Is there a way to attenuate volume (db) while maintaining optimal leveling?

datasundae

datasundae

Member
I’ve been studying (the very helpful) @rosh FX-III videos and he advocates leveling the output block so it ‘kisses’ the red in the output meter which makes sense. However, I set up a global volume pedal which controls the output block level parameter. It turns out (who knew?) that means the only way to adjust the level in the output block is via the pedal which for me translates to ‘use your hoof, Hagen’. Precision aside, is there a way to control the volume other than the level in the output block ( e.g. keep kissing the red but adjusting the how loud I’m playing? I am pretty sure that’s kind of like saying ‘I want go swimming without getting wet’ but I am going to go ahead and ask anyway. BTW, currently I am playing an NS1 nylon so I am not trying to target the optimal modern rock distortion sound to which so many others have decided to aim.

Thanks so much!

HAGEN
 
The “tickle the red” thing is for your loudest sound.

If you reduce level, you reduce level, so it won’t be that loud regardless of how you do it. So don’t worry if you’re not always tickling red when you turn down, because you’ve simply just turned it down.
 
datasundae said:
I’ve been studying (the very helpful) @rosh FX-III videos and he advocates leveling the output block so it ‘kisses’ the red in the output meter which makes sense. However, I set up a global volume pedal which controls the output block level parameter. It turns out (who knew?) that means the only way to adjust the level in the output block is via the pedal which for me translates to ‘use your hoof, Hagen’. Precision aside, is there a way to control the volume other than the level in the output block ( e.g. keep kissing the red but adjusting the how loud I’m playing? I am pretty sure that’s kind of like saying ‘I want go swimming without getting wet’ but I am going to go ahead and ask anyway. BTW, currently I am playing an NS1 nylon so I am not trying to target the optimal modern rock distortion sound to which so many others have decided to aim.

Thanks so much!

HAGEN
Click to expand...

"Tickling the red" applies to the input level in the I/O menu, not the Output block.
 
It's next to impossible to predict what an optimum output level is going to be for any given system, that's why there's knobs on the front.
I suggest choosing some ideal digital level for a given position on the analog knob. For instance I like -12dbFS on my Apollo input when the Axe Fx output 1 knob is at 9'clock since I'm using spdif, so I save the output level in my presets when a strum is around -12dbFS. That's probably too high for recording multiple tracks anyway. -18dbFS would be smarter but whatever it's my system.
I currently have no idea what that level will be if I use the analog output 1 as is.
 
It’s probably worthwhile to remember that the idea behind all “gain structuring” within any system is to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of each system component without creating unwanted distortion. “Tickle the red” means you’re doing just that — cleanly using virtually all of the available signal range within a device — and you usually want to set any following device’s input level control to properly accept the signal level being sent to it. Ideally, all devices “tickle red” at the same time.
The settings of the last device in the signal chain — often a power amp feeding speaker(s) — will determine the final volume level to be heard.
 
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