Gain Staging using vst plugins

[wolfhalen]

When using plugins would you typically use a hot signal chain and then bring the fader down at the end?

Just seems to provide a clearer sound esp. with amp sims.

Obviously this makes more difference with hardware than software plugins, but it seems to add a lot of garbage to the sound if things are quiet early on in digital chain.

 

[Metaltastic]

I normally adjust the output level in my impulse plugin (in my case, Boogex), cuz that's not gonna effect anything tonally - I'd rather not have the faders too low, so I adjust it until it's almost but not quite peaking with the fader at unity gain.