Alesis Multimix 8 Firewire & Audition 2.0, need some assist...

Alright, I've recently gotten into podcasting and I am looking to move onto a mixer.  I've purchased an Alesis Multimix Firewire for my podcast and I am currently working with ASIO in audition to perform multi track recording.  I'm a fair novice when it comes to sounds beyond recording with a simple microphone and sound card, so please bear with.

I'll try to explain as best I can, but you're probably better off looking for the manual to this thing for better reference: http://alesis.com/downloads/manuals/MM8FWManual.pdf

I have hooked my mixer to the computer via Firewire.  It serves as my audio output device as well, so I listen to everything via the mixer's headphones.  This means there is no software-based level control on the sounds I hear from the system.  They are all controlled by a volume adjustment on the mixer board.  This also means that everything is fairly loud.

On the mixer, I have my gain on the microphone turned up (between the last three notches on the knob) and the level turned to the 2 o'clock position.  This gives me about -3db on the mixer.  With the volume knob turned up, I can hear myself fairly well on my headphones, but all Windows sounds (alerts and stuff like that) come across the headphones as practically deafening.  Again, there is no way to tell Windows to turn it down, this must be done on the mixer, but then I cannot hear myself on the microphone... That's problem 1.

Problem 2, is in Audition.  When I record, my levels on the mixer are fine, but with all the default settings on a session, I've very low.  Well below -12db on the DAW.  On my mixer, I'm still peaking at about -3, but on the DAW, again, it's below -12db.  However, when I make adjustments on my mixer, I get somewhat louder on the DAW.  So I am confused on where and how I should be making my changes so that I can come in clear on both the mixer, the DAW and not have my headphone volume set at a particularly deafening level.

Hopefully, someone here has a setup similar to mine and can help me muddle through what to tweak where...  I've been doing my best and have only come across one (unanswered) post asking similar questions on another forum.

On the mixer, I have my gain on the microphone turned up (between the last three notches on the knob) and the level turned to the 2 o'clock position.  This gives me about -3db on the mixer.  With the volume knob turned up, I can hear myself fairly well on my headphones, but all Windows sounds (alerts and stuff like that) come across the headphones as practically deafening.  Again, there is no way to tell Windows to turn it down, this must be done on the mixer, but then I cannot hear myself on the microphone... That's problem 1.

The answer to this question is in the pdf you linked to, (page 28 in the manual, 30 in the pdf).  You have to turn off windows sounds.

Problem 2, is in Audition.  When I record, my levels on the mixer are fine, but with all the default settings on a session, I've very low.  Well below -12db on the DAW.  On my mixer, I'm still peaking at about -3, but on the DAW, again, it's below -12db.  However, when I make adjustments on my mixer, I get somewhat louder on the DAW.  So I am confused on where and how I should be making my changes so that I can come in clear on both the mixer, the DAW and not have my headphone volume set at a particularly deafening level.

Try adjusting the input gain in Audition for the track you are recording.  Others may have better suggestions, but this is the first thing I'd try.