H4N and Tracktion 7 - Recording levels

[MarcVeas]

Hi there! I am using my H4n as audio interface for Tracktion recording. But I cannot figure out how to adjust the recording level on Tracktion? Your advice is muuuch appreciated! Many thanks in advance!

[Peter Widdicombe]

There IS an input gain control in Tracktion when an audio track is selected, in the bottom panel. However, it may be better (if it allows it) to boost the microphone gain in the H4n, as boosting the signal AFTER it leaves the H4N may result in an excessive amount of noise that may be annoying.

From a quick Google search, the H4N, if powered by USB, may also leave you with a high-end whine in the audio. You may get better results powering it via alternate means, or running on its internal battery for "critical" recordings.

[GuitarPlayerinNYC]

I tend to use the volume slider to the immediate right of any given track, and use the volume at the bottom right as the master volume. If you forget to click a track, you'll be raising the volume/gain on all tracks, when using the the volume control at the bottom (TBH, I didn't know that until right after reading Peter's post about it). I'm using gain and volume synonymously, I know, but there is a difference.

As suggested, check the volume/monitor/gain on the H4, and anything that affects input volume. This happened to me just the other day, and I wasted literally 10 hrs. I monitor through headphones that goes through my guitar interface, which has its own volume knob. I had that at about 10 o'clock, per usual, but I could hardly hear anything, and I had all 10 track levels topped out (which would really screw up my mix, and cause clipping). Finally, I realized my guitar interface (Helix), has an expression pedal for wah, or volume. It was set to volume, and nearly all the way down. What a nightmare.

[Peter Widdicombe]

Yeah, often it's only after you've had issues that you get a better idea of level controls. Yes, if one is too low, you can always crank up the volume at the last stages (master and mix level), but better to do it correctly while capturing and do a sanity check as you're going through.

While Waveform does allow you to hide that panel at the bottom, having that meter at the bottom may not be wise (although you do have those mini input meters at the LEFT of the track; which captures audio (and MIDI) input levels as well). Make sure they're bouncing adequately on louder passages; but still showing movement on quieter parts, and tweak the external audio components' output first; and Waveform/Tracktion input gain before recording. Better do do it here than to have to pump up levels to compensate later. You CAN also use audio tools to normalize (boost) the recorded signal after recording; but this sill push up any noise level recorded as well.

That's one reason many hardware mixers have either dedicated input level indicators per track (high end), or clipping indicators and a "track level monitor" on the mid-level equipment - to get the gain right; and avoid clipping distortion, or low level causing noise from high/low gain at the early stages.