How you set your track levels as you mix

[mrskytown11]

Does anyone keep there track levels at a certain level/DB, for example say someone wanted all their tracks to hover around -12 DB, so as they mix and add fx or eq, after awhile if any track is above that -12 then you would input trim the track back to around -12,
I know one thing I learned when I was just starting to mix tracks more seriously was to gain stage my plugins especially eq, so if I would eq something and then the volume changes then I would adjust the output trim of the plugin etc,
Doing this would mean that my tracks should stay around the same level I had before I started mixing or am I missing something here.


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[Tassy]

One thing often overlooked: Plugins, just like analogue gears, need a certain input signal level to work as expected.
Example: compressors that produce harmonics as well stop producing it if the input is low. The track out can be of the same level by fader or so but the harmonics cannot get generated. (put on some analyzer and check for yourself)
Track input around -15-25 dB I am looking for without clipping. (around -6 at the meter bar, I do not know what it really shows?) My first move in a session (it is in my template) to set all tracks displaying input and not postfader as the default (this default is a bad choice, asked for changing, no respond)
Another thing: The RMS level I wrote above can be much different by instruments even if the bars beside the fader show similar "peaks". Not to waste time of accurate setting and analyzes I just use more input on plugins and less output to get the same track out volume as I would get by less in and more out by the plug.
It is rather a practical explanation than scientific but works great for me.
Tassy

[mrskytown11]

So what about if I already have imported audio files,


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[Tassy]

So what about if I already have imported audio files,


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I use boost cut for the wave forms imported to get a rather similar average wave level for a start