Instrument Level

One of four audio signal levels present in studios and live sound systems – the others being mic, line (two flavors), and speaker level. Instrument level is the level (or voltage) put out by an instrument such as an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar with a pickup, or an electric bass guitar. There is no standard for instrument level; it is assumed to fall between mic level (on the low end) and line level (on the high end), and it can range from a few millivolts for passive or piezo pickups to several volts on instruments with active pickups and built-in preamps.