How To Gain-Stage Your Mix In Pro Tools | MixBetterNow.com

[@soulchorea]

8:05 - If you're trying to clip gain a bunch of tracks at once, highlight the entire clips (select tool), hold Control+Shift, and use the mouse scroll wheel. It will adjust clip gain on all tracks simultaneously :)

[@javierzachariah9396]

i realize I'm kinda off topic but do anyone know of a good site to stream new tv shows online ?

[@madduxtroy8619]

@Javier Zachariah i would suggest flixzone. Just search on google for it :)

[@aldophilip7089]

@Javier Zachariah I would suggest flixzone. You can find it on google :)

[@stevegeorge7773]

I know this is some 6 years later, I would love to have known the set up in the pro tools preferences for metering and other important set up selections for this process. But this is really great and still relevant I feel. Even with 2022.4 version, which I just got because it is way way cheaper now than the Ultimate license.

[@jimmullis8007]

Great video, Pete. I really appreciate your practical perspectives, and always look forward to your videos. Thanks so much for the effort. (You're getting very good at this!)

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Thanks for the kind words, Jim! I appreciate you watching... Hope you have a great weekend! :-)

[@JamesRuffMedia]

Great video, thank you for taking the time and making the effort to share this.

[@cosmicrivergarden7355]

Hi Pete, great tutorial on gain staging, any tips for achieving more clarity and space in a mix?

[@bolupona]

Great video. Awesome tips as always. Thanks Pete!

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Thanks, BOlupona! :-) 👊

[@Robinexs]

Best vid on gain stage hands down. Also, you're totally nuts with all your sub sub sub subs.... but hey, you're a freaking genius bro! God Bless :) Copying your template track by track first thing tomorrow

[@carypotts3592]

Hey Pete....great video!! very clear explanation and recording ...keep up the great work !!

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Thanks a lot, Cary! I appreciate the kind words :-)

[@ekclay7]

Thanks man,helpful.

[@omargasmusic]

Great tips man enjoying watching your videos bro keep it up!!

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching, Omar! :-)

[@dwaynedelario]

Nice tips, man. FYI you can select all the regions in the edit window and clip gain them all simultaneously if you want. Saves an insert slot :)

[@MixBetterNowTV]

dwaynedelario Glad you liked it! And yeah, I'm hip to clip gain... I just personally prefer using the VMR trimmer. I also have been so used to using the trim tool before the days of clip gain it's just a part of my work flow ;-)

[@ProDrummer]

yeah, but do you set your levels in PRE-FADER mode?

[@yevheniimelnyk8911]

Yours video is very helpful!!!! Thanks for going that for us!!! I have a question maybe you can help,,,i am looking for some resources where i can download tracks and have mixing practice,,,can you advise something?

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Thanks, Yevhenil! You're very welcome. If you're looking for multi-track sessions to download to practice on, sign up on my email list. When you sign up, I send you my free Audio Swag-Bag which includes 2 sets of multi-tracks, mix templates for Pro Tools, Studio One, Logic and Cubase, Drum Samples, my Top 20 Free Plugin List w/ links to download them, Bricasti Reverb Impulse Responses, and a Premium Tutorial. You can sign up at MixBetterNow.com or by clicking on the link above in the show notes. Enjoy the free multi-tracks! I also do a service for my subscribers/viewers called "Mix Critique Monday's" where you all can send me mixes to listen to and critique for free. There's a new one every week and sometimes every other week. I'd love to hear a mix of yours sometime! Hope you find this all helpful, Yevhenil! Have a great day :-)

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Thanks, Edward! :-)

[@nobbynose4254]

very helpful thanks

[@AndreasZEriksson]

Great vid, great song! Where can I hear it? =))

[@ifenceltd5395]

Hey Pete thanks for all the awesome videos you make. I use logic and one thing that always confuses me is with my busses how much signal to send to them like I know you group all your instruments together for processing so do you bus the full signal or 50/50 say then process & mix with the bus channel / fader only? Cheers

[@edunogues23]

Great video man! I have a question, if we had a worse computer would it be okay using inserts for gain staging? Because when you get to eqing and comp and effects if you have too many plugins the computer may have problems running Pro Toolr, right?

[@marlonfrancis3180]

Thanks for replying.

[@MixBetterNowTV]

No problem :)

[@AlKey3]

hi Pete I've heard some instructors say that you should edit the clip gain to around - 18 GB to ensure the first plug in is not saturated or over driven. if your first insert is a trim plug in does that still apply?

[@MixBetterNowTV]

TBH, Al, I find that to be a bit of an audio "urban legend"... Mixing is and always will be a FEEL based art form whether youre mixing IN or OUT of the box. I mean, I wouldnt advise pushing crazy amounts of level into any first plugin as that would mean you're individual track is too hot (something peaking around 1 RMS)... But at the same time, some plugins sound AMAZING when you hit them super hard. I dont think it matters if its -18, -14, -10, -21, etc etc. Just feed an appropriate amount of volume into your first plugin and you'll be fine. You ever see CLA mix in the box?!?! Holy moly he crushes the junk out of his channels. So does Dave Pensado. CLA and Pensado in all their sessions have red lights all over the place. CLA says "red lights mean its working", haha. Now, I wouldnt recommend that at all. Chris and Dave are on another level and probably know tricks and secrets we never will. As I said in the video, IMO, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS WHAT LEVEL YOUR MIX BUSS IS AT and how much headroom you or your mastering engineer require. Great question though... ;)

[@AlKey3]

Mix Better Now hey Pete I loved your comment about the -18dB setting being an audio urban legend ! my day job is as an electronics engineer so I totally understand the -18 DB as it would relate to analog audio gear. BUT was always confused why such a level would apply in the digital domain where all the audio processing is simply numeric manipulation. With that in mind I am rewatching this video again. I feel I spend too much time messing with the clip gain instead of using some of the other techniques you show . I ran across the blue cat audio trimmer a few months ago and I really enjoy using the grouping that's built into that. I am working on a mix right now to submit for one of your upcoming mix critique Mondays , I think I will use it there. Take care and thanks again for your great input !

[@MixBetterNowTV]

You're very welcome, and always a pleasure chatting, Al! :-)

[@mikesparks3398]

not sure i can ask this the right way but, i use this same basic template, i'm wondering what levels you would want to watch? for instance " i have kick in kick out, if i set them to say -18db now their going to a kick bus, since there are 2 kicks its going to be louder" should i look at my kick bus and adjust my kick in and out to get my kick bus at -18db? then you have an issue where its going to the drum bus, i would then have to adjust my output of my kick bus to make my drum bus -18db? but there are also other things going to my drum bus, then it goes to the all drums, is that supposed to be near -18db? if so now i'm having to adjust backwards.... see my dilemma?

[@Stormchaser189]

Hey Pete, love your work man ! I use Reaper and I am working on an older mix where I have added VCA tracks purely to control the volume of my groups. I am also using a master VCA as a Global trim to bring down the overall volume so I keep the mixbus from going above say -10 because I've seen other tutorials that say -10 is fine to send to a master engineer ? Does my setup make sense and do you do all your processing on the submix and leave the mixbus free of plugins ? Cheers

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Hi, Marz! Thanks for the kind words! i appreciate it :-) Your setup definitely makes sense... I really love that you're using VCA's to control large groups of instruments. Thats exactly the same way I work (except I use "master busses" instead of proper VCA's because I can use the inserts to EQ, Compress, sweeten, etc. those groups in addition to control overall levels). And, yes, I do all my processing on the "SUBMIX" which is essentially my MixBuss. I just happen to call my MixBuss "Submix" and I call my Stereo Out "Mix Buss". Dont remember why, haha. Been doing that for YEARS. So, yeah, processing is done on the "SUBMIX" (which is a stereo buss) and I do all my metering on the "Mix Buss". As for your level, it all depends on how much headroom your mastering engineer needs or wants. IMHO as long as there's a few DB of headroom (minimum) for him/her to work with then you should be fine! :-)

[@Stormchaser189]

+Mix Better Now Hey Pete, Ah ha,That's a relief to hear I'm not way off base regarding this. :) I'm using Reaper, the routing is very flexible, so I guess I would make a NEW bus and route ALL tracks to that and call it a submix putting my VMR, VCC & TAPE on that ?

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Exactly! Setup a regular bus, and you would use that as your SUBMIX. route all of your audio to the Submix and then setup a Master Fader which you can put your metering on. Send the Submix to your Master Fader (MixBus) and you're good to go! :-)

[@2dollarcrew]

Do you import your mix template into the songs session or the session tracks into your mix template?

[@donalobroin1775]

Why not put your trim on the master and subs?

[@marlonfrancis3180]

mix better, can I use the K-20 metering system to do this?

[@MixBetterNowTV]

Hi, Marlon! You absolutely can use the K-20 metering system to do this! I'd just shoot for K20 or a few db above. I wouldn't use the K14 as thats getting more into mastering volume, but the K20 should be fine :-)

[@mistysmith7183]

So when working with a 2 track instrumental would this work the same way? would i want the level of the whole instrumental to be that low?

[@crimewavbeats5532]

Yes

[@louduzit]

@2:15 Was that a fart or a stomach grumble?

[@MixBetterNowTV]

louduzit Man I wish it was a fart 😂 But sadly neither 😭

[@niokiaquino]

Pretty sure you're reading insight wrong

[@keimurr1]

why don't you just turn down the master..is that cool to do??