View source for Proposal Graphic indicator of optimum recording level on the waveform display

{{Proposal_Header|This page is a proposal to improve the User Interface relating to the Metering and Monitoring functionality in Audacity, the Meter Toolbar.  |}}
__NOTOC__
==The Problem==
*Many users over-saturate their signal sometimes provoking extended clipping.

== Proposed Feature ==
An optimum recording level drawn on the waveform display.  

==Developer/QA Backing==
*'''Peter Sampson:''' 

==Use Cases==
*Because the default waveform view is linear (where 50% would be a good recording level) many users needlessly oversaturate their signal believing that the waveform should fill the display area.

==Details==
{{note|'''James 12Nov14/05Jan15:''' This could re-incarnate in a slightly different form.  I've done some experiments with a vertical slider on the right hand side with multiple sliders to set levels for various things - which show dotted lines across the whole track.  The idea is/was to use it for such things as setting the level at which compression kicks in, or to set the levels that distinguish noise from silence, and use that to create labels.  The labels are in the usual place, on the label track.  Click 'analyse->find-silences' and they are generated depending on current level settings.}}

{{note|'''[[User:Stevethefiddle|Steve]] ([[User talk:Stevethefiddle|talk]]) 07:59, 23 May 2019 (EDT):''' An even more general version could provide "guide lines" (similar to those found in graphics programs such as Gimp) for all rulers, including the horizontal (Timeline) ruler, the vertical track ruler, the "Plot Spectrum" horizontal and vertical rulers, and any others. Link: [https://www.wikihow.com/Add-or-Remove-Guidelines-in-GIMP Guide lines in Gimp].
}}
As stated above in the Problem statement: ''"Many users over-saturate their signal sometimes provoking extended clipping."''  The default display of a Linear waveform encourages many users to try to fill the whole of the available 0.0 to plus or minus 1.0 of the gray space leading to an over-saturated (and sometimes clipped) capture.  Note that this is less of a problem with the, non-default, "Waveform (dB)" display mode as the signal fills much more the visually available gray space, however the default view is the linear waveform display and this is the display type that most users will deploy.

*A grey dashed line extending along the available wave form display set at +0.5 and -0.5 for linear waveform displays and set at -6dB for Waveform (dB) display.  Could be a line or dotted gray line if though visually superior.
*The gray dashed line should be super-imposed on the waveform so that it remains visible once the waveform exceeds the optimum level.
*This indicator display to be controlled by a Preferences setting (on or off) in the Recording section, or via a dialog accessed via a right-click in the waveform display   - default to be "on".
**'''Peter 06Sep14:''' We could consider making the default setting to be "off" as a) this would avoid a regression and b) there are *many* pages in the Manual with the waveform display in some form or another all of which would need updated images.

*Optionally: the user should be able to set their own "optimal" recording level via a further additional Preferences setting in the Recording section or via a dialog accessed via a right-click in the waveform display - default to be +/-0.5 or -6dB.

===GUI example===
::[[File:Linear waveform with optimum recording level indicators.PNG]]

==Feature requests relating to this proposal==
*The Wiki Feature Requests page shows 29 votes for gridlines: https://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Feature_Requests#grid

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