"Gain" is how much your system amplifies the microphone signal before it’s digitized. Set it too low and your recording is quiet and noisy; set it too high and loud moments clip (distort) and can’t be fixed. The sweet spot is gain high enough for a strong, clean signal but with enough headroom that your loudest peaks never hit 0 dBFS. This dBFS meter helps you find that sweet spot, making it easy to dial in healthy recording levels before you commit to a take.
The recommended workflow: start the meter, speak (or play) at your loudest realistic level, and adjust your input gain — in your operating-system sound settings or your interface’s gain knob — until the peak-hold marker settles in the green target zone, roughly −18 to −6 dBFS. The live guidance above the meter tells you which way to turn. Leave a little headroom: aiming peaks around −12 to −9 dBFS is comfortable for voice.
Reading the meter
- Peak bar — the fast-moving fill shows the instantaneous peak level. This is what gets you close to clipping.
- Peak hold — the marker jumps to each new peak and falls slowly, so you can see your loudest recent moments without staring.
- VU average — a slow-moving marker tracking perceived loudness, similar to a classic VU meter; useful for consistent speaking level.
- Clips — counts how many times the signal hit digital full scale. For a clean recording this should stay at zero.
How is this different from the Microphone Test?
The Microphone Test is a quick "does my mic work" check with a waveform and spectrum. This tool is a dedicated gain-setting meter with proper peak-hold ballistics, a target zone, a VU average, and live raise/lower guidance — the meter you keep open while turning the gain knob. For a one-time sensitivity profile (noise floor, dynamic range), see the Mic Sensitivity Analyzer.
Reading the level history chart
The chart at the bottom of the meter panel plots your peak dBFS value over the last ~10 seconds as a scrolling waveform. It lets you spot inconsistency in your speaking level at a glance — a healthy gain setting produces a fairly steady band inside the target zone, while an erratic signal that swings between −40 dBFS and −3 dBFS suggests the source (or the system's auto-gain) is unstable. If you notice your input sensitivity varying on its own, check whether automatic gain control is enabled in your OS or conferencing app, because auto-gain will constantly fight against any manual level you set. For a full picture of how your microphone handles the difference between quiet ambience and loud peaks — its dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio — use the Mic Sensitivity Analyzer after you have dialled in a stable gain here. If you then hear distortion or harsh harmonics even at sensible levels, the Mic Distortion Analyzer can tell you whether the problem is in the mic capsule or your preamp gain stage.
What level should my mic peak at?
For spoken voice, aim for your loudest peaks around −12 to −6 dBFS — comfortably inside the green target zone with headroom to spare. Music or dynamic sources often target a little lower (more headroom). The key rule: peaks should never reach 0 dBFS, or you’ll clip.
Why is the target −18 to −6 dBFS and not 0?
0 dBFS is the absolute ceiling — touch it and you clip. Professional practice leaves headroom below it so unexpected loud moments don’t distort. −18 dBFS is a common alignment reference; −6 dBFS is a safe upper bound for peaks. Keeping peaks in that band gives you a strong signal with room to breathe.
Peak vs VU — what’s the difference?
The peak bar reacts instantly to the loudest sample and is what determines clipping. The VU average is smoothed over a few hundred milliseconds and tracks perceived loudness — better for judging a consistent speaking level. Set gain by the peaks (to avoid clipping); judge consistency by the VU.
Where do I actually change the gain?
This page only measures — it can’t change your gain. Adjust it where your system exposes it: your operating-system sound/input settings (microphone level), an audio interface’s gain knob, or your mixer. Change it there while watching this meter, then re-check your peaks.
The meter shows clipping but my voice sounds fine — why?
Clipping is brief and easy to miss by ear, especially on consonants and plosives. Even a few clips degrade a recording. Lower your gain until the clip counter stays at zero through your loudest moments, then leave a few dB of headroom.
Why won’t the meter move much / sit very low?
Your gain is probably too low, you’re far from the mic, or the wrong input device is selected. Pick the correct device in the dropdown, move closer, and raise your input gain. If raising gain mostly raises the noise floor, your mic or preamp may be the limit.
Does it disable auto-gain?
It requests the raw signal with auto-gain, noise suppression, and echo cancellation off, so the meter reflects your true gain setting. If your OS forces auto-gain that can’t be disabled, the level may drift on its own — turn off microphone "enhancements" in your system settings for an accurate reading.
Is any audio recorded?
No. The signal is metered in real time only; nothing is recorded, saved, or sent anywhere. The microphone is released when you press Stop or close the tab.
How do I set gain on a USB microphone vs an audio interface?
USB microphones have a fixed preamp gain set by the manufacturer — you control level only through your operating-system input volume slider (or a physical gain knob if the mic has one). Audio interfaces expose a physical gain knob per channel that controls the preamp before the converter; this gives finer control and usually lower noise. In both cases, watch this meter while adjusting and target peaks around −12 to −9 dBFS.
What is a good gain setting for podcasting or streaming?
For spoken-word podcasting and live streaming, a peak-hold marker hovering around −12 to −9 dBFS during your loudest sentences is ideal. That gives your audio software (DAW, OBS, streaming encoder) enough clean signal to work with while preserving 9–12 dB of headroom for sudden loud moments. The VU average typically runs 6–10 dB below your peak — if your VU average is already hitting −6 dBFS, your gain is too hot for comfortable streaming.
Why does the meter reading drift on its own even when I'm not speaking?
Automatic gain control (AGC) — sometimes labeled "microphone boost," "microphone enhancements," or "auto-level" — is almost certainly active. AGC continuously adjusts the input gain to maintain a constant output level, which makes this meter impossible to use for manual calibration. Disable it in your OS sound settings (Windows: Sound Control Panel → Recording → Properties → Enhancements; macOS: System Settings → Sound → Input) and re-start the meter for an accurate reading.
What should I do after setting gain here before I start recording?
Once your peaks are stable in the target zone and the clip count is zero, do a short test recording in your DAW or recording app and listen back. Confirm the
signal-to-noise ratio is comfortable — the audio should be clearly louder than the background hiss. If noise is prominent, consider whether your gain is too high for the mic's sensitivity, or whether room treatment is needed. You can also check the noise floor directly with the
Background Noise Detector.