Where do I set recording level in Logic?

You set the level on your hardware, not in Logic. If you want to meter the level, simply make an audio channel strip, no plugins (metering plugins will be fine, of course), set it to unity gain, click the "I" button and the level displayed will be your input level - which you set on your hardware, or sometimes in driver software that goes with whatever interface you use.

If the fader is not at zero (aka unity), then you could engage pre-fader metering, which always shows the full level, even with the fader down.

For some interfaces you can get input level control in your Logic mixer (at the very top of the channel strip), but if you haven't got that, then your interface input level(s) cannot be controlled by software.

So: input level is controlled by hardware, NOT by Logic. If you lower the fader on your channel strip, the output will be softer, but the recorded level will not change.

Yes, there are at least 2 somethings that tell you if it's clipping. You never mentioned which Apollo you have but from the UA website they all appear to have metering on the front.

From that pic it looks like they all give you some level of meter with 0dBFS marked. 0 dBFS is the top end of what your ADC can do. Anything above that is clipping. Slightly over and you may not notice it, but it is clipping.

The other way is to use input monitoring and as Eriksimon originally posted, set Logic to pre-fader metering. This gives you the input levels from the interface and ignores the fader in that case. The fader still has an impact on the level in the mix but not on that meter.

I suspect UA gives you software you can run to set your pre-amp and monitor it as well.

Give yourself enough headroom anyway, especially if you're recording 24 bit, you have plenty of dynamic range. I'm not a musician, I do voice over, so for music someone else can give you better rules of thumb on the level to set, but for voicing I set my levels to average around -12dBFS and peaking up around -6dBFS. That way if I get extra loud I still have room before clipping. Same thing applies to a guitar just the numbers may or may not be different.

I'd suggest you do a youtube search for gain staging and learn the basics for music. There are plenty of videos to show you best practices for music gain staging.

Your Apollo has input level meters, you're not doing it blind unless you have the interface in the rack backwards...

From the Apollo manual

Apollo 8 Hardware Manual

(12) Channel Level Meters

The 10-segment LED channel meters display the input or output signal peak levels for

analog channels 1 – 8. Input or output metering is selected with the METER switch

(#19), and the input/output state is shown by the METER indicators (#15).

The dB values of the meter LEDs are indicated between the meters for channels 4 and 5.

When digital clipping occurs in input (when 0 dBFS is exceeded), the red “C” (clip) LED

illuminates.

Input Channel Meters

When set to INPUT, the channel meters display the signal peak input levels for analog

channels 1 – 8 at the input to the A/D converters.

Avoid digital clipping at the channel’s A/D converter by reducing the output level of

the device connected to the channel’s input, and/or in the case of channels 1 – 4, by

reducing the preamp gain and/or engaging the Pad (#7) and readjusting gain as needed.

Output Channel Meters

When set to OUTPUT, the channel meters display the signal peak output levels for analog

channels 1 – 8 at the output of the D/A converters.

kerochan wrote:

Just about got it yes!

Theres nothing to tell me that the input is or isnt clipping on the interface though, so its all guess work

Are you saying your UA interface doesn't have Input level meters? Or doesn't have a mixer application that shows the

input levels. I find that hard to believe, actually I find it impossible to believe.

You can use Logic's channel strip which monitors the input level when the track is record enabled. Look at the graphic I posted.

you can't alter the INPUT GAIN in Logic (unless your hardware supports the function). you control the INPUT GAIN through your hardware. Not in Logic.

That's what (amongst other things) Erik was saying in his original reply.

Once you set the input gain on your hardware you can put the fader where you like for playback. Wherever you put it, it won't affect your input gain.

kerochan wrote:

I don't use Logics guitar effects, I am using a UA Plug in on the interface at the recording stage, I have a digital mixer on screen.

Its not clipping, though I am worried that I cant see it clipping in Logic if it was!

How can I know its not clipping on the interface?

If it's not clipping at the interface, IT'S NOT CLIPPING IN LOGIC..... Got it?

Logic doesn't mysteriously add input gain, It sees what the Interface is seeing.

Yes, you would enable Software Monitoring, Logic monitors when record enabled.

https://help.uaudio.com/hc/en-us/articles/213746106

and scroll down a bit.

kerochan wrote:

Thanks octopi

Though I cant understand how I control clipping, if the Pre amp sound is correct on my interface, I cant turn the volume up/down as it alters the guitar sound!

Then you're setting gain staging in the wrong order. if you're driving Logic's guitar effects (distortion...etc) and you're not clipping the interface and everything sounds good use a Gain Plugin as the last Insert in the channel strip to lower the volume.

Sorry... that did not come out right..the above comment is in regards to mixing.

Set your Interface volume playing the guitar as hard as you're going to play it, once that is set then add Logic's effects and adjust them to your liking.

I know it works, it is how I have done it in the ten years I've been using Logic. And if I remember correctly, it was the same with Cubase VST 3, 4 and 5 - which I used in the previous century, up until 2005 or so. In fact, I believe this is how every DAW works.