Fear and Faders: A Practical Approach to Gain Staging
Gain staging is one of those fundamentals that quietly determines whether a mix feels controlled or constantly on edge. It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t get talked about enough—but it shows up in every decision that follows.
In this post, I want to walk through how I approach gain staging in real-world mixes, especially in live and broadcast environments where clarity and headroom matter more than theoretical perfection.
Building Blocks: The Underrated Art of Gain Staging
In this week’s YouTube video, I break down gain staging from the ground up. My starting point is simple: keep your faders at unity whenever possible.
Zero isn’t a rule—it’s a reference. It gives you resolution where it matters most. Small fader moves become meaningful, and your balance decisions stay intentional instead of reactive.
Plug-in Psychology
One practical tool I rely on heavily is a trim plugin at the top of each channel. It’s not glamorous, but it’s effective.
In live and broadcast workflows—especially when audio is coming from FOH—you often inherit gain decisions that weren’t made with your mix in mind. Trim plugins let you reset the playing field so every processor downstream behaves predictably.
It’s less about control for control’s sake and more about consistency.
A Matter of Phase
Phase is subtle until it isn’t. You don’t need golden ears—you need to listen for weight and impact.
In the video, I demonstrate flipping the phase on a kick drum and listening to what happens to the low end. When the body fills out and the punch increases, the answer is obvious. When it thins out, it’s wrong.
This is one of those moments where meters won’t help you. Your ears will.
The Role of Panning
Once gain staging is solid, panning becomes much easier—and much more effective.
I don’t get precious about drummer’s perspective versus audience perspective. The real goal is balance. By keeping drums slightly tucked in from the extremes, I leave space for other elements to define the width of the mix.
Panning isn’t about symmetry. It’s about making room.
Technical Considerations That Matter
One thing I emphasize in this workflow is gain staging off the drums. Drums establish the dynamic ceiling of most mixes, and everything else has to live beneath that.
Using tools like VU meters helps maintain headroom, but the goal isn’t just avoiding clipping—it’s preserving dynamics so the mix can breathe.
Progress Over Perfection
No mix is ever finished in an absolute sense. There’s always another adjustment you could make, another decision you could revisit.
The real discipline is knowing when the mix is doing its job.
Gain staging isn’t about fear or hesitation—it’s about setting yourself up to make clear, confident decisions. Every fader move, every trim adjustment, every phase check contributes to a mix that feels intentional instead of fragile.
Stay curious. Trust your ears. Keep mixing.