Normalize Vs Volume increase Options

[tinpanalley]

I'm having trouble figuring out which of the two is better for me to create a vinyl recording at the highest volume without clipping.

I capture a record via my preamp into Audacity, and I get what seem to be relatively low levels even though I make sure the levels are right when I record (Peak: -6.4db, RMS -24.6db). Am I doing something wrong? Or are those levels right? These recordings don't seem as loud as mastered CDs.

Anyway, to get the most accurate sound possible, should I use normalize or just increase the volume? If normalizing makes everything sound the same at a peak level, doesn't that completely screw with the dynamic range of the music?

Thanks!

[tinpanalley]

All the 24 and 32 bit stuff still has me really confused. It's fine, I just need to do the research and studying myself. It's frustrating for me because as with video I have this thing where I NEED to know what is happening technically throughout the process but I don't have enough background or experience with audio to get my head around it.

There's an analog signal being turned into something digital via the preamp which is also boosting the signal. That newly amplified signal is then being sent digitally (as 1s and 0s) via a USB cable into a computer which takes the input and copies those 1s and 0s onto a harddrive. The software represents that digitized analog signal as a waveform which I can save in various containers (.wav, .flac, etc) and with various filters, settings, and processes applied. I get all of that (IF that was all correct). It's the bits I don't get.

I don't get:
- if the signal looks like it's clipping on the light of the preamp, why is it only hitting -7 on the meter in Sound Forge? Is there another variable somewhere? The Windows input level or something? Why aren't they equal?
- How does the bit amount affect the recording?
- Is the bit depth something the RECORDING HAS or something the SIGNAL COMES WITH from the turntable?

Look, I've got this great turntable and the guys at needledoctor.com helped me pick the best stylus and cartridge for my setup. I don't wanna get so-so sound. I'm the guy that will only use FLAC on his media player (a Cowon). I use gapless. I like my classical having the appropriately low levels. I own Sinatra's Capitol albums on mono because I don't like the duophonic crap that was produced in the 50s when the labels wanted everyone to buy a stereo hifi. I can't be ok with "yeah, that sounds pretty good". I wanna have the best I can and understand why it's the best that I can do with my vinyl captures. Does that make sense? Am I being too picky? ...geez, whiney dude, huh?