Understanding Gain and How to Adjust it in Your DAW | PreSonus

Gain, volume, level... these are all terms that get thrown around quite a bit in the audio world. You'll often hear polarizing opinions around things like "gain staging" or how "hot" audio signal should be.
In this audio production tutorial, Joe Gilder breaks things down a bit so we can all better understand what gain is and a few ways you can easily adjust it in Studio One.
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Understanding Gain and How to Adjust it in Your DAW | PreSonus
#studioone #audioproduction #musicproduction #recording #proaudio #soundproduction #mixing #mastering #digitalaudioworkstation

[@michaelbonanno7476]

Hey Joe… you’re one of the reasons why I’m glad to have picked Studio One as my DAW! Thank you for guiding those of us that aren’t so much on the technical side! :)

[@EzPeasZ]

I second this!! Joe and Gregor do such a great job guiding us -- never would've made it this far without them!

[@musicguy3725]

Joe, another real helpful video. I'm so glad I chose Studio One two years ago, and discovered you on KZbin. Thanks for all you do!

[@presonus]

You're welcome! Hope these videos continue to help you!

[@markobruiser9358]

I'll forever be a studio one user because of how many options it has and how easily it is to operate. There's so much available but no confusion at all. Also you are my favorite dude to watch and learn from. Keep up the great work Joe! You rule!!

[@claudebourguignon7505]

So many things in Studio One. You make it clear and easy. Thanks.👍

[@presonus]

Always happy to help!!

[@shashanksharma17]

Thanks Joe, I upgraded and purchased Studio one pro last week.. please keep educating in music production with presonus.. love from India

[@presonus]

We hope you're enjoying Studio One so far!

[@Michael.debruyn]

Thanks, I literally was struggling with this last night. -between the bass guitar and guitar and vocal my mix board was a mess.

[@presonus]

Hopefully this is helpful for you!

[@todddrummer4350]

Visual clutter !! Great term. Good lesson, some elementary some not. I like the way Joe doesn't seem to talk down to you. Just another layman preaching his gospel, speaking the truth we all love.

[@stanleywilliamsbigdreams7867]

Thanks Joe. I got studio one artist with some Christmas equipment and am blown away by it. I have already made one of my best songs ever! It’s an instrumental done with all virtual instruments, so I still have a lot to learn for when I sing, play bass or have someone over to help with sessions using their voice or instruments.

[@presonus]

This is great to hear!! Thank you for sharing! Can't wait to hear all the amazing art you create!

[@Emmiekay]

Thank you so much Joe. Actually, when I was new using Studio one , I hardly watched joe's videos, that's because then I always need straight answers. Which I feel I don't always get. But when I was a bit advanced, I started to understand everything he is touching while Answering the questions 😅.

[@KaycieCarryl22654]

I think of the gain knob as the water spigot. Full blast water on the in side, the spigot is the gain knob which controls the amount of water going through. Too much water versus the right amount of water, to not enough water. You want a nice stream of water is what you need. Audio is the same thing.

[@presonus]

That's a great way to explain it! Thank you for sharing!

[@lucianobuccero]

Hey Joe .. I really love to watch your and Gregor's Videos. I learned so much. And even such awful themes like "adjusting gain in your DAW" - with a coffee - are fun to me. THANX!

[@GooberGoo-mz8jv]

Thank you, for making my life so much more easier to work with Presonus :)

[@presonus]

So happy to hear that!

[@charlesdufrene6244]

Once again you are a life saver with perfect timing. I am working on a vocal track and will use the clip gain to easily fix the intermittent spikes and lulls...awesome info Joe!!! Keep the tips coming. Thx again!

[@presonus]

Always happy to help! Sounds like this will be useful?!

[@meshbeemusic]

I'm new to studio one, and I just attended a gain stage training for live sound, then I came across this. It all makes sense

[@presonus]

Very cool!

[@briankingart]

Great job covering a subject more complex than most people, incl. me knew, esp. the pre-channel nature of these 5 controls (incl. fader gain.) TY🎉

[@aceedmond8053]

Thanks Joe!

[@presonus]

Happy creating!

[@localpm]

Another great vid Joe.Your the best.

[@presonus]

YOU are the best! Happy creating!

[@gregtapevideo1464]

I wasn't aware of the input control. Very cool. I recently had ten backing vocals going to a vocal bus. I balanced them by adjusting the bus send levels. Input control may work better. THANKS JOE!!

[@presonus]

Always happy to help!

[@connollyhome6200]

Great explanation, Joe! Thank you.

[@shawnastrom]

Fantastic video! Thanks!!!

[@Doc2rjae07]

great lesson 🙏

[@jamescave7102]

Great video always !

[@presonus]

Thank you! Hope this helps you!

[@aingeru11]

THANKS SO MUCH, great videos, great explanations!

[@stevel5650]

Good video. I am an old soul with analog equipment. This is not quite gain staging, more of clip gain/event gain and normalization. They are different in analog environment.

[@presonus]

Appreciate that insight! Thank you for sharing!

[@DavisEJay]

Joe Good information!!!

[@Sapperincorporated]

great video, awesome teaching!

[@miguelpereaantonetti7576]

Thank you Joe, Great video

[@presonus]

Hope these are helpful for you!

[@joev4483]

Excellent!! Thanks ...

[@presonus]

You're welcome!

[@Capt-Cran]

Really good video ... very helpful ... thank you!!

[@presonus]

Happy to help!

[@DeltaWhiskeyBravo13579]

More of that great info.

[@Bendelan]

and again I learned cool new stuff, thx

[@presonus]

You're welcome! Hope these videos continue to help you!

[@dennystreet2454]

I am using now Pro demo version and planning to buy artist cuz I do not have enought money for pro. I will be patiently waiting for discount and upgrade.

[@rickdeaguiar-musicreflecti7692]

Great tutorial, Joe. Thank you :)

[@presonus]

You're welcome!

[@gndobson]

I like to use the Macro (arrangement) icon which allows for a quick +/- 3dB change on a selected clip or event.

[@presonus]

That's a pro move! Very nice!

[@johndoe-cb5ck]

Hey Joe I'm getting so into Studio One! I'm using Cakewalk by Bandlab,the free version,right now but my son is going to buy me Studio One and I found out I can use third party vst plugins on the artist version so I believe that is the one I'll get,it sounds like it's what i need to record and mix my songs...and save my son money

[@tramistfromhell]

Hi Joe. Informative as ever, thanks. Here are two aspects I cannot find any information about in the manual: 1. Is it possible to preset a global or project Normalise level? E.G. Normalise is therefore only able to reach say -6db? If not, perhaps something to consider in a future update. Yesterday I was trying to find how to determine or adjust exactly how much the "Increase Volume" and "Decrease Volume" in the audio options drop-down causes. It would be helpful to both know what the adjustments currently are, and whether they can be altered/preset. Keep up the great work.

[@yiqwaba3833]

What's up bro. My issue is clipping because if i set it somehow i hear issues with mic sounds i suspect it's to loud or too low.

[@dspoet1]

Please add the feature in Studio to let users use RX Connect with in Studio. As much as I like S1, I had to go back to Cubase because I can use RX Connect within Cubase.

[@robertklein6693]

Thank you for doing this presentation. This may be a dumb question, however, how is clip gain different from automation of gain levels?

[@rawx1276]

I just want you guys to make sample one xt to play more than one note when following the tempo.🤦🏿‍♂️

[@Detroitdogg]

Have you ever used or what are your thoughts on using Hornet's VU meter MK4 to set the audio file gain?

[@lapiezaestudio]

Hi. Can I change the value of normalization option?

[@krgproduction4669]

thanks joe! it give me a better idear for me to mix for the guys! you know they are old school and they dont really understand the digital world so they bouth that console soundcraft signature 22 mtk to get recording but they treat the consle as a live console so they would put the gain as low as they can and the fader almost all the way up and for me it seems that i dont have a good signal i was wondering what you should suggest to do with the gain on the console??? cause i wonder if we should put the gain hier and the fader at 0 absolution loll hope you understood a bit what i am saying! thanks for the video verry usefull!!!

[@saulopavao]

Good afternoon! a question: Why, in my Studio One, even though I leave the Channel with a lot of gain, and the Fader high, in a signal capture, the Signal enters small in the DAW, especially in acoustic recordings. Everything recorded on Condenser. I always need to normalize the Audio. This is not always good! The Wave Drawing is always skinny. In my Studio One 5, everything was normal, a wide band... But now, in the 6, it's always Skinny. Is there any specific setting in the DAW, to Record this Signal, Loud, Strong, and with a wide Wave? Which in my opinion would be normal! Thanks.

[@catsockstudio]

I find clip gain is great for helping reduce plosives. Regarding normalize... I like to level match all my tracks to -12db using input controls. Are there drawbacks from setting normalize to -6 db in lue of input controls, or am I wasting my time level matching all my tracks for all my sessions?

[@yiqwaba3833]

Hey quick question should I apply normalize first and then do clip gain?

[@presonus]

Great question! What are you hoping to achieve with clip gain? Do you mean adjusting clip gain on different sections to even out a performance?

[@yiqwaba3833]

@@presonus well I notice that I clip even in the green on my interface, I hope a plugin is made to detect mic connection and proper balance before recording.

[@rickeguitar9086]

Question on Event Gain. Why is it that in some tracks I am able to use this function while in others it is not available for use?

[@JensRefshoj]

Sometimes you have to bounce the track before you can do it

[@rickeguitar9086]

When I think of "bounce the track" I interpret that to mean move the contents of one track into another track. Is that what you mean? @@JensRefshoj

[@questyeong]

One more: mixtool 😄

[@Tirkey24]

Tempo minimum ( 10.00 ) Not going ( 01.00 ) Like Cubase and Reaper DAW and not play video in Artist version. Cubase and reaper suport video all version DAW. Please improve studio one daw and upgrade. I make Ambient music

[@failuretolaunchdrums]

Great video. Thank you!

[@presonus]

You're welcome! Is this useful for you?!