Level meters show several things:
- The current level.
- Signal peaks are shown by a narrow segment for 2 seconds.
- The peak recording level since transport start is indicated by a red line (legacy color themes use a dimmed segment instead). Only audio tracks in record mode have this feature.
- The right hand part will start flashing if clipping occurred (i.e., if the level exceeded 0 dB). This only happens if the overload is actually a problem:
- Recording audio tracks.
- Recording MIDI-tracks using a software instrument.
- Master section.
- Group and Effect Return sections routed to the audio device (Pro edition only).
You can click a meter to reset it and stop the flashing. - A speaker symbol appears to indicate output clipping in soft-monitored audio tracks (the meter itself shows the input level).
The Level Meters are based on DIN PPM meters, where 0 dB = 0 dBFS.
If the audio signal is stereo, a meter will display both the left and the right channels, the upper signal being the left channel.
You can right-click a meter to temporarily change its size. Options are Small, Large, and Huge. The latter can be used if you need to watch the meter from a distance (to set recording levels, for example).
Small meter
Large meter
Huge meter