Using the
Audio Tool
Use the Audio tool primarily for mixing and monitoring audio.
The Audio tool, along with your hardware's audio parameters, allows you to do the following in preparation for input:
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Check and manage your audio hardware setup.
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Set audio levels before recording.
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In addition, controls in the Audio tool allow you to calibrate, set levels, and generate customized calibration tones for output to the speakers or a record device. For more information about the Audio tool, see the following table.
| Audio Tool button | | Reset Peak button |
| Peak Hold Menu button |
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To open the Audio tool, do one of the following:
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Select Tools > Audio Tool.
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Click the Audio Tool button in the Capture tool.
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The Audio tool opens and displays meters for two to eight channels, depending on the configuration of your system.
The following table describes the components in the Audio tool.
Reset Peak button | Resets the current maximum peak measurements. It also stops the playback of the internal calibration tone. |
In/Out toggle buttons | Switch the meter displays for each channel between input levels from a source device and output levels to the speakers and record devices. Iáindicates Input, and O indicates Output. |
Peak Hold Menu button | Displays a pop-up menu that allows you to select options for customizing the meter displays and for setting and playing back the internal calibration tone. |
Digital scale to the left of the meters | Displays a fixed range of values from 0 to –90 decibels (dB), according to common digital peak meter standards. |
Volume unit (VU) scale (analog) to the right of the meters | Displays a range of values that you can conform to the headroom parameters of your source audio. |
Meters | Dynamically track audio levels for each channel as follows:
| | Meters show green below the target reference level (default reference
level is –20ádB on the digital scale).
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| | Meters show yellow for the normal headroom range, above the
reference level to approximately –3ádB.
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| | Meters show red for peaks approaching overload, between –3ádB and 0
(zero) dB.
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| | Thin green lines at the bottom indicate signals below the display range.
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The following topics describe how to use the Audio Tool:
