Gainstaging help

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Preamble:
I’ve read around the forum about this and suggestions seem to be varied, which makes me think it’s possibly a matter of personal preference…

Situation:
After jamming for 6 months through the headphone output (into headphones). I then went to record my first track from the Main Outs and hit the “oh no it’s all distorted” problem.
I sorted it out by basically lowering the individual track levels right down to less than 60. I kept the overall Master Volume at 0, and Master Track 8 at 127.

Question:
Should I be lowering the individual Amp volume on each track instead of the track level?
It seems to sound alright but the track levels look mighty low.
Am I missing something important?

Yours curiously…Dave

3 Likes
Massive distortion in Demo mode [resolved]
Noob questions
#2

That is surprising. Are you sure of your Main Outs / mixer and / or sound card settings ?

#3

I wasn’t entirely surprised by this bit, as I was already aware that the output from the headphone jack doesn’t sound the same as that which comes through the main outs.
I just wasn’t sure as to the best solution, so just drastically knocked down the track levels, which seemed to work, but I didn’t know if it was the optimal solution.

The actual main output itself wasn’t peaking at distorted levels, as the recording visual data showed me on my computer. So I could see it was happening before the sound “left” the OT.

#4

Setting Main Level lower seems easier.
Any topic link talking about distortion with Main Outputs and not with Headphones ?

#5

I checked with a sine wave, for me distortion happens with exactly same levels with Heaphones and Main.
MKI.

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#6

That’s interesting, in which case your first questions might apply (post Octatrack equipment).

I was recording into a Zoom H1 and then transferred the recording into Audacity.
After reading your replies I’m thinking the Zoom settings might be an issue, even though there was no observable clipping in the visual volume readings.

I’ll check it out.

Here’s a couple of topics I read, for what it’s worth.

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#7

These posts don’t compare the headphones/mains levels. I thought I read one though, but I’m questioning myself now.

#8

When you record with the Zoom, check recording with its Headphones / Outputs.

#9

Will do - I’m thinking that the input level might have been too high. Thanks for the pointers.

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#10

Yeh id check out the settings on your zoom. With mine you need the gain way down.

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#11

Just for clarity-
There should be no discernable difference between what comes out of the headphone output and what comes out of the main outs, right?

If everything sounded okay through headphones (which it does), then it should also sound okay from the main outs, providing my Zoom settings are okay.

#12

Seems obvious to an experienced user, but just to be sure: Did you compare the output levels set in the Octatrack mixer? Is the headphone output set to main, cue or something in between?

#13

It’s set in the middle in the mixer, between cue and mains…schoolboy error?
(I’m away from the Octa so haven’t tried any of this out yet - but I remember all the settings)

#14

Middle is not an error if you want to listen Main and Cue. I prefer Main only.
I checked yesterday, Main is lower in middle position, but it doesn’t seem to influence distortion. The headphones mixer is mixing Main and Cue analogue signals I guess. Not sure.

What’s Track 3 Level ? :smile:

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#15

Dang - you got me :persevere:

#16

“schoolboy error” - wouldn’t say so, sometimes it’s very small edges that make one stumble

:thinking:

#17

Particularly with the Octa it seems, but that’s been part of the charm in a strange way. Stumbling my way into sonic marvellousness!
There’s gold in them there stumbles…
or as the late great Mr. Cohen said; “there is a crack in everything, for that is how the light gets in”.
I think I mangled that metaphor in true Octatrack fashion, with brief echoes of the original sentiment.

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#18

One of my favorite lines - good old Leonard…

#19

The headphone jack on my OT has a completely different frequency response on each side, it’s really only useful for making coarse adjustments. IF you play notes up a keyboard into the input you can hear them pan to one side in the headphones when they pass through the range of lower mids that are scooped out on the right side.

#20

This defo the OT and not headphones?