Acoustica User Forums

From a prior thread I've become much more aware of input levels and gain staging. A couple sites and the like suggest input levels anywhere from -6 (I no longer have the source for that suggestion to as low as - 16 (Graham in Smart Start 1)

This of course applies to recorded audio and is achieved by setting the interface. Not the fader after the fact

Now what about midi? Is this done by the track "fader" level when the track is armed? If so, can't that same thing be done for the audio track?

In any case, it seems like it's somewhat guess and check, until you get it right and note the settings.

I've yet to find a good tutorial (Mixcraft specific or not) on setting recording levels for audio and for midi. . But I've just started searching.

I'm not sure I understand the question, but since midi is just instructions to play a sound, I don't see why recording levels for midi would matter.

The issue here is that you're making the assumption that the entire Virtual Instrument track functions differently than an audio track.

Here's how to think of gain staging for virtual instruments: it's an audio source. That's it.

Once the virtual instrument makes the noise that it's supposed to make and it goes off to your vst effects, then you have the same gain staging procedure that you would use for a track that has a recording that you made with your guitar and direct-in interface.

In short, you're overthinking it. Gain staging is more or less basically this: There's a little more to it, layout wise, but I dare say that you've already read into that a bit.

I think, however, the crux of the problem is this bit.

This of course applies to recorded audio and is achieved by setting the interface.

You're unsure of where the virtual instrument version of the interface is. Well, in Mixcraft, it's here: You can adjust the virtual instrument output volume either from within the virtual instrument itself, or in the Change Instrument window. Or both.

Nice!

I am no expert on VSTi, but I have found that while some work fine at default settings, others seem to sound better turned down a bit at the instrument settings shown by Anorax.
And how it sounds is the critical thing to me at that point.

Not exactly gain staging, More of a mixing thing- But additionally, if for example it is a background instrument I often find myself needing to turn down the audio much further. The decisions there depend on what else I might be doing to the signal, but in general- I don't like getting the track fader so far out into course adjustment range if I can avoid it, so I often use clip gain or other options to reduce the level pretty far so that the track fader isn't set to such extremes.

Example- Instead of this:
I try to get something more like this working in the rough mix stage:

All the responses here really helped - especially the pictures. Thanks much.

(Now I just have to document all this so I don't forget it if I go several months without using Mixcraft again!)