GAIN STAGING

[charles kasler]

I just watched the Creative Sauce video on gain staging. I hate to be dense ( I'm an amateur) but if I use the input/gain knob to adjust levels, when do I use the faders? Adjusting the final mix? Thanks!

[Jonathan Sasor]

23 minutes ago, charles kasler said:

I just watched the Creative Sauce video on gain staging. I hate to be dense ( I'm an amateur) but if I use the input/gain knob to adjust levels, when do I use the faders? Adjusting the final mix? Thanks!

The track Gain control is your signal level before FX and the fader is after FX. 

[charles kasler]

Thanks so much!

[charles kasler]

Another gain staging Q: I dnloaded the FreeG meter suggested in the Creative Sauce video... do I need to add this to every track & bus or is there a more efficient way to use it for more than one track? Do you use it both before fx for gain setting & also post fx? He uses the fx output level control or the blue cat plug if the fx doesn't have an output level & doesn't talk about the faders. Where do they come in? Just balancing everything in the mix?? Thanks!!

Edited March 8, 2022 by charles kasler
to add something

[David A Ludwig]

Old school thinking here. Studio consoles have an input section and an output section.

On the left you have, say, guitar tracks. Each has eq, fx, etc. Those guitars are routed to the Guitar master fader on the right side, which goes to your Master fader, which goes to your hardware out. Put the meter on your Master bus.

You'll have a Master Bus for guitar, bass, drums, vox... Get everything sounding the way you want on the left side faders, then use the right side to get the balance you want.

[charles kasler]

Got it, thank you!