analogy with 0dbvu starts to make much more sense. Yet, I tend to do -16dbfs RMS = 0VU with my own gear (and either Logic X or Auria as the recorder), and some studios even go as high as -14dbfs!
@JohnnyGoodyear, my signal flow to record vocals is usually mic -> valve or solid state preamp -> analog compressor -> AD converter -> DAW, and I want the signal calibrated so the peak meters hit yellow when the singer really goes for it. For guitars and bass, I usually record line-in to the AD or with a direct box, and if the signal is already heavily compressed (ie.: from heavy overdrive or a compression/sustainer stompbox) I calibrate it for just below yellow, otherwise I'd either aim for 16dbfs RMS and/or get the signal through an analog compressor before the AD. But then again, this is me, and I developed the habit to record as hot as I can, and always at least in 24-bit.
Like any matter of engineering art I am always grateful to hear how others go about it all. At this point I have a nice little mic and I concern myself almost entirely with trying to figure out what word needs to follow the last one, but making it sound better is increasingly appealing. Or, perhaps more pertinently (less poetically) helping myself to be free of the many attempts which sound good enough except for the ruined parts and thus are lost if not to posterity then at least to me.
"If it's not clipping while it goes in, and not clipping while it goes out, you're good to go."
(read this one once on GS or KVR, not sure).
I think everyone who follow sthe above rule and will always be safe, be it with only a nice little mic or a racks of expensive gear.
Sage stuff. I really need two of me (unnerving thought), one to tell the howler when to pick it up and when to let it go and then that other boy to do the howling.
-16 probably won't cause issues either, or -14. But with less expensive converters the idea is to feed them less signal as they don't tolerate being pushed like better converters world. But, we definitely agree that in the end it's how it sounds that counts.
As mentioned above the only real "rule" is don't clip. Usually for mic'd things I try and aim around -12dBFS or so when recording, but I have no issues going 10dB above or below this too if I know I'm not going to be clipping. Even at -38dBFS, there really shouldn't be any audible difference with something recorded higher, provided you're using 24bit audio (which you should always be using at this stage of production).
I was looking for videos on the Klanghelm VUMT the other day and came across these videos which nailed the topic so completely because of the visuals provided by the VUMT that I've been looking for a great place to post them on this forum, and this is that place.
The video maker is using Cubase, but the info is DAW independent.
@AQ808 Good add to the hive mind. Thanks.
You're welcome.
I watched it 4 times because I couldn't believe how well he nailed it without messing up.
I couldn't have pulled off the same.
If I'll be recording off site and i will only be using my sonic port vx microphone to record vocals what settings do you guys recommend for the psp channel strip. I also just got Pro MB so I plan to use that too. Thanks in advance.
I missed this before. What interface are you using? The recording level in auria is inside the iPad, if your signal is already clipped at your interface all that will do is make the clipped signal quieter, but not prevent clipping. So, if that's the case, turn down the input on your interface or turn down the output of what you're recording, depending on which is too high.
If you're recording an internal synth (audiobus, iaa, fabfilter), turn down the master volume of the synth.