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Sound & Production

Gain

The short version

How hot the signal is going into something.

A little more

Gain sets the input level — how strongly a sound hits your preamp, plugin or amp. Push it hard and the character changes: it can get thicker, then distorted.

Hear it
Why you'd careGain is at the start of the chain and affects tone. Volume is at the end and only affects how loud you hear it. Turning up gain can change the sound; turning up volume shouldn't.
Learn next
VolumeHow loud the finished sound is played back.CompressionAutomatically turning down the loudest bits so everything is more even.DistortionPushing a sound past its limit so it breaks up.

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