Recording in Peak

Once you have configured Peak for recording, you may use the following directions to record audio from any source connected to your Macintosh.

Configuring Peak for Recording in OS X

To start recording:

  1. Turn down the volume of your instrument or audio source.
  2. Connect the instrument or audio source to the audio input jack on your Macintosh. If you are using third-party audio hardware device, use the connectors on this device; many audio devices have an external interface box which contains the input and output connectors, if this is the case, use these.
  3. Choose Record Settings from the Audio menu (Option-R) - or Toolbar, and configure the settings as described in the previous section.

    If you wish to listen to the audio being recorded, make sure that you have checked the Monitor On/Off checkbox in the Record Settings.

  4. Select Record from the Audio menu (Cmd-R) or the Record button in the Transport. The Record dialog will open.

  5. Play your instrument or audio source. You should see the signal levels register on Peak's Audio Meters in the Transport window.

  6. Adjust the output of your audio source so that its signal registers relatively high on the meters but never hits top (indicated by the red Clip Indicators.). Remember to always leave 6 dB or so of headroom on the meters so that you donÕt clip. Use the yellow and orange meter lights and red Clip indicators to help you make this adjustment. If the recording level ÒclipsÓ (exceeds 0 dB, causing digital distortion), you can reset the clip indicators by clicking them with your mouse.
  7. Click the Record button in the Record dialog. You are now recording to disk.

    You should see the audio waveform begin to scroll in the Audio Source Display window

    and the Counter in the Transport start to move

  8. To stop recording, click the Stop button. To pause, click the Pause button.

  9. Once you have stopped recording, the Save dialog appears and prompts you to name the audio document. You must save the audio document to the same hard drive you selected in the Record Settings dialog.

    Enter a name and click Save. Peak automatically saves the document in the audio file format you selected in the Record Settings dialog. If you wish to later save the document in a different audio file format, use the Save As command.

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