When it comes to software instrument tracks, I advise using the volume control of the software instrument/synth itself to get the meter into the green zone. Like most things in audio, it’s best to fix the issue at source. In this video, I explain the difference between Peak and RMS Gain Staging Software Instruments Now, Logic’s meters are peak meters as opposed to RMS, so I recommend that you make sure all of your levels are in the green zone roughly -12dBFS or below. From here we can do some simple pre-mix housekeeping. So with pre-fader metering on, we know the level of the tracks even with the fader all the way down. + Set Pre-Fader Metering How To Gain Stage This is why it’s essential to practice proper gain-staging well before we enter the actual mix phase and certainly before we use any compression. This is especially true if any of them are dynamics processors such as a compressor. However, if we remain in post-fader mode (default), we may be unaware of how hot those levels were before the fader adjusted them.įor example, if the level shows -10 dBFS, but our fader is at -10dB, that means the level before fader is at 0dBFS, which could be giving the plugins we use on that channel a very hard time. With pre-fader metering on, the levels indicated in Logic’s mixer are pre-fader, meaning the levels are what they were before being adjusted by the fader. Using pre-fader metering in Logic Pro X is essential to practice gain staging. You can also download a FREE PDF version of this guide so you always have it to hand! Pre-Fader Metering It’s less important when working in a DAW, but it’s still very good practice especially if the plug-ins you use model the properties of analogue gear. Gain staging was also needed to make sure that the level going into each hardware unit was optimal.
Of course, many like the sound of clipping analogue gear but that’s a whole other thing! It comes from the analogue days where it was essential to get a good signal-to-noise ratio whilst preventing clipping distortion. This article serves to help you understand the concept of gain staging and how to apply it when mixing in Logic Pro X.
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