Do you set GAIN before mixing?

Conversely,  I'd call it a really bad idea to not check the raw track levels are reasonable by adjusting the gains before you start mixing...

I do gain staging right from the input volumes on my audio interface, and using the master volumes on individual presets for soft-synths, so that I don't need input trim adjustments or initial fader adjustments to have all my tracks coming in initially at around -15 dBs, with Sonar faders at unity.
 
That puts me in good shape from the beginning, and I always end up in good shape when it's time to mix.
 
Others do things differently, but for me things work out OK.
 
Bob Bone
 

I just adjust for the green glow(2i2) with NO orange on the hardest attack(guitar,bass, and vocal). It seems to be working fine. It seems to fall in the -12 to-16 ballpark on avg.

I make sure when I start mixing that I get the peak level to sit between -12 dB and -18 dB. I like to treat -12 dB in digital domain kind of like 0 VU in the analog realm. I've noticed that some plug-ins can react negatively if they're dealing with too hot of a signal. I also try to maintain that level in between plug-ins as well. A lot of it has to do with feeding the plug-ins a healthy signal. This really helps the processing, the headroom, the mix in many ways. The faders at the end of the channel do end up moving a bit but I feel as though there is more control/intention with how they end up moving.
 
I totally agree with what batsbrew says about the best case scenario. It does set you up for an ideal mix situation.

it's a common term amongst mixers,
but when you are first starting, it IS confusing.
 
 
zero, typically means level, which means NOT -1db, or +1 db, but 0db, which also means Unity gain.
 
typically, if your individual tracks are sitting around -18RMS, with a decent crest factor, when you bring all the mixer faders up to unity (0db), your master meter MAY possibly be sitting pretty.
 
looking at -10db on peaks, with the RMS around -18 or so.
 
these are just guidelines,
and i routinely surpass them when i'm mixing.
 
in fact, i just finished a mix that i painted myself into a corner on,
and had to select all my Busses (except master) and bring the TRIM gains down all the way across the board, 
just to get some of my headroom on my master back.
 
but that was ok on THIS particular song,
because of the way the tracking was done to begin with.
 
not ok on most of my other mixes.
 

i jus' crank that m'phucker until it bleeds RED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
 
 
 

I am glad to see someone at last has mentioned rms levels.  It goes a long way to ensure all your rms levels are consistent on your tracks before you start a mix. 
 
You need VU metering though to see them properly.
 
The rms ref level can be -18 as mentioned here or any one of the three K system ref levels
 
It does not matter what any effects or effect chains do to gain. All you need to is monitor rms levels going in and out of any effect or chain (if it is a chain in and out of each effect in the chain too) then you will never have issues with effects changing gain.
 
Also when rms levels are consistent on tracks you will never have issues with either too much or not enough level on a track to be able to mix properly.  The fader will usually end up around unity gain anyway.
 
Peak levels tell you nothing about how loud a signal is.  (especially for sounds that have an attack transient)
 
 

It is quite amazing how many people are deaf to great advice re levels within a digital recording system.  It is also amazing how many silly men don't listen to their wives.
 
Dare I say it back in the old days all we had was VU meters and we were only monitoring rms VU levels. We got all our levels nice and even on the multitrack.  All those VU meters just hitting 0 dB VU.  Made it much easier to mix.
 
Why can't the same principle be applied to modern DAW approach.  It can you see. They just took all the VU meters away that is all and gave us peak metering instead.  But you can put the VU meters back in and use the same approach.  It works. And you can use your peak metering at the same time.  Even better.
 
Bat produces some great mixes I agree.  But he is also concerned with rms levels and that is one of the main reasons why I believe.

I do think the digital sample peak metering can be quite misleading. It's also kind of strange that most meters seem to default to this type metering. It's like they're a glorified clip indicator. I do typically enable Peak+RMS as well.
 
It must have been nice to track RMS levels on VU meter without having to worry too much about overshoots. I've been told that you have quite a bit of headroom before things start to You could err on the high side with analog, whereas it's the opposite with digital. For better or worse, I'm a product of the digital age so that's what I have to deal with. I can dream of a hybrid set-up but I'm not too worried about it for the time being.

The Klanghelm meters are excellent and cheap.  Also they are very close to the ballistic of real VU's which I also have. (not all are!)
 
You can treat digital the same way as analog.  All you do is choose a reference level.  LIke Bat for example -18 dB rms = 0 dB VU.  In my case I work at multiple ref levels (as per K system) but usually only two though. -14 dB rms = 0 dB VU or -20 dB rms = 0 dB VU.
 
You set that up on the VU meter itself.  You need some sinewave alignment tones also.
 
Once you do this you can treat your digital system exactly like analog.  All you do you is adjust your VU's to give you a reading of 0 dB VU everywhere in your mix starting with the tracks themselves.  In and out of plugins and on your buses too and the masterbuss of course.  But you actually have 14, 18  or 20 dB of headroom sitting above to catch those peaks.
 
So you watch your rms levels and don't sweat the peaks at all.  They just take care of themselves just like they did in the old days.  I never see a clip light come on anywhere in a mix.  If you do you are doing something wrong.
 
Many VST's vary wildly in their rms levels.  If you adjust the output of any VST's before bouncing etc so they just peak 0dB VU you won't have to fiddle with them from that point on again.
 
Plus every mix you do is at the same rms level.  Makes mastering much easier too.
 
Fast sounds such as drum sounds are a little different though.  They have high peak values and very low rms values usually and the VU takes 300 ms to reach 0 dB VU so they won't show those sounds very well.  Peak metering comes into its own then.  Once you send all the drums to a drum buss though you will have enough rms level to move a VU more normally then.

charlyg
We need a "school house rock" forum here....

I'm just a fader
Yes I'm only a fader
And at unity I breath like Darth Vader

Hi guys, I recently did a video on this on my youtube channel, I use the vumt and brainworx meter and the meters in sonar, and I explain why I set levels to -18db rms, Have a look at the video in the link blow, Hope you can understand the Irish accent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrIfjwVCjEg