Mixing Gain Staging Calculator

Work out mixing gain staging instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Mixing Gain Staging Calculator

The trim is simply target minus current level in decibels, and uncorrelated tracks sum at 10 log of the track count, so 24 tracks add about 14 dB on the bus. Ignoring summing gain is why mixes clip the master bus even when every channel looks safe, and staging to -18 dBFS leaves room for that build-up.

Formulas

Track trim

trim dB = target peak - current peak

Summing gain

gain dB = 10 x log10(number of tracks) for uncorrelated material

Worked example

With the default values below, Mixing Gain Staging Calculator returns Gain change needed per track of -12.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Current track peak levelaccepts -60–0 dBFS: -6 dBFS
Target track peak levelaccepts -60–0 dBFS: -18 dBFS
Number of tracks summingminimum 1: 24

Results

Gain change needed per track: -12.00 dB
Level added by summing the tracks: 13.80 dB
Expected level on the mix bus: -4.20 dBFS
Headroom left before clipping: 4.20 dB

Step by step

1Values used
2Track trim
3Summing gain
4Gain change needed per track= -12.00 dB
5Level added by summing the tracks= 13.80 dB
6Expected level on the mix bus= -4.20 dBFS
7Headroom left before clipping= 4.20 dB

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 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 the Mixing Gain Staging figure worked out?

trim dB = target peak - current peak. The trim is simply target minus current level in decibels, and uncorrelated tracks sum at 10 log of the track count, so 24 tracks add about 14 dB on the bus.

Why does this matter?

Ignoring summing gain is why mixes clip the master bus even when every channel looks safe, and staging to -18 dBFS leaves room for that build-up.

What do I need to enter?

Enter current track peak level, target track peak level, number of tracks summing. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.