Greetings. I have just gotten started with home recording and use of my PC for practice with amp sim software (Blue Cat). I have JBL 305p MKII monitors, Scarlet 2i2 interface, Reaper DAW.

My question regards how to use all the volume controls. All sound from my PC is now coming through my monitors. I have the volume control on the backs of the monitors set all the way to "10" as they came from the factory and as advised by sales person.

I now notice that I have the following volume controls:

"monitor" knob on the Scarlet
PC volume control controlled by the sys tray icon or the button on my keyboard.
Browser volume control
Blue Cat volume control
DAW volume control

Can you help me understand the basics of how to use these controls and which ones to ignore?

Thanks for getting me started!!

 

1. monitor volume down (to ~3)
2. PC volume 100%
3. browser volume 100%
4. Reaper track volume 0dB (not down!)
5. Reaper Master 0dB
6. 2i2 volume at ~ 75%
7. play a song in Reaper (just drag the audio file into Reaper)
8. now you turn up your monitors up to the max level you want to listen to
9. leave the monitors at this level and control the (lower) listening volume with the 2i2
10. when you work in Reaper best leave the Master at 0dB for now and adjust the tracks to lower (not raise) their level

 

^What No Avenger said

 

Thanks for this great advice. Now that I have it set up that way I notice that it is hard to balance the sound level of a YouTube backing track and my guitar. It seems I have to use the PC system volume control to control of the YouTube track and then boost my scarlet monitor knob to bring the guitar back up especially if I make any changes to my Blue Cat presets for the guitar sound. I am using the Blue Cat standalone app at this time, not in my DAW.

Is there a better way to balance these two levels, that is, the guitar volume and the backing track volume? Thanks for your continued help bringing up junior!

 

All No Avenger says is exact. In one word, control your monitors level with the output knob control of Scarlet.
To mix your guitar with YouTube videos , use YouTube volume control.
If your guitar is always too low, that's because you have to rise up your monitors a bit.

 

Super place this audiosex!!!!

 

I won't touch this one because it affects all audio from your PC. As Oly said, level YT in the vid.

On principle I'd balance Blue Cat Audio standalone out and the backing track itself, be it YT or mediaplayer, or whatever, then adjust the overall listening volume with the 2i2. So, if YT is at max and BC at 0dB you can lower either of them to match their levels.