Gain Staging

Sound passes through several stages between microphone and finished file: preamp, recorder, edit, processing, export. Gain staging means each stage hands the next a level with room above it. Aim for peaks around -12dB and keep the loudest moment well short of 0dB, because digital audio has no headroom past that point and a clipped peak cannot be repaired afterwards.

Under-recording is the other half of the same mistake. A quiet take lifted in post brings the room hiss and preamp noise up with it, which is why the repair belongs at the microphone rather than on a fader.