sangstersounds Keeps It Real with Gain Staging

Chris Sangster, aka sangstersounds, pulls us into his cozy studio with a topic that might seem as ancient as grandma’s rotary phone – gain staging. Now, this isn’t your regular bedroom producer rambling; Chris gets real about why this bit of audio folklore splits producers like the debate over vinyl versus cassette. His opener is a mix of myth-busting and truth-dropping, setting the stage for a no-nonsense discussion on how to keep your mixes clean and professional. Gain staging, according to Chris, is really just about ensuring sweet audio quality without distorting your sounds or losing the vibe to noise. Whether you’ve been a victim of confusing internet debates or still hold onto your analog roots, there’s something for everyone here.

In the dusty attic of audio history, gain staging sat like an old mixtape, essential in the analog days but a contentious relic in the digital age. Chris breaks down the evolution from hardwired mandates to the flexible digital playground we jam in today. Analog demanded you treat it with respect – too much signal, and you’d get distortion that makes your ears want to crawl away. Analog hardware needed a dance partner that knew its steps; it was all about hitting those levels just right to avoid noisy mishaps.

Fast forward to Logic Pro’s 64-bit realm – a digital wonderland where headroom is plenty and the rules have changed. You might think precision is a relic of the past with all this headspace, but the game is different. Don’t toss your gain habits out with the old walkman just yet – it’s still about keeping things optimal, especially when your plugins emulate the gritty charm of physical gear. sangstersounds is clear: good gain staging might not save the world, but it’ll definitely save your track from sounding like a broken subwoofer.

When it comes to digital, Chris rolls up his sleeves and lets us into his mix game plan, a routine that’s as effective as it is straight to the point. He shares a foolproof process to tackle the daunting digital domain without losing your sanity. First off, he flashes his trusty pre-fader metering move, helping producers see the raw signal without the fader’s distraction.

Now, sangstersounds isn’t just swiping left or right; he’s diving into detail, resetting peak values to get readings from -18dB to -6dB. This range is the sweet spot where plugins perform best, kicking digital clipping to the curb while letting the modern producer swim in pure, undistorted vibes. Adjusting each track to this band ensures not just clarity, but a polished, professional sheen. Chris keeps it clear: whether with tracks hitting the high notes or rumbling too low, it’s all about that gain control to pump out the cleanest, dopest mix. You want vibes, not a science degree, right?

Chris digs deeper into how your beloved plugins have a life of their own. Like a streetwise sage, he separates myth from method, teaching us to juggle plugin gain controls like a beat-maker handling vinyl. These aren’t just tools; in Chris’s workflow, they’re the heart and soul of the mix’s dynamic journey.

Using his preferred plugins like UAD Ampex ATR-102 and Slate Digital’s Virtual Console Collection, Chris illustrates the delicate dance of input and output levels. It’s all about knowing their quirks and finding that sweet saturation without crossing into the distortion danger zone. Manipulating these gives your mix that analog mojo without turning your track into a noise showdown. With his tell-all approach, sangstersounds equips you with a sonic toolkit that lets you ride those levels like a pro skater in a bowl, balancing precision and creativity, and leaving the track ready for the next stages of mastering magic.