monitor vs recording volume

[KSband]

When I'm recording a rhythm guitar part it's distracting to hear it really loud in my headphones  but I don't want to turn down the input volume that I'm recording. I'm sure there's something simple I'm missing here.

[David Baay]

Nether the track's Gain (input) level or Volume (output) controls alter the recorded level of a hardware input. That is solely determined by the input level/sensitivity control on the interface. So you can freely change track's Gain to get the desired level into any FX plugins you might be using and Volume to get the desired listening level.

[KSband]

Really, I always thought the level I was seeing on the meter was the one I was recording. But if I'm using a guitar plugin the level to the plugin makes a big difference in gain and the resulting sound of the amp.

[rsinger]

1 hour ago, KSband said:

When I'm recording a rhythm guitar part it's distracting to hear it really loud in my headphones  but I don't want to turn down the input volume that I'm recording. I'm sure there's something simple I'm missing here.

If the headphones are too loud turn down the headphone volume on the 2i2.

[David Baay]

1 hour ago, KSband said:

Really, I always thought the level I was seeing on the meter was the one I was recording.

That's true because the Record meter is ahead of the input to the track, but the hardware input connects to the track after the Gain control.

See this signal flow diagram:

https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=Cakewalk&language=3&help=Mixing.07.html

The diagram doesn't show it, but the "take off" point to write the signal to disk is essentially at the same point as the Record meter.

But on playback, the signal from the file/clip comes in ahead of the Gain control. So if you alter the Gain, you will hear the difference  on playback but not while recording.

 

[KSband]

1 hour ago, rsinger said:

If the headphones are too loud turn down the headphone volume on the 2i2.

It's not the over all volume, it me live vs the track I'm playing to.

[rsinger]

5 hours ago, KSband said:

It's not the over all volume, it me live vs the track I'm playing to.

If you're going into an amp sim turn down the output volume of the sim.

[57Gregy]

I believe the big 'monitor' knob adjusts the sound from the computer and the sound of the input so you can balance the two.

[John Vere]

Ok the OP didn’t mention what interfaces they were using but @rsinger seems to know it is a 2i2.  
 

The 2i2 has direct monitoring, learn to use it. It is standard to most good audio interfaces and there is absolutely no reason to suffer a bad mix when tracking. 
Cakewalk is not where you fuss with this. Focusrite interfaces come with mix control software which is where you can adjust settings including the balance between playback and input. 
Some interfaces have this as a blend control on the front. 
Or are you using an amp and mike and that is what you are complaining about being too loud? 

[57Gregy]

2 hours ago, John Vere said:

the OP didn’t mention what interfaces they were using

😄 It's in their signature. I was looking all over in their posts to see what they were using and wondering the same thing you were, then I saw it.

[John Vere]

 

2 hours ago, 57Gregy said:

😄 It's in their signature. I was looking all over in their posts to see what they were using and wondering the same thing you were, then I saw it.

Ya, I keep forgetting that you don't see signatures on cell phones which is what I mostly use these days. 

[KSband]

Thanks everyone for the help. I did some recording yesterday and indeed the fader is not affecting the recorded volume, so learned something I probably should have figured out already 🤪