Changes

The analog physical inputs for interfaces resemble the components of a [[Mixing Boards/Consoles|mixing board]]. Most inputs have a [[Mixing Boards/Consoles#Trim/Gain|gain/trim]] control and pre-amp, and microphone inputs typically feature [[Mixing Boards/Consoles#Phantom Power|phantom power]] switches. Instrument-level inputs often have a [[Mixing Boards/Consoles#Pad|pad]] button in addition to the gain/trim control to attenuate the volume of the inbound signal. Whereas a mixing board may be analog or digital, audio interfaces are designed to convert the analog signal into [[Understanding Digital Audio|digital audio]]. Whereas analog clipping may be mildly annoying or in some cases musical, digital clipping is usually quite noisy and harsh. Properly setting pad and gain/trim settings to avoid digital clipping is essential to getting a usable signal in your DAW.