Guitar / Bass DI level?

[JayB]

Searched all over Google and found nothing on where a guitar / bass DI level should be . Usually I go around -6 , but I have downloaded some DI's here ( I think JeffTD's ROS tracks were one of them) that had a much lower signal. I also remember hearing somewhere that you should have the signal go as hot a possible before clipping , but when I record any higher than -6 or so it sounds bad , like compressed when I run it through an amp sim. Thoughts? Thanks everyone !

 

[deLuther]

You can reduce input level in ampsim.

 

[XnaySaturo]

I always hear that the maximum peaks should be near -3, but my DIs seem much louder than everyone else's. I have to turn the input in the amp sims waaaay low.

 

[muckypup1]

I have to turn my guitar volume knob down a bit to stop everything actually clipping My DI tracks are normally around -3, sometimes a bit less

 

[Dalinkwent48@aim.com]

I usually try and keep them around -10 or lower so that when I put the amp sim on it it doesnt get too hot. There is def a thread floating around here talking about this exact thing but i totally forget what the title of it is to search for so I cant really help you with that.

 

[guitarguru777]

-6 i believe was the agreed upon "standard"

 

[if6was9]

I usually aim for the largest peaks to be around -3, I don't really mind what the average level is once I'm not peaking. If the DI clips or comes close the tone is muck.

 

[AllanD]

Peaking at -6 for not just that, but for every track recorded here.

 

[musickey]

Peaking at -6 for not just that, but for every track recorded here.

Same here, But i would like to see what some of the big dogs keep their levels at while tracking. Andy, Dave O, Mark, James.??

 

[JayB]

I always hear that the maximum peaks should be near -3, but my DIs seem much louder than everyone else's. I have to turn the input in the amp sims waaaay low.

Hmm... I usually end up lowering the master volume on the amp sim. I guess I should do it the other way around , on the input vol? When I lower input volume too low though , it sounds like the pickups went bad (they're not) or there's not enough gain

 

[deLuther]

I usually set amplification to have strongest peaks at -3 dbfs level, so takes is about -6 dbfs at peaks.

 

[Sickan]

I usually switch to the pickup with the highest output, strum like a mad man and tweak the gain until the highest peaks are at -3dBFS.

 

[greyskull]

-6 here. gives the most accurate representation of the guitars natural volume when re amped