Get that gain staging right!
Added 2024-07-08 09:53:09 +0000 UTCI've been getting Qs about gain staging again, so let's have a refresher to keep our dynamics decent. After all, gain staging in a modern DAW is fairly simple and there's only a few rules to follow.
Old video (good lord I've lost weight since thanks to a complete 180 life change) above to show it all, but main points are below.
🎚️IN A NUTSHELL 🎚️
TRACKS: In terms of distortion or avoiding it, one can have them as loud as one wants, as one cannot distort the tracks per se due to the mega high headroom for the tracks (thanks to floating point audio engine) even if they hit the red a lot. Red is never good practice, but just saying.
PLUGINS: Level going into plugins is a different matter. Not all plugins mind the level, but for example analog-emulated and input-sensitive plugins will distort if you go into them loud. For example many saturation or distortion plugins distort it at input stage. So watch the input level and use moderate input levels for plugins, always.
MASTER: Don't run it red.
Any Qs? Holla!
Let's talk about really loud masters soon and check out a mega loud project, and let's get back to Breakbeat of the month soon as well!
Comments
Legend. Thanks, that’s a great idea about the auto leveller bringing everything down so you can hit the same level before your mastering every time. I will try it out!
George CS
2024-07-08 16:31:44 +0000 UTCYes; you can level the signal down on the master and that’s good enough. The first thing on my master chain is an auto-leveling plugin (Hornet VUmeter) that takes the level down to -18 so I get all the headroom I need (-18 being the designated input level for any analog input stuff) and I don’t have to worry about the track levels and signal from them arriving hot on the master.
Janne Hatula
2024-07-08 16:09:10 +0000 UTCI have one question on this. I know it’s bad practise but if my track is well balanced and I’m not cracking the inputs of the plugins etc. but the only problem is it’s like +6db on the master. Can I just put a gain plug-in on the master -9db and then have a bit more space to balance before go into limiter etc for mastering?
George CS
2024-07-08 16:01:42 +0000 UTC
