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therapist wrote:Ok, to take it off track then, what is up with the phrase 'gain staging'? I get what it means, it just sounds weird.

Gain Stage
Any stage or point in an audio/video signal path where the gain or level of the signal can be adjusted or amplified. Basically this means any piece of equipment the signal passes through can be considered at least one gain stage (if not many stages). Any place your signal encounters a level control is a gain stage. That means the "input" AND "output" level controls of something are both gain stages. It is desirable to have gain stages matched throughout the path of a signal. Boosting a signal way up at one point while turning it way back down at the next point is generally not preferred as it can reduce the overall dynamic range and signal to noise level available.

deadly habit wrote:

therapist wrote:Ok, to take it off track then, what is up with the phrase 'gain staging'? I get what it means, it just sounds weird.

Gain Stage
Any stage or point in an audio/video signal path where the gain or level of the signal can be adjusted or amplified. Basically this means any piece of equipment the signal passes through can be considered at least one gain stage (if not many stages). Any place your signal encounters a level control is a gain stage. That means the "input" AND "output" level controls of something are both gain stages. It is desirable to have gain stages matched throughout the path of a signal. Boosting a signal way up at one point while turning it way back down at the next point is generally not preferred as it can reduce the overall dynamic range and signal to noise level available.

That makes a lot of sense, I'd never really considered that before.

I find it weird when people use that phrase (or gain structure) when all they actually mean is putting the mix faders at appropriate levels, but that post is a gem.

tbh considering that we're largely entirely in-the-box, gain structure isn't AS hugely important as it was even 10 years ago, when you'd see as many ADAT machines as you would protools rigs. getting a clean signal with enough amplitude to tape/ADAT was the name of the game for ages ages. now that we have super-clean recording technology (the noise in the signal-to-noise in a DAW is essentially 0), we're talking more about maintaining tone and sound.

Still, where and how you add or take away amplitude has a huge effect on the sounds you're working with. The less you chase your tail as DH said (turn up/turn down/turn up/turn down), the better. Likewise, the less you overdrive your plugins, the cleaner a signal you have to work with--and the more control you have.

if its not loud enough and not clipping at 0DB just turn it up at the master.

and then put it all through a limiter. easy.

louder isn't really better however, if you think it sounds good at the level its at - leave it like that.

my question is answered. thank you guys!