When I record audio / vocals in Logic, the recorded signal is "Clipping" around -9dB for no apparent reason. It's like an automatic limiter is sitting somewhere in the background. I've checked all my settings and cannot work out why this is occurring. I am using a 4 i/O Presonus interface and again all settings on this look OK. (See Attached screen shot of clipped audio well below the peak)???????
From your screenshot it is very clear that you clipped while recording - the flattened waveforms are indeed "clipped" visually. So no matter how low you set your output, it will always sound like that. Two options: declipper from IzoTope (expensive), or rerecording (cheap, unless you hired a session guitarist).
So, you have to tweak your input settings rather than your output settings.
You don't want to be using the whole headrooom on each track when you're tracking. Peaks at -12 when you're tracking are more than enough.
Gain staging is really important in multitrack recording because all of those tracks you are recording will be summed into 2 tracks, your stereo outs. Another word for summed is added, so you very quickly get a build up. You'd only need 2 tracks taking up all the headroom and you'd need to pull the faders down a lot so that the stereo outs didn't clip.
When you're tracking and mixing don't worry about overall volume of your song. Leave that to a separate process. Concentrate on getting good recordings down with plenty of headroom and your mixes will start to sound a whole lot better.
As Erik says, a clipped waveform is hard to recover even with the brilliant Izotope tools but it's really easy to not clip the mic-pre in the first place.
Do an experiment. Record 8 tracks of audio, anything you like, with peaks (when recording) hitting -18. Leave all faders at 0 and see how hard that hits your stereo bus. You'll be surprised how hard it hits but also how good it sounds.
If you record at 24 bit, aiming for a peak recording level of 0 dB makes no sense whatsoever, and no knowledgeable engineer or experienced bedroom producer will do such a thing - a peak level of -6 Db is already considered high, and general practice if to peak even below that: -12 dB max. 24 bits has so much headroom that recording "hot" is absolutely unnecessary. It was necessay in 16 bit times (so if you have a cheap(-ish) 16 bit USB mic or a cheap 16 bit interface this is still necessary).
However, anything recorded to peak at, say, -1 dB should still not clip at all, so if it does, you have to inspect your complete signal chain, starting at whatever driver software your audio interface uses.
Just make a test on your presonus AudioBox 44VSL:
• Turn the Mixer-Fader to the right (VSL)
• Turn the Main-Fader to the right (0dB)
• Now adjust the Input/Trim Control (Mic/Inst)
Is there a difference?
I don't know your interface, I use RME but it might be similar.
1. Look if presonus provides a software, where you can switch levels (-10dB / +4dB).
2. If your interface has a preamp, there should be a fader or knob where you can adjust the input gain or (when it's a more recent model) it is possible to change the gain in Logic's Channel-Strip in the Mixer.
View > Channel Strip Components > Audio Device Controls
and in the meantime I found this:
https://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=121407#p622314
edit:
Open your Audio Midi Setup
Applications > Utilities
Open Audio device Window
Choose your interface
Is it set to 0dB?
Please post a screenshot.
Also post a pic of Logic's Preferences/Audio/Devices and Preferences/Audio/General
Also looks to me like the input on your audio interface was set too high when you recorded, try recording again with the input lower, as Eriksimon suggests.
I would contact presonus or presonus forum, because I don't think this is Logic-related.
BTW what is Universal Control, how is it related to your interface?
Thanks Eriksimon! The above was just a sample I did - when recording for "real" I have to lower the input gain of the mic which works but then my levels to begin with are much lower and when I compress to generally raise the audio, it tends to increase the "noise" as well. All very slight but apparent for a trained ear. The declipper from izotope is amazing!! even if this could fix the problem after it has occured I'm still intrgued as to why its happening in the first place! thank you sincerely all the same.
Yes Kerochan -that is how I get around this and it works but my audio is much quieter than if I used the whole head room. Hence when compressing the audio, although i a louder audio it tends to increase noise. Just want to know why this is occuring??
Thanks Octopi - great information. At this stage I can ensure I don't clip by reducing the input.
Just seems strange the when its increased a little to try and fill a little more of the head space, the software (or something else - could be me doing something wrong???) it just clips on a track at a lower dB than at zero. Certainly understand that I don't want to be tracking anywhere close to zero on an individual track but when I record, even if its a single solo audio track, I can't get my audio to fill the entire headspace. It just keeps clipping without hitting zero peak (as mentioned its like a limiter is sitting in the background preventing audio from filling the extra headspace, but providing a distorted audio signal at -8.5dB. Doesn't make sense to me - I think Im doing something wrong...I just want to know what it is or why this does this. You made an interesting suggestion of recording audio with my faders at zero. I will try that and see how I go. Thanking you kindly again!
Understand - but my confusion is firstly the mic pre is the phantom power coming from my presonus - if I turn this down I get a clean audio without clipping, but my max volume on a cleanly recorded audio will not be higher than about -10dB. Thats OK and as you mentioned, plenty of head space and the recording still sound great, but if for whatever reason I wanted to record a single piece of audio into the DAW how could I ever get it to actually record to peak 0dB. My more preamp I use, its just clips at the Logic's -8.5dB and never gets to zero - why is that??? That is what I don't understand...
Appreciate your response YoyoBen. I use a presonus AudioBox 44VSL - 4 in/4 out. Bit of an oldie now but has served me well over the years! Yes interface has a fader which works but as I mentioned, it just reduces the audio signal which definately works and it audio does not clip but the for whatever reason the DAW (or some setting) doesn't allow the level to exceed about -8.5 dB. If it does then it just squares off the signal and peaks. This is not a show stopper, I just want to understand why it is doing that. As mentioned previously its like there is a hidden limiter somewhere that is preventing my clean audio in not to exceed this threshold. Once the audio is in, I can inclrease the game or normalise to 0dB (not to say that that is the right thing to do, but the head space can be filled then). I want to understand why I cannot get this to happen with the clean audio going in.
Thanks again Eriksimon - again I completely understand the first part of your comment and in no way would I want to record at a "hotter level". Problem is that even at the correct pre-amp setting which has the input audio averaging around -12dB to -10dB if during the course of the recording the level happened to peak say to about -7.5dB, my DAW just clips the signal off at -8.5dB for no reason. That is the problem I need to try and sort out.
Recorded Audio Clipping under 0dB in LPX
