The invention relates to an optical recording apparatus comprising means for optimizing a write strategy in a recording process. The apparatus comprising a radiation source for emitting a radiation beam in accordance with the write strategy, a read unit so as to provide a read signal, a bit detector for providing modulation bits corresponding to the read signal, a processing unit for grouping the modulation bits into modulation bit sequences and for correlating each modulation bit sequence of the read signal to a reference level, the reference level corresponding to the average amplitude of the read signal for a given modulation bit sequence. Average transition shifts of leading and/or trailing edges are determined based on the position of the reference levels, and at least one of the one or more write parameters in the write strategy is optimized in an optimization process based on the relative values of the reference levels. Optionally, the asymmetry of an optical effect may be determined from the reference levels so that the write strategy is optimized based on the asymmetry.