automation question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Newbie dude
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Newbie dude

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lets just say a guitar track of a song starts off with the fader at zero, and then the automation curve moves the fader to 3 later, and then down to .5

If I change it so that the fader starts at -1 at the beginning, will it later moved to 2, and then down to -.5, or will it still go to 3 and .5?
 
It could depend on the program but usually the volume envelope is relative to the fader volume.
 
I'm using cubase. So that means the increments will stay the same, right? I think thats what that meant..
 
Sorry, not familiar with cubebase, but I thought that when working with midi controllers, the faders were not moving to a relative positioning but rather to a calibrated feedback level.

I guess it could depend on the application (recording program) and the control surface. I know that when I power up my mackie MCU and turn on the SONAR, it synchs up. Afterwards, move the fader and the amount of attenuation is a "real" number.

Maybe I missed something. Sorry to interrupt.
 
What you describe probably won't happen. Most programs, if you set the fader to make a move to a specific value at a specific time, it will always go to that value, even if you change the starting point value.

But sometimes you want to lower or raise the overall level of a track, while still keeping the existing volume automation, so that the levels will change proportionally, (but at a softer or louder overall level.) This can be done fairly easily in a number of ways. One would be to put a plug-in on the track that has a volume or trim adjustment built into the plug. You could set the plug-in values to neutral (so that you aren't actually compressing or EQing, etc. the track) and just lower or raise the volume within the plug - which changes the overall level of the track without affecting your volume automation moves.

A second way would be to route the output of your track into the input of a new track, and use the fader on the new track to raise or lower the overall volume. Again, the automation on the original track would proceed unaffected.
 
darn. was hoping you wouldn't say that. I'll probably just wait until I have the whole song mixed and all the levels where I want them, and then go back and redo the automation curves. At least I'll already know where I want them.
 
Newbie dude said:
darn. was hoping you wouldn't say that. I'll probably just wait until I have the whole song mixed and all the levels where I want them, and then go back and redo the automation curves. At least I'll already know where I want them.
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Well, I'd take the time and read the help file, read the manual, and/or go specifically to a Cubase forum if I were you. Because it varies from editor to editor.

For example, the levels automation control in CEP/Audition does not work by absolute volume levels, but rather by levels relative to what the track volume fader is set to. In that case, the fader setting sets the maximum volume level for that track. This absolute volume level is what the automation control considers 100%, or having the rubber band riding across the top of the waveform display. Then when you drag a handle down on the automation band, that cuts the volume down as a relative percentage of the maximum volume (also conveniently measured in dB as well as %)

I like to think of it as working like this: the main track fader acts kind of like the input trim pot on the channel strip of a hardware mixer, and the automation envelope acts like the strip's fader control. In that case, then yes, the automation works exactly like you describe in your OP question, and all is well.

I'm not familiar yet with Cubase automation, but I'd actually be suprised that it didn't work the same way.

G.
 
Newbie dude said:
darn. was hoping you wouldn't say that. I'll probably just wait until I have the whole song mixed and all the levels where I want them, and then go back and redo the automation curves. At least I'll already know where I want them.
Click to expand...

Well first off, why wouldn't you want to do that?

Secondly, another way to do it is just select ALL of the points in the volume envelope window and drag them ALL down together to whatever you want. Meaning if the song starts at Zero, then just move the first point down to -1 and the rest will follow.
 
VSpaceBoy said:
another way to do it is just select ALL of the points in the volume envelope window and drag them ALL down together to whatever you want. Meaning if the song starts at Zero, then just move the first point down to -1 and the rest will follow.
Click to expand...


Yup, thats how its done!
 
You could also just adjust the trim control on the channel (right above the panner) an the automation will stay the same.
 
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