A lot of people wonder about “quiet” input and it is often (but not always) normal. Specifically a lot of audio interfaces will target -12dB to -9dB as their input 0. You can later mix or normalize this up. Reaper has a command to Normalize an item to any peak level in the Item processing menu.
If you use plugins in your DAW I recommend reading about DAW Gain Staging. dB VU in audio gear is different than dB Full Scale in a DAW. Many plugins follow the analog gear model of gain and expect things to be in a certain range (around -18dB Full Scale) before they overdrive. Here’s an example with a video:
I don’t know how to check for that input gain.
I browsed the manual here B2 FOUROperation Manual but i didn’t find any control over the input gain.
I guess this must be all related to the bass being passive.
So maybe my only solution is to find any way to “auto-normalize” my takes in REAPER when recording - this is my only issue, i am trying to find a way not to do that manually at every take with the item properties button.
Hello!
I know the basics about gain staging, but i am not running any plugin when recording my bass lines.
I also use that [Normalize] button in the item properties on every take, and this is exactly what I’d like to avoid - maybe some “auto-normalize” function is hidden somewhere.
The signal being recorded is currently VERY low through the B2-four audio interface. I could try to use the B2-Four as a regular pedal (no audio interface), and route its audio signal through my Zoom H6 (which has input gain knobs) and use the H6 as my audio interface… but I hoped to avoid all those cables on my small desk.
USB is enough to run it!
I currently record on my PC using it as an audio interface, with only the usb cable plugged in (… and the bass jack of course)
Quite good. I only have one issue: low input levels, so that i must normalize all my takes to get proper volume.
No apps for Android and Windows - that’s a real pity
