When you record with levels too low or too high, it’s like creating a tiny image and then zooming in during normalization, mastering, and when your listeners turn up the volume. Your goal is to create a large sound stage full of details. Here is an example describing this process: You can stand back and tell what the picture printed on the puzzle is, but if you move closer you’ll see gaping holes in the image. If your gain structure is too low, you undermine your ability to finish the puzzle by leaving pieces of the puzzle in the box. They all are meant to work in harmony so each piece of equipment in the signal chain receives the signal at the correct volume to maintain the highest resolution possible. This includes trim knobs, input and output gain controls whether in a plugin or hardware, your mixer faders, the volume controls on your instruments, and more. So what’s a gain stage? It’s every point at which you can adjust the amplitude of your signal. Gain staging is the process of setting each gain stage to the proper levels to achieve a maximum quality, both in the analog or digital realm. Let’s jump right into it with… What is Gain Staging? I’ll explain what it is you’re missing with great visual analogy so you know what to listen for, because it’s subtle, but it’s the difference between an amateur garage band and a pristine professional result. To get this, you really need to understand the difference between gain and volume, which we’ve covered in our Gain vs. If you apply the information here to your next tracking and mixing session, you will, without a doubt, notice a difference. Today we’re going to cover this topic in it’s fullest extent. Too little gain is like saying “I know 4k Blu-Ray is a thing now but I’d rather sound like a VHS tape.”Īnd that’s the real crime, the situation most people find themselves in because they aren’t aware of this critical balance between gain and resolution. Too much and you’re clipping and distorting. Your gain matters at every step, from the preamplifier, equalizer, compressor, converters, and even when printing the mix for your album release. It’s either done right or you’ve compromised your ability to have the highest quality song at the end of the day. It’s hard to blame musicians for not having a perfect gain stage… Most have never even heard of this aspect of signal processing.
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