How is your interface volume knob set?

[Anders Madsen]

I allways has to crank it to 10/11 o'clock to get a decent listening level when working with CbB. But if I forget it, I'll get shocked by other sources such as youtube, og FB videos.
So I wonder; what is your "normal" setting for the volume knob?

[Alan Tubbs]

Two or three o’clock on the interface output.  For most volume control that is the sweet spot to produce a full signal without distortion.  However, I go through a summing mixer and then to an amp whose vol knob is in easy reach.  That is set about 11 o’clock.

[Hidden Symmetry]

First off I wouldn't think in those terms; 1O'/11 o'clock etc..

I don't use my daw computer for internet but have the 'computer speakers' set to different channels on my audio device other than the daw's main or monitor outs. Those are on separate channel outs.

Try setting it up that way then pull the fader back until it matches your mixing levels.

My system is calibrated @ 85dB SPL, my source mixes are around-26/-23 LUFS. Naturally mastered/ released material will have significant level differences between them.

(Same with using reference mixes. I pull the levels back to match the nominal mix level I'm going for, not matching the mix to the references mastered level.)

 

[lapasoa]

I have a RME Fireface UFX II. Every channel has a sensivity knob for every kind of signal and a slider for volume. In this way you can set the sensivity optimized for every  specific signal.

[bitflipper]

As a general rule, physical potentiometers should ideally be in about the 2:00-3:00 position, as noted by Alan above. Many mixers actually highlight this region with a bar printed on the silkscreened label around the pot (exception: trim controls, where the printed bar indicates the boundary between gain and attenuation). The input trim control is a pot at the very beginning of the signal chain, usually before any active components. This allows you set up each of the mixer's inputs so that they'll all be in the same general level, and the main faders can all start at "0dB" (which, if they were rotary pots instead of linear pots, would correspond to the 2:00-3:00 position).

Anders, look into the topic of speaker calibration and the K-System. In a nutshell, this is the process of setting up your monitor for consistent levels at a given volume knob setting. It's based on a standard that was originally devised for motion picture exhibitors, meant to assure that watching the same movie in various venues will be played at a consistent volume. An excellent primer on the topic is Bob Katz's well-respected book Mastering Audio, a must-read for anyone trying to make sense of all this stuff.

[John Vere]

I’m at 2 o clock on the interface which I don’t touch and because my NSM10 are passive I have a small Class D Amp sitting between them right in front of me so I adjust my listening level there. It’s generally around 1o clock but lower if I’m just editing. I turn it right down before shutting down. 
I wouldn’t want monitoring that has level control on the back. My office computer has powered Mackie’s and the level is on the front. 

But if you’re saying internet playback is WAY louder than your daw then you must be recording a pretty low level. For me there’s little difference between Cakewalk and watching a video on both computers. And the office computer is mostly using on board audio. 

I make sure most systems sound is off or set real low. 

Edited July 11, 2021 by John Vere

[bitflipper]

YouTube is especially problematic, with levels all over the place. Although they do implement volume normalization, it doesn't work. Sorry, but I don't know of a solution for this, but I'd recommend using YouTube's volume slider rather than your audio interface's volume control. At least then you can keep your amp's volume consistent, which will improve your mixes.

If you've never noticed it before, in the context menu on YouTube there is a selection labeled "Stats for Nerds". Check it out, it's illuminating. Along with video info such as dropped frames, it also shows the original audio level and how much reduction was applied by YouTube. I've observed some as low as -24 dB and as high as +8(!)dB. I guess it would be far worse if YT didn't do any automatic normalization at all.

Here are examples of how the content level affects both the volume you hear and the overall quality. One comes in at +7.8dB, the second at -6.8dB. Same concert, different levels. One is noticeably distorted. See if you can figure out which is which without peeking (it's not hard).

 

[John Vere]

What I find a bit hilarious is YouTube Tutorials teaching audio and the level is real quiet. There are standards for internet video that are not that much different than MP3 files.  So I always aim for  -1.0 db true peak and around 14 LUFS. 

[Anders Madsen]

Thanks a lot, gentlemen!
My worry is that my recordings sound to low after print, and Its a little struggle to get it loud enough without clipping.
I somehow manage everytime, but it is kinda uncomfortable, and often with (visible) clipping.
I use a Roland Octa-capture by the way.

[Gswitz]

I'm guessing as you get more practice mixing, this problem will burn off like a morning fog.

Share your files and I'll do a mix and show you what I did. You may not like it, but you might.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Gswitz

[ADUS]

OK let me just get this straight.... 2-3 o'clock is approx 65%-75% up right?