Recording Handbook - Hol.gr

Q0.4 What is gain? What is volume? What is the difference?
Adapted from tstrohma@theodolite.ae.calpoly.edu (Trevor Strohman):
Gain occurs before the preamplifier stage, volume occurs afterward.
When to fiddle with each:
Adjust gain levels once, to find the optimal input levels for your
mixer/4-track: high enough for a good signal-to-noise ratio, low
enough for the desired level of distortion (usually none). Then
adjust volume controls to change the levels in the mix.
Lowering the gain reduces clipping and distortion. The gain also
helps even out levels: you don't have to have one volume slider
cranked while another is almost off to get a good mix. However, the
mix happens in the volume controls.
Cranking gain too high is much more likely to cause distortion than
cranking volume, and more noise occurs on low gain than on low volume.
Q0.5 What is "DiY"? What is "indie"?
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