How To Mix (part1): GAIN STAGING

[@FireWalkMusic]

Want professional feedback on your track? Mixing or Mastering? www.fiverr.com/firewalk Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/firewalkmusic

[@braynedead3783]

FireWalk for samples u can go in setting tab volume and put it on 138 % for its fuller volume (not to put its main knob volume more than 80 sounds crap) this should only be used if you are about to use that sound in piano roll..

[@shubhamrana2089]

FireWalk hey man i have watched all ur vids u explain everything so neatly i just have a problem with gain staging please help!! its that my mix is very low on volume and also is lagging power

[@shubhamrana2089]

FireWalk i lowered the sounds in all sylenth 1 output signals so that the volume falls between 10-18 just like u explained and i monitored it using dB meter and for all the kick and other samples i lowered volume in channel settings but now it is very low on volume and power for overall mix please help Regards- your regular viewer

[@FireWalkMusic]

Brayne Dead: Why would you want to push up the samples beyond the default value while at the same time turning everything else down? A sample isn't generating any sound on it's own, as it's already been recorded. So it doesn't really matter how low or how high you set it. Which I suppose is what you were getting at? The main reason I prefer to leave them at 80% is to reduce the difference between the level of the gain staged synths and the samples. :) Ideally you could say that one should aim to set the samples to the same level as the synths, but since there's no risk of clipping at the source, I don't tend to do this myself. I just adjust the levels in the mixer instead to make sure they don't clip. You can set it to whatever level you want of course, as they won't clip at the source anyways, (unless the sample was recorded that way). If you increase it on the channel rack it just means you'll have to turn it down even more in the mixer later. Gain staging the synths, which generate sound is what's the most important in my opinion. Everything else will be dealt with in the mixer anyways, as the project will have to be mixed at some point. :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

To deal with this you can add a limiter to the master, and push up the volume there. That way your levels will be healthy, while still operating at a normal volume. Just remember that you have a limiter there. Turn it off before bouncing the track for mastering. :)

[@bibekpawn6175]

i watched this tutorial a year ago and didnt understand anything but still i downloaded it cuz i know mixing is important . and today i watched this again and finally i understood now. ......if you are struggling right now and cant get good at producing , dont give up . as long as you are moving forward, you will reach there

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hi! Glad you found it useful! :)

[@san2822]

Truth

[@mcsweenytoddmiester2163]

Thankyou! This gives me inspiration to become a better producer because im relatively new and its alot to take in but my journey has been incredible ive learnt so much and yet I know so little still! Its quite fascinating. I wont give up on my goals and ill keep on trying! 💯

[@bibekpawn6175]

you r welcome , keep working

[@alwyzDTF]

same here!

[@TrailBot]

Your voice sounds like the narrator from How It's Made. You just have one of those smooth, narrator-ish voices

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're not the first person to say that :P

[@TrailBot]

Oh sorry couldn't find anyone with control-f, whoops. Good freaking work though man! It's super helpful

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked the video! :D

[@lolo659]

FireWalk I have a VERY important question! If I have sylenth1, can I just put the threshold down to -18 dB. There are categories in the plugin and also threshold

[@skorch9094]

Oh gods can't un-hear! Awesome!! Yus

[@graneestudio7725]

This tip really change my whole mix, i'm new in the world of Mixing only sound of plugins. Amazing. Thanks a lot!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@joshuachisanga8417]

You are an angel sent for me from heaven. God bless you richly. I watched this video two years ago and could not get it , but this time i got this.

[@stumpylogs]

One of the best gain staging videos out there. Every other video treats gain staging like its rocket science. It is still something I struggle with, but this video is really helpful!

[@AdrianRyoku]

This video is made 3 years ago, and here I am, subscribing! Great, comprehensive, simple tutorial! Actual guidance! Rather than just, do this and do that! I really like the explanations and it gives me something to think about when mixing!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hi, glad you liked it. I always try to include a little bit of "why" and not just "how". My thinking is that it's easier to learn how to do something if you also know a little bit about why you need to do it. Glad to see that it worked, so thanks for the feedback! :)

[@AdrianRyoku]

@@FireWalkMusic Hi again! I'd like to just tell you that after taking what I've understand from your video, my mixes sounds WAYYYYYYY better now! Its incredible how complicated mixing and mastering sounds, but getting a closer look, it is complicated but knowing how and *WHY* to mix and master a certain way certainly helps! And with that, I would like to thank you again :) I hope you have a great day or night wherever you are! Just to preface, I dont have any background in music, only very basic stuff.

[@zephyllmusic1555]

I have been watching so many videos on gain staging and don't understand a single thing but when I watched your video I understood everything about gain staging. Awesome explanation man it was short, straight to the point and clear. Keep it Up !!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it. That's exactly what I'm trying to do in all my videos. :)

[@Tazer_BLACC]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS in 2024’🙏🙌🤝 I’ve been making music on and off for a year and now I’m taking things serious after releasing tracks I’m starting to hear imperfections more and desiring more quality sound so I’m going through this course to mix master and release older tracks. This is mega helpful and I and I’m sure thousands of others appreciate this! 🔊🔊

[@lucabeats5359]

This is why I don’t take music in school cause I have free school on KZbin. Stud Firewalk.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you found it helpful :)

[@lucabeats5359]

Snowblue facts I learned my entire chem course on here last year and basically taught me music production best tool of all time.

[@bryantzarzuela2963]

I want to make Lo-Fi soft and today i started to soft soft tutorials. I see that you are teacNice tutorialng us very carefully and simple, i like that

[@chet4nmusic]

Best tutorial i have watched u made it so clear for me i was so frustrated about clipping

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thank you, much appreciated! :)

[@bencollyer39]

Best tutorials i've found in over a year of tutorial watching

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you like the videos :)

[@Thastor]

Thanks so much for your work ur awesome.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks man! :)

[@Pontisto]

These tutorials are so great! And extra props for trance

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked them :)

[@Fordeyyyyy]

Awesome tutorial! I love how you just casually make a trance hit :P

[@BastarB]

Wow, I subscribed right away, your way of talking and describing just make me much more optimistic about my abilities

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you found it helpful! :)

[@itcouldbegood]

a coherent fl studio tutorial... i've been searching for something like this

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! :)

[@anastasialaser]

I do vocal dance I found the 100% volume for plug-ins and 80% (default) volume for samples on the instrument rack very useful, as I tend to play about with the values too much on this, and try to compensate on the main mixer, now I have the confidence to keep it at 80!!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hi, glad you found it helpful! :)

[@danglol]

this is the craziest channel ive ever found

[@gustavyas9659]

Just found your channel today and have been binge watching your videos all day. This is what tutorials are all about, and love how you almost keep it overly proffessional. Certainly one of the best channels in Music production, one day you will be a very well known teacher. thx from sweden!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thank you! I really appreciate that :) Tack så mycket! :)

[@keneman700]

Hey mate im really glad i came across your channel. I really gained alot in mixing and now my tracks are really sounding professional wow very happy mate cheers once again and always looking forward for your next tutorials!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated :)

[@projectanigma]

Very informative! I should have know what to do but I was bit ashamed when I started out as a producer last 5 years ago! To be honest, I'm improving very well when I keep watching your tutorials all the time. I should know about that several times :) Thank you so much!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! You're welcome :) music production is not learned over night, that's for sure :)

[@donellismusic]

I'm so glad I found your channel. As I'm getting ready to make a fresh start on music production, I wanted to become the best I could be, and this has helped improve my sound immensely. Thank you.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad to hear it! You're welcome :)

[@NgaeGameStudio]

This is really producer! i've taken alot of time to look for a youtube channel that really tells me to mixing from beginning, and it's you, keep it up😃. U know this is what people looks for

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, much appreciated :)

[@pdebie1982]

Just discovered this video. Great information. Clean and simple. Thanks! You've earned yourself another subscriber.

[@Iluzmusic]

Amazing tutorials! you have no idea how much your videos have helped me..Thanks a lot :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad to hear it :)

[@kamster2715]

I just found your channel a few weeks ago and I'm loving it, I always feel like I have to filter through all the advice I get on KZbin but your channel and music seem really legit, I'm learning alot right now, thx.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, much appreciated! :)

[@5TR1CK9]

Thanks so much! I have learned so much from you!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@arthurclark9739]

You bout to create an animal. I’m watching everything you do for now on. Glad I came across your channel.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked the video 😀

[@luckyme7020]

Best music tutorials on YT! Chapeau !!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, much appreciated! :)

[@TheAngelOlguin]

Catchy beat. I can't believe I missed this video!

[@KARAMHYAT]

Thank you for the great tutorials. Love from Pakistan.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked the video! Thanks :)

[@hibarin6531]

Hello ! I just wanna say thank you so much for this course ! I’m an ableton user but i really learned so muchwatching your tutorials, hands down 💙

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome. Glad you found it helpful :)

[@marcushanlin]

in addition you want to check if the plugin recommends an optimal input level. this mainly goes for plugins that emulate analog hardware. these types of plugins typically recommend somewhere between -18 and -12 but it depends on the plugin and you may even want to clip a little going into some of these plugins because of how they can emulate analog saturation. also I believe in FL studio you cant actually clip on the mixer tracks but you can on the master. so you wont get any actual distortion on individual mixer tracks but you should still gain stage properly because of how it can affect the sound going into plugins and it just minimizes issues.

[@Snufferr5124]

I'am in love with your tutorials. So easy to understand, and to learn. Big up, keep doing it!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad to hear it :) I always try to keep it as simple as possible.

[@SolarHeavy]

Wonderful job!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! :)

[@remusikbeats]

I finally could understand what all this is about, thanks!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome. Glad you found it helpful :)

[@JaDu1123]

not know , but just know you've affected my life, and apparently tens of thousands of others, in an imnsely positive way. Thank you

[@klazmicofficial1016]

Wow, your vids are amazing, I've learned so much from you in just 15 min and 3 vids. I certainly will help support!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated! :) Glad to hear you found the content helpful :)

[@salmanesh]

The trance music in the video sounds beautiful 👌🎇

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks 😊

[@djshayb6829]

best mixing tutorial so far

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@idontknow-xf8uk]

This channel always the best I learn a lot from this channel😁

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it :)

[@timramone8009]

Wait a second. This se low-key a free school.

[@FireWalkMusic]

:)

[@thomasfroland762]

Thank you so much!! After watching this I realize I have been clipping all along! I can even hear it when you turned down the volume, that it sounded cleaner! THANKS!! :)

[@liviekumori]

I'm glad I stumbled upon this channel.

[@karnataka3927]

Ur.... making.... really... tutorials.... For sure ....I will donate.....one....by heart....

[@kevintran9321]

?

[@syzygytamizha]

The best channel for musician flp

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated :)

[@devildogfpv37]

It's 2024 and your videos are still helpful thank you

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@devildogfpv37 thanks! Glad you liked it 😀

[@marialis9981]

very informative, I tNice tutorialnk you raised a lot of softians

[@n3dek]

Your tutorials are awesome ! Thank you very much 👌🏻👍🏻🙏🏼

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you like them :)

[@k_6s287]

Great video and really helpful! I couldn't get a grasp on how the setuper works but it's all clear now.

[@TheDude-vx6wn]

Big fan of your channel, one of my favorite. Thanks!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, that's good to hear :)

[@placidtone6454]

Simple explanation without using fancy words 😊 thank you.

[@FireWalkMusic]

That's what I was going for :D Thanks! :)

[@bobotun6449]

Your tutorials are the best I love all of them!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thank you, very much appreciated! :)

[@lukel1724]

Wow, great questions and great explanations in these comments! Just reading through them has answered so many of my questions.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Good to see that the comments can also be a source of knowledge and information :)

[@metalrulz411]

Thank you for this!Made it clear and simple! Other videos made me not understand this.

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@chris8651]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!! My life has changed

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked it! :D

[@ssr_jimmybobby4603]

Wow very high quality. Great knowledge here

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

[@Verwoehnaroma65]

This was EXACTLY the tutorial I was looking for. Thanks a lot!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome. Glad you liked the video! :)

[@lewchootrain]

If the mix sounds low, turning your monitors up just won’t fix it you should set your monitors to a level that you’re used to for the listening environment such as 70db spl for small rooms and 85db spl for pro studios. That way you’re also training your ears to know what a certain level sounds like in your room. For samples and loops I would adjust the volume of them within the audio clip itself and save the mixer fader for automation like a db gain for choruses

[@Ex0rz]

Funny thing I have kinda always thought of gain staging, but not really in the end. I mean I always avoid clipping inside the synths themselves, but never really thought about reducing the volume some by default to get a cleaner sound.

[@GoReallaBeatz]

great stuff. nice share

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@GoReallaBeatz]

@@FireWalkMusic ur welcome

[@CADILLAKTRACKZ]

Your vids are great for learning, this would perfect for students and i like that it's focused on fl studio. The new gen is very involved with in the box music production.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated :) Yes, that's exactly the thing. :)

[@DenisAshton]

Thanks! I was doing it backwards. I thought the vst should be super loud before the mixer level 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@wickedprinc3624]

Dude - thank you for this. I've been doing alot wrong in terms of mastering - this being numero uno.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it helpful :)

[@JasperStaal86]

Love your tutorials, comprehensable and clear. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share all the info. Definetely gonna put this to use :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you found it useful :)

[@mahmoudassran6503]

This tut is pure gold 🔥🔥🔥

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked it :)

[@israelduarte1189]

FireWalk thank u big homie

[@jackshao6814]

Hearing your voice is such an enjoyable thing！

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@ginotarabotto]

Your tutorials are the best, thank you!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thank, much appreciated! :)

[@johnnyanko6051]

Your videos are so helpful! Thanks! :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@shin2thechingoodnite]

This is amazingly well organized and super easy to understand.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it helpful :)

[@dbeliyahu1587]

awesome as always.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hey Daniel! How are you? Thanks for the comment. Glad you liked it :)

[@dbeliyahu1587]

FireWalk brilliant thanks for asking. especially watching these videos I'm coming on leaps and bounds. 👍👍👍👍

[@FireWalkMusic]

That's good to hear! I didn't realize you were an FL Studio user, I somehow thought you were on Cubase for some reason. :)

[@dbeliyahu1587]

FL studio is the only one for me 😎 only because I can't seem to get to grips with the other DAW,S 😂

[@FireWalkMusic]

I can totally understand that. FL Studio is fundamentally quite different from other daws, so it comes as no surprise that it's difficult to get to grips with linear daws, coming from FL Studio. It's the same way with people coming from Cubase, S1, Logic etc, who want to learn FL Studio too. It just makes no sense to them.. :P I've been considering making a video about this topic for a while now, I just haven't had the time. The Idea was to make a kind of "what is the best daw for me?" video, where I'll explain the main differences between some of the daws, and what kind of tasks that are faster in one daw vs the other and so on. When it comes to features, you can achieve the same things in any daw. The main difference is workflow. So depending on what workflow you prefer, and what kind of music you produce, one daw will usually be faster for you than another and so on. A lot of people are probably stuck on one daw, when the fact of the matter is that they would most likely eventually end up working a lot faster in another daw that's better suited to their workflow. I think a lot of people are wondering about this, so this is something I'm definitely considering doing.. :)

[@OfficialBazzabeats]

I love your tutorials bro, your'e explaining it very good and on a nice tempo, I am sure that a lot of beginning producers will learn from your tutorials. Keep it up.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! much appreciated :)

[@selesta_music]

Thanks a lot for the time you spend to explain...

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@TheRahsoft]

Thank you for this looking forward to the the next mixing video( I'm waiting so that I can make a start on a piece I have finished writing)

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@xtremeboyka4322]

Thank you so much for all the Tips.

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@EternalEvanesce]

Oh nice! Very useful, and love the track too. Subscribed

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it :)

[@daaamn001]

Damn! This one is nice! This will helping me for a better mixing!!! Thx a lot!!!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome, glad you liked it :)

[@georg2039]

Wow your videos are simply amazing! Thank you.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! 😁

[@artistmac1.3]

Tha kyou! I couldn't find a simple answer and ypu answered it, i appreciate it

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@danielchap7076]

My sanity and ears needed this

[@M1SS1X]

your tutorials are amazing, much appreciated!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you like the videos! :)

[@djrocksteadydmv]

I definitely like this tutorial, very helpful and straight to the point 👍.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@timspijkerman2909]

You earned a sub, I'll be coming back to this channel to improve my skills.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad to hear it :)

[@soymamm99]

very clear and precise... thanks for this man! really helpful

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, you're welcome :)

[@soymamm99]

@@FireWalkMusic just a question... what should be the volume peak of the final mix before mastering? I've heard a lot that is about -6dB is that a right volume peak?

[@FireWalkMusic]

It doesn't really matter as long as you're not clipping. Any value below peak levels of 0 dB is good, really. Most mix engineers will tell you to leave 3-6 dB of headroom on the premaster.

[@thefirerises3698]

Your videos are so easy and straight to the point and energetic Already subscribed 😆

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! :)

[@thefirerises3698]

FireWalk i have one doubt. What mix level do you suggest to send it to the mastering engineer Also which meter should i use to know the exact mix level RMS or peakmeter or VU ?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Anywhere between 3-6 dB of headroom will do. I like to use both myself, just to be sure. I have a video where I show a few free rms and vu plugins: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKS6qKSMi7N1a80

[@KCinSD84]

I wish synths would have a volume lock, so annoying flipping through presets and having it jump all over the place.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Yeah, that would be nice. :)

[@pogchamp7983]

Ikr same with octaves for bass sounds

[@uniqueflowsnake]

pop a compressor or limiter on the channel while browsing to keep it from jumping too loud all of a sudden. i sometimes uses this while on headphones. just remember to take the plugin off or adjust for the needs of the track ofc when you find JUST THAT RIGHT SOUND OMG THIS IS IT. PERFECT.

[@DoubleDJGeek]

Loved the video! Great tutorial

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it :)

[@foroshustheproducer1911]

thank you, what a journey this is

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome. Glad you liked the video :)

[@fastrack2170]

I can't say thank you more than enough times! Thank you!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@NKr365]

Thank you for your help

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@NKr365 you're welcome 😊

[@MarkusFFFF]

Awesome tutorial, thank you for that!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, you're welcome :)

[@MarkusFFFF]

Right now i am mixing a song of mine with this method. There was this weird distortion that sounded like an unwanted sidechain, now the mix sounds much clearer :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad to hear it! :)

[@unibeastbeats]

Very good tutorials

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thank you :)

[@royl4242]

THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT TUTORIAL.

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@stereokizz]

Thank you so much. You helped me a lot with that. You are the best. 💋💋

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@fulfillkhongkiang2513]

Thankyou sir ... This is very helpful...

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@aminasadi8283]

Love your tutorials .....

[@Jayant17]

Thanks 😊

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@nirvanacobain001]

If I'm correct, and this information can be found image line website, you can't really clip internally in fl studio. The only place you should worry about clipping is in the master track because that's your last chain to the physical world. As for mixer tracks, having them clipping isn't a problem, maybe just a bit for practical reasons ( when it's on the red you can't clearly see the meter ). So no need to overworry about clipping, just be sure that the master is lower than the 0 db threshold " This is why internal audio, carried on the insert mixer tracks, is not going to run out of headroom under any practical circumstance, and why you should not obsess if they peak over 0 dB. " Image line website

[@espyrecordstv9556]

You are wrong, its just because there is a limiter in the project

[@nirvanacobain001]

@@espyrecordstv9556 You didn't get my comment I think. I'm talking about internal clipping in the digital world ( 32 bit ) with a free signal flow without fx or processing or limiting