urahara1 wrote:Isn't it better to record a signal that reaches 0 db and then bring it down from within the DAW? This is what the waveform at 47.0 gain looks like: http://screencast.com/t/k1vPcX9D
Is the gain too much?
No. You can record well below 0 with no problem at all if you recorded at 24 bit, but if you exceed 0 even slightly you get digital clipping that sounds terrible. Bottom line is I would record at 24 bit and aim for an average level of -18 to -12 or so,with peaks never going above -6. There's a lot more info on this online if you google search.
The waveform you linked to looks ok for a mixed and mastered file where you can used compression, careful fader control etc. to control peaks in post. This is not what you want for tracking.
This still does not address why you said you barely hear anything. I continue to suspect your routing in total mix is not optimal.