Ok I've done my research and I'm confident that I have a good understanding of gain staging but the problem is mixing afterwards. I keep everything in the green when I record and make sure nothing clips prior to mixing but when I start mixing I'm obviously changing the levels to get a mix but it's like I'm pretty much undoing all the gain staging that I just did. Do I gain stage at even lower levels for more headroom or am I missing something?
hi there J-Minor! Perhaps an thought to add here: is gain staging actually a one-and-down procedure...?
I think your thought about gain staging for low low levels at the beginning is certainly a helpful thing: things to creep up as balances are sought, but there is certainly no shame in gain staging periodically.
It is difficult though. Especially if you have bus processing or level sensitive processors (eq, sat, dyn,etc) receiving content from fader/track outputs. Perhaps being keenly aware of your processing aspirations for any given track could help you select specific moments in your mix process for checking/lowering overall levels again.
Some methods I find helpful for these areas:
-VCAs for individual tracks, perhaps a master VCA for individual tracks-----this to quickly and evenly lower levels of large groups or all tracks
-use your ear breaks to go hunting for red lights/tracks clipping or tracks close to it (rectify situations as needed)
-pick a target true peak level for each gain staging adjustment----I often stick with the handy analog realm number -18 for individual track true peaks and -6 group/master bus true peaks, no real reason other than easy to remember and gives all plenty of room for a mix sitting
Dont get be crippled by the number selections though, there are no magic numbers, numbers are just guiding the real purpose: being proactively conservative enough for spontaneous artistic decisions to remain below clip levels
also clipping just aint the end of the world. just be ready to notice, be prepared to compensate. easy-breezy yall. e-z-bree-z.
best
-MadHat