Getting the right levels

When you are recording, it's essential to get the input level set properly so that:

1. the signal is strong enough that you don't need to later amplify it too much, increasing the presence of noise;
2. not so loud that you get distortion in your recording.

You need to set the recording levels on your device, such as the Zoom or your audio interface. The following texts and videos will advise you on doing so.

explanation of gain: https://blog.landr.com/what-is-gain/

another good explanation about volume versus gain, with illustrations: https://unison.audio/what-is-gain/

getting the right levels when recording with a Zoom: https://www.sam-mallery.com/2013/02/how-to-set-audio-levels/

really friendly video that describes setting audio levels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmiJhUe_R5k

setting levels on a similar Zoom device: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSX13O6ybcw