Problem with monitor volume while recording track

[Craig Wilkerson]

Hi all,

I am trying to record an acoustic guitar over my preexisting project and the volume of the acoustic while recording is waaaay too loud. Nothing seems to lower it. I tried fader, input gain etc. It's very hard to nail the take because it's way louder than the drums. I got frustrated trying to figure out how to lower the monitor volume of the track so I tried cranking the drums. Still can't get it loud enough. Recorded volume is fine coming in about -10db. But it's so harsh and loud while tracking that I can't get in a groove. Help!

[Chaps]

What kind of Audio Interface are you using? Are you monitoring through headphones? Are you using Direct Monitoring? Many audio interfaces have a knob, or software control, that balances the audio between what is coming in through the Inputs and what is coming out of the DAW in the headphones output. If this is set wrong it can easily cause the problem you are having, if you are monitoring through headphones.

[reginaldStjohn]

The volume of an input monitored signal has to be adjusted with your audio interface. Input gain and faders only effect volume of recorded material.  You either need to get the other tracks to a level that matches the guitar or adjust your audio interface input gain.

You do not mention what audio interface are you using? The built in ones often don't provide a means for adjusting the input gain.

[Craig Wilkerson]

I am using an UA Apollo Twin interface. Monitoring through headphones. Thx

Edited Saturday at 07:14 PM by Craig Wilkerson

[Craig Wilkerson]

Do I need to change input monitoring level? How do I do that?

 

[azslow3]

You first have to found what is loud, then you can adjust volume of it...

1) open "Views"/"Console View", check in "Strips" "Hardware outputs" are selected. Adjust the size of "Console" to see faders and meters.
2) move faders of Hardware Outputs all the way down. Play guitar. If you still hear it, the sound comes not from the DAW. Check direct monitoring / mixing matrix levels in your UA interface panel. If you don't here the guitar, move the faders back to unity (double click) and
2) without starting playback, play your guitar again. Check where you see meters moving. It can happened your have:
2.a) more then one track with input from guitar and input echo enabled
2.b) "pre." sends from your guitar track to bus (so track fader is not changing sends level)

[azslow3]

There is no separate monitoring level inside Cakewalk. Recorded level is solely controlled by your interface. Then it goes throw "Input Gain" -> FX -> (Pre Sends to buses) -> Track Fader -> (Post Sends to buses) -> Track Output. Live processing is the same as playback processing.

[Chaps]

16 minutes ago, Craig Wilkerson said:

Do I need to change input monitoring level? How do I do that?

I believe your interface uses only software to control the Input Monitoring balance. The software app is called UAD Console. Below are links to the page where you can download UAD Console and its manual, and one of many YouTube videos that explains its use. Also search out other Videos on YouTube about UAD Console. There are a LOT of them. This kind of software can be very useful once you get the hang of it.

UAD Console

Get Started with UAD Console Video

 

[Amberwolf]

If it sounds normal after you stop recording and are just playing back, then you probably have your audio interface's direct monitor turned on.  Some of them this is a button on the front panel, like on my Avid USB Pro Duo

 

If this is turned on, then you will hear the input *twice*, once thru the DM function in the interface, and again thru the input monitoring within the recording program's track controls. 

 

If you're not monitoring with effects in the track you can turn off IM in the track, and then you can use the DM of the interface as a "zero latency" monitor of your recording.   

 

If you are monitoring with effects in the track, leave IM on and turn DM off.