With analog gear, you have to think globally-you have to consider everything from the source to the mix bus. In the analog world, gain staging refers to adjusting the level at each point of amplification to ensure an optimal signal-to-noise ratio, without unusable distortion. Now we can put a finer pin on the term gain staging as it applies to analog processing: This was usually the result of driving a unit beyond the capability of its power supply’s voltage. Push the gear too hard, and you’d incur unusable distortion. There were issues in getting good results: Record too quietly, and you’d approach the noise floor-a blanket of constant, audible hiss that can be distracting. A “good result” could mean something pristinely clean, or something pleasantly saturated this depended on the material in question. Microphones, outboard EQs, compressors, console desks, tape machines-every piece of gear had to be leveled properly for the next piece of the chain, in order to achieve a good result. Let’s examine how they work.īefore the advent of digital, records were made with analog equipment. Gain staging has traditionally been set up differently in analog and digital environments. So, the better term here might be “strong.” In my experience, this is particularly true of electronic hi-hats: they can sound quiet, read loud, and cause digital distortion if left unchecked. An audio signal might appear “quiet” while causing analog or digital distortion regardless. It’s too subjective-certainly when it comes to meters or signal processors. “Loud” is also too fuzzy for our purposes.

Think like goldilocks: you want it to be just right. It’s important to note that “optimal” here means loud enough to drown out the inherent noise floor of a recording, but not so loud as to cause immediate distortion upon hitting the next processor in a chain.

By gain staging through your analog and digital systems, you can achieve the best possible sound for your recording. Gain staging is the process of making sure the audio is set to an optimal level for the next processor in the chain in order to minimize noise and distortion.

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