Hi, my name is Volya. I am new to Adobe Audition and I am figuring it out not too badly. I have one question about mic levels though, perhaps someone could help.. Aside from physically setting up the microphone further away from my voice, how can I set the levels so that they don't peak BEFORE I actually RECORD. Someone told me to go into my windows mixer and set the levels there for my live mic feed but I don't know which line or input to change (line, mic, out, in...???) Heeeelp. I need a step by step. I don't have a fancy soundcard, just the regular one that comes with a regular computer.

ANy ideas??
www.myspace.com/volya oh yes, and this is my music too in case you are curious.




Volya
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Volya www.myspace.com/volya

In audition you can insert a limiter, this will limit the signal level to a pre-defined level.

Set this up for near the loudest level you sing at, and then work back from there. If on play back the quiet bits now seem too quiet you use a compressor to raise the level of the quiet bits.
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Recording Studio Suntans

Thank you so much! Very, very helpful indeed.

Volya
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Volya www.myspace.com/volya

Hmm Here's a silly question.. Where would I find the limiter? I've looked in all of the windows, and found the "hard limiter" under amplification effects, but that's not to set levels on a live feed. It was for adjusting after something has been recorded..

Volya
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Volya www.myspace.com/volya

Ah yes that may well be the case, live effects may well just be for hearing on playback, hence live, so they can be heard or auditioned.

Hmm... you could buy an external limiter/compressor and control the dynamics before entering the machine or within your microphone mixer panel set that input level for the loudess possible level you sing, so you will not send a distorted signal into the software.

Then you can use a compressor and other dynamic processors to bring up your voice.
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Recording Studio Suntans

Do you have a mixer or are you going in straight in through a mic?

Lovely voice by the way!

Does the mic have a pad switch? Should be labelled -10dB or similar...

I don't think you should necessarily start with a limiter... you'll sound like your singing with you face pressed up against a pane of glass.

You sound card SHOULD have a preamp... if not, and you are serious, get a card with one... that way you can set the input level....

Your software should be able to let you lower the level from the mic...

You must be singing pretty loud?!?

J

I've known female singers with the same issue as this, in my experience if your voice is dynamic you'll find it incredibly hard to record a usable signal without limiting. Added to that, that amount of dynamic WILL need audio compression to be able to fit it nto just about any mix without the voice getting "lost" in the balance of instruments. Therefore, you only have to cap the signal at the highest point to prevent the complete loss of a great take, through clipping, it is a very common recording practise.

I do agree though a good audio interface (external) would be a good option.

Also just to be accurate all audio interfaces (sound cards) have microphone amplifiers. The term pre-amp is just fashionable these days. Pre-amps were traditionally used pre mixing console mic amp to boost a low signal before the desk, hence pre, one before the other. If there is only one it's not really pre anymore, but just a microphone amp. - however current marketing trends use the catch-all term pre-amplier.


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Recording Studio Suntans