Should I set the instrument volume to max?

[Enkidu]

Should I crank the instruments to 200% and control all volume from the mixer, or should I set the instruments by ear and use the mixer for fine tuning?

I'm wondering about this since you can't make the track any louder in the mixer than what's set directly on the instrument.

Thanks,

-E

[musikbear]

Should I crank the instruments to 200% and control all volume from the mixer,

No! absolutely No!

or should I set the instruments by ear and use the mixer for fine tuning?

Yes.

I'm wondering about this since you can't make the track any louder in the mixer than what's set directly on the instrument.

You are not suppose to!
Mixing is the process where you make a Ballance between everything in the project.
The question that you need to answer with your mixing is:
Can i hear everything i have added in the project
If not -You have frequency-losses, due to one or more over-powering elements.
For this your ears are critical important! -But you can get great help from analysing tools like frequency-analysers
In the actual process, the perhaps most important tool is EQ-plugins
Several y. ago i made a video of how i mixed a track
I t is still ok, except we have much better tools in LMMS now!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 5nzetBqgjA

[Enkidu]

Thanks. I wasn't sure since some of the instrument presets are so quit they need to be turned up quite a bit and other so load they blow out your eardrums.

[musikbear]

Thanks. I wasn't sure since some of the instrument presets are so quit they need to be turned up quite a bit and other so load they blow out your eardrums.

You are absolutely correct. Our instruments are not uniform at all. That is caused by adding instruments over a 14 y period, in a organic way.
I am looking into that issue, truing to get a more uniform output from all instruments.
You may like to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mFHDyWGh9c