Lurker needs TASCAM DR-40 help

[SATXFreddy]

Hi guys. Been toying with a bass for years, finally broke down and found someone to give me lessons and moving along. I recently picked up a TASCAM DR-40 to start recording myself. The problem is the playback level is way too low.

I've adjusted just about every setting on the thing, but I still have to turn the volume all the way up on anything I use to listen to my recordings.

My amp is a Rumble 100, I am running an output cable directly from the amp to the L EXT MIC input. If I use the external mics there is way too much noise, I can hear my dogs breathing and panting from the next room.

I'm playing an active bass, and the live level is uncomfortably loud, but I'm still not getting any dBs on my play back. Am I missing something? I can't turn my amp volume up much more or my wife will kill me.

Here are my settings:
DUAL
EXT IN 1/2
-6dB
LVL CTRL: OFF
MS DECODE: ON

WAV 16bit
SAMPLE: 44.1k
SIZE: 64M
LOW CUT: OFF
PRE REC: ON

Thanks for reading,
SATXFreddy

 

[Roland GR 88]

You should be able to play fairly quietly and adjust the line out level on the amp to get a hot enough signal. Make sure you're input on the Tascam is set to "ext" and not -6. You should also be able to see the incoming levels on the Tascam and with the line out level on the amp and line in level on the recorder be able to set them properly. At the -6 setting you are (if I read the manual correctly) making 2 recordings. 1 at line level and another at -12 with the -12 being a clean back-up in case of distortion.