Different level meters playing vs. recording on DP32sd

[Spiros Crust]

I have a question about TASCAM DP32sd.When I plug an electric guitar with an external multieffect modelling unit,let's say BOSS DR-880,and play through a TASCAM channel via a pair of nearfield active monitors,I hear the sound at a certain level,let's say A db.
But,when I tap on the relative recording button,which corresponds to the channel ,where my guitar is being connected, -red button flashes-its volume raises a bit,when I play the guitar now, it is definitely a little louder,than it was before (where I was just improvising,without engaging the recording button -no flashing red).Does anyone know why this is happening,and what would be done about it,if it is a problem at all,and how do you fix this.Thanks a lot.

 

[David Porter]

Hmmm....

I suggest that you sit through the Phil Tipping videos starting with the video 2 (setting to a "known state" when creating a new song).

It sounds like maybe you're monitoring your guitar effect through the "mixer" section which has it's own level controls (trim level control, input level control, send level control(s), and master stereo fader level control) - but when you click the "recording arm track" button (blinking red)... you're now subject to a different set of level controls depending on how your routing is setup. I'm not home to look at my diagram - but I might be on the right track.

Assuming your machine is not malfunctioning (doubtful) - watching the videos will lead you to the cause of what you're describing - I say that with near certainty.

 

[Spiros Crust]

You write ''depending on how your routing is setup. '' That might be my question,how do one sets up the apprpriate routing for recording ? Thanks for your reply.I'll check dear Mr Phil's awesome tutorial series,and hopefully find the spot ,where he mentions about that routing thing and stuff.
Maybe the answer to my initial question lies to 17:30''-17:50'', of Mr Phil's tutorial video 3A.

 

[David Porter]

Yeah - the videos will explain this much better than I - but what I meant regarding "how your routing is setup": Is your signal going straight through to the stereo buss? - Or are you sending the signal through to the "send" bus and through the send effects before getting back to the stereo buss? There are level settings at multiple places depending on your individual channel settings (which is one reason why setting things back to a known state when creating a song is not only helpful - but important - otherwise you may have carried over channel settings from a previous song and that can be confusing and MAY be the cause of your volume inconsistency). The videos explain all of this really clearly.

 

[RustyAxe]

I think this is the issue exactly ... you're routing to the track (which goes to stereo bus usually) AND to the stereo bus directly. Route the input to the track only, and if you want to play without recording simple arm the track, but don't press RECORD.

(If you can hear what you're playing with no tracks armed this is the problem)

 

[David Porter]

I'm probably beating this dead horse... but with regard to the "known state" starting point for a new song as the Tipping video #2 demonstrates... I'm *pretty sure* that when you initially set this up by "initializing" the machine - for whatever reason it sets up the input "assignments" so that inputs A-H are all assigned to tracks 1-8 - respectively. If I remember right - the "Stereo Bus" (A-H) settings at the bottom are already off (no assignments are made).

So because of this... I intentionally saved my "known state" starting point with *everything* turned off - no assignments are made whatsoever to the tracks and/or the Stereo Bus. This makes for a squeaky clean starting point when digging in to a new song.

Man, I love this machine.