Hi all,
 
Thanks to ModBod's innocent little thread about meters, I am hooked on VU meters and proper gain staging - and my mixes are WAY BETTER so thanks! :)
 
I am using the UAD Pultec to add some crack to a snare drum. I really like what it does, but it has no output control, and it's really spiking my meter. It seems logical then to follow this with a simple gain/trim plug.
 
Is this the right approach, and if so does anyone have a recommendation for a plugin to use?

Or what if reduced gain before going into it with the gain at the top of the channel strip? I'm just thinking, even if you went into a gain/trim plug after the pultec, the signal is still clipping coming out of it, which might cause some digital distortion.

I use the ProChannel for all of track effects. I put an FX Chain module in the ProChannel, sometimes more than one of those, to take advantage of combining plug-ins and ProChannel modules.

I can add an empty FX Chain in that signal flow as needed. Any FX Chain module, or even an empty one, can do what you're asking. That is, it can allow control over gain staging between plug-ins or modules.

Thanks guys - that's why I love this place!
 
I could move it to it's own FX Chain and control the gain (I always forget about the FX Chains having gain control) but I think I might look at the plugin before it. I think it's Waves SSL channel which has a gain. I could just reduce the output of that plug going into the UAD - problem solved.
 
Much appreciated!

Hornet's meter plug in has auto gain settings which is cool. The perception plugin is also cool for this, but it's pricey.

Bluecat Audio's freebie is a great solution for solving this problem:
 
http://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Product_GainSuite/

Before FX chains I used the Sonalksis Free-G freebie.

thanks guys - I'll give those a try!

dmbaer
Bluecat Audio's freebie is a great solution for solving this problem:
 
http://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Product_GainSuite/

 
+1 to this

Channel tools?