Effect automation...

[Slackmaster2K]

Anybody ever get it to work...for real?

Slackmaster 2000

[Slackmaster2K]

Nevermind...kinda hoaky but I think I finally got it working.

Slackmaster 2000

[larrye]

Hey Slack,
How the crap do you get it to work, I have been wanting to know this for some time!

larrye

[Slackmaster2K]

Well, it's goofy as hell for a number of reasons. The most annoying thing is that n-track doesn't always seem to grab parameter names correctly, or in the right order.

Anyhow, when you click the envelope tool you can select effect automation (it's the last option). This will bring up a window where you can select an effect and a parameter (remember I warned you that it might not get parameters right so you have to guess sometimes). Then you can draw your envelope like you would a volume envelope...except that you can't do slopes, just jagged steps

To actually hear the automation, you have to make sure that the "P" button on the main mixer is enabled. This will turn off every time you restart n-Track, be warned. I don't know why "P" has to be on to hear effect envelopes but not volume or panning...who knows.

Another way to do automation is to hit the "R" button in the main mixer. Everything you do while you're playing back will be recorded. Volume changes, effect parameter changes, everything. It's kind of handy except that it's hard to make good adjustments with a mouse in realtime. When you're done, make sure to turn "R" off otherwise you'll accidentally make a lot of work for yourself

I haven't tried this with any DX effects yet...supposedly they have to specifically support automation so it might not work with all of them. It should work with any VST effect on the other hand.

Good luck to you...and if you're using version 3.0, you might have to upgrade...when I tried effect automation with that first version it was a crashing nightmare.

Slackmaster 2000

[larrye]

Slack,
Thanks for the info. I will give it a try. I am currently at 3.? I have been afraid to upgrade lately. The builds have been coming fast and furious, and my last upgrade was a disaster! I swore I would not upgrade again untill I was convinced it would be stable. I keep checking the fa-soft forum, but over there they all think that EVERY upgrade is great and I know they aren't. What version are you running now?
Thanks,
larrye

[Slackmaster2K]

I'll have to check...it's 3.1.x....I hate upgrading too. Been bitten numerous times, so I wait until there's a feature that I really need.

Slackmaster 2000

[punx]

What is effect automatisation?

[Slackmaster2K]

It's automating effect moves so that you don't have to manually do them when mixing down. Say you want a track to start dry and then wash into total reverb in 30 seconds....normally you'd have to manually change the wet/dry ratio in your reverb plugin as the mix was playing back....but with effect automation, you can basically "record" the moves and n-Track will repeat them for you. Same thing as volume and panning automation, except that your changing effect parameters.

Slackmaster 2000