I found I do something similar. I level everything using the channel volumes in FL (much easier than Fruity Balance & more convenient), so nothing is clipping and all elements are at the level I want them at (using ears not a meter.) Then I pull all the faders down so the kick is -12db ish. Then I bring up the volume (up to a decent LUFs value) after I've done my master EQ, saturation, then Multiband Comp/Stereo Separation. I used to use a soft clipper, but I don't know where in the chain to put it. Everywhere I put it, it just sounds off. Guess I don't need it!
The difference is the fader is post all effects But gain staging is the first thing you do so it is pre all effectsand the there is more headroom for effects .... Like if you put a saturator at like +48db but pull the fader down by -48 db then it is still gona clip it will be just lower in volume But if you put utility -48 db before saturator it wont clip...
gain stage as I make my beats, Create all beats in mono until you forget that you're in mono. get rid of the resonance peaks at your own discretion. Literally my process and it's proved effective every single time. wait til you separate the master channel to mono. the results will 100% blow you away after you forget that you're in mono.
Rayyan Khan Two very important reasons to mix in mono: 1. Mono is the worst scenario your track will be played in. If your song sounds good in mono, it will sound good on pretty much any audio play back device someone uses. 2. There’s actually a lot of playback devices that are still mono and even some clubs. Not to mention majority of the time someone is listening to music it will not be in a perfect stereo environment (listening to music on headphones or sitting in your studio with your speakers aligned) *bonus one* When you start getting into posting stuff on streaming services and measuring your song’s LUFS, having all clean signals and a very good mix will make it so you’re able to make your tracks loud like the professionals.
Could you elaborate on how to actually mix in mono? Is it as simple as putting a mono gain plugin on the master, set to 0db and bypassing on and off to compare? I'm using Serato Studio to make the beats, and mixing/mastering them in Mixcraft. Thanks
If you came here just looking for trap and beats tutorials, you better check out all his other vids and stay subscribed. This dude is one of the best teachers for music producing, it blows my mind that he isn't booming yet.
Whats the benefit of using utility at the end like this vs just adjusting the gain on the track to -12db as soon as you start putting sounds on it that way you don't have to go back and use utility?
The difference is the fader is post all effects But gain staging is the first thing you do so it is pre all effectsand the there is more headroom for effects .... Like if you put a saturator at like +48db but pull the fader down by -48 db then it is still gona clip it will be just lower in volume But if you put utility -48 db before saturator it wont clip...
Im running ProTools 12 on a Mac Late 2012 to make beats. Im using structrure free as a sampler, and I cant figure out why when I take sounds from splice into Structure free, the volume and the overall sound is weaker, dimmer and lower then When I play it in Splice. Not sure what to do....
if your in fl studio do not put any of those on your master, fruity soft clipper on default is the sauce for fl to make it knock when you push your drums hard
@@EdTalenti Woow dude no need to be aggressive and defensive, that is not how you reply to subs !! I didn't think you of all people would be so cruel and revengeful.
Super sorry if that came across as aggressive man! I didn't mean it like that at all. I just meant to clarify a detail about it. Nothing but love man 🙏🙏
So after gain-staging if I need a certain sound or element louder would you then use the faders to adjust volume for certain elements? For example if I set my kick to peak between -18db & -12db but I need it louder would turning it up on the faders actually mess up what I just gain staged? That’s the only thing confusing me.
Dude you should make a video on acoustic treatment that you've done in your studio. Your set up is quite different than most I've seen, I'm sure there is a story there.
1. Do you have any presets or plug-ins saved to your daw that come preloaded into your workspace when you open up a new live set? (ex: a limiter on the master track?) 2. How do you know when you have good sounds or samples? versus bad sounds/samples? What should I be listening or looking for? You have really helped show me how to fine tune my beats, please keep it coming!
As far as I know the reason everything sounds better when it's about -18Db gain is 'cause there are some plugins emulating workflow of analog mixing gear. For all of them this lvl is safe. If you put it higher even though you're not clipping you'll get some more unnecessary distorstion and noise
Hey Ed, I wanna thank you a lot, man. Your tips helped me a lot. Just made a dub hip hop beat and by applying the gain staging techniques you just explained, it remained sooooo spacy ... Nice ... And this I understand! Again, thanks man! I enjoy watching your videos.
So after I turn it down can I now add a soft clipper to have room to increase power? Because now I just have good sounds that are low. I wish you went into detail on Saturation and soft clipper. I think that would make the video much more satisfying
There's a trick to add +6db to master track. So it's loud enough to hear and when you're done and ready to master you just remove that +6db and boom you have perfect 6db headroom
Can you gain stage with the actual mixers on the right? Also - once you’ve done this staging - won’t the beat be at a pretty low level? How do you move it up to a level that is loud?
hockeygolfer312 I think he means turn the gain level down to give head room for adding distortion and clipping plug-ins like camel crusher and compression ect. This will make your kicks sound louder without pushing the gain
Hi man, thank you for this tip, I love to use it. But After doing it my master is on -12 dB but whenever I put just a little compressor on my kick or snare for example the master directly goes to -6 or something so my final beat is on a extreme low level of volume and I’ve to turn up my speakers/headphones to the max to hear the beat normally and i can’t put any compressor or saturator to any drum anymore cause it’ll bring the master to -1 quickly. So how you do to make your beat sound louder with the volume at the normal level but without going further the -3dB ? Thank you in advance.
LaL AL MASTER IT, my mix usually sounds really quiet (-6 db) on my master. You can try to export your beat, and put it in a new project so you can start to master your beat. That is just what I usually do, you can try it if you want to. Cheers:) oh yeah I usually put all my melodic stuff at around -18 to -15 and my drum like kick and snare around -12.
First...Thank you soo much for this tutorial! Really it helps me a lot. One question, after I mixed everything.. should/can I put Utility on the Master and an bring it up to -6DB to make it louder ? And second question is.. if I put for example Saturator on the drums should I bring the Level back to -18DB with the Utility ? (bc usually it makes the drums louder again) Anyway... thank you very much for your tutorial!
YES to both. Definitely bring it back up to -6 right before bouncing it and bring down the gain every single time you add a new plugin to an instrument 👍
The baby espresso haha. Thanks for these vids man. Getting insight from someone doin real numbers is eye opening and motivational as hell. I’m just getting started with producing and I’m looking forward to what’s in store
Hm but what about the volume then? Everytime I try to apply this, my overall mix is way too quiet. Then I have to add like 10 db of gain on my limiter on the master channel which somestimes distorts the whole track. Do you had the same issue or have any Idea how to stop that happening?
@@licccio2133 Is maximizer the same as a limiter? I usually only apply gain on my limiter. I've never heard of maximizer. But thx man, definitely going to look that up
Hey! I'm using the Span Plugin right now, however, when changing gain on my utility plugin I'm not affecting any of the output signal on SPAN.. Any clue what I could be doing wrong ? Thanks !
@@EdTalenti seriously man, can't thank enough, i'm re working on a tune that i wrote 12 years ago, loads of tracks and instruments, i remade most of the drum bass guitars and keys, i like the song but the mix sounded like horse shit, i just applied the utility+span technique and it's crazy how that thing cleared up ! AMAZING Thank you again!
Thanks for the tutorial! But I have one question: Wouldn't it be enough to just pull down the volume in the mixer so the Master overall has enough headroom?
That’s the output volume with the fader. That means that if there’s any clipping and distortion before it hits the fader, lowering it won’t fix anything, it’ll just distort quieter 👍
Keep putting in that work! Another solid, would love too see a video about the rest of your process to finish your track completely, mixing & mastering wise 🔥
EdTalenti i still watch that one to this day, but it doesn’t dive into your mastering chain & getting that mix loud, as well as some other advanced techniques that take your master to the next level 💪🏼
@@Klevys_Beatz yeah man i figured it out you tweak them in the channel rack like you said. But in the mixer you then have the room to boost them and add effects. You can also put a compressor on the master that will boost everything
Thnx so much for doing this video. Implementing gain staging into my mixes has made the hugest difference in the end sounds of my beats! Thank you Ed for sharing your knowledge.
I was going to ask you for a more in-depth video about gain staging ! The universe is unfolding to me! Thank you for this video, can’t wait to try this out
yes yes this is the question i want to be answered.. I always make music on ableton i tried to apply some effects and it sound good on the daw but when I export it.. it sound terrible and it is not loud
In fl studio you have to turn down the volume in the sample. Then use the volume tool in the miscellaneous tab to turn it up without adding much more db. Watch busyworks beats the biggest mixing mistake tutorial for more explanation on why this works and to see what buttons it is.
Hi Ed Talenti thanks for this video. I just have a question. I'm in logic and there is a pre fader(sounds who go out from my plugin and go inside logic). Do i have to apply gain staging on my pre fader volumes or in the post fader volume (output volume). And if the answer is in the post fader volume, do i have to apply that before any effect plugin(compression etc..). Big thanks if you can give me an answer! Peace
dude. real serious for a second: music dopeness aside, your videos are so much better in terms of quality and care about them details. hands down. loving it 👌🏼✨
Ed Talenti much thanks for the great vid. I just wanna know: if I put all my sounds at -18dB they are ok played single but when I play them together they go over the -18db again. Is this normal? Another question, I leveled everything to -18db but kick still got lost in the rest. The kick was from a well know kit so not a bad sample. Even when I lowered bass the kick was muddy. Last question : so once everything is at -18db... whats next? Ur awesome for making this vid!
Adjusting the levels on the mixer lowers the output volume of that particular instrument, not the input. In other words, if the instrument was clipping before it even hit the mixer (like the 808 in this video for example), you will just make it quieter by lowering the fader, but you won't fix the distortion that comes from clipping. It will still be distorted, just quieter. Hope that made sense!
Hey Ed, Great videos man!!!!...and nice beats, of course. I love seeing a fellow youtuber who doesn't talk S#!T all the time. May I ask, what camera you are using? And what camera did you start out with? I'm thinking of upgrading right now. Cheers, Son Wu PS: Wouldn't mind winning you're drumkit as well and put it on my OP-Z ;)
Hey thanks man! I use a Canon EOS T6i, I bought it many years ago for a different purpose and had it for UA-cam almost since day one. It's a good camera for the price but the stock lens is pretty shit. I've been wanting to upgrade my lens for a long time now!
I just watched helpmedevon and he stated this type of effect plug in is the same as it attacks volume prior to the mix effects. He goes through both. I'd assume this is easier to adjust the track as a whole so you don't have to worry about midi vs bounce or velocity changes or multiple separate sections
EDTALENTI thank you for this tutorial I really appreciate it and this is very helpful for me as a beginner . By the way that beat of yours is fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 I would appreciate to see the next tutorial be about layering , the layouts for beat making
Hey Ed I’ve seen a couple of mixing videos of yours. They are all awesome but I’m still confused on how to gain stage drums if I don’t use a drum rack. For example what do you do if you use separat tracks for all your drums?
I do some VERY slight leveling inside my drum rack but I mostly just level them with velocities to be honest. Not the best way but I'm just used to it lol
There is ONE gainstaging video. It’s within the clip to zero series by baphometrix. Why did I say that? Because… he delves into the requirement of the analog emulation plugins -18 lufs design. If you haven’t sat in on his series yet it’s AMAZING. 20 videos or so ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ that’s six(!) star quality hehe Now, distortions sound beautiful & silky instead of angry. Top stuff check him out
Edi great video thank you man. I’ve been learning how to mix, have just learnt how to compress and level my kick with 808 and a pink noise technique. This will help with my claps and hit hats and much. More!! Keep up the work strong 💪🏼
So fruity balance is a fl studio version of utility? I’m a fl user trying to get my mix right and I seem to only find actual knowledge on videos that use other daws
Dude. I know I'm super late to the party on this video, but great stuff here man. Been following you on instagram for a while now, legendary stuff bro keep to it. Subscribed.
Thanks for the video man! Can you remind me why it’s important to use the Utility plugin to lower the gain instead of just dragging down the track fader? I feel like I knew the reason at one point but then I forgot lol. Thanks bro
It is wrong. Let’s do an example: you have a sound or sample that reaches 0db, so you turn down the fader (instead of using a utility). So now the level of the sound is, let’s say, -12db AFTER the fader, I mean that if you put any effect plugin on the channel the level will still be zero before it reaches the fader so, for example, if you add an exciter to ADD some harmonics you will work on a sound that is already at zero so there’s no headroom to add harmonics and those one added will be distorted and squashed. Let’s say you could do gain staging using then fader when you are sure that you will not add anything to your sound, but it’s better to use volute utilities for a perfect workflow and to be free to treat any sound the way you like.
Would be so cool if you could make a video on how you managed to make a living out of music production. What was the process or transition you had to take on between your regular 9-5 job and music production. Thanks!
I never had a 9-5 job so I wouldn't really know. I have always been hustling with music. I was a full time drummer since the age of 18! ✌️😁 That said tho, that's a great video idea and I'd love to explain how I started making a living with production specifically! 👍🔥
Thank you for this! I was about to throw in the towel fr. I truthfully don’t even know how I got to this video the night I did.. but this changed everything! Thank you 🤞🏽🤍
hey discovered your channel recently and enjoyed every video i clicked so far ! after i watched this video i tried applying the mixing technique you show and explain in this video but ran into a problem i have not yet found a solution for when i turn the Gain Knob down for my kick or any other sound the Volume Bar in SPAN does not react to it or go any lower. It doesnt move no matter how much gain i add or take away - the bar only moves when i lower the volume of (for example) the Kick Sample in my Drum Rack. I dont know if im overseeing something important or what mistake i could have made or what else could be the problem here so help from anybody (!) would be very appreciated ! thanks alot =)
Thank you for making this helpful video this is exactly what i’m looking for but quick question does garage band has this plug in? if so then what does it call?
i gotta say, I was gettin weird vibes from this guy's constant maniacal laughing but he knows his craft well! you've earned a new sub my friend, and i appreciate the knowledge you pass on to the community!
Do you find this process is easier after freezing and flattening your MIDI into audio? I was trying this on a MIDI drum track with decent samples and found I had to reduce the gain quite a bit to get the audio in the -12 to -18 range in SPAN. But after freezing and flattening to audio it was already close to that range with no gain adjustment
I will pick three people in the comments to win a copy of my RIP SPEAKERS VOL.1 DRUM KIT 👍⬇️
I would absolutely love to win a copy .
I need the real deal good , high quality drum kits
Ok, also i agree
Oh yes papa Talenti bless me with some hardass drums
Good video bro, i needed this kind of video, peace and love 🔥👍🎹
I found I do something similar. I level everything using the channel volumes in FL (much easier than Fruity Balance & more convenient), so nothing is clipping and all elements are at the level I want them at (using ears not a meter.) Then I pull all the faders down so the kick is -12db ish. Then I bring up the volume (up to a decent LUFs value) after I've done my master EQ, saturation, then Multiband Comp/Stereo Separation. I used to use a soft clipper, but I don't know where in the chain to put it. Everywhere I put it, it just sounds off. Guess I don't need it!
The simplest techniques are the most effective. Mad respect for showing how important signal flow is.
That is very true. Happy you liked the video! 🙏
The difference is the fader is post all effects
But gain staging is the first thing you do so it is pre all effectsand the there is more headroom for effects ....
Like if you put a saturator at like +48db but pull the fader down by -48 db then it is still gona clip it will be just lower in volume
But if you put utility -48 db before saturator it wont clip...
gain stage as I make my beats, Create all beats in mono until you forget that you're in mono. get rid of the resonance peaks at your own discretion. Literally my process and it's proved effective every single time. wait til you separate the master channel to mono. the results will 100% blow you away after you forget that you're in mono.
wait why do you go on mono
@@RayyanKhanRayyanKhan Cause Mono doesnt lie. You can hear Muddyness better. And you hear sounds better that interfiere with eachother
Rayyan Khan Two very important reasons to mix in mono:
1. Mono is the worst scenario your track will be played in. If your song sounds good in mono, it will sound good on pretty much any audio play back device someone uses.
2. There’s actually a lot of playback devices that are still mono and even some clubs. Not to mention majority of the time someone is listening to music it will not be in a perfect stereo environment (listening to music on headphones or sitting in your studio with your speakers aligned)
*bonus one*
When you start getting into posting stuff on streaming services and measuring your song’s LUFS, having all clean signals and a very good mix will make it so you’re able to make your tracks loud like the professionals.
Could you elaborate on how to actually mix in mono? Is it as simple as putting a mono gain plugin on the master, set to 0db and bypassing on and off to compare? I'm using Serato Studio to make the beats, and mixing/mastering them in Mixcraft. Thanks
The easiest Ableton gain staging tutorial I've seen so far
🙏💯🔥🎹
Truly!!
I started doing this in Logic Pro by adding Gain to every track. It’s life-changing.
I know it's so simple but it changes everything!
Bro I didn’t understand how to do this can you help me out by dming me on IG @sully_1507
Gain staging you mean? Just adding gain would just... make it louder
Love every piece of your tutorials
Thanks man!
@@EdTalenti always bro
Hi
So an instrument that is already below -18 Db, do I have to increase it or not?
Thanks in advance :)
I'm pretty sure you don't. And if later on you feel it's too quiet you can always increase the volume.
If you came here just looking for trap and beats tutorials, you better check out all his other vids and stay subscribed. This dude is one of the best teachers for music producing, it blows my mind that he isn't booming yet.
Thank you for breaking it down and simplifying. Great videos!
Always helpful. Thanks so much !!!!
I appreciate you so much bro
Now I gotta buy something from you just to show my gratitude 🙏🏾😭 stay blessed
Great vid man been stuck on your channel for a minute appreciate all the tricks and tips for real. 🙏🙏
Can we mix on studio headphones like audio technica instead of monitors?
Definitely! You could even mix on some dollar store earbuds as long as you know your sounds and you know how they respond to frequencies
@@EdTalenti KEEPING THAT IN MIND.MIXED MY BEAT FOR YOUR SUBSCRIBERS BEAT REVIEWS.ITS A VIDEO .
Whats the benefit of using utility at the end like this vs just adjusting the gain on the track to -12db as soon as you start putting sounds on it that way you don't have to go back and use utility?
I have -16 utility as a default on all midi and audio tracks..
The difference is the fader is post all effects
But gain staging is the first thing you do so it is pre all effectsand the there is more headroom for effects ....
Like if you put a saturator at like +48db but pull the fader down by -48 db then it is still gona clip it will be just lower in volume
But if you put utility -48 db before saturator it wont clip...
Im running ProTools 12 on a Mac Late 2012 to make beats. Im using structrure free as a sampler, and I cant figure out why when I take sounds from splice into Structure free, the volume and the overall sound is weaker, dimmer and lower then When I play it in Splice. Not sure what to do....
🔥🔥🔥 Thanks for the tip!! Def have to try those out.
I promise it will help! Thanks for the comment man 🙏💯
if your in fl studio do not put any of those on your master, fruity soft clipper on default is the sauce for fl to make it knock when you push your drums hard
I see what you're saying but keep in mind, this is not so much for your master but more for the individual tracks 👍💯
@@EdTalenti Woow dude no need to be aggressive and defensive, that is not how you reply to subs !! I didn't think you of all people would be so cruel and revengeful.
Super sorry if that came across as aggressive man! I didn't mean it like that at all. I just meant to clarify a detail about it. Nothing but love man 🙏🙏
@@EdTalenti LOOL im just kidding man
Big 1400 lmao
So after gain-staging if I need a certain sound or element louder would you then use the faders to adjust volume for certain elements?
For example if I set my kick to peak between -18db & -12db but I need it louder would turning it up on the faders actually mess up what I just gain staged? That’s the only thing confusing me.
Darick same Lol
@Oliwer Danielsson yo thank you that was actually really informative
Dude you should make a video on acoustic treatment that you've done in your studio. Your set up is quite different than most I've seen, I'm sure there is a story there.
1. Do you have any presets or plug-ins saved to your daw that come preloaded into your workspace when you open up a new live set? (ex: a limiter on the master track?)
2. How do you know when you have good sounds or samples? versus bad sounds/samples? What should I be listening or looking for?
You have really helped show me how to fine tune my beats, please keep it coming!
Oh my god i've been waiting for this video for ages now haha thanks ed
Hahaha hope it was worth the wait!
@@EdTalenti it was worth it man, I enjoyed it more than you can imagine, thanks again
As far as I know the reason everything sounds better when it's about -18Db gain is 'cause there are some plugins emulating workflow of analog mixing gear. For all of them this lvl is safe. If you put it higher even though you're not clipping you'll get some more unnecessary distorstion and noise
That is exactly it! 👍
Always the best tutorials! This is the sauce that we need to know! Cheers from Italy!
Ayyye grazie bro!
Hey Ed, I wanna thank you a lot, man. Your tips helped me a lot. Just made a dub hip hop beat and by applying the gain staging techniques you just explained, it remained sooooo spacy ... Nice ... And this I understand! Again, thanks man! I enjoy watching your videos.
Also you need to make sure that your gain inside of sampler/simpler plugin set at -12db too (in case if you touched it during writing a beat)
👍💯
So after I turn it down can I now add a soft clipper to have room to increase power? Because now I just have good sounds that are low. I wish you went into detail on Saturation and soft clipper. I think that would make the video much more satisfying
why hasnt anyone replied? please help!!!
Please, for the love of God, help!!
@@marcomartinez89 it’s just gain staging
There's a trick to add +6db to master track. So it's loud enough to hear and when you're done and ready to master you just remove that +6db and boom you have perfect 6db headroom
@@ghastlyshimmer cool trick!!
Bro, this is a game changer haha - YOU WEREN'T LYING AT THE BEGINNING. EVERYTHING sounds cleaner. You're awesome
Can you gain stage with the actual mixers on the right? Also - once you’ve done this staging - won’t the beat be at a pretty low level? How do you move it up to a level that is loud?
hockeygolfer312 I think he means turn the gain level down to give head room for adding distortion and clipping plug-ins like camel crusher and compression ect. This will make your kicks sound louder without pushing the gain
Hi man, thank you for this tip, I love to use it. But After doing it my master is on -12 dB but whenever I put just a little compressor on my kick or snare for example the master directly goes to -6 or something so my final beat is on a extreme low level of volume and I’ve to turn up my speakers/headphones to the max to hear the beat normally and i can’t put any compressor or saturator to any drum anymore cause it’ll bring the master to -1 quickly. So how you do to make your beat sound louder with the volume at the normal level but without going further the -3dB ? Thank you in advance.
LaL AL MASTER IT, my mix usually sounds really quiet (-6 db) on my master. You can try to export your beat, and put it in a new project so you can start to master your beat. That is just what I usually do, you can try it if you want to. Cheers:) oh yeah I usually put all my melodic stuff at around -18 to -15 and my drum like kick and snare around -12.
First...Thank you soo much for this tutorial! Really it helps me a lot.
One question, after I mixed everything.. should/can I put Utility on the Master and an bring it up to -6DB to make it louder ? And second question is.. if I put for example Saturator on the drums should I bring the Level back to -18DB with the Utility ? (bc usually it makes the drums louder again)
Anyway... thank you very much for your tutorial!
YES to both. Definitely bring it back up to -6 right before bouncing it and bring down the gain every single time you add a new plugin to an instrument 👍
Thank you very much 🙏
Really appreciate your work !
The baby espresso haha. Thanks for these vids man. Getting insight from someone doin real numbers is eye opening and motivational as hell. I’m just getting started with producing and I’m looking forward to what’s in store
hahaha I hate those baby espressos but it's kinda all we got out here
Happy you enjoyed the video!
Hm but what about the volume then?
Everytime I try to apply this, my overall mix is way too quiet.
Then I have to add like 10 db of gain on my limiter on the master channel which somestimes distorts the whole track.
Do you had the same issue or have any Idea how to stop that happening?
Compressin increments then apply a transparent maximizer. Look into mastering
@@licccio2133
Is maximizer the same as a limiter?
I usually only apply gain on my limiter.
I've never heard of maximizer.
But thx man, definitely going to look that up
@@thejohncenafan100 Kinda. A limiter only affects the loudest parts, while a maximizer also bring the quieter parts up!
@@licccio2133 thanks!
Hey! I'm using the Span Plugin right now, however, when changing gain on my utility plugin I'm not affecting any of the output signal on SPAN.. Any clue what I could be doing wrong ? Thanks !
put span at the very end of each bus
Thanks ED, i don't do hip hop beats at all, but learning is learning, and it's a great tip that i'm gonna apply right away!
Awesome man I'm happy this helped!
@@EdTalenti seriously man, can't thank enough, i'm re working on a tune that i wrote 12 years ago, loads of tracks and instruments, i remade most of the drum bass guitars and keys, i like the song but the mix sounded like horse shit, i just applied the utility+span technique and it's crazy how that thing cleared up ! AMAZING Thank you again!
Thanks for the tutorial! But I have one question: Wouldn't it be enough to just pull down the volume in the mixer so the Master overall has enough headroom?
That’s the output volume with the fader. That means that if there’s any clipping and distortion before it hits the fader, lowering it won’t fix anything, it’ll just distort quieter 👍
@@EdTalenti Thanks again! :)
EdTalenti HUGE HUGE HUGE. Pls pin this answer !!
Keep putting in that work! Another solid, would love too see a video about the rest of your process to finish your track completely, mixing & mastering wise 🔥
I will definitely do that! I have an older video with a full mix but it's pretty long (and pretty old lol)
EdTalenti i still watch that one to this day, but it doesn’t dive into your mastering chain & getting that mix loud, as well as some other advanced techniques that take your master to the next level 💪🏼
Great video!
In FLStudio, should I use the mixing sliders of each instrument to lower the dB or the channel volume of the instrument itself?
Tweak the knobs in the channel rack. But i have tried the technique that he is using and my beats tend to sound very quiet.
@@Klevys_Beatz yeah man i figured it out you tweak them in the channel rack like you said. But in the mixer you then have the room to boost them and add effects. You can also put a compressor on the master that will boost everything
Thnx so much for doing this video. Implementing gain staging into my mixes has made the hugest difference in the end sounds of my beats! Thank you Ed for sharing your knowledge.
It's crazy how much difference it makes! Most underrated aspect of mixing for sure 🔥💯
This has helped me so much! Thanks loads man, gain staging is so important !!
It really is!
I was going to ask you for a more in-depth video about gain staging ! The universe is unfolding to me! Thank you for this video, can’t wait to try this out
hahaha yes! So happy you enjoyed it 🔥
I can't hear what you say, what site do you recommend for high quality samples? (7:00). Thx for the tutorial, big up!
yes yes this is the question i want to be answered.. I always make music on ableton i tried to apply some effects and it sound good on the daw but when I export it.. it sound terrible and it is not loud
In fl studio you have to turn down the volume in the sample. Then use the volume tool in the miscellaneous tab to turn it up without adding much more db. Watch busyworks beats the biggest mixing mistake tutorial for more explanation on why this works and to see what buttons it is.
Definitely! 👍💯
Hi Ed Talenti thanks for this video. I just have a question. I'm in logic and there is a pre fader(sounds who go out from my plugin and go inside logic). Do i have to apply gain staging on my pre fader volumes or in the post fader volume (output volume). And if the answer is in the post fader volume, do i have to apply that before any effect plugin(compression etc..). Big thanks if you can give me an answer! Peace
dude. real serious for a second: music dopeness aside, your videos are so much better in terms of quality and care about them details. hands down. loving it 👌🏼✨
Thank you so much man that means so much 🙏💯
Ed Talenti much thanks for the great vid.
I just wanna know: if I put all my sounds at -18dB they are ok played single but when I play them together they go over the -18db again. Is this normal?
Another question, I leveled everything to -18db but kick still got lost in the rest. The kick was from a well know kit so not a bad sample. Even when I lowered bass the kick was muddy.
Last question : so once everything is at -18db... whats next?
Ur awesome for making this vid!
so what is different with change faders?????
Why didn't you just adjust levels of each channel by moving down faders on the mixer? Or there is no mixer in Ableton?
Adjusting the levels on the mixer lowers the output volume of that particular instrument, not the input. In other words, if the instrument was clipping before it even hit the mixer (like the 808 in this video for example), you will just make it quieter by lowering the fader, but you won't fix the distortion that comes from clipping. It will still be distorted, just quieter.
Hope that made sense!
That's why I'm not choosing any samples that is already clipping
Hey Ed,
Great videos man!!!!...and nice beats, of course. I love seeing a fellow youtuber who doesn't talk S#!T all the time.
May I ask, what camera you are using? And what camera did you start out with? I'm thinking of upgrading right now.
Cheers,
Son Wu
PS: Wouldn't mind winning you're drumkit as well and put it on my OP-Z ;)
Hey thanks man!
I use a Canon EOS T6i, I bought it many years ago for a different purpose and had it for UA-cam almost since day one. It's a good camera for the price but the stock lens is pretty shit. I've been wanting to upgrade my lens for a long time now!
@@EdTalenti Thanks for the quick answer. It helps me in my decision. And don't worry about the lens, I think your video quality is very good!
Great video bro. You did a great job explaining and showing us step by step. I encourage you to CONTINUE that process. It's a big help. Thanks again
This is a dope tutorial man, everybody needs to hear about this as it literally changes a mix upside down!
It really does! 🔥
Great one Ed ! Simple and effective.
Happy you liked it!
why do u use a gain plug in instead of decreasing volume from the input sound?
I just watched helpmedevon and he stated this type of effect plug in is the same as it attacks volume prior to the mix effects. He goes through both. I'd assume this is easier to adjust the track as a whole so you don't have to worry about midi vs bounce or velocity changes or multiple separate sections
Ed - love the video! I am using Cakewalk. Do I use the volume inside of the individual Vsts or the Gain switch on the mixer? Thank you for your time!
Grazie mille per questo video Ed, forse il migliore che abbia mai visto sul mixing 👍
🙏💯
EDTALENTI thank you for this tutorial I really appreciate it and this is very helpful for me as a beginner .
By the way that beat of yours is fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I would appreciate to see the next tutorial be about layering , the layouts for beat making
Ayyye super happy this was helpful man!
Thank you brother! You're doing so great, keep it up!
I appreciate that man! 🙏
Learned it through trial and errors. Really important stuff
💯🔥
Hey Ed I’ve seen a couple of mixing videos of yours. They are all awesome but I’m still confused on how to gain stage drums if I don’t use a drum rack. For example what do you do if you use separat tracks for all your drums?
why did you initially level all your drums together rather than doing them individually? did you mix them relative to each other already?
I do some VERY slight leveling inside my drum rack but I mostly just level them with velocities to be honest. Not the best way but I'm just used to it lol
Been a sub of this guy for a long time, hes the real deal
Great video brother, really digging the vlog style!!!
Thank you brother! 🙏
Made an Audio Rack with Span and Utility. Works perfectly! 👌🏻
Awesome!
What do you do about the sounds that sound different on other devices after you export it? 🤔
Check to see how mono your bass and low end is and eq out all low end on sounds that don't need it, look at phase cancellation bro
Thank you for this and your previous mixing video. Im SUPER Thankful. Wish you musch success.
🙏
One very good tip, if you mix loud your ears will get tired faster, you can hear some things better
There is ONE gainstaging video. It’s within the clip to zero series by baphometrix.
Why did I say that?
Because… he delves into the requirement of the analog emulation plugins -18 lufs design. If you haven’t sat in on his series yet it’s AMAZING. 20 videos or so ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ that’s six(!) star quality hehe
Now, distortions sound beautiful & silky instead of angry. Top stuff check him out
another great video man , appreciate it.
Thanks for checking it out brother!
Is there a difference between changing Gains in utility or in the vst themselves ????
No....
Edi great video thank you man. I’ve been learning how to mix, have just learnt how to compress and level my kick with 808 and a pink noise technique. This will help with my claps and hit hats and much. More!! Keep up the work strong 💪🏼
Menomale che hai parlato di gain staging, ho visto un paio di video a riguardo ed erano tutti troppo teorici, invece il tuo va dritto al punto! 🙏🏽✌🏽
🙏🙏
So fruity balance is a fl studio version of utility? I’m a fl user trying to get my mix right and I seem to only find actual knowledge on videos that use other daws
Dude. I know I'm super late to the party on this video, but great stuff here man.
Been following you on instagram for a while now, legendary stuff bro keep to it. Subscribed.
Thanks for the video man! Can you remind me why it’s important to use the Utility plugin to lower the gain instead of just dragging down the track fader? I feel like I knew the reason at one point but then I forgot lol. Thanks bro
Thank you so much for all you do Ed! You’re a true G. So grateful 4u
Happy to have you on here bro 🙏🙏
"you start mixing it..."
*boosts 30hz by 12db*
I'm dead. That's a sub.
v helpful keep these coming man!
I definitely will thanks man! 🔥💯🙏
Is it wrong to do gain staging with faders as that’s what I always do
It is wrong. Let’s do an example: you have a sound or sample that reaches 0db, so you turn down the fader (instead of using a utility). So now the level of the sound is, let’s say, -12db AFTER the fader, I mean that if you put any effect plugin on the channel the level will still be zero before it reaches the fader so, for example, if you add an exciter to ADD some harmonics you will work on a sound that is already at zero so there’s no headroom to add harmonics and those one added will be distorted and squashed.
Let’s say you could do gain staging using then fader when you are sure that you will not add anything to your sound, but it’s better to use volute utilities for a perfect workflow and to be free to treat any sound the way you like.
Pasquale Cardona ok thank you, from now on that’s what I’ll do
If you already have an effect on a track before gain staging is I better to turn the plug in off then add it back after gain staging?
Your osm bro♥️♥️♥️
Would be so cool if you could make a video on how you managed to make a living out of music production. What was the process or transition you had to take on between your regular 9-5 job and music production. Thanks!
I never had a 9-5 job so I wouldn't really know. I have always been hustling with music. I was a full time drummer since the age of 18! ✌️😁
That said tho, that's a great video idea and I'd love to explain how I started making a living with production specifically! 👍🔥
@@EdTalenti Looking forward to it! Thanks man
Thank you for this! I was about to throw in the towel fr. I truthfully don’t even know how I got to this video the night I did.. but this changed everything! Thank you 🤞🏽🤍
BRO HOW COME WHEN I ADJUST THE VOLUME ON THE TRACK I HAVE SPAN ON , THE METER DOES NOT MOVE AT ALL??
Make sure Span is at the end of your fx chain and there's nothing after it!
@@EdTalenti lmao im dumb as hell , hhahah thanks bro , that did it !!
Such a good tutorial. Thanks Ed!
Super happy you liked it man!
Great vid, but I've already known about this from your general mixing tutorial (which was incredibly helpful
Thanks man!
hey discovered your channel recently and enjoyed every video i clicked so far !
after i watched this video i tried applying the mixing technique you show and explain in this video but ran into a problem i have not yet found a solution for
when i turn the Gain Knob down for my kick or any other sound the Volume Bar in SPAN does not react to it or go any lower. It doesnt move no matter how much gain i add or take away - the bar only moves when i lower the volume of (for example) the Kick Sample in my Drum Rack.
I dont know if im overseeing something important or what mistake i could have made or what else could be the problem here so help from anybody (!) would be very appreciated !
thanks alot =)
Put span after any gain adjustments in the chain
There was a famous producer that said gain staging is how he gets his beats to come out right
yea all of em
I'm just watching the beginning of the vid and bro this beat at the beginning is sooooo insane 😍
Ayyyye thank you brother 🙏💯
This is what I've been looking for. Thank you thank you thank you.
is Span easy to use with reasons 11? great video by the way. you put it on every track or just the busses?
Great tutorial man
Thanks dude!
this is one of the best tutorials i ever watched tbh
Dude, that makes me so happy 🙏
I’m currently using this on my new beat, and My kick is so quiet, like extremely, so should I lower everything else
prodbymbrewer just add plugins to your kick.. like a compressor and limiter. Since you’ve already gain staged you now have headroom for your plugins!
Thank you for making this helpful video this is exactly what i’m looking for but quick question does garage band has this plug in? if so then what does it call?
This was one of the most incredibly helpful videos I've ever seen on Mixing. Really - thank you [life saved]
i gotta say, I was gettin weird vibes from this guy's constant maniacal laughing but he knows his craft well! you've earned a new sub my friend, and i appreciate the knowledge you pass on to the community!
our boi ed flutenti on the mix!
😂😂
Very nice will try today for sure!!
Man, grazie mille per il tuo aiuto (or something like that 😅) ! Thank you for sharing the knowledge with us 🙏
hahaha that was perfect actually! Thank you so much bro
Do you find this process is easier after freezing and flattening your MIDI into audio? I was trying this on a MIDI drum track with decent samples and found I had to reduce the gain quite a bit to get the audio in the -12 to -18 range in SPAN. But after freezing and flattening to audio it was already close to that range with no gain adjustment