One reason I tend to adjust overall levels in plugins is to avoid clipping. I use protools LE, and I often place an L1 limiter as the last plug on a channel. If I need more level, I know I can push it in the limiter, and any stray peaks will be limited rather than clipping the channel. (For this reason, I don't understand why EVERY plugin, channel, and bus in a digital system doesn't include a limiter as the last stage before the output. Why would you ever want to go above 0dBfs?)
I often DO set the "ballpark" level of a track using the channel fader, and I also automate fader moves on the channel itself. But once you do that in Protools LE, you can't adjust the overall level of the track without switching to the track view, scrolling to the end of the song, grabbing the scrubber tool, and making the adjustment. For me, it's usually much easier to stay in the mixer screen and just grab the fader on the L1. This lets me make global level adjustments on the track while keeping the channel fader automation intact. The only way this doesn't work is if you've written automation on the L1, which I never do. (Well, never say never, but it would be a rare case.)
Anyway, just how I've learned to work in ProTools. Any reason why this is a bad practice?
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