Microphone Gain
Find the preamp gain needed for a healthy but clipping-free signal.
About Microphone Gain
Subtracting the mic-level input from a chosen target tells you how much preamp gain to apply, with headroom being the inverse of that target. Setting gain too hot clips instantly while too low buries the signal in noise, so aiming at -18 dBFS balances both in one step.
Formula
Microphone Gain
Gain dB = target level - input level; boost = 10^(gain/20)
- dBFS
- Decibels relative to digital full scale
Worked example
With the default values below, Microphone Gain returns Gain Needed of 32.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Mic/preamp inputaccepts -120–0 dB
- -50 dB
- Target outputaccepts -60–0 dBFS
- -18 dBFS
Results
- Gain Needed
- 32.0 dB
- Headroom to 0 dBFS
- 18.0 dB
- Boost Factor
- 39.81
- Advice
- Healthy headroom before clipping
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Microphone Gain
- 3Gain Needed= 32.0 dB
- 4Headroom to 0 dBFS= 18.0 dB
- 5Boost Factor= 39.81
- 6Advice= Healthy headroom before clipping
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Microphone Gain calculated?
Gain dB = target level - input level; boost = 10^(gain/20) Subtracting the mic-level input from a chosen target tells you how much preamp gain to apply, with headroom being the inverse of that target.
Why does Microphone Gain matter?
Setting gain too hot clips instantly while too low buries the signal in noise, so aiming at -18 dBFS balances both in one step.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 2 inputs: Mic/preamp input, Target output. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.