Question about gain..
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bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Gain is a change in level. You can increase level (gain) or decrease level (negative gain, or attenuation) or leave it unchanged (0 or unity gain). In guitar amps it's a little more specific and may refer to a level control early in the circuit that can be used to produce harmonics (distortion/overdrive).
Volume is audible
volume is a little different than a level control which is what i think you're referring to. A preamp has a gain and an output, if the output is a trim and it is all the way up, you can boost the gain to make the level coming from the output fader so that the signal is hotter. The output fader controls the output level, maybe if something else is clipping in the chain like a DAW. a pretty common thing is to overdrive a Neve style preamp to get a little more distortion and then back off on the output fader to control the level. Level is also something that can be measured with a voltmeter or VU meter, where volume would be the amount of sound coming out of your monitors. Sort of make sense?
volume is a little different than a level control which is what i think you're referring to. A preamp has a gain and an output, if the output is a trim and it is all the way up, you can boost the gain to make the level coming from the output fader so that the signal is hotter. The output fader controls the output level, maybe if something else is clipping in the chain like a DAW. a pretty common thing is to overdrive a Neve style preamp to get a little more distortion and then back off on the output fader to control the level. Level is also something that can be measured with a voltmeter or VU meter, where volume would be the amount of sound coming out of your monitors. Sort of make sense?
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Volume is the commonly used term for how loud something is, but if you want to scientifically describe how loud something is acoustically you use sound pressure level, SPL.
Farview
Well-known member
Unfortunately all of these terms have different meanings depending on the situation you are in.
In general, gain is a change in level internally in a piece of equipment and volume is a change in sound level in the room you are standing in. Obviously, in order to change the sound level in the room, you will have to change the gain level in the audio equipment... this is confusing.
Gain is normally used to match levels. Like adding gain to a mic signal to bring it up to line level so that a mixer, compressor, interface, etc... can do it's thing. As was mentioned before, you can also reduce gain. Again, that would be for matching the signal level to what the next piece of equipment in the chain is expecting.
So, gain is for level matching and volume is the final result.
In general, gain is a change in level internally in a piece of equipment and volume is a change in sound level in the room you are standing in. Obviously, in order to change the sound level in the room, you will have to change the gain level in the audio equipment... this is confusing.
Gain is normally used to match levels. Like adding gain to a mic signal to bring it up to line level so that a mixer, compressor, interface, etc... can do it's thing. As was mentioned before, you can also reduce gain. Again, that would be for matching the signal level to what the next piece of equipment in the chain is expecting.
So, gain is for level matching and volume is the final result.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Gain, via the channel faders, is also used artistically to create the mix.
Mo Facta
Farts of Nature
Read this article:
Recording: Stamping Out The Slippery Language When Taking About Decibels - Pro Sound Web
The article clears it all up but suffice it to say:
Gain: "...the ratio of the amplifier’s output level to the input level."
Volume: "...is usually associated with an audio level control, but is an imprecise consumer term. Volume is measured in quarts, liters and cubic meters! The words more properly used in our art are Level and Loudness."
Cheers
Recording: Stamping Out The Slippery Language When Taking About Decibels - Pro Sound Web
The article clears it all up but suffice it to say:
Gain: "...the ratio of the amplifier’s output level to the input level."
Volume: "...is usually associated with an audio level control, but is an imprecise consumer term. Volume is measured in quarts, liters and cubic meters! The words more properly used in our art are Level and Loudness."
Cheers