Cakewalk by Bandlab: Gain Staging 

That was THE most demystifying treatise on one of recording's most obtuse basic concepts I've ever seen

1:02 1:48 Start with a clean slate, set all Gain controls to 0 by double clicking on the dials. Do the exact same for the faders, by double clicking. Switch off all FX, including in the ProChannel. 3:19 Solo one track and play the project. 4:57 Target levels. Aim for an average level of about -18db. Use the Gain control to achieve this. 5:58 Aim for a peak level of about -12db. Make sure your peak doesn't go over -6db. 6:33 Why set average level to -18db? 8:00 The other metre is a full scale metre. 9:05 Adjusting dials on FX plugins changes the RMS level. 10:31 Use the output control on the FX plugin to get about -18db RMS level again. 11:12 With FX plugins that don't have an output control, use Blue Cat's Gain 3 to adjust the gain of each FX plugin. 11:48 Cakewalk-specific: Monitor the gain on the ProChannel too. E.g. Applying a high pass filter in the EQ on the piano makes the average level drop to -24db. 12:48 The ProChannel EQ doesn't have an output level control, so Right click > Insert Module > FX Chain, (in FX Chain) FX+ > Show Rack Menu > Insert Audio FX > Blue Cat's Gain. 13:39 Other Cakewalk modules don't have an output control, like Saturation Knob. 14:05 After each module and FX plugin, check the gain is still good. Then apply it to every channel and the buses too. 14:35 With drums and percussion, the peak level quickly decays, the average level of them is not so important. A good level for these types of instruments is about -12db. Some people go to about -6db which is okay but just make sure you're not clipping. 15:38 Don't stress about gain staging. The level numbers in this video are just guidelines, just get in the ball park and don't clip. 16:01 You can make good recordings without gain staging. 16:23 Gain staging is just an assistant in your mixing.

Hi Mike. Like you I'm an older guy who's been using Cakewalk off and on for many years, and like you I'm still learning. I wish they would have hired you to be their trainer years ago. Your videos are well produced, clear, and very helpful. I'm amazed at how much I've learned from your videos. The program still drives me crazy sometimes though, like when my synths mysteriously change to other synths, or when I forget to turn off the punch in module, etc., etc. Anyway, hope you keep producing them. Thanks again.

Thanx again for a very well done vdo. I do believe you are my favorite 'elaborator' of mixing with Cakewalk, especially after your friend 'Morgan Freeman' said he liked your FB group...lol. Keep up the good work.

Good stuff as usual, Mike. Pro Tip: You can use the FX Chain module to control levels in the Prochannel without adding any FX to it. Click the 'Control' button in the bottom of the module to access the Input and Output gain controls for the FX Chain module itself. And if you use the Input fader to get back to your -18dB target, the module will be ready for insertion of any FX that you might decide to add there later.

In case anyone hasn't mentioned it yet, the FX Chains in ProChannel have their own input and output faders, so you don't actually need a 3rd party plugin to adjust gain after those ProChannel modules without an adjustable output. Simply insert an empty FX Chain between modules and select the Controls tab at the bottom. I use the input fader to make adjustments in case I decide to insert a plugin in that rack later.

Cakewalk by bandlab is awesome !!!!!

I like your honesty at the end of the video so that people don't get obsessed about it.

This video more than many others has made my mixes sound so much better, I'm now revisiting older recordings and re-mixing them using these techniques!

This was something I never had done before in my 30+ years of Cakewalk, and man It was a life changer! Thanks!

Great comparison .........Cakewalk it's getting better !!

Very useful as I just started with CakeWalk, after 5 years of Ableton.

Nice job on the video! I owned a 24-track analog studio for years, and always tried to hit right around 0 DB on the VU meters - as you had indicated was the sweet spot. I didn't know that about -18 was the sweet spot for RMS. I have been recording and mixing everything at 0 DB on the digital meters in Cakewalk for years. I will try it. Thanks for the instruction.

Holly Molly! I saw this video quite long ago, but I just watched it again. Hey, some tricks I forgot just came back! Thanks a lot Mike, the older videos are quite accurate!

Thanks Mike!!! Awesome video, this is new to me. I am micing a drum kit. Right now I have 4 mics going into a presonus FP10 pre amp which is hooked up to a laptop w/ Cakewalk installed on it. This video was very helpful too me.

the part about peak level being more relevant on percussions than the average level was so interesting! i never would have thought of that. such an informative video!

I am currently learning to make music with cakewalk and your videos are awsome, keep making them.

Man you won me already with your analogy of sun burn versus red color on the meters in the beginning. By adding that they were both preventable, you made me watch the video to the end regardless of what it contained. As a cakewalk fan since the late nineties, the acquisition of Cakewalk by BandLab pulled me back into music making. And as a beginner I will definitely benefit from what I've learned from this video. I will also go to your web site right now. Thanks a lot!

Thank you.............love all of your videos!!

Thanks for the tip on double clicking knobs to zero out.

This was super helpful. as always. I've seen lots of videos on gain staging, but until now I didn't understand the full process. I understood the idea of it, but not that it had to be done continuously throughout the mix - sort of an important detail. And now I see why the Blue Cat plug-in would be really helpful. I'm almost done the third book, so I'll be able to get 'stuck in' with my mixes very soon, though I am playing around with stuff now so I don't forget what I'm learning. P.S. Don't worry about the burn too much. The damage that causes the worst problems is done when we're teenagers. You don't look like an old guy, but (like me) you're not a teenager. :)

Thank you so much the best tutoriál!!!

For real instruments (especially multiple devices pre-summed through an external mixer), there are several points where the signal levels need to be set before they get to the DAW: program/patch level, master output level, "real" mixer input gain, mixer channel level, summed output level to the A/D inputs. How should these all be set? Ideally, with no additional noise (any active "gain" adds noise) but also at a high enough level so SNR is optimized, but without overloading (distorting) the next step in the chain. Also, are all of the channel inputs in CW stereo by default? Noted dual metering at 3:35. Great channel!

Thanks. Ive learnt more from your videos than any others. Have donated a little will again as i use more of your tutorials. Great job. 🤟👍

Thanks for another great video. I’m impressed with your clarity and attention to detail and even the clean look of your studio! Having said that, it would still be helpful for us beginners to narrate what you click on (or where you’re clicking if not obvious) when you perform each step (like how you made the Free G appear ). As your following grows you get more questions and I’m sure I don’t know where you find the time to answer all these inquiries, but it’s very much appreciated (I like to read your answers to others’ questions). So now to my question: Why not simply re-adjust the gain at the top of the channel after you add effects, instead of getting a plugin to turn down the gain?

I hope you make a tutorial about mid/side EQ next sir. Have a great day.

thanks a lot sir , it helped me a lot

Thank you so much! So useful.

very good!!! thankyou

One of the best yet! Been using CW for the past 10yrs too. Cheers

Masterfully delivered! Great back to basics refresher with a twist...Don't forget the inter-plugin influences that "add up"!! Thanks for this well explained "Root" lesson we never really look at when the mayhem of mixing begins!

Thanks for yet another very informative Cakewalk video. I'll be practising the techniques described and adding to my personal cheat-sheet on music production using Cakewalk. I'm not entirely sure if you've done a video about Mixing in Cakewalk yet; but if not, an extended tutorial would be greatly appreciated (by me at least).

very informative and easily understood. thanks mike...

I'm very impressed with your series. I'm astonished when you tell me something I didn't even THINK of. I would surely like a pre & post version. Starting from the levels on the preamp knobs and levels thru to the final stage of your MP3 or *.WAV. As an OLD ANALOGUE guy, my target levels were completely WRONG. Some of this explains some of the edge that appears in my final mixes... that I didn't understand prior to this video.

Glad to see this video. After your description how to perform gain staging makes sense. At 4:25, you show the FreeG plug-in but I didn't see or hear you describe how, or where, you installed the plug-in into the piano track signal path.

FANTASTIC first things first type of video, I will use this as a go to starting point! Thanks!

Very helpful! I had no idea this was a thing, now I have to go back and record all my vocals!

Excellent tutorial!

You are very good at teaching things 👍

Nice tips, Mike. I've an awful habit of leaving gainstaging to near the end of the project. Your way is a nice way to work with it as you go along. My greatest sin for years was to work like in the old analogue studios, always trying to keep the level as hot as possible. 😂 Even now I still get older engineers giving out to me for my "low" recording levels mind you!

Appreciate it sir😌🙏

Nice idea to use RMS for the instruments and peak for the percussions.

Fantastic tutorial for someone like me who is new to recording. Thank you!

Recently discovered your channel. Really outstanding content. I’ve been using Cakewalk since the Pro Audio 9 days so hardly a newbie and yet I’ve learned so much from your videos. Tried your gain staging approach on a mix today and it was a revelation! Thanks a lot and keep up the good work.

Forever grateful to have found your goldmine of a channel!! I have watched nearly all of your videos (especially regarding Cakewalk) and you have drastically helped me improve my music production techniques. Much much much love!!

Very interesting and educational. Thank you.

Great video, again. Thank you.

You are a great learning resource! Thank you!!

Thanks!

Excellent vid mike. Lots of great tips for me throughout so thanks again

Very intreresting, Sir ! ALWAYS ! I do not remember if i have already say it to u, ... So, THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL UR WORKS and TUTOS ! As i'm used to say, MY PROCESS IS IN PROGRESS, or, the contrary wich is true too !

This was very helpful! Thank you very much

Mike this was an incredible video mate. You broke it down and led us on the right path the whole way, not one part of this video felt boring or overwhelming. Thank you once again and keep it up 💪🏼

Looks like an informative video. Giving it a try now. Thanks.

Another excellent video - thanks Mike!

Such great content! So much helpful/useful information - thank you so much!

Great stuff to know, I know you know this but I love how izotope gain staging is very easy right within say, Neutron 3 or Ozone 9.

Well, that turned out to be both more interesting and confusing than I expected. Interesting mostly because loss of gain was never much of as problem back in my day. With the hundreds of transducers involved in the electronics of old, the output of each usual had a small amount of amplification to account for any loss, and the next transducer in the chain would usually have a preamp to boost it a few dB coming in anyway. So, this thing with plug-ins sucking up the gain caught me off guard and was interesting in its ramifications. So, let's get to the confusing part. The "sweet spot" on the old VU meters came about because we needed to seperate the recorded music as far away from the noise floor as possible. For anyone reading who doesn't know, the old analog tape process tended to add a very low level of "noise" or hiss that could be noticed if the volume was high but the recording quiet. DOLBY and DBX were developed as a response, but traditionally you wanted to make the recording as loud as possible without introducing too much distortion (A tiny bit is good, hence the saturation plug ins) Generally, the VUs would be averaging around +3 unless you had excessive readings on the IPP meters ( Instantanous Peak Power - the LED lights which are common today, but were a single light on tthe VU) Which brings me to the confusing part. Why is there a "sweet spot" on the IPPs? It's all digital today, so the noise floor issue is moot. The saturation is achieved through a simulated effect. None of the old rules apply, except actual digital distortion is to be avoided like corona virus. Thoughts Mike?

Thank you so much sir!

very useful tutorial. if u reduce time of these type of videos till to 12 minutes it will be fantastic.

Thanks for the guidance. I'll use it to my advantage one I begin a new mix in the near future. God willing.........

Another great tip. I used my audio interfaces gain knob to set up gains. That gain knob on console view, thats a very visible feature that I totally missed. HaHa. I always skipped this video because I felt like I knew how to set up my gains and I did. Komplete audio 6 have very clean signal so I leave my mixes as they were, and use the gain knob from now on on ever project. Thanks Mike.

Regarding Metering for better visuals-A little more work is involved but I do it once-save as a template and my workflow is always fast and ready to go when I create a new project. In track view go to Options--Go to Meter options- Scroll down until you get to Record Meter Options-Playback Meter Options-Bus Meter Options--Here you can set your preferences for RMS-- PEAK Levels or a combination of both as well as better visual scaling. This is what I Do--When I go to Record Meter Options -I set to RMS-If you want you can choose Peak + RMS. By default it is set to -60db change to -78db Do this procedure for Record Meter Options-Playback Meter Options-Bus Meter Options. You will now get RMS levels in Record view--playback view and Bus view with better visuals-Less eye strain You can do this procedure In the Console View and the Prochannel View as well. Once again-When this is done save as a template and watch how much more efficient you recordings and workflow becomes :D

I like all of your tutorials... very helpful and useful information. I am new to Cakewalk and am climbing the learning curve. I still have a few bugs in my system but I believe they may be as a result of using Win.7 I may upgrade to 10 in the near future.

👍 Thanks!!!!

Great tut. Just subbed.

Okay, found it. Thanks

love it! good job

Thank you for this one.

A sunburn? Really? I always thought you Aussies are invincible to sunburns. And now this. So much to be learned here... ;O)

Hi Mr Sauce I laughed at "If you didn't like the video, hit Dislike twice. How does compression fit in here, or is it the same rules (RMS 18 in and out?) Clearly Compression is going to reduce the difference between peak & RMS, so which do you believe? And finally, with everything mixed so quiet, isn't my mixdown going to be very quiet! Do we then want to create a new project to compress or Ozone our mixdown? Best wishes. Tony

This is so great! I love your way of explaining. One question tho: Why shouldn't I just adjust the main Gain knob after adding my plugins? I still need to learn a lot about effects and chains but couldn't you just put it after adding all the effects and adjust everything then?

Great Videos!!! very detailed and well thought out-- one quick question---If you have say a guitar panned left -should it be panned centered during gain staging?--thank you and turn it to eleven

My confusion lies in which control should I use on cakewalk tracks, gain or volume? I know what each is from an electronic circuit point of view. Gain is active requires power can attenuate and can amplify. Volume is passive requires no power and can only attenuate. But that does not tell me when I should use each. Like if all I want to do is adjust the levels on a few simple tracks.

👌👌👌

Hello creative sauce. Thanks for helping out the community. I was a beta tester for Sonar Platinum. I would like to share some tips.You probably already know but if not here is a simple one and you wont have to add the Blue Tubes gain knob or any others unless you choose to do so . Add a blank FX chain in the prochannnel. Bottom left there is Controls and effects. Click on controls and you have an instant control for input and output gain staging. This can be inserted anywhere in the prochannel-before and after every plugin if desired. :D I will post another helpful tip about metering. As I tell my wife there is nothing wrong with my eyes. They are just making things smaller LOL...

u are my HERO :D

nice vid Mike but i wonder why you didn't use the gain trim that comes with the FreeG plug and instead used CWalk's gain?

Great video. Very helpful. Where do you put the Free G plugin? In the fx of the mastertrack?

GREEETINGS MIKE THE SUNBURN AND METERS THAT 1 HITS ME HARD LIKE A KICK LOL

Ehi Mike, awesome tutorial. Perhaps it's a matter of a language barrier (I'm not english as a first language) but I did not understand a couple things: 1. is the goal to achieve -18 on every track but the drums? Would that be different if we were talking about, let's say, synth sounds? 2. if we use this kind of gain staging.. what purpose do the faders at the bottom of the chain have? It's like.. to bring the volume at -18 again if some "last minute" plugins change it just before that? 3. and... when we go to the mastering stage at the end.. I guess all of this does not matter anymore and we just boost it up and apply a limiter? xD

Also to bear in mind is : Pre-Fader and Post-Fader.

Hi Mike, another fabulous video and being an ex electronics tech' I get the benefits of this Gain Staging - TOP JOB Sir. Just one question though please? Where in the chain do you put the FreeG - I don't see that you have it as an FX plugin of every channel??? Perhaps I'm missing a link in my old and fading grey matter !!

You can change meters resolution to 12 dcb.

Nice job breaking this down. My question: I do have many recordings where the levels are at 0 and higher (I came from the old school, starting with 4 track tape recording.) I don't think I will be able to go back and "fix" all these. So, if they are missing this "Sweet Spot", especially with the analog plugs on certain tracks, what should I be listening for?

Another great video mike. Thanks for all your hard work on putting these videos together. I have a few quick questions. 1. Did you insert the Free G plugin on the master bus because I can't see where you inserted it on the piano track? The second question is how do you get the free G plugin to stay open when you open other plugins? usually when I open another plugin Cakewalk will close the GUI on the last plugin you where working in. Thanks

When you say, "I'm just going to pop that up on the screen", at about 4:27, you didn't say that where you put the plugin! I cannot see it in the track bin so I can only assume you put the FreeG in the master effect bin. What gives? Also what screen resolution are you running? My FreeG is not as big as what you are showing. Thanks and sorry to bother you!

Another good educational video for our beloved Cakewalk, thank you Mike for your channel. But... Sunburn in December? Really? How on Earth is that possible, unless you live in the south hemisphere?

Stop naming Cakewalk by Bandlab as some kind of "home studio" DAW. Just because this is by far much better than just that! When that's just said, I actually just got my brand new Arturia Keylab mkII 88 inhouse, but sadly found no defult setting to this DAW. What a disappoinment that was!! But YOU obvoiusly somehos got it all right! Please make a video on this specific theme. There was also some information all old projects would play completely flawless after the update, but my 32 bits VSTi's made Cakewalk by Bandlab crash after installation, and even moreover, my Sonar 8.6 also crashed the very same way! What a disappointment that too was!! Please share your knowledge on these issues... :0)

Hi! Great video, thanks so much. This helped clarify a lot of questions I had. I use cakewalk as well. I often find that, even though the individual channels are not clipping, the master bus meter shows very close to 0 or -1 db. In such situations, I dial down the gain at the top of the master bus so as the output comes out to be somewhere near -3 to -6. But I have always had second thoughts with this approach. Would like to know your thoughts. Thanks.

Hey, Mike great video, but I have a couple questions: let's say I had a mix that was already pretty dialed in sound-wise, and then I wanted to gain stage at a later date: why not leave certain FX on , like compression, perhaps including even the pro channel except maybe EQ at first, or Am I totally confused; and I think I am(are you actually moving the FreeG plugin to the slot immediately post Each FX you have added or turned on?) , because it seems to me you'd be adjusting and readjusting over and over, when the LEVELS changed if FreeG is only on the busses, so, I don't think the one comment saying that you had installed it on the bus only is correct, but unfortunately that comment stuck with me, and I believe it's caused me to make bad assumptions... And the 2nd question is this: I assuming these target levels are basically supposed to be max limits, right??? So, I'd want to monitor and read the lFreeG levels on the loudest part for any particular instrument like, say there's acoustic guitar but part of it is a picked part, and d the other part of the song is vigorously strummed, and louder because of that, or should I have had the picking part recorded on a completely different track than n Thē strumming part, which I normally don't do , but now strikes me as a good idea, but I'm not prepared to go back and retrack anything I already have down and recorded sounding fairly good, the room I record acoustics in may not be available at certain times either, so retracking in general is problematic , especially if the parts sound good: Please advise as to how I should do this. i think I probably should get the strumming part to the levels you mentioned ... ,So in that case, should I mainly be trying to get the strumming part at the levels you mentioned in FreeG, the -18 and -12, because there is a fair amount of dynamics on the acoustic guitars, so my only other option would be using an excessive amount of compression, which seems dumb to me, but please advise, Mike: And thanks for these kickass vids, because I would be 101% lost without you. Other than you, I'm basically self-taught: so sometimes the obvious answer doesn't always come to me: So, thanks again, Mate!!! Top nottch!! Tip top, actually!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼

thanks :))

hi this is James, thanks for the education on this vid. However I was wondering on how do you avoid Audio Drop outs? Please help us cause I'm sure theirs more people then me having this problem? Thanks!!

Something that I don't understand quite well is where to do the gain staging. I mean, is it in the loudess part or whatever?

Hi! Great video; Teaches me a lot about creating a proper mix with gain staging. As I'm quite new to this, what RMS / peak level should I consider for vocal tracks? And do you make a difference between lead and backing vocals, or an entire choir?

Hey Mike, such great content, as always!! One question about it though, why haven't you used the fader? Should I not use it to "adjust" levels? For example, after adding saturation, should I use the Blue Cat plugin or the fader? I generally use the faders, and right now I'm not quite sure if I should be doing that. Thanks!!

G'day! Thanks for the great info! Some details came to mind that might not be clear to everybody: 1.) Is it correct to assume that your measuring part of the Piano track was where it's the loudest? 2.) Is it correct to assume that this "Free G" tool was inserted at the final mixbus? Cheers!

Thanks for another great video. I am just getting started learning about working with DAWs and Cakewalk in particular. Enjoying doing it with Creative Sauce University!! I have a question . why did the Avg meter in FreeG show close to -20 when the LEDs only went to around -17-18. What is their relationship?

Mike, have you ever tried to hold down the control-key, e.g. when you double-click the gain-knob to set it to zero? This "Quick Group" should effect all similar channels, but it doesn't seem to work on the reset of mixer-knob. To deactivate all effects you can use the "FX"-button at the top. This one disables ALL Plugins... I'm curious about your opinion on these...:-)

Hi : I love your vids thanks ! I started with first steps starting with plug-ins OFF and faders and everything at zero , I cant dial down my tracks to minus 16 even with gain all the way down...What am I doing wrong?