Audio
Gain Staging
01 — Definition
Managing levels at every stage of the chain, with a single aim: as much signal as possible above the noise floor while staying well below clipping. In digital, aim for −18 to −12 dBFS nominal at each stage; in analogue, +4 dBu nominal with at least 18 dB of headroom above it. Mistakes compound — every badly set stage adds its own noise or distortion.
02 — In the field
Set preamp gain with the fader at unity. Never push a downstream fader to make up for insufficient input gain: you amplify the noise along with the signal.