What is proper gain staging?

Gain staging, or gain structuring, is the act of setting the gain for each amplification stage (gain stage) in a sound system to achieve a target system volume that minimizes noise and distortion. Said another way, proper gain staging allows your sound system to achieve the best signal-to-noise ratio.

Where should instruments sit in a mix?

Because of their lack of directionality, and because they contain most of the energy in a typical mix, it’s best to keep these sounds in the middle of your mix. Create a natural space in the stereo spread for each drum piece. Typically, in a rock or pop mix, the drums and bass are the first element most people address.

Should I gain stage before mixing?

Gain staging is one of the most fundamentally important elements in creating a professional-sounding mix. Without proper gain staging, your mix may suffer from unwanted distortion or excessive noise.

Do you gain stage before mixing?

You start amplifying the tracks so it’s actually loud enough to be able to use, you bring up the gain, but you’re also bringing up a huge amount of noise. Hence, the signal to noise ratio is not good! Those are the times that I gain stage before mixing.

How do I get more headroom in my mix?

3 Ways To Create More Headroom In Your Mix

1. No Room To Mix. If you don’t leave enough headroom in your DAW then you really have to where to go with your mix.
2. Turn Your Tracks Down.
3. Use Your High Pass Filter Often.
4. Cut The Ugly Low Mids.
5. What’s Stealing Your Mix’s Headroom?

What level should my final mix be?

How loud should your master be? Shoot for about -23 LUFS for a mix, or -6db on an analog meter. For mastering, -14 LUFS is the best level for streaming, as it will fit the loudness targets for the majority of streaming sources. With these targets, you’re good to go!

Why do my mixes sound narrow?

In fact, thin mixes usually come from a poor arrangement. But sometimes they can come from a poor use of EQ, too. When you prevent and address thinness in your track, you can produce a mix that’s more powerful and impactful. You never want an important chorus to sound thin – the music will lose it’s impact.

How do I make my stereo sound better?

Just like the real 3D world, your stereo image has three dimensions:

1. Height. The height of your mix refers to how high your mix sounds.
2. Width.
3. Depth.
4. Keep your low end in the middle.
5. Keep your L and R balanced.
6. Keep your lead vocals in the center.