In audio engineering, a gain stage is a point during an audio signal flow that the engineer can make adjustments to the level,[1] such as a fader on a mixing console or in a DAW.
Gain staging is the process of managing the relative levels in each step of an audio signal flow to prevent introduction of noise and distortion, feeding the inserts, such as equalizers and compressors with the right amount of signal, particularly in the analogue realm.
This is usually broken up into a number of smaller steps, called gain stages, where the signal is amplified or attenuated as needed before reaching the loudspeaker.
In a signal flow beginning with an acoustic sound source (such as a musical instrument or singer), the Microphone preamplifier is typically the first electronically adjustable gain stage, where the signal is amplified by as much as 95 dB in exceptional cases [citation needed].
Microphone placement is therefore an important aspect of gain staging [citation needed].