What is “LINE” level and “MIC” level?
Sorting through the definitions of mic and line level can be confusing because there are varied definitions of the terms among audio engineers and manufacturers. Line level refers to the typical level (strength or amplitude) of the audio signal from tape decks, CD players, VCRs, mixers, signal processing equipment and other consumer and professional audio gear. There are two types of line level: consumer and professional. Consumer level line level is generally thought of as a signal whose level is at -10 dBV (0.316). CD players and VCRs are examples of consumer line level equipment. Professional line level is generally thought of as a signal whose level is at +4 dBu (1.23 volts or significantly higher). Signal-processing equipment and professional mixing consoles are examples of professional line level equipment Mic level is the typical level (strength) of a microphone signal. Mic level is generally significantly lower than line level, although that is not always the case. Depending up
