Recording levels

Level problems cannot be fixed later — clipping is permanent and noise floor compounds. Ten minutes of gain staging saves hours of repair.

The target

Speak at your loudest natural level and set gain so peaks sit around -12 dB. Never touch red. Digital recording has plenty of clean room below; it has zero room above.

Test before every session

Record ten seconds, listen on headphones, check peaks. Voices drift louder when people get excited — set gain for the excited version, not the soundcheck version.

Frequently asked questions