The Blackbird Academy Managing Gain and Distortion

Recording engineers and music producers encounter many ways to adjust gain along the recording and mixing signal path. Knowing the best practices for setting levels in your DAW, processors, and other gain stages will allow you to avoid distortion and noise in your productions.

Concepts include:

What is a gain stage?

How do you set levels when there is more than one way to do it?

What's the best way to use distortion to make your tracks sound better?

What is the best level for the tracks in my DAW?

Why is tube gear considered good?