HOW TO GAIN STAGE IN STUDIO ONE : Studio One Mixing Tips : Mix Tip Tuesday : Episode # 2

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

What tips or advice do you have for gain staging your session?

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

You're very welcome! Thanks for your support! Home Recording Podcast - www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com/Podcast Get 5 FREE Training Courses - www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@MarkAnderson-ip9iw]

Hey ive been recording for 5 years.. WOW wish i had known about this at the start...looks like i will be remixing soo many songs... THANKS...

[@nickygacha1800]

Man I love this Guy. He the only one who just gets to the point. Takes you to where you wanan be. These other guys explaining, I be lost. When he explains it like. Ok I got it 💪🏾🔥💯💙

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thank you Nicky! You're very welcome! Thanks for your support! Home Recording Podcast - www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com/Podcast Get my FREE Mixing Course - www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@ZaryaMain]

This is by far the best gain staging explanation I've seen so far. Thank you for this.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thank you!

[@retchidgretchin8068]

Using Cubase I just turn all faders down to -5 then turn wavs up or down till they are also showing at -5 in line with the faders (then adjust faders up and down as required) also put all groups, fx etc to a mix bus group which then goes to the Mastering (Stereo Bus) then if clipping when mastering can just turn the mix bus group down 5 or 10 db - works a treat and never clip this way. P.s. I will always turn the vocals back up to 0 then all other instruments etc will be around -5 give or take 1 or 2 db vocals will always be loud enough if using reverb sends and doubling the tracks.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Great info! Thanks for sharing!

[@batacabatacon]

Hi question. I actually followed this all day today spent literally like 3 hours gain staging making sure I didn't go over 8db's and then another 8 hours of mixing adding plug ins etc etc... before I continue though I gotta confess I'am a newbie don't know crap about mixing. I'am a musician just tryin to produce my own music. Anyways back to the question. I spent hours gain staging made sure that I didn't go over your suggested levels, but then I routed my buses through my summing mixer and the levels dropped dramatically. Should I first route all my busses through my summing mixer and then gain stage?

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

No, just simply turn up the output of your summing mixer. If you are new to mixing, I have a free training curse to help you get started. www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@batacabatacon]

@@HomeRecordingMadeEasy aww man now I’m more confused 😕, my summing mixers output is on unity all the way up when I route my buses through there

[@Armelion1Music]

then how do you do volume balancing? arent you adjusting the volume? what if you want the volume on an instrument to be low and vocal high wont that interfere with gain staging optimization this is showing?

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

no.

[@stupidusername38]

I would advise to do the Input trim method first, aim to get the soft volume and loud volume tracks at an equal level, give yourself a peak target for each track so that you are effectively working relatively even level. The peak value you set is up to you, i aim for peaks of about -12 or -10db. The Input Gain is pre effects whereas the fader is the very last in the chain (post inserts).

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Great tip!!

[@ritchieborg]

Totally agree with this comment! Hate starting a mix that way with the faders all over, I want to know my levels are fine before touching the faders! What happens when I want to play with drum levels with my Faderport and pull all the faders down and pull up the tracks independently, that gainstaging is now gone with the wind! Also like you said the fader is last in chain which means it's not controlling how hot you feed your plugins which are often analog emulationns needing somwhere around 0VU pre fader to work in its sweetspot! Basically I want total control, and to start my mixing with the faders all over the place just makes it feel messy for me from the getgo! If this works for you thats great but its not for me ! :)

[@stupidusername38]

@@ritchieborg I agree, the faders are for mixing with. You can't do everything with them. You can use input trim or the event handle to try and get all tracks relatively equal. Once you've done that THEN use the faders to mix your levels to taste.

[@stevemcnamara2584]

I agree with this although I recommend minus-18dB as your target as many plugins -- particularly emulation plugins -- appear to be calibrated for that input level. Then after all the tracks are at that level and panning decisions are made, fader adjustments can be made (using whatever order you like -- drums first, vocals first, whatever works for you). I definitely would not use the faders to gain stage.

[@stupidusername38]

@@stevemcnamara2584 as an RMS level yes, I aim for - 10db PEAK

[@GavinSteiner]

ALWAYS gain stage using the gain knobs. They're at the top of your signal chain.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate your support! Be sure to check out my website for even more training. www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@trondvegge1807]

I think (!) the mix engine (CTC-1, The Console Shaper, Urban Mix Legends) are actually before the gain/trim. Correct me if I'm wrong... And if I'm right: Is this something PreSonus should/could change? (I think this causes problems with the crosstalk in the mix engines.) Or is there a reason why it has to be like this?

[@Brandon83859]

Hey. do i set the microphone level to 10db too, or is the microphone level for recording supposed to be at 6db.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

for recording set you level to -012DB

[@nenakapone-datnena]

Wonderful teacher TY😍🙏🏾

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

You are so welcome

[@QrchackOfficial]

Fader resolution aside, faders are post-FX. If your tracks come in too hot, your plugins will clip and/or operate suboptimally. This is especially important in amp sims, compression and distortion.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

You are correct! Thanks for sharing!

[@brassdragons1275]

What volume metering system are you using? RMS, K14, K12, LUFS?

[@christastudios]

Looks like is te way he is teaching is the wrong way. Is it not? Or is just me🤔

[@slowdivisionmusic]

@@christastudios no it is totaly wrong...he is gain stagging the master. Nothing else. Gain staging happen before the fader...for me (no in fact for everyone lol) What he is saying is right only if the guy who recorded the audio gain stagged before. And i am sure it has been done. Then what he does is the next step. Then for gainstagging between plugin there is no problem if he uses analog gear (obviously, because the signal goes directly in gainstagged) or analog strip channel (if there is only one plugin in the chain). I think it is because he does not play synth and use nothing else than channel strip ;) no over explaination for what i am seeing. People who don't know it are loosing something HUUUUUUUUUGE. Destroyed audio post fader is something to takle but destroyed audio even before the fader is similar....THERE IS NO GAIN STAGGING POSSIBLE WITHOUT A VU METRE AS THE FIRST PLUGIN AND BETWEEN EVERY SINGLE PLUGIN THAT WILL BE USED...this in a horror show for me right now...and i never comment nasty thing because i am not a nasty guy but for that...man...for that i cannot say nothing....gain stagging was the light bulb of my life years ago....

[@slowdivisionmusic]

Wait a minute.....i think that his daw (i am from ableton) can to do pre fader metering !! THAT WOULD EXPLAIN !!!

[@9021steveo]

I'm new to using Logic (not new to mixing or using other DAWs) I'm not sure I can turn down the input gain from the audio region itself like you had mentioned. I was wondering what you think about putting a gain utility plug in across each track and adjusting that so each track is around -12db while leaving the faders at unity gain.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

You can absolutely do that for sure. In Studio One you can do that with the "Mix Tool" plugin as well

[@The-Mad-Composer]

Hey!! Thanks so much for your technical approach and expertise in this... Unlike winging it like the so called Presonus experts. ( Not mentioning any names, but I'm sure you know who I'm talking about...😒

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Glad to help! Thanks for your support

[@julesplace9107]

Awesome explanation. THANKS!

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate your support! Be sure to check out my website for even more training. www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@georgemateos]

Thanks man for this great tutorials. Bless you!

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

+george mateos thank you my friend

[@Fretjoe]

Great video, message don't jump right into mixing, do this first and save a lot of headaches thanks so much

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate your support! Be sure to check out my website for even more training. www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@ELLIOT8209]

Hi, I've seen your videos on gain staging and they've really helped improve my mixes. Will you please make a video on detecting and changing the key of a kick, clap, conga, etc, in order to match the key of your song. It sucks to work in the key of G whilst the kick is in C. I normally use the spectrum metre to try and get the accurate key and sometimes it's not stable. Thanks for your very helpful videos

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate your support! Be sure to check out my website for even more training. www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@danielziec240]

Very good video. Thanks!

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@FlashRomero]

Is all of this done before adding any plugins?

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

yes

[@davefk]

Why not just drop the clip gain for all the tracks by -12db?

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

you can do that, go ahead

[@zeppo20]

I prefer to use the input controls on the console, or, the old cubase way, lower the clips.

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate your support! Be sure to check out my website for even more training. www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@stephenfell4338]

Hi can you not set in studio ​one​ a trim guage at neg 12 to start with so each tracks maximum setting dosnt peak above neg 12? And use a VU neter set at -​18(0) initially? Again please record drums with EZ drummer, the mass majority of your loving subscribers havnt got fully miked up drum kits in there bedroom lol

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

Thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate your support! Be sure to check out my website for even more training. www.homerecordingmadeeasy.com

[@lorenzoarmonia1774]

Mix Tool? Gain Input?

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

yes

[@sarahtonin4649]

If your overall starting mix is too hot with all the channels at zero, why not just drop the master fader down to your desired headroom level?

[@HomeRecordingMadeEasy]

you can do that. There are many ways to go about it. I just showed you what I currently do

[@gullcreekstudio1391]

Honestly thats the number one thing to not do. Here is why. If the overall tracks are hot..this means the mix is unbalanced. Turning the master fader down wont change that. A balanced mix means the mastering engineer can reach 23luf volume for final.

[@sarahtonin4649]

Howard - I think I get you . . . just not sure how the mix being too hot means it's unbalanced, if you're talking about the balance of the various elements in the mix in relation to each other. Actually, since I wrote that response a year ago, I'm more inclined to deal with a too hot mix by dropping the channel faders all by a bit, to avoid clipping the main outs.

[@gullcreekstudio1391]

@@sarahtonin4649 lets say for instance theres a bass with saturation that is pretty hot in the overall mix. Because it takes up so much low end energy on its own, it will throw off the entire final master once all of the levels start getting really pushed. The bass will saturate even harder. If theres side chain compression, you will start to notice pump..even if the comp ratio is small. Its like if you hear a problem with your car engine and you turn the radio up so you dont hear it anymore....the problem is still there and will cause more issues in the long run. This is why alot of mixes dont achieve a good mix sound

[@sarahtonin4649]

@@gullcreekstudio1391 Yeah, OK. Thanks.