Mixing
Gain Staging Explained: The Boring Step That Fixes Everything
When a mix fights back — plugins behaving weirdly, master clipping, no space for anything — the cause is usually set before the first EQ: gain staging. It's boring, it takes five minutes, and it fixes everything downstream.
The idea
Every processor has a level range where it behaves well. Feed everything hot and compressors slam, saturators fizz and the master pins red. Aim each track to peak around −12 dB on its meter, leaving the sum around −6.
Set it at the source
Use the channel/clip gain (or a gain utility first in the chain), not the mixer fader — faders are for balance decisions later. In FL Studio that's the channel volume knob or a Fruity Balance first in the insert.
But isn't 32-bit float unclippable?
Inside the DAW, yes — internal clipping is mostly a myth. But your plugins still care about level (especially analog-modeled ones), and the master output to a real DAC absolutely clips. Staging is about plugin sweet spots and human decision-making at sane meters.
The 5-minute reset
All faders to 0. Play the loop. Set each channel's gain so it peaks near −12. Now mix with faders from equality — you'll be shocked how much better the same session sounds.
Watch it drift
Every added plugin can add level. Glance at output gain when you insert anything, and match it to bypass — otherwise 'better' is just 'louder' again.
Meter your final level free →LUFS + true peak on any exported file, in your browser.Frequently asked questions
What level should tracks peak at?
Around −12 dB per track is a comfortable convention — enough headroom that the bus and master never crowd 0.
Is clipping inside the DAW bad?
Between plugins in 32-bit float, no data is lost — but plugins modeled on hardware may distort, and red meters push you into bad decisions. Stage anyway.
Gain vs volume fader — what's the difference?
Gain sets the level entering the chain (before plugins); the fader sets the level after. Stage with gain, balance with faders.