Gain Staging

Gain staging is the discipline of managing volume at every point in the signal path so each processor and bus receives a healthy level, neither so low it lifts noise nor so hot it clips. From the recording input through plugins, channel faders, buses, and the master, every stage has an ideal operating range. An editor sets sane levels early, often aiming dialogue around minus 18 to minus 12 dBFS average with peaks well below zero, so downstream compressors and EQ behave predictably and the noise floor stays buried. Poor gain staging cascades: a clipped input cannot be fixed later, and an over-hot bus distorts before the master. Done right, gain staging keeps a mix clean and consistent, makes plugins respond as designed, and leaves the headroom needed for a controlled final loudness target.