Gain staging explained: headroom, noise and setting levels
Audio UniversitySaved in 12 people's production playlists, 2021–2025
840K views · 5 years ago · tutorial
What good gain structure is and how to get it: clipping and headroom, signal-to-noise and dynamic range, VU versus full-scale meters, and setting up levels for a mix, with notes for live sound.
Saved to public playlists by 12 different people between 2021 and 2025: a clear grounding in why levels matter, not just which numbers to hit.
- 0:00 Introduction
- 0:21 What Is Gain Staging?
- 0:41 What is Good Gain Staging?
- 1:01 Clipping, Distortion, & Headroom
- 2:17 Signal-To-Noise Ratio & Dynamic Range
- 4:14 Setting Levels (VU Meters vs Full Scale Meters)
- 5:58 How To Control Gain Structure
- 8:02 Gain Staging: Setting Up A Mix
- 8:54 Question: What is your gain staging process?
- 9:00 Subscribe To Audio University!