# Gain staging before any plugins

**URL:** <https://community.mwtm.com/t/gain-staging-before-any-plugins/17263>\
**Category:** Jaycen Joshua - Critical Listening\
**Created:** [August 20, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.mwtm.com/t/gain-staging-before-any-plugins/17263 "2025-08-20T17:46:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ersin\_Jakupi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.mwtm.com/ersin_jakupi/32/1948_2.png) [@Ersin\_Jakupi](https://community.mwtm.com/u/Ersin_Jakupi)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://community.mwtm.com/t/gain-staging-before-any-plugins/17263/1 "2025-08-20T17:46:12Z")

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I wanted to ask how to gain stage before any plugins or when I start to mix the kick what I suppose to have on my 2 buss and how much db does the kick has to hit on the 2 buss ?

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**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Kresin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.mwtm.com/jonathan_kresin/32/2741_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Kresin](https://community.mwtm.com/u/Jonathan_Kresin)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2025, 4:47am UTC](https://community.mwtm.com/t/gain-staging-before-any-plugins/17263/2 "2025-08-26T04:47:08Z")

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The big thing is you need to meter pre-fader to see what level you’re hitting without the plugins to gain stage. In logic pro x you can customize that in the Transport settings. Jaycen seems to set the drums at -5 (according to his Orion plugin too). He also uses Standard clip a lot to set a hard threshold at -5. I’m still learning his methods too, but it seems to be around that. The God Particle is -5 for the sweet spot too and then his limiter in that adds 5db for the limiter. He aims to touch -6 (-6.8 or so) to -8 LUFS on the mix bus too. Depending on the genre.