Track level is peaking but master is not?

[Rob5FE3]

I've placed a .wav file of a voice over recording into a fresh Adobe Audition multitrack session.

The master level indicator is showing me that my levels are quite low, so I've boosted the track volume by 3 decibels.

This is causing the track level to clip, however the master is not clipping, indicating that I still have headroom. How is it possible that the track can be clipping but the master isn't?

I come from Ableton Live, and this isn't possible without turning down the master or using plugins or effects to reduce volume on the master. To clarify, I haven't touched any settings or volume controls other than the track that has my audio on it.

Screenshot for reference.

I'm aware that this is most likely my lack of knowledge of Adobe Audition, so posting this as a discussion question.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

The track meters come after the gain control, and you've increased the gain sufficiently to make the track appear to clip. But Audition uses a 32-bit Floating Point mix system, and it's almost impossible to overload that, even by doing silly things. Your signal level was fine before you increased the gain - if you want to alter the levels in the final mix, you're rather better off using the mixer panel faders... which is what they were designed for!

[Rob5FE3]

Thanks for the response!

I actually tested using the Mixer panel faders at the time using the same +3 decibel increase and noted that the channel clipped while the master did not, so I'm still a bit unsure about how the channel can clip but the master can not, given that there was nothing between the channel and the master reducing the channel volume.

I think that's because I'm coming from Ableton Live and Logic, where if your channel is clipping your master definitely is too.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

The explanation of exactly why Audition doesn't overload is quite complicated, and many people regard it as akin to black magic, even though it isn't really. All you need to understand is that at any point during the processing in Multitrack view, an apparent overload can be corrected down the line. In fact you can have the master output looking like a solid block of green when you mix it to Waveform view, but normalizing the signal will have it right back to where it should be. The reason for sticking with a nominal 0dB though is because although the software can compensate, your hardware can't - so the signal coming out of your sound device can most definitely overload. This is because it's an integer-based device rather than a Floating Point one.

There are now one or two portable recorders (Zoom, Tascam) that use the same system on their inputs, and they imply that you never need to worry about setting the input gain on them, as it can be corrected afterwards in software like Audition, which uses Floating Point processing. Whilst this is largely correct, it isn't entirely (says he from first hand experience), because they still have to interface with real-world devices called microphones, and you still have to be able to monitor the results without overload - the headphone outputs are equally susceptible.

[Robert32194799hqfj]

Yeah that's fine. Still don't know how +1 DB on your track translates to -4 DB on the master! Seems to me that the software shouldn't operate this way, and that it should give a more accurate display of levels, as per ProTools, Logic, Live etc. But anyhow, good to know!

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

That apparent level discrepancy is all to do with the Pan law you are using - a forum search will reveal loads of posts about that.