levels and analog vs. digital

On the levels question...you can set it to auto adjust or you can manually adjust it. I like to do it manually. Just be sure to crank out a few high loud sections to see where you need to set the max level...then, knock it down a little further...you always sing louder in performance than when setting your levels.

On the digital vs analog question...the new digital recorders do have a little bit of a different sound than the old analogs, but it's not better or worse, its just different. When you hear engineers talk about color they're referring to the characteristics of their equipment impart on a recording. The key in classical music is to have the least amount of color and therefore get the truest representation of the actual performance. I believe that digital recording devices have the ability to impart less color on a recording.