Topic: RECORDING LEVELS

[pepper]

Ive recorded a few shows,and have suffered slightly from clipping/brickwalling.is it possible to set the levels just once without having to tamper with them til the end of the gig.I want to set my md going and think of it as little as possible,messing around with levels will surely drag attention to me from security etc.

[sml42]

Yes it is possible. I managed to do this myself for the first time ever earlier this week! In my case, I'd taped this band before, taped from this venue before, and I'm very familiar with my rig. In other words, I knew in advance what to expect, so I set the levels accordingly. All I can say is, practice. Learn the bands you tape, learn the venues you tape in, learn your rig. If in doubt, set your levels low - you can always boost the volume later.

best regards,
stephen

[pepper]

Thanks a lot stephen,i appreciate your advice.

[itook2much]

The only times you need to check/change are  1)at the beginning of the show and 2)if there is a noticeable volume increase.  Set 'em & forget 'em.  We've all done the obsessive checks, but it's really unnecessary & it's just asking to be seen by security.  If you know the venue, band, and/or your gear well enough, you may even be able to set the levels pre-show.

And I agree with stephen, err on the side of being too low.  You can amplify in post- with very little loss of quality *, but if they're too hot & brickwalled you're SOL.

*Not sure, but I think lower levels may actually affect the signal to noise ratio, but I doubt it'll be detectable to your hearing.

[pepper]

Thanks for the reassurance,like you have both said if its too low then i can increase the level.If its too loud,then i cant really improve it if its covered with distortion.