Glossary: Gain/Fader Riding

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Gain/Fader Riding: Also known as "Riding the Faders," gain riding is the act of constantly monitoring and adjusting gain as necessary during the recording process to prevent overloading the recorder. This is usually performed on the faders of a recording console. Gain riding in essence duplicates the action of a compressor without adding an extra device in the signal path. However, since the sound of compression has become the sound of popular music, gain riding has all but fallen out of use for that purpose. Gain riding is, however, still used as a creative tool. In fact, it is in part responsible for the signature drum sound of the Power Station recording studio, which became popular during the '80s. Power Station engineers would ride the faders on snare tracks so that the hit on beat two would be louder than the hit on beat four. By emphasizing the natural pulse of 4/4 tempo, wherein beat two is naturally played louder than beat four, musical drive is created. Ironically, this is a compensation for the loss of dynamics introduced by compression.

G-Cadillac Tailpiece	Gain	Gain/Fader Riding
Gain Before Feedback	Gain Reduction	Gain Stage
Gain Structure	Gap	Gate
Gauge	Gauss	GB
G Brand	General MIDI Lite	Generational Loss
Genlock	German Carve	Gesture
GFI	GHz, Gigahertz	Gibson Style O
Gig	Gigabit	Gigaflop
GigaFLOPS	Glass Armonica	Glass Master
Glide	Glissando	Global
General MIDI (GM)	GM2	GM Reset
GNU	GoBo	Golden Ratio
Golpeador	Gooseneck	GOP
GPI	Grace Note	Grain
Grand Rights	Granular Synthesis	Graphic Equalizer
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)	Graphite	Graticule
Green Book	Gretsch Ronnie Lee Model	Grid
Grid Mode	Ground	Ground Bass
Ground Lift	Ground Loop	Ground Wound
Group	Group Delay	GSIF
Guard Band	GUI	Guitar
Guitar Organ	Guitarron	Guitorgan