What it is
Managing the signal level at every point of the chain (recording, clip, plugin, fader, bus, master) so that no stage distorts unintentionally and all work in their ideal zone.
Why it matters even in digital
In a floating-point DAW internal clipping is rare, but many plugins that emulate analog hardware respond differently to input level: “analog” compressors, saturators and EQs are calibrated around a nominal value.
Reference values
- 24-bit recording: peaks between −12 and −6 dBFS, never touching 0.
- Average level per track around −18 dBFS RMS (corresponds to 0 VU on many emulation plugins).
- Buses and master with headroom: mix peaks around −6 dBFS before mastering.
- Clip gain or a trim plugin before the inserts, not the fader, to adjust the input level.
Practical workflow
- Normalize levels with clip gain until all tracks have a similar level.
- Set up the plugins; check that the input and output of each have similar levels (bypass with no jumps in volume).
- Only then balance with the faders.
- Always compare at equal volume: whatever is louder always seems better.
Example in a beat in A minor
Kick with peaks at −6 dBFS, 808 at −8, snare at −8, pad at −16, lead vocal with peaks at −10: the master keeps headroom and the saturation plugins on the 808 work in their sweet spot.
Real-world example
“Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson (1982), mixed by Bruce Swedien, is often cited as an example of a mix with great dynamic headroom: no stages saturated by accident, every element with its own space.