Nearly 20 years in Cubase, and NOW I learn about the pencil on audio events? This is embarrassing! I would automate, and then bounce before compression.

It is almost spooky how much i learn from this channel.

I cheer every time I hear someone say, "don't use compression to fix things!" That was driven into me when I started in engineering in the late 70s. And on analogue, it was even more important because of noise. In fact, with the exception of the pencil tool (something I have loved in Cubase), so much of what you talked about comes from the analogue book. We always recorded at as high a level as we could get away with because of noise. The higher the signal, the lower the noise - simple. So, in theory, everything on the 24 track was the same level, more or less. At mix time, the first thing I used to do was put all the faders at zero/unity the whole way down the desk, then do a very rough mix using the channel gain knobs. (And for those who haven't played with a desk, the input gain is attached to the input amp on the channel circuit - it is the first stop from the tape machine). I much preferred using PPM meters (they are easier to watch because of their slower release and fewer fussy markings). I would end up with a mix that was just a little bit low, but all the faders were still level. As a note, I almost never had to turn anything up - always down. The other thing we did (pre automation) was to bounce things like vocals and ride the fader constantly as we did so - the manual version if what who you did with the pencil tool. Sometimes on Cubase I use a plugin called Vocal Rider to achieve a similar result. Very useful! The platform might be digital and computerised now, but you have stuck wonderfully to those old analogue rules that were developed over decades, often because of the limitations of the equipment, but also because people had the same ears as you and wanted lovely, clean mixes.

OMG the pencil thing.... you killed me

30yrs in Cubase and the pencil tool made me feel like a fool. It even ryhmes. Thank you!

Bloody hell Mr Sigalas, I'm astounded! You have produced the ultimate guide to Gain-Staging in one brilliantly concise, no nonsense YT session in under 18 minutes. Absolute genius work Dom, I just wish I'd found you sooner!!!!

Dom, your explanations and every detail and tip you provide are exceptional! I can't wait for your next video! 😃

Hey Dom. I'm really glad that I found your channel. You can't imagine what I already learned by watching your videos within the last two weeks since I found you. I wish I had more time to test out all of your tips by myself. Keep up the good work!

I'm absolutely inspired by your obvious passion for helping people understand how to use this product AND put them on the path to creating their own music.

The pencil trick is just AWESOME! I was automating all the breaths for years, now I know how to do it in the right way! Thanks Dom!

I recently used this gain staging technique this week on a recording of an original song of mine and it totally transformed the song. The final result was a revelation. It wasn't that difficult to implement either. No more recording "hot" from now on.

On of the best of Dom's tutorials. This might be the most important thing I've learned so far. I'm totally comfortable building a solid gain foundation for each mix now. Dom, I knew a couple of the concepts you taught (headroom at -18 or -12, for example) but I had no idea of the order these moves should come in, or "where" these moves existed in the signal chain (like knowing that pencil adjustments should come before fader automation, etc.). It makes total sense now ... but it might have taken me months, even years, to figure it out through experience on my own. Really appreciate this lesson. Immediately, immediately helpful and impactful.

You teach in such a way that anyone can easily get it. Cheers hope to get more tutorials on mixing.

Dom, you are such a good teacher, I have learned so much from you, and truth be told, one is never too old to learn new things! The way you deliver your teachings on this channel, and with so much passion, is simply sublime! I've been active in the audio industry in Belgium since 1993, I have done editing, mixing, mastering and composing music for fiction series, and I have been a Cubase aficionado (also Nuendo) and user since 1999. Now I also teach Cubase (and sadly also Adobe Audition) in high school in Belgium. But the way you are making these youtube tutorials and videos, really helps me at delivering my teaching methods to my pupils. I am much older than you, but then again, I consider you as my role model, to teach my young audio padawans in school. ;-) I'm a big fan of yours, and I also redirect my pupils to go and watch (and ding your notification bell and subscribe to your channel) all your videos on KZfaq here. Normally I have to make my own videos to explain stuff to them, so they can watch them again, but with a knowledge-source like you, I can let them watch all of your videos and hope they absorb as much as they can. It really helps me out. Continue your good work, I will continue watching everything you deliver. Greetings, Miguel

Even though I'm a long-time Cubase professional, I always look forward to learning new tips and tricks, and I'm usually amazed at how I could have lived without them before. Thanks for helping to elevate all our Cubase games.

Dom, this advice is absolute gold. Thank you!

Just found your channel. Learning so much already and I’ve been using Cubase since it was first released! In fact I started with Steinberg 24 on an Atari ST. This video was fantastic. I have always just pulled the channel fader down. Using these tips I’m sure will make a big difference to my control over the final mix. Trouble is now I want to watch all your other videos which is stopping me actually recording music. Thank you for the videos and your time making them.

Holy crap, Dom! THANK YOU! Gain staging has been eluding me a bit and this was the most concise and straightforward explanation I have seen. I actually have a workable process now, especially within Cubase.

A really useful quick reference video for understanding gainstaging in Cubase. As always, really clearly and dynamically explained! Thanks a million!

Thank you for your Cubase shares Dom!

Awesome, I was a "just turn the fader down" guy, until now. Thank you.

Please don’t ask if we want a video about the thing you don’t fully explain, PLEASE JUST DO IT, WE NEED MORE TUTORIALS OF CUBASE 10.5 AND MAKE THE CUBASE COMMUNITY GROW ❤️

Watching this video again to do gain-staging better. Brilliant video! Thanks! You have so many great tips for Cubase!

Dom, I have no words to say that this video is fantastic, and your explanation even better. Clear, honest, concised, incredible. Cubase is a fantastic DAW, and deserves great teachers as you are. I learnt a lot about gain stagin in 17 minutes ! All fantastic, from the 1st minut ti the last. I am unable ti highlight only one oart of the video. You are helping to grow all the Cubase community users. Congratulations. I will keep this video in a safe place as the "bible" of gain staging, and of sure, I will revisited more than once, and I will share to other colleagues.

The loudness war!!!! :D you almost 20k man congratz !!

This pencil feature has been available for a long time... Cubase is best!

Just from watching a couple of your vids yesterday and today, i’m learning a lot and my mixes are rewarding me for it. You are the man!

This video is an eye opener. Thanks for teaching the methods. I'm really grateful to you😊

We can also make an automation of the Pre-Gain section to ensure that volume is balanced before hitting any plugin! :)

Amazing tutorial, thank you Dom! A question: You mentioned that you like to have -12dB on the master while mixing. How do you achieve that this remains more or less constant while adding more and more tracks during production? (And why -12?)

Probably the most concise explanation on the subject in the dozen vids I just watched. Excellent work!

Again, such a clear and easy tutorial and showing pros and cons of working on gains. Thanks!!

There is a small trap by using "PreGain" (not only this one), maybe just when you are not used to it. For instance I had the Noise Gate in the Channel Strip in use and lowered now the PreGain. The Noise Gate of course had to be adjusted in the threshold. First I was wondering why there was no longer any sound after lowering the PRE gain...so if Gain Staging on a already started project, be aware of the impact

Ok so I just found this precious tutorial after I just my gain staging my song with that old bad methods. Let me cry my tears out above peak level 😂

Wooow that pencil trick is incredible!! I can't wait to play with it. Feels like I level up every time I watch one of your videos, Dom. Thank you so much, man!

Wow, Dom what a great content you provide in your videos. You've inspired me to get Cubase Pro 10 and that has really upped my game. And now, learning about pencil editing makes a great addition to my bag of tricks. I always dreamed of having that kind of control in gain staging and editing without using automation and clip gaining but did not know that trick until now. A big THANK YOU goes your way. Rock onward.

Cubase needs an optional feature to automatically pull the pre gain down to whatever predetermined level you have set. (-6,-12-18 or whatever you want.) That way, when you drop in a vst or sample, cubase would automatically adjust the pre gain to your desired setting while leaving the fader at zero. Doesn't seem like it would be that hard to implement it. Would save us a ton of time.

The pencil tool is a good idea but needs to be reworked, it is a pain to use, e.g. the points are so tiny, it is practically impossible to hit them again in case you want to edit the curve. You should be able to edit them like automation, with Bézier curves and proper tools. It is a long time since I used Ableton Live, but the clip envelopes there were sooo much easier to use. And that was ten years ago. Could be a great tool, as of now I rarely ever use it because it’s a pita. It is usually faster to automate the pre gain.

I love all of your videos! Great teacher! Thank you!

Wow, talk about information that you can immediately apply to improve your work. This was gold. Thank you.

Wow!! Thank you Dom!!

Like all your tutorials, insightful, clear, and enjoyable...thanks Dom !

only been using and learning for a year, but you've saved me so much time - future time! Dom you are Invaluable! I constantly go to your channel to learn new things!

Thank you Dom again for an awesome Cubase features video - finally this is what this great DAW deserves...

Incredible!

thanks Dom, very appropriate for my journey/learning at the moment........appreciated.

10:55 OH MY GAAAAAWWWWWWWD!!! I've been using the highlighting tool, selecting gain from the process options in the audio drop down tab. This saves so much time! DOM, once again you've made my DAY! THANK YOU!

WOW!!! So many tips and tricks in this great video. Thanks Dom

Brilliant as always. Thank you, master.

Excellent explanation... Thank you! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I knew about the pencil and I have been using it to change the amplitude in my samples since Cubase 7. It was one of the greatest discovery in music production I had at the time. The consequence was and still is the only way to manage my music mixing production. Dom, I really liked the way you explained it. Marvellous

so helpful thank you!

Didn't know about the pencil trick! It was great to get an explanation on gain staging, since as a beginner, it has been an area with quite a lot of a struggle for me. Thanks for a great video!

Dom, your videos are gold! I never get bored watching and learning from you! Thank you!

I am a cubase user from Version 1.0 and I have never ever used the pencil for gain staging... What a great video, man! Perfectly explained!

Great info!!

Excellent video, as usual. Thanks a lot, Dom. A pleasure to learn from you!

Super lesson! 🤩

Thanks for all the great tips Dom, you help me a lot with the production and those small details!

Didnt know! Very helpful! Thank you!

Thank you Dom!!! I always watch your tutorials, still can't believe I never saw this one before. I just needed to say: THANK YOU! You have no idea how much you're helping us (you and Chris Selim), always providing us with GREAT contributions. Cheers, man!

Fantastic!

The more of Dom's videos I watch, the more I'm convinced he is the Jesus of music production in Cubase. Absolute godsend! Thank you Dom!

Your hints are like gems. Thank you very much!

Thanks a lot, dear Dom!

Your videos are soooo good, thank you!!!

Fantastic explanation - many thanks!

This is great. I was taught at college to drop all the faders to start for analogue mixing but this solution for DAW is brilliant

Hands down the best tutorial on gain staging I've seen. These tips will solve a few problems with my mixes for sure. Also - I've used Cubase since 2006 and for some reason didn't know about the pencil on audio events OR the pre gain section on the channel settings. It was there all the time. Embarrasing but hey - I don't care because this video blew my mind. Will change my work flow accordingly imediately. Fantastic channel. Thanks!

fantastic video - thank you Dom.

Great lesson Dom! Absolutely correct!

Great explanation, thanks!

Really excellent video about a critical step in mixing. Thank you so much!

Great course again! Answering my questions about those different faders etc.

Awesome stuff and - as many of you - I didn't know about the pencil tool either. After more than 20 years of working with Cubase! So thank you Dom! As far as I can see, it is very useful and it will be part of my workflow from now on.👍

Excellent tips here Dom!! Thanks for simplifying Gain Staging.😎

Trick #2 was an absolute stunner. I never knew this existed and I will try it now with a mix given to me. May be a life saver for the vocals. Thanks for sharing!

Almost always something new learned in your videos, thanks Dom!

Dom, I just have to drop a comment to say YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I'm switching to Cubase from Sonar & your videos have been making me LOVE the process. The pencil tool idea=GOLD. Although you didn't mention it directly, I didn't know my channel setting EQ could be knobs instead of sliders. I love that. I just started watching because the Pre Gain is buried in Cubase compared to Sonar, so I wanted to see what you do, but then I learn SO much more than I expected. On one hand, you have amazing energy, but more importantly, I love that the information you share is consistently well thought out and extremely useful. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!! You make the world a better place!

Man! This is great content! Thank you so much! We just started to deep work with new track and has problems with gain of the mix. Now i understand why. Your channel is so great!

OMG !.. this is the best video of gain staging ever... thankk youuu

Wow!!! This really helped! Thanx

Thanks teacher!

That pencil tool tip is otherworldly. Your tutorials are a cut above the rest always leaving feeling like it was worth the watch. Fantastic channel !!

This was really helpful. Thanks.

Top shelf advice - thanks Dom!

Great video, a lot of knowledge. Thanks

Thank you so much Dom, huge tip this pencil !

Thank you for these advices! Finally I can improve my workspeed in my favourite DAW! :)

as always Dom....awesome! thanks fella tc

Thank you SO much, that is really helpful.

Very useful information thanks so much for sharing, Don you make the best videos just awesome!!

Awesome Video Dom, I appreciate this very much.

Awesome advice and options I didn't know were in cubase, thanks 👍

I've been f'ing up. Thanks for sharing. Awesome info!!!!

That's life saving!!! Thanks Dom.

Great tips, again!

Absolutely fantastic information!

I have been using all of those methods, but until I watched this video I didn't know which method was best to use at which stage. Thank you for this video. It brought clarity to my workflow.

Even though I am a Reaper user, your videos always help me a lot. They're so universal despite they're Cubase focused. Thank you.