One of the hot topics at this year’s NAMM show was gain staging. Lots of people want to know what it is and why you need to know how to do it. It’s also the root of some of the more common mistakes I see in many churches and schools. It’s not intuitive, but knowing how to do it makes a world of difference in your signal quality. What is gain staging?

Without a doubt, the number one issue I find in venues is a lack of understanding of proper speaker placement, the second most common issue is a lack of understanding of gain staging and why it’s important. It’s the bedrock of a good mix and a critical component to avoiding a couple of other common issues.