Problems with Octatrack output in Ableton

alexdecker · 2014-02-03T14:08:43.000Z

I have a few questions regarding gain staging the Octatrack in my DAW.

I use the MOTU 828 mk3 as my soundcard,

When I sample something from Ableton and into Octatrack as audio, and then play it back from Octatrack, the OT plays it at around 9dB lower level.

Does anyone know why that is? Everything is set to unity gain (0dB) and the individual tracks on the OT is set to the standard (108).

I guess I’m just thinking that if I sample something in to the OT, it should output it at the same level, right?

Alex

avantronica · 2014-02-03T14:16:32.000Z

Quite a few old and recent threads on this

Sampling externally or internally it’s the same, this is in the manual …

GAIN allows you to amplify or attenuate each individual sample without affecting any track parameters or locks. On recorder buffers this setting defaults to +12 dB to compensate for the attenuation the headroom of the audio engine inflicts

It’d be good to get a more detailed heads-up as to why it is like this !

avantronica · 2014-02-03T14:18:53.000Z

I was curious if this, and another usage aspect, were that big a deal in practice

read this thread

alexdecker · 2014-02-04T16:09:36.000Z

Ah, well, that makes a little sense then. But even when my recorded samples are automatically gained 12dB in the system, it plays them back 12dB lower than the sound I recorded.

I just wonder if the audio won’t suffer in quality if I gain it even further to match the level of the original material…