Simple recording of various online sources. I can get fairly good recordings but would like to go higher with the recording levels. I’ve got everything turned to max volume, the online source, the computer volume, Soundflower, everything maxed, but it isn’t even coming close to clipping. I’m wondering if there’s something I’m overlooking…
When recording sounds that are playing on the computer, the playback level matters. Just like speaking louder into a mic creates a larger signal for the recording, so increasing the playback level affects the recording level when recording what is playing. This can be a problem if your playback device does not have a hardware volume control because playback may need to be uncomfortably loud to get a good recording level. If you can play back through headphones or speakers that have a hardware volume control, then you can turn down that control, and increase the playback level on the computer.
Note also that you don’t need to record at maximum volume. It is recommended to aim for peaks that are about half the track height. The Amplify or Normalize effects may be used to boost the level prior to exporting.