Yes. No account, no license file, no strings. If it saves you time, tell a friend.

Does it touch my audio?

Only when you click SET. Gain Staging applies a single static gain offset. No EQ, no compression, no coloration.

What about Intel Macs or Windows?

Apple Silicon only for now. If you need Intel or Windows, write to hello@andrestia.com. Demand decides the roadmap.

Where should it sit in the chain?

First. Gain staging works best before your compressors and saturators, so they see the level they were designed for.

← All plugins

Gain Staging

Measure, target, commit

Hit your target level in one click. Gain Staging measures your signal, calculates the gain offset needed to hit your target, and commits it. No guesswork, no riding faders.

Download Gain Staging

Free · Available · AU / VST3 · v0.1.0 · macOS (Apple Silicon)

Gain StagingAndrestia

Target · RMS

−18.0 dBFS

Stable

SET

Why

Why gain staging?

Plugins sound best when they receive signal at the level they were designed for. Too hot and you get distortion you didn't ask for. Too quiet and you lose detail in the noise floor. Gain Staging gets every track to the right level before you start mixing, so your compressors, EQs, and saturators all work the way they should.

How it works

Three steps

01
Choose RMS or Peak mode
02
Pick your target level
03
Play audio, wait for stable, click SET

Details

Features

01RMS and Peak measurement modes
02Preset targets: -18 / -20 (RMS), -10 / -6 (Peak)
03Confidence indicator: Measuring, Settling, Stable, Committed
04One-click gain commit with clip warning
05Mono and stereo
06Full state recall (DAW session save/restore)
07Hardened runtime, notarized, sandbox-safe

Getting set up

Install

01Download the .pkg installer below.
02Run it. AU and VST3 land in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins automatically.
03Restart your DAW, or rescan your plugins.
04Insert Gain Staging on a track, usually first in the chain.

You'll need

macOS on Apple Silicon
A DAW that hosts AU or VST3 (Logic, Live, Cubase, Reaper, and friends)
Notarized by Apple, no Gatekeeper workarounds needed

Questions

FAQ

Is it really free?: Yes. No account, no license file, no strings. If it saves you time, tell a friend.
Does it touch my audio?: Only when you click SET. Gain Staging applies a single static gain offset. No EQ, no compression, no coloration.
What about Intel Macs or Windows?: Apple Silicon only for now. If you need Intel or Windows, write to hello@andrestia.com. Demand decides the roadmap.
Where should it sit in the chain?: First. Gain staging works best before your compressors and saturators, so they see the level they were designed for.

Changelog

Versions

v0.1.0

First public release.
RMS and Peak measurement with preset targets.
One-click gain commit with clip warning.
AU, VST3, and Standalone for macOS (Apple Silicon).

Ready when you are.

Gain Staging is free. The installer places AU and VST3 into /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins.

Download AAGS-0.1.0.pkg

AIAPS →Saturation Box →