Adobe Audition: Monitor and Adjust Recording Levels

Step-by-step

1. Locate the meter at the bottom of the Adobe Audition interface
2. Double-click inside the meter area to activate input monitoring
3. Speak into the microphone to check input levels
4. Adjust the input gain on your audio interface or reposition the microphone until the loudest peaks reach between -12 and -6 dB

Options

• Position the microphone differently
• Increase input gain from the audio interface
• Move closer to the microphone
• Talk louder

Watch out for

• Do not cross 0 dB on the meter, as audio data will be lost and sound will be distorted
• Recording too close to -3 dB risks accidental clipping or distortion if levels suddenly spike

Tips

• Aim for the -12 to -6 dB range to ensure enough headroom for post-processing
• Only the loudest spoken words need to reach the target range, not every word
• If you are not reaching -12 dB, check if you are too far from the mic or talking in the wrong direction
• The ideal peak level for final audio is -3 dB, but you should record lower to avoid clipping

Highlights

“recording in the proper range ensures your setup is correct and you will get the best quality recording”