How To Set Your Gain When Recording

What level should you record at to get a professional sound with minimal noise?
Recording at the right level is important when trying to get a professional sound. In this video, We will look at:
1) Avoiding background noise
2) Getting a full and balanced tone
3) Inspiring confidence in your recording
The differences in sound when recording at different levels were far smaller than I expected and could really be down to the sight change in position and manufacturing tolerances. I was expecting there to be a lot of background noise in the quiet recording but there was almost none! It's amazing what can be done with modern equipment.

[@inthemix]

Recording at the right level is important when trying to get a professional sound. In this video, We will look at: 1) Avoiding background noise 2) Getting a full and balanced tone 3) Inspiring confidence in your recording

[@thecluelessuploader9946]

Thanks for the best videos

[@truthgrace5464]

Yea yea I can hear it. Yea it is interesting.... (me listening on 20 dollar headphones) awsome video!

[@nevarodonmusic5402]

I was hearing the room more in the lower one

[@greatestsawes9712]

Awesome!!

[@ananigma]

I would take an educated guess and say the reason the 2 recordings sound slightly different is due to the position of the mics rather than what volume you recorded at. Even though they are very close together, just a small difference in relation of the mics to the instrument can cause a noticeable difference in sound. Micing is a science in itself.

[@ChrisPonate]

To be honest every time I watch a video of yours I feel so much better about myself, i dont know why.

[@stg8385]

KZbin is addiction

[@tokyolock]

To me it sounds like you're saying he's lesser than you which makes you feel better :|

[@ChrisPonate]

@@tokyolock not my fault you take things the wrong way 🙃

[@tokyolock]

No need to get heated buddy

[@auroravibemusic]

Me too

[@Producelikeapro]

Amazing demonstration!! Excellent work Michael!! This was extremely helpful to all of us, no matter what your level of experience!! Marvellous work!! The Lewitt is a near zero noise microphone, amazing value for money!

[@HofTheStage]

Great thing seeing my 2 favourite channels admire and help each other. You guys rock!

[@TransverseAudio]

Cool to see you here!

[@HaharuRecords]

🙄

[@muyupachipepo6548]

Am going to be a Marvellous Producer

[@kevinstuart5105]

I've never considered that there may be a difference psychologically between looking at a weak signal versus a strong one. That was an interesting and unexpected observation. Kudos.

[@GaxabeatsGE]

dude out here making experiments i’m wayyy too lazy for, just comin for the results. great job man, thanks

[@mildner4492]

I just want to say thanks for all of the things you do for us. I have been producing for a bit more than a year, and often face problems that I cant resolve myself, the first place i go is your channel. thank you for always delivering great videos!

[@greatestsawes9712]

You're definitely amazing. Thanks! I notice my vocal recordings have the thinner line signal and I've been quite worried about that. I discussed it with a pal today, and your video divinely comes in and addresses the issue. My confidence is up now man. You are amazing!!!!

[@cadbeatz7189]

Definitely one of my bigger insecurities about creating music. Thank you so much for the time and effort put into the making of this video, In The Mix, i truly appreciate it!

[@MuffinMachine]

Lots of respect for allowing yourself to say what you really saw here instead of trying to find a difference that wasn’t there. I was expecting the same thing and I actually reversed back thinking somehow there was a mistake but nope...you got it!

[@ali2thek.o]

In my opinion, your passion for music makes you the best. I watch everything you release. This is just a plus to it. Big up.

[@kohswic]

You are too much my boss, the top level sounds more clearer than the low level thanks for this video, pastor emma from Ghana.

[@CED.Dweller]

Respect for being confident in showcasing your biases and testing them.

[@YngHstlr]

i been struggling with trying to decide how hot to set my pre for years. thanks for this. much needed. subbed

This video is really interesting and helpful. People are saying mic placement but I think what’s causing the difference is interface’s internal physical preamp gain. They are indeed analog, so I think they affect non-linear so that’s exactly why they sound different when volumes are digitally matched. However, this comes down to this question. Which is better? I can’t really judge which is better. I felt both has different advantages. What do you think about this point?

[@samuelasirivei8497]

You're my best teacher in beat making. You have helped me so much that I can't thank you enough.

[@fredriccortez6190]

Finally someone bold enough to prove this point. Thank you!

[@harshmuneshwar4975]

I was searching this topic today....and you put this on ur channel....loved the advice 🤟

[@cortical1]

Thanks for this! Finally someone did a reasonably scientific comparison of this issue (i.e., without obvious confounds). Well done!

[@javier.albarado]

Excellent 🙌🙌🙌 and thank you so much. I was confused about the -18 suggested level for recording. My electric guitars sounds superb peaking at -3. Now I’m recording my amps again with shure 57, 58, beta 58, royer 121, akg 414 and so. Neve 1073lb preamps, apogee symphony mkII as the converter. Noise was never an issue. But the richest juicy full magic tones of electric guitars I found them at levels of -3. So thank you again👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@markvilla4654]

You keep on dropping gems buddy. Amazing work... thank u so much!!

[@arunchandradas9347]

You know what.. you are the one of best KZbinr. You deserve million subscriber and will be. Your every topic about mixing is very informative. I appreciate it. God bless you..

[@eythanchelly1510]

i just found out about you like 30 min ago and i am so happy i did

[@alex_suero]

Love your videos man! They are so informative and interesting. Would have loved to see Pro-Q EQ match function comparing both signals, cause I could hear a difference in the top end.

[@bohemiangroove9751]

Fantastic analysis and very insightful comment on instilling confidence by recording with a robust level of gain!

[@franzitaduz]

Gosh, did I need this. Recording opera singers with an H4, and confidence was lagging today..... thank you sooooo much!

[@marcoborge5208]

You are such a great pro! Only surpassed by your human quality as a person. Thanks so much mate!

[@oneeyedkrow5633]

Love your videos, so helpful, thank you so much for taking the time to put all this together.

[@sedavamosighi]

I really like your videos, your experiments, sweet accent and your calmness

[@LearnAudioEngineering]

Great video, I was surprised my the results! I also figured there would be some extra noise. Thanks for doing this!

[@Omnifonist]

Hey Michael! I like how you speak in a calm and relaxing way

[@strangersun7721]

You are a fountain of great information. I’m a bedroom producer, and I would be much worse at it without your videos. Thank you so much!

[@harryofficial3743]

Whenever i watch your videos i feel inspired,thnx bro.

[@ddubzdannydiesel8107]

thank you so much. your knowledge and hard work is appreciated big time

[@theafricanjoker785]

To me you have really taught me a lot with your videos and I wouldn't be where I am today... God bless you

[@lordflatworm]

I’ve been searching the internet for this for a long time. Thank you. I record synths and they cover a huge frequency span so you have to record so low and then increase gain. I always think it’s distorting the recording but then im not sure. I think my eyes are playing tricks on my ears.

[@doftpunk101]

Yeah. When it comes to quality gear the converters are pretty clear and noise and hiss is typically much lower. But when you use cheaper equipment the converters tend to get a bit crunchy when hit harder and tend to get brittle and crackly at low volumes. I teach my students -12dB is pretty healthy and even on cheaper equipment it’s pretty clear and artifact free. I link them your videos as well since the explanations are nice and clear. :)

[@yashrajverma9592]

The work you are doing is amazing.... Keep killing it ❤️.... I wish you to become more famous 💕

[@zeefour]

8:30 This is a good point. So when I recorded with a guitarist, i actually put on a Master Bus Comp, followed by some basic Mid Side processing. It made the backing track sound louder and fuller, where as without those effects the track sounded a bit raw and a bit lifeless. Of course when the recording is done I will strip all that stuff out and begin from scratch to get a fresh mix.

[@ginopalma7130]

The difference in tone between the two recordings could come down to the slightly different placement of the mics as opposed to the input gain

[@generalawareness101]

Yes, 100% as loudness correction has no way of "colouring" a sound.

[@RBBlackstone]

Definitely. No two mics sound the same either. This test requires a parallel cable into two pres so that you are comparing the same capsule.

[@konstapelwalander]

Brilliant! Loving the scientific approach!

[@christopherbrissini5722]

Excellent video. Experienced advice and delightfully clear - Subscribed!

[@localhost19]

08:55 the second microphone which records in low voice is sounding like more bass boosted than other

[@ProfileP246]

Great test with no mucking about cheers!

[@JohnMark61355]

I enjoyed the video. Regarding the concept of confidence, it helps me to record my flute with a little less gain, because I have confidence to play out in the upper register without clipping. When playing the flute any type of tension can cause, especially, tone problems. So not worrying about clipping helps improve the performance. Yes, I do complete a sound check in the various registers, but playing “live” seems to always be a bit louder. Regarding the size of the waveform, I simply would raise it before a customer sees it. I would do this anyway before I listen.

[@adeniranopeyemi9978]

Bro,u just helped me understand the difference between rms and peak value. Been recording vocals at minus18dbfs,now i no why I never got the desired tone and feel. Gain staging is useless when a beginner doesn't understand the different types of meter and how to read them. Thanks alot again. Taylor magic from Nigeria that's in Africa

[@alexgibson2871]

Really useful, thanks - explained exactly what i was looking for.

[@LPeralta01]

Awesome work man - I for one did hear a difference in the tone of the guitar between hi and lo. Hi felt as you said a bit more rich in that it had a very subtle natural reverb. While the lo actually had a lo in where I experienced a sound with a slight bit of bass between each strum.

[@sirkhurramielts6829]

super sound and marvelous explanation

[@truthseeker630]

Great lesson, thank you, subscribed!

[@Hardjaxl]

It was exactly what I needed. Thank you.

[@MariusVideoOfficial]

Very nice video, I like the recording and I normally record at (around) -12dB/-6dB-peaks (at 16bit/48Khz) or -18dB/-12dB-peaks (at 96Khz 24bit) obtaining a nice dynamic and well defined sound than lower values of recording levels...You say right, the noise is something to decrease as much as possible before to record something and...after, using a noise gate to automatically cut-off the intervals between a word or phrase to another...

[@michaelkelly6583]

Loved your experiments. Learned learned a lot. Thank you.

[@kingdomhearts1and2]

Audio engineering is extremely difficult for me to figure out and do with trumpet and make it sound well. Watching your videos honestly makes it feel less overwhelming and makes working with FL Studio feel more relaxed.

[@LeaValentina]

Thank you so much, your videos are just wonderful

[@heclairsful]

Thanks for always been there, there is no way i can pay you.

[@jamzdrumz141]

When recording with true analog equipment, input volume is incredibly important. Hitting your pre amps, EQ and compressors with the right amount of gain is paramount. Although, there is room for interpretation in terms of saturation and colour. The open rule of an RMS of -18DBFS is a good starting point for a recommend gain structure. Although this is open for interpretation, depending on the musical role of an instrument and the saturation required for the genre. Most analog equipment manuals will tell you to hit the equipment with a particular amount of gain in order to achieve optimal sound colouration. Usually around the RMS of -18DBFS.

[@lorestraat8920]

I just got done recording myself for the first time on vibraphone, and I hate to admit it, but I am definitely in the 'low low levels' camp. I had to boost the gain in logic so much to get it to sound. Luckily, I had access to some really nice equipment through my university, so I didn't have noise issues. Still, I definitely need to practice more.

[@IvarsI]

Just what I needed! Thanks! By the way, it is possible that microphones are not 100% identical, that is what they sound a little bit different

[@HofTheStage]

I'm actually surprised how close these track sound. I was sure that the quiet one would have more noise even when using a decent mic. However, audient has a great preamp so this might have something to do with that as well. Awesome video man, nice work

[@inthemix]

Thanks! Yeah I surprised myself and wasn't expecting it to match the noise identically...

[@mybiasedface3670]

Thank you a lot for your videos. You are helping me a lot with recording. I always try to improve myself =)

[@jmcelectronicsseries1686]

Super interesting thank you for sharing sir

[@R3BBiT]

I love your videos man! Great in-depth video about something that can be easily overlooked.

[@donavonmarshall2641]

If an artist that had a vocal with a very dynamic range were going over one of the two recordings I'd choose the top one because there is less "distraction" on that recording as opposed to the second recording where I heard a lot of little details that would sound nice accompanied by a vocal with little dynamic range or a track where the vocal is not the main focus. Idk if that makes sense but that's how I perceive what's going on. Thanks for the tutorial and tips!

[@robertjohn3769]

Michael really you are great..I really follow you a lot...

[@roydominicmacasero4597]

Hey Michael, I'm new to your channel. This is cool! I have been playing the electric guitar for a few years in church and at home. I like the tone on the high gain more than the one of on the lower gain.

[@belha1075]

this was really interesting. this is what we need.thank you

[@BoatzCarina]

whenever i'd watched your tutorial it's inspire me so much thanks for hardwork for this all your vdo guide me to make my own in my language for best way for peoples in my country wish your healty good everyday and god bless you my great teacher on youtube

[@noah-gdesign9570]

Great video. You're a genius.

[@groundhog7871]

Okay thanks try to think about that in my next project

[@samislam5904]

I like the low input gain. Because I feel the more dynamic on it. And very much clear. Other hand you have more head room to tweak and make the sound more better. Because in audio recording head room is very important. I strongly believe. -18 LUFS input gain always good to start. And very good video. Nice explain.

[@olaftheblack9172]

I think the tonal difference in the two guitars might just be the 2 inch difference in mic placement. What are your thoughts on using the normalising feature to make everything the same level? Will it help to make sure the mix plugins are hit at the right level? I was always cautious of doing it because of the potential to introduce noise, but it seems that concern was misplaced in light of what you've just shown.

[@andreabrantes]

you are something else sir

[@Hatim.mp3]

Really useful video, keep up the amazing work

[@crunch6161]

I enjoyed this video it was very well done. I also like a healthy level when recording, the only thing to be mindful of is gain staging while mixing, otherwise all those hot signals will kill your mix buss RIP. Also some plug-ins sound better when not fed an overly hot signal, you know, that mystical sweet spot 🤓

[@sujeethunny]

Bro! Thanks for this important information. 1. We also need a tutorial on How to mix Vocals of Two singers or more. (DT s) and Choir 2. Surround mixing. Please make videos on these two if you really think they are useful. THANK YOU

[@prashunthapa1704]

I love ur teaching style....

[@INTJ24]

I love this channel!

[@SwatiMishraMusic]

And excellent input there. Kudos. :)

[@MatthewStratton]

You the man. 👊

[@LuchitoCarrera]

Definitely hear a difference. The top one sounds full, where as the bottom sounds a little bit reverberized, as well as the top end feels a bit eqed out.

[@adrianhiggins4723]

Very good demonstration. I am hearing a bit more treble tone from the second recording. But warmer to me is what I prefer in most cases. If you have a video on maximizing output during playback please send a link. I can never get a strong output on a home recording on my receiver end as when I pop in a professional CD. Seems like my volume knob has to increase about 1/3 more. Thanks for the tips I will check out for your Vid's.

[@kjtheproof5328]

Thanks again bro!!

[@Haj_S.e.x.y]

Hi Mike and thanks for wonderful tutorials😍, may you make a tutorial or explain about difference between pick , rms , db and UV !? Please it's so important for me Thanks

[@Magedsp]

i truly like this dude ❤️❤️❤️ god bless you

[@obb_max]

I think this whole "introducing noise when gain staging a low signal" is mainly focused on pushing the signal after compression. That could be why you did not experience the effect you expected with the low signal. Isn't that the most crucial step in your effect chain regarding noise? Have you tried compressing it before you add the gain? love you videos, helped me a lot :)

[@_legrand_]

i hear a frequency in the quiet guitar part's tone. Maybe the room's resonating frequency is louder when you boost it that much?

[@willowlacrosse3728]

The difference is surprisingly small! Looks like it's completely safe to record much quieter in many cases. Targeting averages somewhere between -24 dBFS and -18 dBFS depending on the noise floor of your preamp. -18 dBFS is a good RMS average if you use plug-ins emulating analog gear.

[@Hsforreal]

U r god mannnnnn!!!!.i was jus searching this topic today and here i got my answerssssssssss like dammmmm Love u mannn❤❤❤❤❤

[@Snaffdude]

I had the same misconception going in when it came to the noise! Crazy

[@bhargavdobhal5327]

Amazing Video 🔥🔥🔥🔥Thank You 🙌🙌🙌🙌.

[@alex.b3466]

You Are Awesome.

[@SwatiMishraMusic]

Definitely hear a cleaner sound in the higher gain setting version. I feel the lower gain setting with amplified gain later has almost like a higher resonance/reverb sound -- which could just be the subtle enhancement of the noise that is also amplified (could be all in my head, but just my thoughts).

[@thehat1433]

You are the best!

[@ThreeBelowZero]

God has a lot of work these days, so he decided to put you on KZbin so he doesn't have to be taking care of us, the forgotten person behind the sucess of the singers: producers. Thanks for the content!

[@isaiahsmith5397]

Amazing video! Just a quick question, how did you boost the volume of the quiet recording to match the louder one? Thanks!

[@justinbouchard]

So one thing that I do with my mic is run low gain to avoid using a noise gate. This is super use specific during streaming. I have not found at all that running almost literally zero gain on my interface umc204hd, gives me extra noise when compressing and adding makeup gain. I also basically need to have my lips against the mic to get the signal I need but I don't have any issues mixing or needing to eq or denoise anything. Mic-interface-compressor-reverb is all the chain is for vocal during streaming. I actually boost highs in the channel mix and cut mids because I find I have a "nasal" sounding voice naturally and cutting mids and adding highs seems to remove that slightly stuffed nose sound I have naturally.

[@poalotesta7743]

As learner with a capital bloody "L" this has been the stuff of my nightmares. Should I, shouldn't I, -18,-14.......Its been driving me doolally. Thanks for the very concise and understandable explanation.

[@sbo7102]

love your videos man keep it up ❤❤❤❤❤ just wanna ask you should I buy headphones or monitors for mixing n thanks a lot ❤

[@KaisaSalonpaa]

I first bought awesome headphones and thought that I'll get through with them. However, I faced a big problem: I made the music sound good on my headphones, but on my phone, speakers etc. it sounded bad. Kinda like mono, there were definitely some issues with the space. On headphones you only hear right side things in your right ear and vice versa. On monitors they're mixed a little. Also on headphones the source of music is so up close to your ears, that mixing is not as neutral as it would be with monitors. Even monitors are not perfect: First of all, you need to have some room treatment and probably some more equipment like stands. Also, panning is adviced to be double-checked with headphones. I would say that there is no answer to this question, in ideal situation I'd recommend going for both. But as a beginner, a decent pair of headphones is a good place to start! If you get more serious with music production later on (and get mad like I did because headphones just didn't suit my needs anymore) it's easily to upgrade your studio setup with a pair of monitors! Headphones doesn't even require room treatment and you will also keep your neighbors happy as there is no noise! Technically both are needed when mixing but if you need to choose between headphones and monitors, quality headphones (Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser,... etc.) will get you a headstart in music production!

[@dough-moh]

I agree with you that the first recording seems more stable, not as harsh on the top end. But the second recording after equalizing it, it might just be a matter of how you'll use the sound. For example the first recording sounded more full, I would prefer to put this sample on top of the track where it would stand out the most vs. the second one I feel like has enough space for my vocals to sit on.

[@sabboumusicc]

Thaaaank you so much !!!