If you want to see a very super basic example of this subject, go in your DAW and see if you can change your channels to be Pre-Fader and Post Fader metering. Put like 10-20dB of gain on a copy of the audio file you are going to use. The number doesn't really matter. It will be clipping the channel. Pull the fader all the way down with your DAW set to viewing Post Fader. It is outputting -infinity dB. Not a peep. Switch the DAW to Pre-fader metering. HOLY SHIT IT'S BURIED RED AND ALREADY CLIPPING!

 

This is the one I hate the most. With a huge passion.

 

Yeah the internet is a real cesspool eh.

 

clickbait treads are the best!
i like trash talking those youtubers
worst-case scenario i'll actually learn something new

 

Here's the thread where this idea originated, apparently. This guy is absolutely adamant that turning the input gain down is the way to go..

Read the comments, the guy explains his reasoning there.

 

There are some very good and useful video tuts out there.....but, yeah, most of it is a sea of crap produced by "experts"
who's only real talent seems to be producing flashy BS designed to generate "likes" from noobs who don't know any better.
It would bother me if not for the fact that they are spreading more disinformation than Fox News.

 

Well, at least the lower level of the source has no effect when it comes to VSTis.
One source set to peak -13dB FS, the other one set to -1, input in Nolly lowered by 12dB. How often did I switch and where?

 

This is 100% correct. Its How its done in almost all recording studios I've been too for the last 3 years. Let the amp sim do the work

 

You're onto something, lol
Btw, thousand comments...

 

turning down the input trim so the incoming signal is not clipping is definitely the way to go. But who ever said it wasn't? How do you start your video with the words "gain staging" and then tell us how you have been screwing up the proper interpretation of the word "Healthy". If "gain staging" is some new theoretical thing to you that you can bring up like buzzwords in your YT video; you need to seriously consider re-evaluating a few things.

If something is not loud enough for you, without clipping it; you can always just use a Utility plugin to handle the increase in volume you want. It can be done after EQing by your bus fader. You can nicely record it and then bring it up with many of your plugins. But if you are clipping the audio before it even hits your plugins processors you can't blame the plugin. This is Garbage In = Garbage Out.

When you send a signal to a compressor. and it does nothing at all, it's because you are overloading its input. Sometimes, if you really like the sound of your compressor's color, etc; you can lower the level at the input side and give yourself more room within the compressor to let it process the audio more.

This is the problem with "learning" things from Youtube. The blind leading the blind. Or in this case, deaf. It's why nearly every video that is about "Why YOU are doing whatever wrong", is really "god damn, I just had an epiphany. I have been doing it wrong the whole time and no-one would tell me."

 

... And here's another Nail in the Coffin, lol

 

Jeez, another 18min vid that could be boiled down to like 30secs? Ok, I'll give it 3min max.
Sadly, he too missed that the solution mentioned at 11:34 isn't the only one. The other one is to simply turn down the input knob in the plugin. I really wonder why they're all missing this option.