I think I'm losing my mind

  • Thread starter Thread starter gnarled
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gnarled

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I'm trying to mix a new song I recorded with PA9. The problem is, I'll play the song through and adjust fader levels, but when I stop it and go back to the beginning, all the faders return to their original positions. I can swear this has happened to me before and I figured it out, but I can't remember this time. I'm not trying to automate anything (yet), just get general levels, panning and EQ down. I haven't made any changes to the settings, but my roommate has been using it lately too. Thanks in advance.

Ben
 
Look at my thread --- same type problems and CW Tech. can't seem to help solve this issue. They tried to steer me into .cal files to wipe out automation but those error out on my CWHS 9!!
I can't get a final good mix due to faders doing erratic things!! I feel this is an issue we need to resolve together. Let's keep on it.
I feel the basic problem here is : automation is out of control even when update, auto and snapshot are not pushed. But sometimes updating the snapshot will help the situation but after that its an extremely bleak situation. I'm about ready to give up and buy a hardware mixer but another problem arises: My D44 soundcard has only 4 outs on the breakout box whereas I need to mix 8 tracks. I hope this helps alleviate some of your frustrations. Let's keep on this issue with others if possible. Vince
 
Here's what I can offer

I may have a solution. This is one of my real sore points w/ CW, BTW. The mixer window is terrible. No one these days should be forced to mixdown on computer with a screen that looks like a mixer! Vector mixing is the ONLY way it should be done! CW is finally starting to realize that, as the SONAR interface indicates, but anyway.....

Somehow you have recorded automation data onto your tracks. Don't ask me how. I have searched and searched for the source when this has happened to me, with no luck.

What you need to do is let your song play through, make sure "update faders" is pushed, and watch for when any control moves. Soon as you see one move, stop playback. You have located the point where the automation info is. Now, right click on the control that moved, and from the pop-up menu choose "Edit automaton data". Now a screen will come up that looks a little like the Piano roll View. Somewhere near the "Now" marker there will be a verticle line inicating an automation value. Erase it.

Sometimes they are hard to find and you have to scroll the entire length of the song in the "edit automation data" window to find them. But rest assured, that's where they live.

Aaron
http://www.aaroncheney.com
 
Thanks for the input so far. I'm going to try what you suggested when I get home. Only one problem, my song is currently 19 tracks! Thats a lot of editing. Anyway, I had another thought. Since this issue seems to be project related (ie my other songs don't seem to be effected) I might try copying *just* the audio from all the tracks to a new file and hope the glitch doesn't come with it.

Cakewalk is SO full of glitches, especially with my GL card. Vegas is looking mighty appealing....

Thanks,
Ben
 
Save yourself some time

I've also had difficulty taming the faders during mixdown. I'm on the same track with Aaron (btw aaron thanks for your quick replies on so many other issues-thumbs up). However, to save some time just right click on each fader and open up "Edit Automation Data". Then zoom all the way out. You should be able to see the the entire track and its automations. Then use the erase button on all of it (unless you have other automations that you want to keep; if that's the case you may want to be more judicious on where to erase). Choose the next fader and repeat until they're all done. It shouldn't take too long.

Floyd
 
Another option

Hi

I have also had probs in the CW9 console. One of them is that tracks that are set at full volume don't play at full volume. The sliders don't jump around, but when I click on the sliders during playback, the corresponding tracks seem to 'come alive' and gain a bit more volume. It is really frustrating.

To comment on the jumping around, I think I used the snapshot function once, and that seemed to help. BUT what I figured it this: if CW is so keen on having console automation, then let it have it! Basically, have a console automation track that doesn't change anything. CW seems happier :)

Is vector mixing when you "draw lines" on the tracks to show the fading/panning? That function is present in Cool Edit Studio, and it IS much better that mixing with "sliders". But the CW console is useful for the auxillary audio effects controls, though I'd like to know how to create more! Sonar sounds like a cool package!

Cheers
NS
 
Yes, vector mixing uses lines on the audio track for either panning or volume changes. They are called envelopes and IMHO the ONLY way you should apply automation.

I agree the Console View in CW pretty much sucks. I never used it, since you can do everything in either Track View or Audio View (except control Aux Busses).

Sonar is better (although they kept Console View for some unknown reason); however there is no need to use it at all. You can control everything from the Track View.

Please do yourself a favor and use the volume envelopes in Audio View - you'll never go back.
 
try going to track prop. and adjust all track vol. to -1 that should keep your fader where you put them.
 
They should just fix it.

I started a new thread on this, and then decided to research past threads. All of these work arounds are great, but it seems to me that cakewalk needs to just fix the %@&%$ problem.

I will try setting all of my volumes (in track propertys) to -1 and see if that works. To me if I move my fader in the console view the track propertys should change and visa versa. I tshould all be editing the same file???? shouldn't it.

Very frustrated. Just spent a hour finding a very balanced mix for a project, played threw it a couple of times, saved it, all was well. I mix down and it is out of wack. I go back to the console view and it is all moved around. AAARRRRGGHHHH!!!!!

Sorry to vent.

F.S.
 
...but it seems to me that cakewalk needs to just fix the %@&%$ problem.
Click to expand...

Don't hold your breath. Development of PA 9 ceased well over a year ago.
 
I do agree with Aaron.

I am right with Aaron, using the vol/pan envelopes is the only way to go for automation and that is all I do. That is why it sucks so bad to have the faders moving around. I just want the console to act like a hardware mixer for setting base levels and pan settings, and then I use the envelopes to fade, pan, and adjust volume in the places that need to vary from the base settings.

The downside of using the vol/pan envelopes is that once you have your mix right where you want it, if you use the remove silince function to clean up some noise it can make it difficult to make touchups in levels using just the envelopes.

You know how they can get broken in to little tiny pieces.



Later
F.S.
 
Wow, this thread is a little old. Just in case you were wondering, I fixed all of my problems with cakewalk..........switched to VEGAS!!!!!!:D :D
 
i'm curious

so how's it going with vegas? i've heard from a couple of folks who switched from cake to vegas. so what's your take on it? do you think it was worth it?

adriano
 
Overall, I think its great. There was no fussing with the install(setting buffers, etc.) - it just worked the first time. I can get many more tracks and plugins with Vegas since it is nowhere near the resource hog that Cakewalk is. The things I like the most are the envelopes, built-in 4 band EQ on each channel (not the greatest EQ, but very usable and not very demanding), the buss structure, having a volume fader right next to the waveform, real-time display of the waveform during tracking, non-destructive normalizing and editing, the list goes on.

So far Vegas has crashed on me only once (compared to dozens of times with Cakewalk) and I have only encountered one major glitch, which I describe in another thread where the panning seems to switch on ocassion (haven't tried reinstalling the s/w yet either). I still get the ocassional pop or click, but far fewer than with Cakewalk and I think this issue is more related to my sound card/motherboard/OS combination. File management with Vegas is a little more hairy though - the 'Clean Audio Disk' feature in Cakewalk was really cool - its a little more manual with Vegas.

But, to sum it up, VEGAS ROCKS!!!
 
what about the plugins? do they all work alright in vegas? what about compatibility?
btw, can you/one use cakewalk fx in other multitrack programs?

adriano
 
I did have some problems with Cakewalk either not running certain plugs correctly or crashing with certain plugs. I have yet to run into a problem with Vegas. All the dX plugins I have seem to work just fine. The cakewalk dX plugins should work with Vegas, too - I haven't tried them though. Vegas also comes with a bunch of Sonic Foundry plug ins - some of them are pretty decent - nothing spectacular though.
 
yeah, i installed a demo of steinberg's pack (i don't know the name, ME or something like that), and even though they're nice, cakewalk keeps crashing when i try a lot of different auditions in succession. :(
sonic foundry's sound pretty decent to me, especially since they come free with vegas, but cw fx are better, especially dynamics and eq.

adriano
 
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