I have an HP Envy and use a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 interface. I plug my mics into the Focusrite and use the gain knobs to get the signal to show in Cakewalk to max peaking at -12db and try for -18db RMS when recording. Essentially doing everything “in the box.” While I am recording I keep all the faders at zero (Unity Gain I think they call it). Once everything is recorded and before mixing, I use the Gain Knob on Console view in Cakewalk to make adjustments to the gain - still trying to keep that -12db peaks and -18dbs RMS. The RMS doesn’t always stay at -18dbs RMS, sometimes it goes below it. But I am sticking with the -12dbs peaks. Again, I use the Gain Knob on Console view in Cakewalk to keep the gain peaks no higher than - 12dbs - same with buses and master. I have the view set to show peak and RMS on playback and record for all tracks and buses.
From there I will move the fader if I have to with the goal of keeping -6 to -9 db on my master fader to give headroom for the mastering engineer.
There is so much I have read online about gain staging and my head is about to explode!
I have years of experience in analog recording and mixing. I converted to Sonar almost 4 years ago. Then of course to Cakewalk by Bandlab. I understand that you don’t have to record loud like you did in analog.
Is that the correct way to gain stage at the very beginning of mixing? Or should I say a good way to start gain staging in Cakewalk? It seems subjective to some degree.
I know this is a newbie question - you would think in 4 years I would already know. I just never used the Gain knob in Console view until now.
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Al Robbins
I have an HP Envy and use a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 interface. I plug my mics into the Focusrite and use the gain knobs to get the signal to show in Cakewalk to max peaking at -12db and try for -18db RMS when recording. Essentially doing everything “in the box.” While I am recording I keep all the faders at zero (Unity Gain I think they call it). Once everything is recorded and before mixing, I use the Gain Knob on Console view in Cakewalk to make adjustments to the gain - still trying to keep that -12db peaks and -18dbs RMS. The RMS doesn’t always stay at -18dbs RMS, sometimes it goes below it. But I am sticking with the -12dbs peaks. Again, I use the Gain Knob on Console view in Cakewalk to keep the gain peaks no higher than - 12dbs - same with buses and master. I have the view set to show peak and RMS on playback and record for all tracks and buses.
From there I will move the fader if I have to with the goal of keeping -6 to -9 db on my master fader to give headroom for the mastering engineer.
There is so much I have read online about gain staging and my head is about to explode!
I have years of experience in analog recording and mixing. I converted to Sonar almost 4 years ago. Then of course to Cakewalk by Bandlab. I understand that you don’t have to record loud like you did in analog.
Is that the correct way to gain stage at the very beginning of mixing? Or should I say a good way to start gain staging in Cakewalk? It seems subjective to some degree.
I know this is a newbie question - you would think in 4 years I would already know. I just never used the Gain knob in Console view until now.
Thanks for any advice!
Al
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