You need to ensure that all of the songs you record will be playing back at the appropriate volume for the listener. To start with, set your monitor level. The better way to do this is to first listen to a song you are genuinely familiar with. Be sure it is a zero peaking song. Have it at the level it's suppose to be at. An enjoyable listening level. Once you're at this stage, don't change the monitor levels but instead adjust the master track of the song you are working on.

It is suppose to sound at a suitable level for listening. Then check the meter levels to make sure they're not on over-load. If it is on over-load then consider placing a limit rather than turning the level down. Make a note of the level setting that's on the monitor. You'll have this in future to refer to.

Try to bear in mind that it's not how high you get the volume to, but the quality of the volume that'll make the recording a success. Ideally, it will be to show the level of the instrument that it is meant to go to not beyond its means. Technology is a fantastic tool but it doesn't beat common sense and instinct.

Dont lose sight of the fact there's no need to record at maximal volume of a multitrack. Various people will argue then why is it necessary to have a sixteen bit dynamic range it you are not going to use it. A come back to that remark will be why bother trying to record the cabasa at precisely 16 bits when its never going to represent more than 12 bits anyway.

Some other issues of not wanting to have the sound cranked up to maximum is in the event you've to use a favourite. These are not precisely user friendly when having to be utilized at low level. But if you record at logical and practical levels you could avoid redundant time consuming headaches such as these.

You can end up with numerous large mixing problems if you are utilizing an analogue mixing desk long with some thing like hi-hat recorded at max, on digital multi-track. If numerous of the items are constantly peaking at 0 then when turned off, you'll still hear them in the background. This's in reference to items like hi-hats, cabasas or cymbals for instance

In this case, you should not be surprised to find every of that electrical leakage being reverb on the hi hat, as just one cause. Items like bass drum and snare drum are meant to be played loudly but not the top kit items or the quiet instruments.

What I'm trying to say is to bear in mind to find the moderate levels. From there you've some leverage to work with, either up or down as the situation or sound or instrument dictates. At the very end, you are going to end up with a superior piece of recording. After all music is every thing about sound.