Hello "young man" (I am in my 73rd year). There are DAWs that give input level control I believe? Cubase? But I really don't see the point?
It's not offered for fixing tracking issues. In Protools, anyway, it's offered so you have some sort of automation control before the first plugin.
You could always get around it by automating the gain of the first plugin, but a solution without a workaround is nice.
Have to say, I use it a lot now, usually when I want to smooth out some extremes before hitting a reasonably subtle compressor.
Doing that means the compressor doesn't get slammed once in a while.
As you say though, in response to the OP, if preamps/converters are overdrive or clipped, nothing in the software can fix that.
OP, the same is true once in the digital domain.
Even if your recorded signal is perfect it's possible to overload one plugin and ruin everything there after, even if gain controls after that plug bring your signal back into a healthy range.
Distorted is distorted, loud or quiet.
Edit: I mistakenly took #11 as the first post.